Tony Bennett left his heart on Long Island, too

Tony Bennett may have sung about leaving his heart in San Francisco, but at least a small part of it was also left on Long Island.

The venerable crooner, who died Friday at 96, was a frequent visitor to Long Island who performed at Tangier Manor House in Mastic Beach while still a rising star in 1950, Southampton College in 1995 and headlined dozens of concerts at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury up to 2018. His Long Island connections also extended to his close friendship with another music legend, Hicksville native Billy Joel.

"Tony Bennett was one of the most important interpreters of American popular song during the mid to late 20th century. He championed songwriters who might otherwise have remained unknown to many millions of music fans," said longtime friend Joel in a statement. "His was a unique voice that made the transition from the era of jazz into the age of pop …

"He was a joy to work with. His energy and enthusiasm for the material he was performing was infectious. He was also one of the nicest human beings I’ve ever known."

The two duetted on "New York State of Mind" at one of Joel's Madison Square Garden shows in 2019 and performed together at the "Last Play at Shea" concert in 2008.

Bennett's music also touched other Long Islanders, including Sea Cliff lawyer John Canning, who still cherishes the memory of seeing the entertainer, then 91, at Westbury in 2017.

"I grew up listening to him on WNEW and WHLI and listening to him perform songs from the Great American Songbook like 'Rags to Riches' and 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams,' " said Canning, who also dabbles in musical theater. "To have that culminate in the experience of seeing him live was incredible. And he still sounded great. And he was one of our own."

In 2006, Bennett was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame.

Though known mainly as a recording artist, Bennett was also a painter. His depiction of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge at sunset was one of the highlights of the 2021-22 exhibit "Songs Without Words: The Art of Music" at the Nassau County Museum of Art in Roslyn.

"It was so vibrant, so full of color," said Charles Riley, the museum's director. "It’s almost like he took the colors of his music — both minor and major — and translated them into the visual of a vibrant and very lively palette."