90-year old crooner Tony Bennett insists he is 'very healthy' as he continues to perform regularly and to paint watercolours, almost daily.
"My doctor says, 'Do what you want, there is nothing wrong with you,'" Bennett tells today's The Sunday Times Culture, adding that he feels like he is 'just starting out'.
The affable New Yorker, who had his first hit single in 1951, has just completed a book tour to publicise his memoir, Just Getting Started. He has performed occasional concerts in recent months, and has actually planned a full tour for 2017.
"I love what I do, " he reveals. "To make people feel good is the most wonderful profession you could ever be in."
It seems unlikely that he will,ever sing for Donald Trump, although he has performed for 11 US presidents. "We have to put up with Trump, " he remarks, mentioning his affection for Bill Clinton, who has contributed an essay to the singer's new album, Tony Bennett Celebrates 90: The Best is Yet to Come.
Clinton, he says, was the first president he met " (whom) I didn't have to stand attention to. I could walk up with my hands in my pockets and say, `Hi, how are you doing today?'
He pays tribute to Lady Gaga with whom he collaborated on the chart-topping (USA) Cheek to Cheek album. "Gaga is different from anybody else I have met recently, " says the singer. "She has the gift, she can do the whole thing - she can perform, she composes and plays piano, she had good personal training at NYU and Julliard. Education makes a difference."
