A statement posted on his Twitter account said: "Tony left us today but he was still singing the other day at his piano and his last song was Because of You, his first #1 hit.
"Tony, because of you we have your songs in our heart forever."
Bennett's death was confirmed by his publicist Sylvia Weiner in a statement to the Associated Press.
She said he died in his hometown of New York. No specific cause of death was announced, but Bennett had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2016. Sir Elton John led the tributes on social media, writing in a statement posted on his Instagram that he was "so sad to hear of Tony's passing".
"Without doubt the classiest singer, man, and performer you will ever see," Sir Elton said. "He's irreplaceable. I loved and adored him. Condolences to Susan, Danny and the family."
Bennett's death was confirmed by his publicist Sylvia Weiner in a statement to the Associated Press.
She said he died in his hometown of New York. No specific cause of death was announced, but Bennett had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2016. Sir Elton John led the tributes on social media, writing in a statement posted on his Instagram that he was "so sad to hear of Tony's passing".
"Without doubt the classiest singer, man, and performer you will ever see," Sir Elton said. "He's irreplaceable. I loved and adored him. Condolences to Susan, Danny and the family."
The White House released a statement saying that "Tony Bennett didn't just sing the classics - he himself was an American classic" and praising his enduring contributions to American life.
Former US first lady Hillary Clinton described Bennett as a "true talent, a true gentleman, and a true friend". She tweeted: "We'll miss you, Tony, and thanks for all the memories."
Singer Carole King said: "RIP Tony Bennett. Such a big loss. Deepest sympathy to his family and the world."
In a statement to Rolling Stone, singer Billy Joel said: "Tony Bennett was the one of the most important interpreters of American popular song during the mid to late 20th Century. "He championed songwriters who might otherwise have remained unknown to many millions of music fans. His was a unique voice that made the transition from the era of Jazz into the age of Pop.
"I will always be grateful for his outstanding contribution to the art of contemporary music. He was a joy to work with. His energy and enthusiasm for the material he was performing was infectious. He was also one of the nicest human beings I've ever known."
Born Anthony Dominick Benedetto, to a family of Italian immigrants, Bennett was just nine years old when his father died, plunging the family further into poverty. As a teenager he became a singing waiter before enrolling to study music and painting at New York's School of Industrial Art. He was drafted into the US army in 1944 to fight in France and Germany towards the end of World War Two. "It's legalised murder," he said of the scarring experience in an interview with the Guardian in 2013.
After returning home, his singing career continued - first under the name Joe Bari - and his breakthrough came in 1951 the song Because of You, which gave him first number one. He changed his name to the Americanised Tony Bennett on the say so of fellow entertainer Bob Hope. Bennett soon became a teenage icon, releasing his first album in 1952. The same year his wedding was besieged by female fans in mourning.
.jpg)
He went on to chart in the US in every subsequent decade of his life, building a reputation for making timeless swinging jazz-inflected pop hits - like Blue Velvet and Rags to Riches - and, later, show tunes and big band numbers.
His 1962 version of a song from the previous decade, I Left My Heart in San Francisco, sent his star into an even bigger orbit, winning him two Grammys. However, with the arrival of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones into the US, as the decade rolled on his relevance faded. Personal problems followed, including the end of two marriages and drug addiction. He performed through the pain, recording two records with pianist Bill Evans.
After hiring his son Danny to become his manager and reuniting with his pianist and musical director Ralph Sharon, his fortunes began to change. He enjoyed a revival in the 1980s and 1990s, when Grammy awards flooded in for the star, then in his sixties. His 1986 comeback album, The Art of Excellence, got the ball rolling again for the star who had returned to New York from Las Vegas.
He followed it with the chart-topping Perfectly Frank, a tribute to his musical hero Sinatra, before 1994's MTV Unplugged saw Bennett win the Grammy for album of the year. In an interview with the Independent in 2008, Bennett said he had not been surprised by his renewed success.
"Good music is good music," he said. "I'm not concerned with whether someone who listens to me is old or young. In fact, in many ways, I'm not interested in the young at all.
Bennett remained perpetually cool enough to win over new legions of fans. The Alzheimer's diagnosis from 2016 forced Bennett to finally retire in August of 2021...
He followed it with the chart-topping Perfectly Frank, a tribute to his musical hero Sinatra, before 1994's MTV Unplugged saw Bennett win the Grammy for album of the year. In an interview with the Independent in 2008, Bennett said he had not been surprised by his renewed success.
"Good music is good music," he said. "I'm not concerned with whether someone who listens to me is old or young. In fact, in many ways, I'm not interested in the young at all.
Bennett remained perpetually cool enough to win over new legions of fans. The Alzheimer's diagnosis from 2016 forced Bennett to finally retire in August of 2021...
No comments:
Post a Comment