Calling Tony Bennett legendary is no exaggeration. The American artist’s career spanned generations, genres and made him one of the most popular singers in entertainment history. Frank Sinatra famously declared that Tony was his favorite singer. Shortly before passing away, Amy Winehouse was thrilled to record with him, her idol since she was a child. With Lady Gaga he won his last awards with the albums they recorded together. Tony passed away today in New York at the age of 96. On August 3, he would have turned 97. Although the family has not disclosed it, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2016 (he continued singing until 2021).

Tony’s vocal range, as well as his huskiness, were his signatures. Always preferring to keep the collection focused on American classics, his versions of I Left My Heart In San Francisco and The Way You Look Tonight are second to none. His career spanned 80 years and earned him 20 Grammys. Son of Italian immigrants, his name was Anthony Dominick Benedetto, he always wanted to pursue an artistic career. In addition to singing, he was a painter. It exploded in 1951 when he recorded Because of You. Dalí was always adored by colleagues and critics. Politically engaged, he supported the civil rights movement and participated in the marches from Selma to Montgomery in 1965, and refused to perform in apartheid-era South Africa.

Just like Sinatra and Elvis Presley, Tony’s popularity was reduced with the rise of rock, a period when drug addiction was a strong factor in his personal life. In the 1980s he was in demand again, winning more Grammys and insisting on Jazz. “Good music is good music,” he once said. “I am not concerned whether someone who listens to me is old or young. I sing good songs, great songs, written by the best songwriters. It’s that kind of quality that makes them last. Believe me, people will sing these songs forever.”

He loved to sing. His last performance was in 2021, alongside Lady Gaga.

“Life is a gift – even with Alzheimer’s,” he wrote at the time. And she gave us one of the most beautiful voices of all time. Rest in Power.

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