Tony Bennett, a well-known singer from all over the world whose voice was the perfect example of the American Songbook, has died. He was 96.
A person who worked for Bennett said that the singer died early Friday morning in New York City. In 2016, he was identified with Alzheimer’s disease, but that didn’t stop him from playing live shows or putting out new songs. At age 95, his second joint record with Lady Gaga, Love For Sale, made it into the Billboard Top 10 in 2021. That same year, he celebrated his retirement with two moving nights at Radio City Music Hall.
Bennett came on the scene in the 1950s as a smooth singer, and he quickly became one of the most famous hit-makers on radio. He was a showman who felt at home in a small bar. He acted like that everywhere he went. It was like one of his well-fitted suits: right for his age, but still cool.
When he was 20, he recorded his first singles, including “St. James Infirmary Blues,” which he did with a U.S. Army band in Germany right after World War II.
Everyone knew him as Tony Bennett, which was the name Bob Hope gave him. But Anthony Dominick Benedetto was born in the New York City area of Astoria. When he was 10, his father died. He eventually dropped out of high school to help support his family by working odd jobs.
Bennett told WHYY’s Fresh Air in 1998, “I became a singing waiter in Astoria, Long Island. It was the only job where I said, ‘If I had to do this the rest of my life, I’d be happy.'”
In that conversation, Bennett also said that singing was a family thing that began with his father in Italy, where he used opera to make people happy. “In Calabria,” the singer said, “he was known for singing on top of the mountain. They loved him so much because the whole valley could hear him.
Bennett himself used the G.I. bill to study opera, especially the style of singing called “bel canto.” He says that a teacher told him to copy the way instrumentalists say things so that he could find his own style.
Mitch Miller, a director at Columbia Records, heard his recording of “The Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and signed Bennett in 1950. Soon, he sold millions of records, and for the next 10 years, he had hit after hit.
Bennett was famous for his crooning, but he also loved jazz. He didn’t know if he could do it.
“He always says, ‘I’m not a jazz singer,’ but he has a great feel for a beat,” Ralph Sharon, Bennett’s pianist and director for more than 50 years, told NPR in 1998. Sharon also said that jazz musicians like Duke Ellington and Miles Davis liked how Bennett blended jazz and pop music. Sharon said, “I think that’s why musicians like to play with Tony and listen to him.”
Bennett liked hearing them sing, so he wanted to sing with them. He used his fame as a pop star to work with Art Blakey and the Count Basie Orchestra on jazz tracks.
Sharon says that no matter what style Bennett tried, one thing was clear: “I think it is and was definitely a recognizable sound.” I think you knew it was him from the start.”
Then, in 1962, Bennett’s career took off with the song “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.”
Sharon says that Bennett’s signature song came about by chance. Sharon found the sheet music and some clothes hidden in a drawer. He put it in the bag before leaving.
Sharon says, “I’ll never forget when we went to Hot Springs, Arkansas, and I took this out of my bag, looked at it, and called Tony. I told him, “You know, we’re going to San Francisco next.” And I said, “Well, this song might be interesting.”
It was more than just that. “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” became a big hit around the world. It stayed on the charts in the U.S. for almost a year and won Bennett two Grammy Awards.
Bennett used his fame to speak out for social issues, such as civil rights. In 1965, protesters were attacked as they tried to march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala. The event got the name “Bloody Sunday.” Two weeks later, Harry Belafonte convinced Bennett to go to Montgomery, Alabama, with him to perform, even though there was violence in the South. Bennett told CNN in 2013 about this.
“I didn’t want to do it,” Bennett told CNN, “but then he told me what happened—how some Black people were burned. They were burned when gasoline was thrown on them. I said, “I’ll go with you” when I heard that.
Bennett was aware of how things were changing, but he didn’t want to change his songs much. Bennett almost never sang rock, which was the new sound. Instead, he stuck to well-known songs and made two records with jazz musician Bill Evans that were well received. Bennett played smaller places and even did a little bit of TV, like The Muppet Show, David Letterman, The Simpsons, and MTV.
In 1994, he sang on MTV Unplugged, with k.d. lang making an appearance.
The success of the show and record set up the next 20 years for Bennett and brought his voice to a whole new generation. He then recorded duets with artists like Stevie Wonder and Lady Gaga, who later became his biggest fan and an advocate to a lot of new fans.
In 2011, he told NPR that music was his life and the reason he had lived so long.
“I love life,” he told her. “I wish I could tell everyone on Earth how great it is to be alive.”
Tony Bennett thought that being living meant doing what he loved, which wasn’t just singing but also drawing landscapes and pictures that were signed “Antonio Benedetto.”
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