Tony Bennett — the influential and much-loved singer of jazz and pop standards who's been recording and performing steadily since the 1950s — has died at age 96 in his hometown of New York City. No cause of death was given, though Bennett had been living with Alzheimer's disease since 2016.
Born Anthony Dominick Benedetto in Queens, Bennett was the son of Italian immigrants. He served as a foot soldier in World War II and performed with military bands in Europe. In 1946, he played his first-ever nightclub gig before being discovered by Bob Hope in 1949, who gave him the stage name Tony Bennett. His debut album Because of You was released in 1952.
Bennett's signature song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," came out in 1962. He went on to release dozens of studio albums, experiencing a career resurgence with his MTV Unplugged special in 1994. His Unplugged album, one of the biggest sellers of his already storied career, won Album of the Year at the Grammys. Throughout his career, Bennett sold 50 million albums worldwide and collected 20 Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 2014, Bennett teamed up with Lady Gaga to release the duets album Cheek to Cheek. The duo would follow it with the Cole Porter covers album Love for Sale in 2021 and celebrated the album with a pair of shows at Radio City Music. That same month, Bennett's family announced the singer was permanently retiring from performing.
Bennett lived a pretty incredible life, becoming a best-selling author, recipient of the United Nations' Citizen of the World award, Kennedy Center Honoree and an NEA Jazz Master. He marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. from Selma to Montgomery and co-founded the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in New York. His paintings are part of the Smithsonian Museum's permanent collection. So long, Tony.
Born Anthony Dominick Benedetto in Queens, Bennett was the son of Italian immigrants. He served as a foot soldier in World War II and performed with military bands in Europe. In 1946, he played his first-ever nightclub gig before being discovered by Bob Hope in 1949, who gave him the stage name Tony Bennett. His debut album Because of You was released in 1952.
Bennett's signature song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," came out in 1962. He went on to release dozens of studio albums, experiencing a career resurgence with his MTV Unplugged special in 1994. His Unplugged album, one of the biggest sellers of his already storied career, won Album of the Year at the Grammys. Throughout his career, Bennett sold 50 million albums worldwide and collected 20 Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 2014, Bennett teamed up with Lady Gaga to release the duets album Cheek to Cheek. The duo would follow it with the Cole Porter covers album Love for Sale in 2021 and celebrated the album with a pair of shows at Radio City Music. That same month, Bennett's family announced the singer was permanently retiring from performing.
Bennett lived a pretty incredible life, becoming a best-selling author, recipient of the United Nations' Citizen of the World award, Kennedy Center Honoree and an NEA Jazz Master. He marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. from Selma to Montgomery and co-founded the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in New York. His paintings are part of the Smithsonian Museum's permanent collection. So long, Tony.
