NEW YORK, USA — Tony Bennett, one of the most cherished voices in the history of American music, passed away Friday, July 21, 2023, at the age of 96, two weeks shy of his birthday, announced Sylvia Weiner, his publicist. The cause of his death remains undisclosed.
Bennett leaves an enduring legacy, providing the soundtrack for countless romantic evenings across generations and proving that his timeless standards could withstand the dynamic shifts in the music industry brought about by the rise of rock and rap.
Despite grappling privately with a cognitive disorder, his silky voice resonated with a new generation. His family disclosed in AARP magazine in February 2021 that Bennett had been living with Alzheimer’s for the past five years — yet he still managed to record more music. “Life is a gift — even with Alzheimer’s,” a tweet from Bennett’s official account read.
Bennett’s life and career could indeed fill the pages of numerous biographies. As a World War II veteran and civil rights activist, he held an indelible presence in history, but his most lasting legacy is his unique vocal style, which propelled him to stardom in the 1950s and sustained his remarkable resurgence over the final 25 years of his life.
“The way that we dispose of music all the time… it’s painful,” said Lady Gaga, Bennett’s friend and frequent collaborator, in 2015. “So much of the music introduced through the Great American Songbook… Tony is one of those men.”
Born Anthony Dominick Benedetto on August 3, 1926, in Astoria, Queens, New York City, Bennett got his start in music after studying singing at the American Theatre Wing. He was reportedly discovered by legendary African American singer Pearl Bailey, who hired him as her opening act in 1949.
A year later, Bennett signed with Columbia Records, delivering hits like “Rags to Riches” and “Because of You.” His signature hit, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” arrived in 1962, catapulting him onto the A-list. This success, bridging the worlds of pop and jazz, won him the 1962 Grammys for Record of the Year and Solo Vocal Performance.
These would be the first of 20 Grammys in his seven-decade career, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Other accolades included two Emmy Awards, and the honour of being named a Kennedy Center Honouree, a Gershwin Prize Honouree, and an NEA Jazz Master.
As an active civil rights participant, Bennett notably joined actor Harry Belafonte for Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1965 march from Selma, Alabama, a career risk given his predominantly white audience at the time.
As the landscape of popular music evolved, Bennett’s style temporarily fell out of favour. Although praised for some of his work during the late 1960s through the ‘80s, his audience dwindled.
This period saw Bennett grappling with a crippling drug habit, a struggle he eventually overcame. His triumphant return in the ‘90s is one of music history’s most impressive comebacks, earning him fresh adoration from a younger generation and a Grammy for Album of the Year in 1994.
Bennett also made significant strides in visual arts. His paintings, created under his birth name, have been exhibited in prestigious institutions such as the Smithsonian and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Alongside his wife, Bennett founded the nonprofit group Exploring the Arts, supporting arts education in public high schools.
Bennett is survived by his wife Susan Benedetto and four children, including Antonia Bennett, a successful singer in her own right.
Tributes flooded in for Bennett Friday. “He exemplified a person who was good as gold, sweet like sugar & a deeply feeling, empathic human being,” said Fran Drescher, SAG-AFTRA president.
Bennett’s death marks a significant loss for American music, but his timeless voice and indomitable spirit will continue to echo through his recordings, painting a vivid picture of an era of music that shaped our collective history.
