Tony Bennett, steward of the “American Songbook” has died. He was 96 years old and passed in his hometown, Queens, New York. He suffered the last few years from Dementia brought on by ALS, and had retired from touring officially last year on his doctors’ orders. Born Anthony Dominick Benedetto, Tony was one of the most talented and award-winning singers of all time. Along with Frank Sinatra and Mel Torme, he was one of the best-loved and respected vocalists of the Big Band Jazz era, and went on to stardom in the Jazz and Pop genres, as Jazz was the predominant American  music form before the Rock N Roll era. Recording over 100 albums, he won 20 Grammy Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards. He was named an NEA Jazz Master and a Kennedy Center Honoree and founded of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, Queens, New York. Bennett sold more than 50 million records worldwide. He also served in World War II, acted in movies, performed an MTV Unplugged, and had a resurgence of popularity in the last 25 years as a newer generation of artists discovered him, and covered his songs. Sinatra was even public about Tony being his favorite singer. Tony’s final album released in his lifetime was a Jazz duets album with Lady Gaga, 2022’s Love For Sale.

RIP

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