Musical Icon Tony Bennett Has Passed Away At 96
Image Source: ABC 7
Tony Bennett, the masterful musical interpreter of the great American songbook, passed away on Friday, July 21st, at the age of 96 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. His career spanned several decades, and he is considered to be one of the last great saloon singers of the 20th century. The singer released over 70 albums and won 19 Grammys, all but two of which were won after the singer had reached his 60s.
Born Anthony Dominick Benedetto on August 3rd, 1926 to grocer John Benedetto and seamstress Anna, Tony Bennett grew up in poverty during the Great Depression. He grew up listening to Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Jack Teagard, and Joe Venuti. Bennett served in the Army during the final stages of World War II and was discharged in 1946. Afterward, he studied at the American Theatre Wing on the GI Bill, and it was here that he was discovered by Pearl Bailey in 1949, asking him to open for her show in Greenwich Village. She had invited Bob Hope to the show, and he decided to take the singer on the road with him. It was Hope that suggested Anthony Benedetto simplify his name to Tony Bennett. Bennett was signed onto Columbia Records in 1950.
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Bennett enjoyed a flourishing career in the 50s, starting with his first hit “Because of You.” He even continued to chart as rock and roll began to take the stage during the latter half of the decade. He also began to develop his nightclub act, which was a huge success. In 1962, he recorded the song “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” which became his signature song. Though the arrival of The Beatles and the British Invasion stole focus from Bennett’s genre and style of music, he still continued to score minor hits. He was an avid supporter of the Civil Rights Movement, performing in the “Stars for Freedom” rally the night before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “How Long, Not Long” speech. He also participated in the Selma to Montgomery marches.
Bennett struggled in the 70s, developing a drug addiction and living beyond his means after losing his recording contract. However, his son, Danny Bennett, helped his father turn his career around by becoming his manager. Bennett had a full career comeback in the 90s, making several television appearances during this time. His later career was marked by a series of duets with artists such as Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, and Lady Gaga, who later became a favorite collaborator of the singer. Bennett retired in 2021, but he continued to sing and meet with his musical director up until his death, with the last song he ever sang being his first hit, “Because of You.”
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Sources: Associated Press, Wikipedia
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