Sturgis270
Single-Sixer
Rest in peace Sir. He certainly gave us much better music than a lot of todays music. https://www.google.com/search?q=ton...450l8.165879666j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Tony Bennett passes.
- Thread starter Sturgis270
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ronto
Hunter
One of my all time favorites from a time when lyrics said something. May he Rest In Peace.
woodsy
Blackhawk
I like(d) him so much that I can instantly recognize his voice regardless of when he sang the song. At least he had the treat a few years ago of working with Lady Gaga.
TONY BENNETT, the legendary American pop and jazz singer who became a torchbearer for the Great American Songbook over a seven-decade career, has died at the age of 96.
Tony was best known for his 1962 signature song "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" as well as for staging an astonishing career comeback during the 1980s and 1990s that delivered him sustained popularity well into old age. He won 19 Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001, and sold over 50 million records worldwide.
In 2020, it was announced that Tony had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2016. He wrote on Twitter at the time: "Life is a gift – even with Alzheimer's." It was revealed that while his cognitive abilities were impaired, he could still sing a wide repertoire of songs from memory.
Tony's ability to thrive across pop, big band, and jazz genres earned him acclaim from peers and collaborators alike. In 2014, at age 88, he proved his continued relevance by teaming up with Lady Gaga for the album "Cheek to Cheek." It reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts, making Bennett the oldest living act to top the rankings – he already held that record thanks to his 2011 album "Duets II."
Born Anthony Dominick Benedetto in Queens, New York in 1926, Tony grew up in poverty after losing his father at age 10. He began singing professionally as a teenager before being drafted into World War II in 1944. After returning from his service in Europe, Tony launched his singing career in earnest in 1949, first under the stage name Joe Bari and then as Tony Bennett.
His big breakthrough came in 1951 with his first No. 1 hit "Because of You." Over the next decade, he logged more hits including "Rags to Riches" and "Blue Velvet," while also developing a nightclub act inspired by his idol, Frank Sinatra. Bennett became a bona fide teen idol, selling out concerts and setting female fans' hearts aflutter.
In 1962, Tony cemented his legacy with his signature take on "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." The heartfelt ballad won him two Grammys and became a 20th century pop standard. However, as the British Invasion took hold, Bennett's style fell out of fashion for a time. He faced struggles in his personal life too, including divorce and drug addiction. But two jazz albums with pianist Bill Evans pointed the way forward.
With help from his son Danny, Tony reemerged in the late 1980s as an elder statesman of American pop. He relocated from Las Vegas back to New York, reunited with early collaborators like pianist Ralph Sharon, and landed his first late-career hits with albums like 1986's "The Art of Excellence." Bennett never looked back, reinventing jazz and pop standards for new generations while collaborating with artists from Elvis Costello to Amy Winehouse. Even into his 90s, performing remained Bennett's passion, whether on tour, TV, or his last shows in 2021 with Lady Gaga.
Tony Bennett was a singular entertainer who embodied vocal mastery and showmanship from his teen idol days through the twilight of his recording career. With his passing at 96, the world loses one of the Great American Songbook's most ardent interpreters and showmen. But Bennett's legacy lives on through his timeless recordings and the generations of artists he has inspired.
Tony was best known for his 1962 signature song "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" as well as for staging an astonishing career comeback during the 1980s and 1990s that delivered him sustained popularity well into old age. He won 19 Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001, and sold over 50 million records worldwide.
In 2020, it was announced that Tony had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2016. He wrote on Twitter at the time: "Life is a gift – even with Alzheimer's." It was revealed that while his cognitive abilities were impaired, he could still sing a wide repertoire of songs from memory.
Tony's ability to thrive across pop, big band, and jazz genres earned him acclaim from peers and collaborators alike. In 2014, at age 88, he proved his continued relevance by teaming up with Lady Gaga for the album "Cheek to Cheek." It reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts, making Bennett the oldest living act to top the rankings – he already held that record thanks to his 2011 album "Duets II."
Born Anthony Dominick Benedetto in Queens, New York in 1926, Tony grew up in poverty after losing his father at age 10. He began singing professionally as a teenager before being drafted into World War II in 1944. After returning from his service in Europe, Tony launched his singing career in earnest in 1949, first under the stage name Joe Bari and then as Tony Bennett.
His big breakthrough came in 1951 with his first No. 1 hit "Because of You." Over the next decade, he logged more hits including "Rags to Riches" and "Blue Velvet," while also developing a nightclub act inspired by his idol, Frank Sinatra. Bennett became a bona fide teen idol, selling out concerts and setting female fans' hearts aflutter.
In 1962, Tony cemented his legacy with his signature take on "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." The heartfelt ballad won him two Grammys and became a 20th century pop standard. However, as the British Invasion took hold, Bennett's style fell out of fashion for a time. He faced struggles in his personal life too, including divorce and drug addiction. But two jazz albums with pianist Bill Evans pointed the way forward.
With help from his son Danny, Tony reemerged in the late 1980s as an elder statesman of American pop. He relocated from Las Vegas back to New York, reunited with early collaborators like pianist Ralph Sharon, and landed his first late-career hits with albums like 1986's "The Art of Excellence." Bennett never looked back, reinventing jazz and pop standards for new generations while collaborating with artists from Elvis Costello to Amy Winehouse. Even into his 90s, performing remained Bennett's passion, whether on tour, TV, or his last shows in 2021 with Lady Gaga.
Tony Bennett was a singular entertainer who embodied vocal mastery and showmanship from his teen idol days through the twilight of his recording career. With his passing at 96, the world loses one of the Great American Songbook's most ardent interpreters and showmen. But Bennett's legacy lives on through his timeless recordings and the generations of artists he has inspired.
Loved his music. RIP Tony. 
RIP...
R.I.P.
Nice guy that will be truly missed.
jbenedetto2
Single-Sixer
He was a great painter. He signed his paintings with his real name
Not many may know that his signature song, "I Left my Heart in San Francisco" was written by a gay composer who was missing his lover back in San Francisco. The song itself never mentions gender at all. In that way it is much like many of the songs written by Cole Porter, who was homosexual, but made sure his lyrics could apply to men or women despite his own preference for men.
