THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
The American is deeply saddened to hear that Tony Bennett has died at the age of 96, two weeks short of his 97th birthday, after a professional singing career that spanned eight decades.
An Italian-American from Long Island City, Queens, New York City, Bennett was drafted into the US Army in November 1944 and fought in France and Germany. After leaving the army he studied singing at the American Theatre Wing in New York, on the GI Bill.
He is probably best known for his signature song, ‘I Left My Heart in San Francisco’, a hit around the world in 1962. Frank Sinatra called Bennett 'the greatest singer in the world' and although more a popular music singer than a jazz artist he worked with the best, such as Count Basie and Bill Evans.
The British invasion of pop groups such as The Beatles put a spoke in the wheel of his career, as with so many ‘crooner’ era singers, but from the 1980s onward he became a favorite of many younger musicians and singers and introduced his beloved songs by the likes of Cole Porter and Gershwin to new generations. The New York Times wrote, "Tony Bennett has not just bridged the generation gap, he has demolished it. He has solidly connected with a younger crowd weaned on rock. And there have been no compromises."
Bennett’s warmth and generosity, and the joy and love he brought to music and his fellow artists, is shown perfectly in the video (below) as he sings ‘I've Got You Under My Skin’ with Lady Gaga. Check out the looks they give each other. She wasn’t kidding either – she’s said her favorite tattoo is a drawing of Miles Davis’ trumpet, sketched by Bennett and signed ‘Benedetto’, his real surname.
After being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016 Bennett continued to perform and record until 2021. He is survived by his wife Susan, two daughters, two sons and nine grandchildren.
