Today we remember legendary jazz vocalist Tony Bennett, who passed away just this morning. After serving in World War II as a U.S. Army infantryman in the European Theater, Bennett moved his focus to singing. He signed with Columbia Records, and celebrated his first hit, a rendition of a song called “Because of You”, in 1951. The jazz icon went on to build a critically acclaimed career, earning 20 Grammy awards, a lifetime achievement award, and a long list various prestigious accolades.
He notably renewed his career in 2014 when he collaborated with Lady Gaga for Cheek to Cheek, their first of two shared albums. They released their second album, Love for Sale, in 2021. That same year, it was revealed that Bennett had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016, but it progressed slowly enough for him to continue working. He officially retired from live performances in August of 2021.
This clip finds him commanding New York City’s Sony Studios during his 1994 MTV Unplugged performance of “Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words).
