Tony Bennett was a fabulous musician but he was more than that – a great painter, an ardent civil rights advocate.

Bennett was rare – truly a great human being.

In 1945 he experienced rampant racism, leaving an indelible mark on him.

He was stationed in Europe – having been drafted into the U.S. Army to fight in World War II.

One day he invited a black soldier, whom he knew from his hometown to eat with him at his regiment’s mess hall in Germany.

The results were devastating – the Army at this point was still segregated – a high-ranking, enraged white officer, using a razor blade, cut Bennett’s corporal stripes from his uniform, threw them on the floor and spat on them.

And as punishment he assigned Bennett to dig up the corpses of fellow U.S. soldiers from mass graves so they would get a decent burial.

Bennett said the encounter motivated him to speak out for civil rights.

In 1965, he took part in the historic 50-mile Selma to Montgomery marches, standing alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to demand equality and justice for all, after his friend, the black singer Harry Belafonte invited him.

When South Africa was an apartheid regime he refused to perform there.

Bennett started painting when he was young – the same time he started singing.

And while singing brought him fame, painting brought him peace.

During long arduous concert tours he often painted to relax, to recharge.

His paintings were wide ranging in style and subject matter – shown in galleries, museums, all over the world.

His music lives with us forever – give a listen to some of his memorable songs.

Tony Bennett – a man for all reasons, a man for all seasons.