Tony Bennett, the eminent and timeless stylist whose devotion to classic American songs and knack for creating new standards such as “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” graced a decades-long career that brought him admirers from Frank Sinatra to Lady Gaga, died Friday. He was 96.
Publicist Sylvia Weiner confirmed Bennett’s death in his hometown of New York.
While no specific cause was given, Bennett had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016.
He recorded more than 70 albums in his lifetime and earned 19 competitive Grammys — all but two after he reached his 60s — and enjoyed deep and lasting affection from fans and fellow artists, according to The Associated Press.
October 4, 1951: Singer Tony Bennett is approached by autograph seekers as he leaves a performance. (AP Photo) 1957: American singer Tony Bennett (right) at a music studio with jazz drummers Cándido Camero (1921-2020, left) and Art Blakey, and an unidentified bassist. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images) June 23, 1960: Singer Tony Bennett. (AP Photo) March 8, 1968: Tony Bennett and 27-year-old Sandi Grant smile during the reception held at the Hilton Hotel, London, for Bennett who is in London for a concert tour. (AP Photo/Bob Dear) January 14, 1972: Tony Bennett feeding the pigeons with his daughter Joanna in the United Kingdom. (Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) April 4, 1973: Tony Bennett and his wife, actress Sandra Grant Bennett arrive at the ABC Cinema on Shaftesbury Avenue, London, for the midnight premiere of ‘Lady Sings the Blues’. (Photo by Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) November 11, 1974: Tony Bennett at the Regent Studios in New York as he recorded for AT&T. (AP Photo/Harry Harris) November 8, 1977: Tony Bennett at the Milne-Henderson Gallery with a painting of Duke Ellington. (Evening Standard/Getty Images) March 8, 1981: Actress-singer Anita Gillette, left, musician Chuck Berry, singer Tony Bennett and jazz musician Lionel Hampton are shown together at the Songwriters Hall of Fame dinner at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria. (AP Photo/Kaye) May 2, 1984: San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein and singer Tony Bennett, who sang “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” hangs on to the outside of a cable car in San Francisco before taking a test ride. (AP Photo/Jeff Reinking) April 26, 1990: Ella Fitzgerald, right, sings a duet with Tony Bennett to close the evening at the Radio City Music Hall in New York. Earlier in the evening Bennett arrived with a cake to help celebrate Ella’s 73rd birthday. (AP Photo/Mark D. Phillips) February 9, 1995: President Clinton laughs with singer Tony Bennett during a state dinner in honor of German Chancellor Helmut Kohl Thursday night in the State Dining Room of the White House. (AP Photo/Doug Wilson) February 24, 1995: Four-time Grammy winner Tony Bennett receives his honorary Doctor of Music Arts Degree cap at a rehearsal at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. (AP Photo/Beth R. Keiser) September 15, 2001: Tony Bennett performs at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, California. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images) June 6, 2004: Singer Tony Bennett performs during the 58th Annual Tony Awards Sunday at New York’s Radio City Music Hall. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens) May 11, 2005: Tony Bennett performs at the “A Nation Honors Nancy Reagan” program at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington D.C. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf) February 11, 2007: Winner of Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals and Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Tony Bennett poses with the trophies at the 49th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. (Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images) Oct. 30, 2010: Tony Bennett reacts to the crowd during his performance at comedians Jon Stewart’s and Stephen Colbert’s Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear on the National Mall in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) October 11, 2013: Tony Bennett performs at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. (Brad Barket/Getty Images) September 22, 2014: Lady Gaga (R) and Tony Bennett give a press conference to launch their album “Cheek to Cheek”, in Brussels. (Emmanuel Dunand/AFP via Getty Images) February 8, 2015: Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga perform onstage during The 57th Annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. (Larry Busacca/Getty Images) August 8, 2019: Tony Bennett performs on stage during an invitation only concert at the newly opened Encore Boston Harbor Casino in Everett, Massachusetts. (Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images) November 04, 2019: Tony Bennett attends The Art Students League’s 2019 Gala at The Edition Hotel on in New York City. (Noam Galai/Getty Images for Shorefire)
