Letter to the Editor: Remembering Icons

I am very pleased that The Philadelphia Inquirer printed this letter, recalling special memories.

Remembering Icons

To the editor:

In my mind, Philadelphia’s 1928 art deco jewel, the Drake Towers, whose magical exterior was captured in Chris Hytha’s drone footage of vintage skyscrapers, is woven with memories of singer Tony Bennett, whose extraordinary life and talent. The Inquirer celebrated after his recent passing. My husband and I lived at the Drake from 2007 to 2013, where we showered two tired, shabby floors with love and care, and my husband created a wonderland of flowers and trees on 1,700 feet of terrace. Still, we never felt this space was ours; we saw it instead as a treasure on loan, to be enjoyed by others, including any nonprofit who asked to use it for fundraising. To thank us for its use, leadership at the Mann Center invited us to attend Bennett’s Aug. 28, 2010, performance, and to meet him afterward. At 84, Bennett enchanted a full house with two hours of timeless classics. Backstage, though noticeably tired, he greeted each of us with his wondrous smile and a private word.

SaraKay Smullens

Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 26, 2023