Benzinga Buzz: How Tony Bennett Made A Financial Comeback; This Country Bans Band Over Same-Sex Kiss; Are Disney Assets For Sale?; Box-Office Barbie & More

Each week, Benzinga Buzz compiles the latest entertainment news into a cohesive column for your consideration. Read on for the latest updates — both useful and irreverent.

How The Late, Great Tony Bennett Came Back From Financial Ruin: When Tony Bennett passed away on July 21 at the age of 96, much was said about the legendary crooner's illustrious career, which spanned more than seven decades.

He performed up until 2021 — five years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Concert venues were constantly sold out, as the nonagenarian didn't seem to miss a step. He even released two hit albums with Lady Gaga. At the time of his death, the "Rags to Riches" singer had a net worth of $200 million.

But the Bennett of yesteryear wasn't always living "The Good Life." Benzinga readers would be wise to study the story of how Bennett improved his income and wealth management while finding an unlikely financial advisor — his punk rock son.

"For 45 years, I had an ax over my head,'' Bennett told the New York Times in 1999. ''I thought I was going to go bankrupt. I was spending more than I was making, on advertising, publicity and all.''

Enter Danny Bennett. The elder Bennett's son was an aspiring musician in his own right. But he had a knack for managing finances. So he came to his father's rescue in the 1970s, "crunched the numbers," rewrote the budgets, built him a stock portfolio, and helped revive his father's popularity with a brand makeover and regular TV appearances ("The Simpsons," Conan O'Brien and "SNL"). They even created an Emmy-winning program together with Sony SONY called ''Live by Request'' on A&E.

The Times wrote that "the money followed the restored magic." By 1999, Tony Bennett was making an estimated 100 live performances a year, earning $50,000 a concert, and, as a skilled artist, would sell his paintings and drawings for up to $80,000 apiece.

The father-son collaboration continued being a successful one. Just 10 years ago, Bennett became the oldest living artist to record an album that debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart. “I don’t just handle a career," Danny said on WNYC radio. "I manage a legacy."

So if you're wondering why you're floundering financially, consider Bennett's story as a lesson on the importance of fiscal responsibility and old-school charm — that even the most renowned person can struggle. But by focusing on factors like your income-to-expense ratio, paying down debt and diversifying your investments, your bank account will look like "Night and Day."

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• Pop band The 1975 was just banned from Malaysia after its bandmates shared a same-sex smooch on stage in protest of the country's anti-LGBTQ laws. Meanwhile, Starbucks Corp SBUX — which claims that Pride is "core to its mission" — just inked a merchandise deal with K-pop group Blackpink that includes Malaysia.
• Mary Trump voiced support for SAG-AFTRA and WGA members on strike; meanwhile, her uncle — former President Donald Trump — hosted a QAnon movie night with Steve Bannon in New Jersey.  
• Walt Disney Co. DIS CEO Bob Iger's spending habits are under scrutiny. But he also knows how to make a buck! While the "House of Mouse" boss remains very focused on theme parks and the Disney+ platform, he's reportedly less stoked about the company’s linear TV assets, which “may not be core” to its business. In other words, broadcast network ABC, as well as FX, Nat Geo, Freeform and Disney Channel, may soon be up for sale.
• Elon Musk chimed in on a social media user's analogy, comparing Meta Platforms Inc.’s META Instagram and Twitter to the contrasting worlds of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” movies. Here's how the Tesla CEO reacted.
• Also, U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) chose this Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN social media platform over Twitter. I wonder why.
• Bravolebrity Tamra Judge criticized celebrities for taking the Kim Kardashian-popularized weight-loss drug Ozempic: "I don't take shortcuts," she said.
• Mattel Inc. MAT is reportedly using "steal marketing" by giving away free dolls to kids at schools as part of its "You Can Be Anything" program. I wonder if there was ever a pot-grower Barbie.
• Lastly, if you invested $1,000 In Mattel stock when the "Barbie Girl" song was released in 1997, here's how much you'd have today.

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Image: Pixabay and Shutterstock