At the age of 96, renowned vocalist Tony Bennett passed away. He was adored for his ageless songs that cut across genres and enthralled audiences across generations.
According to his devoted publicist Sylvia Weiner, renowned singer Tony Bennett passed away peacefully in New York after a valiant eight-year struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. He is survived by his devoted wife Susan, and his four children and nine grandchildren also lament his passing.
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He began a remarkable career that followed the swing era in the early 1950s. Bennett distinguished himself from other Rat Pack crooners like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop, and Peter Lawford by fusing pop and jazz elements into his work.
Tony Bennett was hailed as the best singer in the business by Sinatra in a 1965 interview with Life Magazine, who also lauded Bennett’s approach. Sinatra is enthralled and moved by Bennett’s performances because he successfully translates the composer’s ideas and even goes above and beyond.
The music industry underwent a seismic upheaval in the late 1960s. Bennett found it challenging to stay up as great performers like Chuck Berry, The Beatles, and Eric Clapton began to dominate the scene. Bennett’s record business tried to rebrand him to fit the prevailing radio fads, but in the end, Bennett was fired in 1971.
With the release of his album “The Art of Excellence” after more than ten years, Bennett’s career was revived. Despite the fact that it wasn’t a tremendous commercial success, it opened the door for a new generation to rediscover him. Bennett skillfully benefited from MTV’s success in the 1990s to reclaim his relevance. He sang personal, acoustic songs on their “Unplugged” series and made appearances at their award ceremonies.
Tony Bennett received the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001.
“I enjoy entertaining the audience, making them forget their problems. I think people … are touched if they hear something that’s sincere and honest and maybe has a little sense of humor. … I just like to make people feel good when I perform,” said Bennett in 2006.
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Lady Gaga and Bennett grew close, and she stood by him through his final performance at Radio City Music Hall in 2021.
