Tony Bennett Is Dead

ORIGIN
Tony Bennett was an American singer, songwriter, and painter. He was known for such hits as “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” and “Rags to Riches”. Bennett was born Anthony Dominick Benedetto on August 3, 1926, in Queens, New York. His late mother, Anna, was a seamstress, and his father, John, was a grocer. He had two siblings, John Jr., and Mary. Bennett attended the High School of Industrial Arts in Manhattan, New York. He studied music and painting but dropped out before completing a degree. He also served in the U.S. Army as an infantry rifleman during World War II.

CAREER
Bennett grew up listening to the sounds of Al Jolson, Judy Garland, and Bing Crosby. He was first discovered by actress Pearl Bailey in 1949. He later caught the attention of comedian Bob Hope. Bennett signed to Columbia Records in 1950 and is first hit single “Because of You” was released the following year. Other early tracks included “Cold, Cold Heart”, “Blue Velvet” and “Rags to Riches”.

Bennett’s debut studio album, Because of You, was released in September 1952. He followed up with such albums as The Beat of My Heart (1957) and Basie Swings, Bennett Sings (1959). Bennett’s signature song “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” was written in 1953 and released in 1962. It was released as the B-Side to “Once Upon a Time”. The song peaked at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. He won two Grammy Awards, one for ‘Record of the Year’ and the other for ‘Best Male Solo Vocal Performance’.

Bennett ended his working relationship with Columbia Records in the early 1970s. He then experimented with his own record label, Improv, but found little success. Bennett made his comeback in the late 1980s following the height of the rock music era. He re-signed with Columbia in 1986 and the album, The Art of Excellence, was released. Other albums followed including Perfectly Frank (1992), Steppin’ Out (1993), Duets: An American Classic (2006), and Duets II (2011). The collaborative album, Cheek to Cheek, between Bennett and Lady Gaga was released in 2014 by Interscope Records and Columbia. It sold over 700,000 copies in the U.S. and was certified Gold by the RIAA.

In addition to music, Bennett was known for his love of the arts. Many of his paintings can be found at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Bennett founded the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in his hometown of Astoria, Queens, New York in 2001. He’s also released a few books including The Good Life: The Autobiography of Tony Bennett (1998) and Life is a Gift: The Zen of Bennett (2012).

PERSONAL
Tony Bennett died on July 21, 2023, at age 96. Though no official cause of death was given, he was battling Alzheimer’s disease. Tony Bennett was 5ft 6in tall, and he was of Italian descent. His net worth was estimated at $200 million. Bennett was married to ‘Patricia Beech’ from 1952 to 1971 and they had two sons, D’Andrea and Daegal. His second wife ‘Sandra Grant’ was an actress. They were married from 1971 to 1984 and had two daughters, Joanna and Antonia. Bennett wed his third wife ‘Susan Crow’ in June 2007. She was 40 years his junior.

Tony Bennett Bio, Net Worth, Height