RIP Tony Bennett - and thank you for sharing your talents

 

Tony Bennett, American singer and civil rights activist, has passed away at the age of 96. During his career, Mr. Bennett racked up 20 Grammys, 2 Prime Time Emmys, a Lifetime Achievement award, and a Kennedy Center honor. He sold over 50 million records.

Mr. Bennett was born Anthony Dominick Benedetto in NYC to Italian immigrants. He grew up listening to the greats - Judy Garland, Louie Armstrong, and Al Jolson. He enrolled at New York's School of Industrial Arts to pursue his passion for music and painting. He didn't graduate as he dropped out to help his family financially. Mr. Bennett took on a numerous odd jobs but his love for music never left. 

His career in entertainment began when he started covering songs that were popular at the time. He continued to sing renditions until his big break came in 1962 when he recorded, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" which was originally an opera song. It became a huge hit and synonymous with him.

The 1970's - 1980's brought shift in what people were listening to and his popularity and career waned. During this time, Mr. Bennett battled a drug problem and his finances were in shambles.  His son, Danny, took over managing him and Mr. Bennett got himself cleaned. Danny turned things around for his dad by introducing him to a younger audience in the early days of MTV. Mr. Bennett sang with popular acts at the time including Christina Aguillera. His son Danny also used the popularity of late night shows, including David Letterman, as a platform to further expose his dad's amazing talent to a new generation.

In 2006 when he was 80 years old,  Mr. Bennett recorded one of his most popular albums, "Duets: An American Classic". He sang with James Taylor, Celine Dion, Tim McGraw, k.d. lang, Sting, and George Micheal to name a few of the artists it featured. Mr. Bennett's final performance was in 2021. He retired the following year due to health issues. 

In addition to his remarkable entertainment career, he was in the US Army during WW 2 and received the Bronze Star medal. He was also extensively involved in the civil rights movement which included participating in the March to Selma with Dr. Martin Luther King. He also refused to perform in South Africa because of apartheid.

The world has lost a talented singer, humanitarian, and gentleman. Farewell Mr. Bennett and thank you. 

Photo: Tony Bennett website