American singer Tony Bennett died on Friday at the age of 96. He points out that at over 80, he was the oldest person to reach number one on the album charts in the United States, thanks to a collection of duets with Lady Gaga, who became his girlfriend and touring partner.
Lady Gaga was just one of many young stars to have worked with the singer, whose death was announced to AFP on Friday by his publicist Sylvia Weiner. He has had Alzheimer’s since 2016.
Beginning with the recording of the song for the 1951 film Because of You, Bennett sang dozens of hits, including “Rags to Riches,” “Stranger in Paradise,” and—in her eventual title theme—”I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” which earned her two of the 19 Grammy Awards of her career.
The British invasion of the United States, led by the Beatles, took its toll on the singer, whose music was beginning to become outdated. But over time, his career revived.
Born on August 3, 1926 in Astoria, New York’s most cosmopolitan borough, the singer, whose real name was Anthony Benedetto, owes part of his unique artistic longevity to his vocal technique.
“For viewers, Tony Bennett is (I think) the best singer,” Frank Sinatra once said. “It excites me when I see it, it excites me.” Her smile, elegance and energy conveyed a warm and optimistic image.
Successful projects
In 1994 he played an “Unplugged” on the music channel MTV, acoustic concerts that were reserved for hip young artists.
In 2006, he released the album Duets: An American Classic alongside some of the biggest names in pop music, including Stevie Wonder and Bono.
Success was complete, and in 2011 a second effort, Duets II, saw the light of day, which at the age of 85 propelled him to number one in US record sales for the first time.
The album features duets with Lady Gaga and Amy Winehouse, revealing the two young singers in sophisticated vocal ranges.
The collaboration continued, most notably with a full-length album with Lady Gaga, Cheek to Cheek, which became a new US number one.
For seven decades, he followed Frank Sinatra’s advice: “Never be predictable.”
The album with Latin Americans
Viva Duets was an album he produced in 2012 and featured alongside Latino artists such as Ricardo Arjona, Chayanne, Gloria Estefan, Vicente Fernández, Romeo Santos, Juan Luis Guerra, Marc Anthony, Thalia and the Argentine Vincentianincluding the Fabulous Cadillacs.
Arjona has commemorated the experience in his stories by including a short touching message in his story. “With the lack that guys like you make my hug and admiration,” he wrote while sharing the link to the song “I Wanna Be Around” on Spotify.
They performed the song “The bes is yet to come” with Chayanne. When the artist found out about the artist’s death, he wrote in his farewell on his social networks: “A great man never leaves, his art is remembered forever.” My deepest condolences go to his family.”
While the story with Vicente Fernández took place at the Los 3 Potrillos ranch. There they recorded and in the scenes the singers are observed on location while Fernández says “Hello Tony” and “Goodbye friend”.
Return to me (Return to me) recalls the voices of both, Fernández sang some parts in English with the legendary singer.
In the visual work, Bennett is observed using pen and paper to hold down a caricature of Vicente Fernández. In addition, the American singer showed his painting skills by drawing part of the ranch.