ALERT: The Legendary Tony Bennett has passed away

One of America’s great performers has passed; Tony Bennett died early this morning at age 96 in New York City, as reported by the Associated Press and confirmed by his publicist.

His style was one-of-a-kind, performing alongside other greats from Frank Sinatra, to Lady Gaga, and dozens of others, and earning him 19 Grammy awards through the years.  He also holds the record as the oldest performer to reach #1 on the Billboard Album charts, thanks to his duets project with Gaga in 2014.

After fighting in World War II, he began a recording career with Columbia Records in 1951 that spanned seven decades.  Even as music evolved away from traditional pop standards in the 1950s and 1960s and into Rock and Roll, Bennett continued wooing audiences of all ages with his unique style and charm.  His career renaissance peaked in 1994, where after re-introducing his music to a younger audience, MTV gave him his own “Unplugged” special; a rarity for an act like his.  And although it was a rarity, it worked.

Tony continued to garner audiences and awards into the early 2000s, and although his career slowed after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2016, he never gave up on his passion for entertaining his fans.

One thing is for sure: heaven has gained an angelic voice today.

We’ll be continuing to celebrate Tony’s legacy, his performances, and his love of music in the coming days.