RIP Tony!  He was born in 1926 as Anthony Dominick Benedetto in Queens, New York. His father was an Italian immigrant from Calabria, and his mother was born in the U.S. to Calabrian immigrant parents.  His father was unwell and unable to work, dying when Tony was only ten, and the family lived in poverty. Because of this, Tony left school at age 16 to help support the family. Eventually he became a singing waiter (!) and entered many amateur singing competitions.

He was drafted into the army during WWII, and, during the occupation phase after the defeat of Germany, sang with the 314th Army Special Services Band under the stage name Joe Bari.

Upon his discharge from the Army and return to the States in 1946, Tony attended the American Theatre Wing on the GI Bill. He continued to perform wherever he could, including while waiting tables.

In 1949, Pearl Bailey recognized Benedetto’s talent and asked him to open for her in Greenwich Village. She had invited Bob Hope to the show. Hope decided to take Tony Benedetto on the road with him and changed his name to Tony Bennett. In 1950, Tony was signed to the Columbia Records label.

Tony  had his first big hit in 1951 – Because of You.

He became a major talent throughout his life. Tony garnered many awards, including 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 was the founder of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, Queens, New York. He sold more than 50 million records worldwide.

Tony continued to perform and tour until just before his 95th birthday! His final album, Love for Sale, a collaboration with Lady Gaga, was released on September 30, 2021.

Bennett’s final live performances were on August 3 and 5, 2021, when he presented a pair of shows with Lady Gaga at Radio City Music Hall. A television special, One Last Time: An Evening with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga debuted on November 28, 2021, which contained select performances from the two shows. Bennett’s last televised performance was also with Gaga on December 16, 2021, in MTV Unplugged.

Bennett still continued to rehearse with his music director three times a week, Danny Bennett, his son and manager, said in an interview.