LEGENDARY singer Tony Bennett, whose career spanned eight decades, won 20 Grammy Awards and sold more than 50 million records worldwide, has died at the age of 96.
Bennett died Friday morning in his hometown of New York, his publicist Sylvia Weiner confirmed to The Associated Press.
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Grammy Award winner Tony Bennett died on Friday at the age of 96 Credit: Getty
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Tony Bennett last took the stage with Lady Gaga at Radio City Music Hall in 2021. Credit: Getty – Contributor
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One of the last photos of the iconic singer leaving Radio City Music Hall in New York Credit: Splash
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Tony Bennett was considered one of the greatest artists of the 20th centuryCredit: Getty
The US Sun has exclusively learned that Bennett’s wife, Susan, was by his side when he took his last breath after his health deteriorated in the days before his death.
A source told The US Sun: “Things took a turn for the worse yesterday and it was clear to his loved ones that they should be there to help him.
“His loving wife and caretaker, Susan, was by his side during his final days.
“He finally passed away early Friday morning.”
The cause of death has not been disclosed. He was two weeks away from his 97th birthday.
The I Left My Heart in San Francisco singer’s Instagram page paid tribute to the icon, sharing: “Tony left us today but he was still singing on his piano the other day and his last song was ‘Because of You’, his first number 1 hit.
“Tony, thanks to you, we have your songs in our hearts forever.”
In February 2021, Susan told AARP that the iconic singer was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016.
“Life is a gift, even with Alzheimer’s disease,” he tweeted in 2018.
Despite his illness, he continued to perform live and record new records until 2021.
THE QUEEN’S CHILD
The singer was born Anthony Dominick Benedetto on August 3, 1926, the son of an immigrant father, Giovanni, who settled in New York after traveling from southern Italy.
His mother, Anna, was born in New York after traveling by sea from Italy in the womb.
Bennet’s family settled in Long Island City, Queens.
His father would sing Italian folk songs to his children, which Bennett says instilled his love of music.
“My father encouraged my love of music,” he wrote in his autobiography.
Before beginning to perform in front of thousands of fans, Bennett arrived in Europe near the end of World War II, serving in Germany in the infantry.
He spent some time on the front lines, but ended up as a singer in US Army bands.
A STAR HAS BEEN BORN
He returned to New York in August 1946 and began his career as a musician, eventually becoming one of the greatest performers of the 20th century.
His partner Frank Sinatra called him the world’s greatest popular singer.
He credited Sinatra with helping jump-start his career, telling CBS Sunday Morning in 2015: “He changed my career. All his fans wanted to know what he was talking about. And from that day on. I’m sold out all over the world.”
Bennett began her career as a commercial pop singer, eventually signing with Columbia Records.
In hundreds of concerts and nightclub performances, he dedicated his musical talents to traditional American pop, swing and jazz.
His first big hit came in 1951 with the album Since of You, which gained popularity on the jukebox and later reached number one on the pop charts, selling over a million copies.
Bennett’s career continued to skyrocket in the late 1950s with albums like The Beat of My Heart and Basie Wings, Bennett Sings.
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Tony Bennett credits his father with instilling in him a love of music
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An icon in the world of music, Bennett has sold more than 50 million records worldwide during his career Credit: Rex
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Despite winning 20 Grammy Awards, Bennett is also a two-time Emmy Award winner Credit: AP
CAREER RE-CAUSE
His career was interrupted in the mid-1960s when rock ‘n’ roll took over the American airwaves.
The producers urged Bennett to follow the gimmick, but he resisted and stuck with his vintage style, following in the footsteps of America’s greatest pop singers like Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday and Sinatra.
In the mid-1980s, Bennett released an album, The Art of Excellence, expanding his reach to a younger, more modern audience.
During this time, Bennett continued to release award-winning albums, including Portrait of the Artist, the Frank Sinatra tribute Perfectly Frank and the Fred Astaire tribute Steppin’ Out.
His tribute albums achieved gold status and won a Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance and further established Bennett as the heir to the mantle of a great American classic.
In his later years, he made a memorable duet on the Body and Soul standard with the late Amy Winehouse.
In 2018, Bennett gained a new generation of fans with the release of the duet album Love Is Here To Stay with Diana Krall.
In September 2021, he released the Grammy-winning album Love For Sale with pop superstar Lady Gaga.
The award-winning album came years after the release of their first hit collaboration Cheek to Cheek, which debuted at number one on the Billboard charts.
Bennett’s last public appearance was in August 2021, with the Bad Romance singer at Radio City Music Hall on a show called One Last Time.
He is survived by his wife, sons Danny and Dae, daughters Johanna and Antonia, and nine grandchildren.
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The unlikely duo of Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett released two hit albums together Credit: Getty
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Tony Bennett and his wife Susan Crow in April 2019. Credit: Getty
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Bennett and his wife Susan and their two daughters Antonia and Joanna Credits: Rex
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Source: newstars.edu.vn