Jay Leno's musical guest this evening was Tony Bennett, singing "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." By way of introduction, Leno said that it was the first time Bennett had performed the song on television since 1962.
That can't be right, can it? Wasn't there a time in the seventies and eighties when he was singing it on every variety and talk show, an average of once a week?
After the tune — which sounded okay for a guy who just turned eighty — Bennett went to panel and confirmed to Jay it was the first time he'd sung it on TV since 1962. Asked what show that was, he said — and I quote — "I did it on the first show with Johnny Carson, right here in this studio."
Now, as it happens, Tony Bennett was a guest on Carson's first Tonight Show, which was October 1 of 1962…and let's just skip the fact that it wasn't done in the same studio or even on the same coast. Do we really believe that was the last time he performed that song on television?