Anthony Dominick Benedetto was better known as his professional name, Tony Bennett. Tony Bennett was an American singer and performed all over the world while amassing many awards throughout his life. During his seven decade career he became a legend and stayed true to his passion to his last days. It is rumoured that the famous singer sang one last song while sitting at his piano, “Because of You” which was released in 1951 and was his first major hit. Tony died in his hometown of New York at the age of 96, but we know he left his heart in San Francisco.
Glasgow Jazz Festival Performance
During his seven decade career, Tony Bennett had the opportunity to record at several well known studios, including the famous Abbey Road Studios. Tony recorded there multiple times throughout his career but the most notable one was in March 2011, when he sang ‘Body and Soul’ with Amy Winehouse in Studio Three. The singer released more than 70 albums over his career, and achieved many awards including:
20 Grammy Awards
2 Primetime Emmy Awards
A Lifetime Achievement Award
The singer has performed internationally many times, including at Glastonbury, and Glasgow Jazz Festival back in 2003. Some of his younger fans may know him better from his more recent collaborations though. In 2012, he performed at the Grammys with Carrie Underwood when he asked her to join him on “It Had To Be You.” His achievement of becoming the oldest living performer to have a No 1 album on the Billboard 200 was accomplished at the age of 88 when in 2014, he collaborated on an album with Lady Gaga, titled Cheek to Cheek.
Several of his professional companions have made public statements remembering him fondly. Most notoriously amongst them are other professional singers including Lady Gaga saying:
“It’s a gift that I will hold in my heart till my last breath. My time with Tony has changed me forever,” Frank Sinatra said he (Tony Bennett) was the best singer in the world, and I don’t think Frank lied.”
Carrie Underwood also made a statement:
“Rest in peace, Tony. You were the epitome of a gentleman with a God given one-of-a-kind voice. It was truly a great honour of my career and my life to get to share the stage with you.”
Tony continued to tour until well into his life, until he retired in 2021 after making his Alzheimer’s diagnosis public. His final performance happened in his home town at New York’s Radio City Music Hall with two sold-out shows. At his final concert, Tony performed a 30 minute set of songs including some of his most well known songs and some covers of “Fly Me to the Moon” and “Steppin’ Out with My Baby”.
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