UPDATED with latest: Tony Bennett was remembered by the music and entertainment worlds on Friday after news broke of his death at the age of 96.
Bennett’s career has spanned seven decades and seems reinvigorated across multiple generations, from his crooning contemporaries to the MTV era and more recently via his collaborations with Lady Gaga.
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Overall, Bennett — whose notable life included being in the army division, the 63rd Infantry, which helped liberate part of the Dachau concentration camp and then marched with Martin Luther King to Selma — has won 20 Grammys and sold 50 million records worldwide. He was also named a Kennedy Center Fellow.
See reactions to his death below, including Elton John, Brian Wilson, Nile Rodgers and the Amy Winehouse Foundation; Winehouse and Bennett teamed up for the “Heart and Soul” duet.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, whose San Francisco neighborhood is arguably the subject of Bennett’s most famous song “I Left My Heart In San Francisco,” also made a statement today (there’s a statue of Bennett outside the Fairmont Hotel in the city’s Nob Hill section.
Alec Baldwin, whose Bennett impersonation anchored a series of memorable skits (written by Paula Pell) on Saturday Night Live, also posted a video today sharing his thoughts. He noted that having Bennett be part of one of the sketches, in which he appeared playing a Tony Bennett impersonator in 2006, “was one of the greatest moments of my life”.
See the tributes below.
From Pelosi:
“Paul and I are heartbroken by the passing of Tony Bennett: an extraordinarily gifted singer, a great humanitarian and a true American patriot.
“For seven decades, Tony has graced us with his beautiful voice, skillful songwriting and classic tunes. His legendary musical legacy has been honoured: winning twenty Grammys, selling tens of millions of records and performing for eleven presidents. Equally historic was Tony’s dedication to service to his nation. During World War II, he helped hold the line in the Battle of the Bulge, fought on the front lines in Germany, and liberated concentration camp prisoners. Back home, he continued to champion freedom by marching on Selma with Dr. Martin Luther King, before dedicating the rest of his life to humanitarian causes that made a difference for millions. He also personally invested his time, resources and fame in educating young children in the arts. He has always been optimistic about the future.
“Personally, Tony was my dear friend, with whom I had the privilege of sharing many special moments. I was deeply honored when he came to Capitol Hill as a special guest for my presidential elections.
“In 2018, I was thrilled to welcome him to our city as we renamed a stretch of Mason Street ‘Tony Bennett Way’ with the dedication of a statue to him. His iconic song ‘I Left My Heart in San Francisco’ will forever remain one of our city’s official anthems – and in the American canon.
“Tony Bennett is a national treasure. May it be a comfort to Tony’s wife Susan, his children Danny, Antonia, Joanna, Dae, his nine grandchildren and the entire Bennett family that so many around the world are praying for them at this sad time.
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