Tony Bennett’s first wife Patricia Beech gained notoriety when she started dating the singer. In 1952, when Beech was just 19 years old, the two exchanged ‘I do’s.
When Bennet walked down the aisle with this art student, his supporters were inconsolable. Thousands of them wore black as a sign of sadness and stood outside the ceremony’s location.
A TIMELINE OF TONY BENNET’S RELATIONSHIP WITH PATRICIA BEECH
Bennet’s breath was stolen away when he saw his future wife, a then-art student, at a place where he would be singing. Bennett recounted in ‘The Good Life,’ his book:
In July 1951, I met Patricia Beech, a young woman, and we fell in love. One night while I was performing at Moe’s Main Street in Cleveland, Ohio, she entered with a date. She was seated ringside, so I could see her from the stage, and I was struck by how beautiful she looked.
Fortunately for the singer, Beech’s date asked him to go with them. Of course, he said yes without thinking twice. The next day, they went on their first date after he asked for her phone number right away.
The singer persuaded Beech to visit him in New York City two months after he had to depart, and shortly after that, she relocated there and started working as a broker. Then, as Bennet recalled, the engagement:
For the Christmas season, I was once again the Paramount’s main act. As a result, I revealed my plans to the public during my show, surprising Patricia. She wanted to marry me as badly as I did, which was lucky for me.
Bennet’s manager, Ray Muscarella, was not happy with his client’s intentions to get married. So, according to the singer, he attempted to ruin his and Beech’s wedding day at New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral. According to Bennet, his manager prepared the scene of the brides mourning their wedding day.
He asserted that several irrational fans prevented his future wife from ascending the steps to her wedding. The happy pair was fortunate to have a two-week honeymoon in the Bahamas to forget about all the stress.
Beech spent a lot of time on tour with her husband before the kids were born, so the couple did not have kids immediately away. On February 3, 1954, they welcomed their first child, and on October 15, 1955, they welcomed their second. Bennett said:
After the tour, Patricia and I thought it was time to buy a house in the suburbs where the kids could spread out. ‘When the new baby came, we felt that Patricia deserved to stay at home with the kid, especially since I was due to start a long tour.’
In 1957, Beech and her husband went on one final trip. They came to this conclusion after realizing that their marriage was suffering due to the distance between them while he was on tour and she was at home, but she never joined him again.
Unfortunately, the touring was having an impact on the marriage, so Beech and her husband thought it would be best to separate in order to give each other space. Bennett then relocated to a different apartment.
Beech’s husband returned to the family home after they maintained a channel of communication and things seemed to be improving.
Beech broke off the connection as soon as she learned about Sandra, a woman her husband was growing close to. In Bennett’s memory,
‘Sandra answered the phone when Patricia called me at the hotel. At that point, we were no longer together.’
The couple struggled to come to an agreement when it came time to finalize the divorce. Beech took control, filing for divorce and brought her spouse to court. After they divorced amicably in 1971, Beech stayed with the kids at the Englewood house.
THE CHILDREN OF PATRICIA BEECH
Danny Bennett and Dae Bennett, Beech’s two children with her ex-husband, are both boys. Danny, who is now an adult, is also employed in the entertainment sector as a film producer and has received two Emmy nominations and a win.
He managed his father for more than 40 years and oversaw his work with a number of well-known musicians, including John Legend, Norah Jones, Carrie Underwood, and Lady Gaga. He also has a son, and Hadley Spanier, his girlfriend, was last mentioned in 2021.
Dae is an audio editor, percussionist, and producer, following in his father’s musical footsteps. He is currently employed as a free-lance producer and audio engineer. Seven Emmy Awards were given to him throughout his stint in the music business. Additionally, the two brothers have shared the stage in rock bands.
Beech’s life has not been flawless, but it has been interesting, from having fans grieve her wedding to her now ex-husband, touring the world, and giving birth to two quite successful young men.
Sadly, it appears that reading her ex-writings husband’s is the only way to get more in-depth facts about her. Beyond that, we don’t know a much about her or what she is doing with her life right now. However, it is commonly known that her sons and their father have remained close.