At 96, Beloved Jazz Singer Tony Bennett Passes Away

Jul 21, 2023

Legendary singer Tony Bennett, who brought the world the hit song “I Left My Heart In San Francisco," passed away on Friday, July 21, 2023, at the age of 96, Bennett's publicist Sylvia Weiner confirmed. The jazz crooner had been battling ill health in the preceding years after his family revealed he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2016. Bennett passed mere weeks before what would have been his 97th birthday on August 3.

Born Anthony Dominick Benedetto in 1926 in Queens, New York, Bennett experienced much hardship as a child during the Great Depression. At just 10 years old, he lost his father, so his mom, Anna, was forced to raise their three children on her own. According to Bennett's website, he found his love for music at a young age, and his relatives had become his "first fans, filling him with encouragement and optimism."

As a teenager, Bennett attended the High School of Industrial Arts in Manhattan, where he pursued painting and singing. When he wasn't at school, he'd spend his free time glued to the radio listening to his favorite musicians; Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong and James Durante. As World War II broke out, Bennett was enlisted in the Army and traveled to Europe, where he performed with military bands.

Upon his return, the legendary singer enrolled in the American Theatre Wing School and began performing at nightclubs. His first-ever club performance was in 1946 at the Shangri-La in Astoria. After a few years of small-time gigs, the rising star was noticed by comedian Bob Hope in 1949, who visited him after one of his shows and was responsible for his stage name. 

Bennett recalled that Hope told him he "didn't care" for his original stage name, which was Joe Bari, so he asked what his real name was.

"I told him, ‘My name is Anthony Dominick Benedetto,’ and he said, ‘We’ll call you Tony Bennett.’ And that’s how it happened. A new Americanized name — the start of a wonderful career and a glorious adventure that has continued for over 60 years,” Bennett once said.

The New York native eventually broke into the mainstream in 1951 with his rendition of "Because of You." The song first became a hit on jukeboxes but quickly became no.1 on the pop charts, where it stayed for 10 consecutive weeks. Bennett went on to record many other hits, but it was his 1962 song "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" that became his signature tune.

However, the singer saw his career experience a downfall in the 1970s due to the rise in popularity of rock music, but Bennett never lost his love and passion for singing and continued performing his own style. Eventually, by the late '80s and '90s, Bennett made a huge comeback.

In 2006, he released one of his most successful albums, "Duets: An American Classic," which featured collaborations with the likes of Paul McCartney, Elton John, Barbra Streisand and Bono. The album ended up winning three Grammys and inspired the seven-time Emmy-award-winning TV special, "Tony Bennett: An American Classic."

In 2011, Bennett released "Duets II," a sequel to his initial duet album, which featured duets with contemporary singing artists like Michael Bublé, Aretha Franklin, Josh Groban, John Mayer, Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga, who would become a major collaborator of his.

Bennett's work with Lady Gaga introduced him to a whole new generation of fans, as they released multiple collaborative albums and embarked on various tours together. Their 2021 album “Love for Sale” made Bennett the oldest person to release new music at the age of 95 years and 60 days. 

At Bennett's 95th birthday celebration and farewell concert in November 2021, the music legend performed again with Lady Gaga, but the night was tinged with sadness. Earlier that year, in February, Bennett's family announced that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016. 

After his diagnosis was announced, his family also shared that he often didn't know where he was. Lady Gaga explained in an interview with Anderson Cooper for “60 Minutes," “For the first couple of weeks that I saw Tony since (2020), he called me ‘sweetheart,’ but I wasn’t sure he knew who I was.” Despite these challenges, Bennett’s ability to remember his songs and his musical talent didn't change. 

“When that music comes on (snaps fingers), something happens to him,” Gaga said. “He knows exactly what he’s doing and what’s important for me, actually, is to make sure that I don’t get in the way of that.”

Bennett's third wife, Susan Crow was the one who revealed his diagnosis in 2021. In an interview with AARP, she spoke of the toll it had taken on him.

"There’s a lot about him that I miss," she said. “Because he’s not the old Tony anymore. But when he sings, he’s still the old Tony.”

Bennett is survived by his wife, children and nine grandchildren. 

Our condolences to Tony Bennett's family. Are you a fan of his music? What is your favorite tune of his? Let us know, and be sure to pass this on to any fans of his you know.