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BY KERRY LEARY
ANCHOR EMILY SPAIN

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Tony Bennett is doing just a little more than promoting his new duet album this week. The singer made some controversial comments regarding 9/11 and former president George W. Bush. CNN has more.

“Legendary singer Tony Bennett is hitting some sour notes during an appearance on Howard Stern’s radio show. Bennett was there to promote a new album but the conversation took a sharp turn when Stern asked him about terrorism and the 9/11 attacks. Bennett made it clear who he thought was to blame.”

So, what exactly did Bennett say?

TONY BENNETT: “He told me personally that night, he says ‘I think I made a mistake.”

HOWARD STERN: “Really?" 

ROBIN QUIVERS: "Really?"

BENNETT: “Yep.”

QUIVERS: “About the war? He hasn’t said that to anybody publicly.”

STERN:“You gotta eliminate war but what do you do with these terrorists who blew up the World Trade Center?"

QUIVERS: "Well if they didn’t have weapons like he said, they don’t make them themselves.”

BENNETT: “But who are the terrorists? Are we the terrorists or are they the terrorists? Two wrongs don’t make a right.”

STERN: “They’re the ones that started it by running a plane into the World Trade Center, what do you do?”

BENNETT: "I don’t know about that."

The 85-year-old singer’s comments sparked quite the debate, but a Bush spokesperson says the comment was far from true, according to NBC.

“A spokesman for former president George W. Bush tells NBC News tonight, ‘This account is flatly wrong.’ He goes on to say President Bush never said that to Tony Bennett or anyone else.”

A writer for Blackbook Magazine suspects Bennett’s hearing could have been clouded by his liberal ideology.

“Could Bennett, who’s so vehemently opposed to the war, have had selective hearing when he thought George W. Bush told him it was ‘a mistake?’ Possibly. Considering Bush is already denying the remarks, it will be his word against Bennett’s.”

But an editorial writer for New York Magazine came to the singer’s defense.

“...before everyone freaks out and storms Bennett's castle with pitchforks and torches, we'd like to point out that he's 85 years old, and therefore is pretty old, and old people are allowed to say whatever crazy s*** they want.”

According to Us Weekly, Bennett himself even believed the comments went too far.
He issued an apology statement saying:

"...sorry if my statements suggested anything other than an expression of my love for my country, my hope for humanity and my desire for peace throughout the world.”

Bennett also said he is grateful to be an American in his apology statement.

Transcript by Newsy.