Renowned American Singer Tony Bennett Dies Aged 96
Friday, 21 July 2023
Written by Laura Johnson
Tony Bennett has died aged 96.
The news of his passing was confirmed to The Associated Press by the legendary American singer's publicist. He would have celebrated his 97th birthday on August 3.
His publicist also advised that he died in his native New York. Though no cause of death was revealed, he had been open about his struggles with Alzheimer’s disease, which he was diagnosed with in 2016.
Bennett was born Anthony Dominick Benedetto on August 3, 1926 in New York City, New York. He released his debut album, 'Because of You', in 1952 and put out records in every decade since, with his total number of LPs exceeding 70. He sang everything from the traditional pop of the time, to show tunes, jazz and big band numbers.
More recently, he found success collaborating with Lady Gaga, with whom he put out two albums; 2014's 'Cheek to Cheek' and 2021's 'Love For Sale'. They played a number of big band shows together, including a run in Las Vegas.
Throughout his career, Bennett received some of the most esteemed accolades possible for a performer, including Grammy Awards, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, being inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame, and being a Kennedy Center Honoree, among many other awards and titles.
UPDATE 31/07: Lady Gaga has posted her tribute to Tony Bennett.
"I will miss my friend forever. I will miss singing with him, recording with him, talking with him, being on stage together. With Tony, I got to live my life in a time warp. Tony & I had this magical power. We transported ourselves to another era, modernized the music together, & gave it all new life as a singing duo. But it wasnt an act. Our relationship was very real. Sure he taught me about music, about showbiz life, but he also showed me how to keep my spirits high and my head screwed on straight. "Straight ahead," he'd say. He was an optimist, he believed in quality work AND quality life. Plus, there was the gratitude...Tony was always grateful. He served in WWII, marched with Martin Luther King Jr., and sang jazz with the greatest singers and players in the world.
"I've been grieving the loss of Tony for a long time. We had a very long and powerful goodbye.
"Though there were 5 decades between us, he was my friend. My real true friend. Our age difference didn’t matter-- in fact, it gave us each something neither of us had with most people. We were from two different stages in life entirely--inspired. Losing Tony to Alzheimer’s has been painful but it was also really beautiful. An era of memory loss is such a sacred time in a persons life. There's such a feeling of vulnerability and a desire to preserve dignity. All I wanted was for Tony to remember how much I loved him and how grateful I was to have him in my life. But, as that faded slowly I knew deep down he was sharing with me the most vulnerable moment in his life that he could--being willing to sing with me when his nature was changing so deeply. I'll never forget this experience. I'll never forget Tony Bennett.
"If I could say anything to the world about this I would say don’t discount your elders, don’t leave them behind when things change. Don’t flinch when you feel sad, just keep going straight ahead, sadness is part of it. Take care of your elders and I promise you will learn something special. Maybe even magical. And pay attention to silence—some of my musical partner and I’s most meaningful exchanges were with no melody at all.
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