Tributes Pour As Legendary Singer Tony Bennett Passes Away At 96
Legendary singer Tony Bennett, who had the chance to collaborate with artists ranging from Frank Sinatra to Lady Gaga, has passed away at 96—just two weeks short of his next birthday.
Tributes have since flooded in for the singing legend after Sylvia Weiner, Tony’s publicist, shared that the singer had died in his New York hometown. The cause of death has not yet been revealed, although everyone is aware of the singer’s long battle with Alzheimer’s since 2016.
Billy Joel, another music legend who shared an old picture of their shows, is leading the outpouring of tributes. He captioned the photo by writing, “Tony Bennett was one of the most important interpreters of American popular song during the mid to late 20th century.”
Billy continued, sharing how Tony has championed songwriters who otherwise might have likely remained unknown today. He also commended Tony’s unique voice for helping make that transition from the jazz era to the Pop genre.
Billy concluded by saying “Thank you” to Tony for his outstanding contribution to contemporary music and that he was always a joy to work with. Finally, Billy called Tony one of the nicest people he had ever known.
Songbird Supreme, Mariah Carey, also penned her tribute to Tony alongside a collection of pictures of their performances. The five-octave vocal range singer referred to Tony as the world’s most respected, beloved, and legendary singer of the past century.
Michael Bublé shared his message on Twitter by first describing Tony as the greatest vocalist, interpreter, and storyteller. The artist mentioned how pivotal Tony was in his life and shared how, growing up, he would listen to his songs.
Part of Michael’s post says, “Having my hero take me under his wing was one of the greatest moments of my life and my career. How did I get so lucky to kneel at the feet of the master for two decades? Tony, I’ll never stop learning from you, and I promise you I’ll do my best to keep the music we cherish alive. I love you.”
Other personalities who left their tributes were Elton John, Brooke Shields, Nile Rodgers, George Takei, Alec Baldwin, Rex Chapman, and even New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
Recall that even before Tony shared with the public that he had Alzheimer’s disease in 2021, he had already been fighting against it privately for five years. And despite his diagnosis, Tony continued to do what he loves—performing and singing.
Impressively, he released a new album with Lady Gaga, considered one of his close friends, in September 2021. Then, in April 2022, in what is regarded as one of Tony’s last public appearances, he was seen in New York City bound in a wheelchair.
One of the last remaining and treasured saloon singers from the mid-20th century, it was always Tony’s lifelong dream to create “a hit catalog rather than hit records.”
And with a long-musical career, Tony indeed made his mark with more than 70 albums released, 19 Grammy Awards, and millions of fans and followers globally. Tony’s music speaks to all generations, and when Tony sings, he doesn’t tell his own story, but he has this mesmerizing power to let the music speak for itself.
