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'Grief hasn't been a straight line': Antonia Bennett gears up for first Thanksgiving without late father Tony Bennett

'I feel blessed that I was able to have my dad in my life for as long as I did, and that he lived such a long and full life,' Antonia Bennett said

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Antonia Bennett is gearing up for her first Thanksgiving without her iconic father Tony Bennett as she is embracing cherished memories and sage advice.

"Never look back, always look forward," was the legendary crooner's advice for his 49-year-old daughter.

"I don't know if that's true or not but I definitely think you have to remember to find the joy in things and look at the blessings you have in your life," Antonia, the youngest of Bennett's children said of his advice.

Antonia Bennett says her father Tony Bennett lived 'a long and full life'

Speaking to People about how she has been dealing with her father's death on July 21, 2023, Antonia said, "Grief hasn't been a straight line, but I feel blessed that I was able to have my dad in my life for as long as I did, and that he lived such a long and full life."

"I'll be here in Los Angeles for the holidays. My sister and my mom are coming out, so we're going to have a nice, small, family dinner here," Antonia said of her holiday plans.

She reminisces about her father's past Thanksgivings spent at the renowned Gotham Bar and Grill. "We had some really fun Thanksgiving meals there," Antonia said.

"At times we would go over to my brother Daegal's house and he and his girlfriend Robin would put on an amazing Thanksgiving dinner," she added.

"There's a lot of memories like that. The holidays are so beautiful in the city," she recalled.

Antonia also shared heartwarming memories with her father as they went ice skating in Central Park for as long as "he was still able to do it" every year during the holiday season.

Antonia Bennett to make her solo debut in NYC

On November 30, Antonia is set to make her solo performance in New York City at Dizzy's Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center, a venue her father once praised as the "best jazz room in the city."

"That's my dad's old neighborhood — he lived right down the street," Antonia said.

"So I am sure I'll be thinking of him a lot. My childhood was spent so close to Central Park, so I'll probably be thinking a lot about that too," she continued.

"There was a horseback riding studio there where you could take horses out into Central Park, and it's no longer there, but I have a lot of early childhood memories of that," she further explained 

"I really miss New York, even though I get to be there pretty often. There's nothing like it," the singer added.