Grammy Award-winning artist Tony Bennett will play a one-night-only performance at UB Center for the Arts on Dec. 17. The 8 p.m. show will benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charity.

Bennett’s initial successes came via a string of Columbia singles in the early 1950’s, including such chart-toppers as “Because of You,” “Rags to Riches,” and a remake of Hank Williams’ “Cold, Cold Heart.” He had 24 songs in the Top 40, including: “I Wanna Be Around,” “The Good Life,” “Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)?” and his signature song, “I Left My Heart In San Francisco,” which garnered him the first two of his 19 Grammy Awards. Tony Bennett is one of only a handful of artists to have new albums charting in the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s and 10’s. He introduced a multitude of songs into the great American Songbook that have since become pop music classics.

Locally presented by The Derico of East Amherst Corporation, concert proceeds benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Buffalo. Since opening its doors to families of seriously ill or injured children, the Ronald McDonald House of Buffalo has provided comfortable, affordable lodging for 18,000 families from Western New York and around the world. The Ronald McDonald House is a family’s “home-away-from-home” when their child requires specialized medical care at a Buffalo hospital.

Tickets are available at the Center for the Arts box office (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays), online at www.ubcfa.org or by phone 1-888-223-6000.