Susan Crow is an American philanthropist and former educator best known as the third wife of legendary jazz and pop singer Tony Bennett.
Her connection to Bennett began long before they ever met, rooted in her family’s deep admiration for his music from the time she was a child in San Francisco.
Who is Susan Crow?
Susan Crow is a former New York City schoolteacher who later became a full-time philanthropist and arts education advocate.
She co-founded Exploring the Arts (ETA) with Tony Bennett in 1999, a nonprofit that partners with public schools in New York and Los Angeles to expand arts programming for students.
She and Tony received the George Washington University Medal in 2010 for their contributions to arts education.
Susan also took on the role of president of the ETA Board of Directors, leading the organization’s growth and partnerships with dozens of schools across the country.
Susan became Tony Bennett’s third wife when they married on June 21, 2007, after more than 20 years together.
Later, she served as his full-time caregiver following his Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis in 2016, staying by his side until his death on July 21, 2023.
Tony Bennett’s Wife Susan Crow
Susan Marion Crow first crossed paths with Tony Bennett before she was even born.
In 1966, her parents, Dayl and Marion Crow, attended one of Bennett’s concerts in San Francisco, and Marion was pregnant with Susan at the time.
Backstage, they had a photo taken with the singer, a moment Tony later wrote about in his 2016 memoir, describing the “incredible turn of events that followed.” Susan grew up in a household where Tony Bennett’s music was a constant.
Her mother Marion was a self-described “Tonymaniac,” and Susan followed closely in her footsteps, eventually becoming the president of the San Francisco chapter of his fan club as a teenager.
By 1985, she used those fan club credentials to secure backstage passes to one of his concerts.
She was 19, Bennett was 58, and the meeting sparked a relationship that would last nearly four decades.
Their age difference of 40 years drew public attention, but both were open about how little it mattered to them.
In an interview with TODAY following Tony’s death, Susan said: “He performed to everybody.
He never saw generation gaps or anything. And privately, we didn’t either. We just absolutely loved each other. And he was my life.”
Early Life of Susan Crow
Susan Marion Crow was born on September 9, 1966, in San Francisco, California.
She grew up in a family with a deep appreciation for the arts and music, shaped in part by her mother Marion’s passion for Tony Bennett’s songs.
Her father Dayl Crow and mother Marion Crow raised her in the Bay Area. No information about siblings has been publicly confirmed.
Susan’s childhood connection to Tony Bennett was unique: her mother’s fandom meant she grew up hearing his records regularly.
By her teenage years, she was calling local radio stations to request his songs and eventually ran his San Francisco fan club chapter.
Susan Crow Age / Birthday
Susan Crow is 60 years old as of 2026, born on September 9, 1966. Her zodiac sign is Virgo, a sign often associated with dedication and a methodical approach to work.
Both traits reflect Susan’s long career in education and nonprofit leadership.
Susan Crow Ethnicity and Nationality
Susan Crow is an American national, born and raised in San Francisco, California. She is of white ethnicity.
Her family followed the Christian faith, and both her parents shared that background.
Susan Crow Height and Weight
Susan Crow stands at 5 feet 7 inches tall, or approximately 1.70 meters. Her weight is not publicly confirmed. She has blonde hair and dark brown eyes.
Susan Crow Education
Susan completed her undergraduate studies at Fordham University in New York. She then enrolled in the Teachers College at Columbia University to pursue a graduate program in education.
Her time in college also included an internship at the President’s Advance Office, a reflection of how she stood out academically.
That educational foundation shaped the career she would go on to build in both teaching and nonprofit arts work.
Her training at Columbia’s Teachers College in particular gave her a direct pathway into the New York public school system, where she would spend her early professional years.
Susan Crow Career
Teaching and Early Work
Susan began her professional life as a public school teacher in New York City, where she taught social studies.
That hands-on classroom experience gave her direct insight into the challenges public school students face, particularly in underfunded arts programs.
She also worked as an administrative assistant at Merrill Lynch early in her career.
Before settling into full-time teaching, she owned and operated Creative Artists Management in New York, a firm that handled talent bookings, publicity, and general artist management services.
Co-Founding Exploring the Arts
In 1999, Susan and Tony Bennett co-founded Exploring the Arts, commonly known as ETA.
The nonprofit was built to bring quality arts programming directly into public high schools, giving students access to music, theater, dance, and visual arts education.
ETA grew steadily over the years, eventually partnering with schools across New York City and Los Angeles.
Susan served as president of the ETA Board of Directors, guiding the organization’s direction and partnerships.
That same year, the couple also helped establish the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, Queens, a public high school dedicated to the performing arts.
The school opened fully in 2001 and became a model for arts-focused public education in New York.
Both institutions reflect Susan’s belief that students in public schools deserve the same access to arts training as those in private settings.
Recognition and Later Work
In 2010, the ASCAP Foundation honored Exploring the Arts for its impact.
That same year, Susan and Tony received the George Washington University Medal for their work in arts education, one of the most meaningful recognitions the couple received together.
As Tony’s Alzheimer’s disease progressed after his 2016 diagnosis, Susan stepped away from public-facing roles to focus on his care.
She became his primary caregiver, managing his well-being while also continuing to advocate for ETA.
Tony’s final public performances took place at Radio City Music Hall in August 2021, alongside Lady Gaga.
After Tony passed away on July 21, 2023, Susan released a joint statement with his son Danny Bennett, writing that Tony “delighted in performing the songs he loved and making people happy,” and that his fans could “find joy in Tony’s legacy forever.”
Susan Crow Net Worth
Susan Crow’s estimated net worth is $3 million as of 2026. Her income comes primarily from her career as an educator and her long-standing work in nonprofit arts administration through Exploring the Arts.
Her husband Tony Bennett had a significantly larger fortune, estimated at $200 million at the time of his death.
Before her nonprofit work, Susan earned income as a teacher and through her talent management company, Creative Artists Management.
The couple regularly directed substantial resources toward educational and philanthropic causes.
Reports from during their marriage placed them in a New York City home valued at $27.5 million.
Their spending reflected a shared commitment to arts education rather than personal luxury, with much of their combined wealth directed toward ETA and school funding initiatives.
Susan Crow and Tony Bennett Marriage
Susan Crow and Tony Bennett married on June 21, 2007, in an intimate ceremony in New York City attended by close family and friends.
Among the guests were former New York Governor Mario Cuomo and his wife Matilda. The couple honeymooned in Italy. They had dated for more than 20 years before walking down the aisle.
During that time, Susan completed her education, built her career, and grew alongside Bennett through his most celebrated later-career years.
Tony described their relationship in interviews as grounded in genuine compatibility rather than novelty.
He credited Susan for much of the stability and happiness he experienced in later life, and named her as an inspiration behind some of his songs.
After Tony’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2016, Susan became his full-time caregiver.
She has spoken publicly about the difficulties of watching someone she loved change due to the disease, describing a moment where she noted “he’s not the old Tony anymore,” but adding that when he sang, he was himself again.
Tony Bennett died on July 21, 2023, in New York City, at the age of 96, just two weeks before his 97th birthday. Susan was 56 at the time of his death.
Susan Crow Children
Susan Crow and Tony Bennett did not have children together. Their marriage of 16 years was one without biological children between them.
Tony had four children from his two previous marriages: sons Danny Bennett and Dae Bennett, and daughters Johanna Bennett and Antonia Bennett.
Antonia Bennett is herself a professional singer. Through her marriage to Tony, Susan became stepmother to all four of his children. Tony is also survived by nine grandchildren.
Conclusion
Susan Crow spent four decades devoted to Tony Bennett and to the cause of arts education, building a nonprofit that touched thousands of students across two cities.
Her work with Exploring the Arts and the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts stands as the most lasting public record of her life beyond her marriage.