Tony Bennett calls for drug legalization

Tony Bennett has spoken out against drug laws in the wake of the death of Whitney Houston.

At Clive Davis' party on Saturday night, Bennett said while on the stage

First it was Michael Jackson, then there was Amy Winehouse, and now the magnificent Whitney Houston.

I'd like to have every gentleman and lady in this room commit themselves to get on government to legalize drugs. Let's legalize drugs like they did in Amsterdam. No one's hiding or sneaking around corners to get it. They go to a doctor to get it, [not] gangsters that just sell it under the table.

Bennett performed at the gathering that changed from a celebration of the awards to an ad hoc memorial for Houston. He performed the Michele LeGrand and Alan and Marilyn Bergman song How Do You Keep the Music Playing, saying "This is a song Frank Sinatra asked me to sing. I'd like to dedicate it to Whitney. When I first heard her, I called Clive Davis and said, 'You finally found the greatest singer I've ever heard in my life.'"

Tony added to his comments today after saying that he had received "mostly positive" comments. He said that legislation would "get rid of all the gangsters that make people hide. One thing I've learned about young people, when you say 'Don't do this,' that's the one thing they're going to try and do. Once it's legal and everybody can do it, there is no longer the desire to do something that nobody else can do. I witnessed that in Amsterdam. It's legal, and as a result there's no panic in the streets. There's no deals, there's no 'Meet me at the corner and I'll give you something.' You're always afraid you're going to get arrested. You have to hide. Why do that?"

Bennett battled his own addiction to cocaine during his career, including a near fatal overdose in 1979.