Sylvia Weiner, the publicity agent for the famous American singer Tony Bennett, announced that the star, who achieved massive success with his song "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," passed away today, Friday. Weiner added in a statement that Bennett died at his home in New York City at the age of 96, due to age-related causes. Bennett was awarded 20 Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award. He was recognized as one of the last American greats, having gained worldwide acclaim for his warm personality and steadfastness, dominating the music scene for over seven decades. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2021.
Bennett, whose full name was Anthony Dominick Benedetto, was born in Queens, New York, on August 3, 1926. He studied music and painting at the New York School of Industrial Art but dropped out at the age of 16 to help support his family by working as a waiter. Before beginning his music career, he served in the U.S. Army during World War II from 1944 to 1946. He began his singing career after the war when he signed with Columbia Records in the 1950s. His first major success came with his release of the song "Because of You" in 1951, which became a huge hit, reaching the Billboard Hot 100 and staying at number one for 10 weeks, selling over a million copies.
In his 1994 autobiography, "The Good Life: The Autobiography of Tony Bennett," he was candid about his wartime experiences abroad, which made him a peace advocate for the rest of his life. Bennett wrote, "Clearly, anyone who thinks war is romantic has never been through it." After being discharged, Bennett studied under the Bill Canto system at the American Theatre Wing in New York City. He rose to prominence in the 1950s after touring with Bob Hope, who initially told Bennett that he didn't like his then-stage name (Joe Bari) and shortened his real name to what we know today.
The powerhouse musical duo Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga released their new album "Love For Sale," which serves as a sequel to "Cheek to Cheek," released in 2021.
