Tony Bennett has died, his publicist confirmed on July 21, per theNew York Post.
The singer was 96 years old.
His cause of death has not yet been released.
Bennett will forever be considered a legendary vocalist, alongside other greats such as Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald.
1 on Billboard’s top 200 pop and rock chart in 2014, viaAARP.
As theNew York Timespointed out, that rating established Bennett as the oldest performer to have a No.
What is it exactly that made Bennett so special?
Sinatra himself often called Bennett “the greatest singer in the world,” perThe Star Tribune.
Bennett was soon drafted in World War II and fought in France and Germany, per theVeterans Affairs Blog.
Bennett remained in Germany as part of the postwar occupational forces in 1945, viaWar History Online.
While there, he found the time to perform with military bands under the stage name Joe Bari.
He used his tuition benefits from the G.I.
Bill to study singing at the American Theater Wing.
Imitate instrumentalists instead" (viaDaily News).
But first, Hope insisted thatBennett ditch the stage name Joe Bari.
“He said, ‘We’ll call you Tony Bennett,'” Bennett recalled.
“And that’s how it happened.
1 on Billboard charts.
“I Left My Heart in San Francisco” became an international best seller in 1962.
Still, Bennett’s new albums continued to chart in the 1970s and 1980s.
He re-signed with Columbia Records in 1986, according to his website.
Bennett’s songs soon transcended into music gold, becoming American classics.
Gaga toldParadeat the time that she had considered quitting music altogether, until she met and collaborated with Bennett.
“He saved my life,” she said.
Fortunately, music tremendously helped Bennett live with Alzheimer’s.
The crooner performed right up until March 2020, when COVID-19 restrictions forced him to stop.
As if a switch flicked on, Bennett would walk out as his old self.
He never missed a lyric.
Bennett then sang the solo part of a love song perfectly, moving Gaga to tears.
