Tony Bennett death: Legendary American singer dies aged 96
Legendary American singer Tony Bennett has died at the age of 96.
Known for his recordings of show tunes and jazz standards, Bennett was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease back in 2016. He died in his hometown of New York, of undisclosed causes.
His publicist Sylvia Weiner confirmed his death in a statement to Associated Press.
Bennett released more than 70 albums over the course of his career, winning 19 competitive Grammys. Towards the end of his life, his repeat collaborations with pop singer Lady Gaga introduced him to a new generation of fans.
Among Bennett’s best known hits were “Rags to Riches” and “I Left My Heart in San Francisco”, the latter of which became his signature song.
Bennett first rose to prominence in the 1950s, as a crooner known for recording commercially successful pop songs, including 1951’s “Because of You”. His musical style quickly developed, and he branched out into other musical forms, incuding show tunes and big band numbers.
In the late 1960s and 1970s, Bennett found his popularity on the wane, before a resurgence in the 1990s brought him renewed acclaim. Seventeen of the Grammy awards he won would come after he had already reached his sixties.
Asked about the comeback by The Independent in 2008, Bennett said: “A surprise? It wasn’t a surprise at all. And I’ll tell you why. Good music is good music. I’m not concerned with whether someone who listens to me is old or young. In fact, in many ways, I’m not interested in the young at all.
“I’m interested in age. People learn to live properly when they get of an age, you know? The late [jazz pianist] Duke Ellington once said to me that he was really offended by the word ‘category’. Music has no category; it’s either good or it isn’t, and I sing good songs, great songs, written by the best songwriters. It’s that kind of quality that makes them last. Trust me, people will be singing these songs forever.”
His renewed popularity with younger audiences was fuelled in part by a memorable appearance on the televised music programme MTV Unplugged in 1994.
He continued touring well into old age, with his music continuing to be enjoyed by listeners across the globe. In 2014, his collaborative album with Lady Gaga, titled Cheek to Cheek, earned a spot at No 1 on the Billboard charts.
Bennett subsequently toured with Gaga, and, in 2021, released another joint album, Love for Sale.
Bennett was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2016, but did not make his condition public until 2021.
“Life is a gift – even with Alzheimer’s,” the singer wrote. “Thank you to Susan and my family for their support, and AARP The Magazine for telling my story.”
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