LEGENDARY singer Tony Bennett, whose career spanned eight decades, winning 20 Grammy Awards and selling over 50million records worldwide, has died at age 96.
Bennett died on Friday morning in his hometown of New York City, his publicist Sylvia Weiner confirmed to the Associated Press.
The U.S. Sun exclusively learned that Bennett's wife, Susan, was by his side when he took his last breath after his health took a turn for the worse in the days leading up to his death.
A source told The U.S. Sun: "Yesterday, things took a turn for the worse and it was clear to his loved ones that they should be around him.
"His loving wife and caretaker, Susan, was by his side throughout his final days.
"He ultimately passed away early Friday morning."
A cause of death has not been revealed. He was two weeks shy of his 97th birthday.
The I Left My Heart in San Francisco singer's Instagram page paid tribute to the icon, sharing: "Tony left us today but he was still singing the other day at his piano and his last song was 'Because of You,' his first #1 hit.
"Tony, because of you we have your songs in our heart forever."
In February 2021, Susan told AARP that the iconic singer was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2016.
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“Life is a gift, even with Alzheimer’s,” he tweeted in 2018.
Despite his illness, he continued to perform live and record new records through 2021.
QUEENS BOY
The singer was born Anthony Dominick Benedetto on August 3, 1926 – the son of an immigrant father, Giovanni, who settled in New York City after making the journey from southern Italy.
His mother, Anna, was born in New York after making the sea voyage from Italy in the womb.
Bennet's family settled in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens.
His father sang Italian folk songs to his children, which Bennett said embedded his love of music.
"My father inspired my love for music," he wrote in his autobiography.
Before he started performing in front of thousands of fans, Bennett arrived in Europe towards the end of World War II, serving in Germany in the infantry.
He spent time on the front lines but ended up as a singer with the US Army bands.
A STAR IS BORN
He returned to New York City in August 1946 and embarked on his career as a musician, eventually becoming one of the greatest performers of the 20th century.
His peer Frank Sinatra called him the greatest popular singer in the world.
He credited Sinatra with helping boost his career, telling CBS' Sunday Morning in 2015: "He changed my career. All of his fans wanted to find out about what he was talking about. And from that day on. I've been sold out everywhere in the world."
Bennett began his career as a crooner of commercial pop tunes and eventually signed with Columbia Records.
In hundreds of concerts and nightclub appearances, he devoted his musical talent to traditional American pop in swing and jazz.
His first smash hit came in 1951 with Because of You, which gained popularity on jukeboxes, then reached number one on the pop charts, selling over a million copies.
Bennett's career continued to skyrocket during the late 1950s with albums such as The Beat of My Heart and Basie Wings, Bennett Sings.
CAREER RESURGENCE
His career was hindered in the mid-1960s when rock 'n' roll dominated American airwaves.
Record producers urged Bennett to follow the gimmick, however, he resisted and continued his vintage style, following in the footsteps of the greatest American pop singers such as Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, and Sinatra.
In the mid-1980s, Bennett released the album, The Art of Excellence, expanding his reach to a younger hip audience.
During this time, Bennett continued to put out award-winning albums, including Portrait of the Artist, the Frank Sinatra homage Perfectly Frank, and the Fred Astaire tribute Steppin' Out.
His homage albums both achieved gold status and won Grammys for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance and further established Bennett as the inheritor of the mantle of a classic American great.
In his later years, he memorably dueted on the standard Body and Soul with the late Amy Winehouse.
Bennett gained a new generation of fans in 2018 with the release of the duet album Love Is Here To Stay alongside Diana Krall.
In September 2021, he released the Grammy-winning album Love For Sale with pop superstar Lady Gaga.
The award-winning album came years after the release of their first successful collaboration Cheek to Cheek, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart.
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Bennett's last public appearance came in August 2021, with the Bad Romance singer at Radio City Music Hall in a show titled One Last Time.
He is survived by his wife, his sons Danny and Dae, his daughters Johanna and Antonia, and nine grandchildren.
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