Music Icon Tony Bennett Dies Aged 96

Music icon Tony Bennett has died aged 96.

Bennett was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2016, before going public with it two years ago. 

He enjoyed an illustrious career in the music industry, which saw him earn 20 Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award. Tony Bennett enjoyed a string of hits during the 1950s, including 'Because Of You', and 'Rags To Riches', along with a cover of Hank Williams's 'Cold, Cold Heart'. 

His 1962 track, 'I Left My Heart In San Francisco' also earned him his first Grammy Award. Three years later, Bennett was also awarded the the Martin Luther King Center’s ‘Salute To Greatness’ award for his work in fighting racial discrimination, having joined the Selma-to-Montgomery civil rights march.

Bennett also boasted a string of collaborators including Frank Sinatra and Lady Gaga, with Sinatra once hailing Bennett as "the best singer in the business" in 1965. 

Tony Bennett was married three times, having married his third wife and long term partner Susan Crow in 2007. He has four children overall, including two sons Danny and Dae from his first marriage to Patricia Beach, along with two daughters Antonia and Joanna from second wife Sandra Grant.

Despite his illness, Bennett continued to show positivity, reworking one of his old quotes, “Life is a gift – even with Alzheimer’s”. 

He also performed one of his last ever shows with Lady Gaga last year, which earned his 20th Grammy Success.