A statue of Tony Bennett greets visitors in front of the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, July 21, 2023. He told this newspaper in a 2019 interview that he felt blessed “to have another ‘hometown’ in my life” and got a kick out of the fact that fans and tourists who spotted him in the Bay Area assumed he lived here. Though he was born in New York City and was based there for most of his life and career, Bennett had deep Bay Area ties fostered by his signature song and his many appearances and friendships here.
The last of the great saloon singers of the mid-20th century, Bennett often said his lifelong ambition was to create “a hit catalog rather than hit records.” He released more than 70 albums, bringing him 19 competitive Grammys - all but two after he reached his 60s - and enjoyed deep and lasting affection from fans and fellow artists. There was no specific cause, but Bennett had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016. Publicist Sylvia Weiner confirmed Bennett’s death to The Associated Press, saying he died in his hometown of New York. He was 96, just two weeks short of his birthday. NEW YORK - Tony Bennett, the eminent and timeless stylist whose devotion to classic American songs and knack for creating new standards such as “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” graced a decades-long career that brought him admirers from Frank Sinatra to Lady Gaga, died Friday.
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