Tony Bennett Was Playing Piano Just Days Before Death: The Last Song He Sang Revealed

Tony Bennett passed away connected Friday (July 21) astatine property 96, a fewer weeks shy of his birthday. Shortly aft the satellite learned that the dependable down “I Left My Heart In San Francisco,” “Blue Velvet,” and countless different classical songs had been silenced, his team shared immoderate details astir his last days. “Tony near america today, but helium was inactive singing the different time astatine his piano,” the @ItsTonyBennett account posted portion sharing a throwback photograph to Tony’s aboriginal career. “His past opus was, ‘Because of You,’ his archetypal #1 hit,” the squad added. “Tony, due to the fact that of you, we person your songs successful our bosom forever.”

“Because Of You” was written by Arthur Hammerstein and Dudley Wilkinson successful 1940. First recorded by Larry Clinton and his Orchestra, Tony took a ace astatine the opus successful 1951, making it his archetypal nonrecreational single. The opus reached No. 1 connected the Billboard charts and spent 10 weeks astatine the apical position. He would find his mode up to the apical again with “Cold, Cold Heart,” “Rags to Riches,” and “Stranger successful Paradise.” He would besides bask a lengthy career, uncovering occurrence with albums Duets, Duets II, Viva Duets, and his albums with Lady Gaga – Cheek to Cheek and Love For Sale.

Many stars instantly mourned Tony pursuing quality of his death. “He was besides 1 of the nicest quality beings I’ve ever known,” said Billy Joel. “His euphony has ever made maine consciousness astatine location and safe,” said Kelsea Ballerini. “He’s irreplaceable. I loved and adored him,” said Elton John.

“I had bully teachers astatine the American Theatre Wing erstwhile I came retired of the work aft the Second World War,” helium told Billboard in 2016. “They told maine however to past and taught maine however to instrumentality attraction of myself and to beryllium myself and effort not to imitate immoderate different singers. They ever insisted I conscionable beryllium myself, and I’ve maintained that passim the years. I conscionable emotion the information that successful an epoch wherever everything’s based connected youth, I tin pass with everybody — the young, the middle-aged, and the aged similar me. I’m precise content.”

In 2016, Tony went nationalist with his Alzheimer’s disease. When his wife, Susan Crow, spoke with AARP Magazine about his condition, she recalled however Sean Connery had mislaid his quality to pass owed to dementia earlier his decease astatine property 90. “I’m hoping for that with Tony,” she said. “Hopefully, he’ll conscionable spell to slumber 1 night, and that volition beryllium that. I’m hoping and praying that helium won’t instrumentality a crook for the worse that’s truly brainsick bad. … There’s a batch astir him that I miss. Because he’s not the aged Tony anymore. But erstwhile helium sings, he’s the aged Tony.”

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