Photos: Tony Bennett through the years, 1926-2023
A look at the life and career of the legendary singer, in photos.
1951: Tony Bennett
Singer Tony Bennett is approached by autograph seekers as he leaves a performance on Oct. 4, 1951.
1960: Tony Bennett
Singer Tony Bennett is shown singing on June 23, 1960.
1968: Tony Bennett and Sandra Grant
Singer Tony Bennett and dancer Sandra Grant are shown in London, England, in 1968.
1969: Tony Bennett
Singer Tony Bennett is posing next to one of his paintings, in his New York City apartment, on May 23, 1969.
1972: Tony Bennett in London
Tony Bennett swings through Berkeley Square in London, May 4, 1972, where he's filming his own television series. He controls the series and he's relishing the chance to bring back into popular music melody, professionalism and honesty in presentation.
1972: Tony Bennett with family in London
American singer Tony Bennett, right, is shown with his wife Sandra and their 22-month-old daughter Joanna in London, England, on Jan. 4, 1972.
1974: Tony Bennett
Singer Tony Bennett is seen during a recording session at Regent Studios in New York City, on November 11, 1974.
1977: Tony Bennett
Singer Tony Bennett toasts his audience with campaign during a engagement April 10, 1977, at the hotel Sahara on the Las Vegas strip. Bennett, who was greatly influenced by Frank Sinatra, says he never gets tired of singing his biggest hit, "I left my heart in San Francisco," because that's the tune that keeps the people coming to see him.
1980: Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra, left, poses with Tony Bennett in this July 1980 file photo in Reno, Nev.
1980: Tony Bennett and Beverly Sills
Opera singer Beverly Sills and singer Tony Bennett are seen on January 8, 1980 at the Mayflower Hotel in New York.
1984: Tony Bennett and Dianne Feinstein
San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein and singer Tony Bennett, who sang “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” hang on to the outside of a cable car in San Francisco before taking a test ride, Wednesday, May 2, 1984.
1986: Tony Bennett and Ray Charles
Ray Charles, left, and Tony Bennett are shown at the Larabee Studios in Los Angeles, Jan. 4, 1986.
1990: Tony Bennett and Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald, right, sings a duet with Tony Bennett to close the evening, April 26, 1990 at the Radio City Music Hall in New York. Earlier in the evening Bennett arrived with a cake to help celebrate Ella's 73rd birthday.
1993: Tony Bennett and Natalie Cole at Grammy Awards
Singers Tony Bennett and Natalie Cole perform "Lady is a Tramp" during the 35th Grammy Awards Show, Feb. 24, 1993 in Los Angeles. Bennett and Cole presented a Grammy to Eric Clapton for the Album of the Year, while Bennett himself was given Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal for "Perfectly Frank" during the pre-televised portion of the show.
1995: Tony Bennett and Patti LaBelle perform at Super Bowl XXIX
Singers Tony Bennett and Patti LaBelle entertain the crowd during halftime at Super Bowl XXIX, Jan. 29, 1995 at Miami's Joe Robbie Stadium.
1995: Tony Bennett and President Bill Clinton
President Clinton laughs with singer Tony Bennett during a state dinner in honor of German Chancellor Helmut Kohl Thursday night, Feb. 9, 1995 in the State Dining Room of the White House.
1995: Tony Bennett wins multiple Grammys
Tony Bennett holds up his two Grammy awards backstage at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Ca., Wednesday night, March 1, 1995. Bennett won album of the year for "MTV Unplugged" and best traditional pop vocal performance for "MTV Unplugged" at the Grammy Awards.
1995: Tony Bennett
Four-time Grammy winner Tony Bennett receives his honorary Doctor of Music Arts Degree cap at a rehearsal at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, Ill., Friday, Feb. 24, 1995.
1996: Tony Bennett and Carol Burnett at Emmy Awards
Carol Burnett gives a kiss to Tony Bennett after he won an Emmy for outstanding performance for a variety or music program at the 48th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Pasadena, Calif., Sunday Sept. 8, 1996. He won for his performance "Tony Bennett Live by Request: A Valentine Special."
2004: Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett sings to Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai at the concert for Maathai at the Oslo Spectrum Saturday Dec. 11, 2004. Maathai is the first environmentalist and the first African woman to be awarded the coveted prize.
2004: Tony Bennett
Singer Tony Bennett performs during the 58th Annual Tony Awards at New York's Radio City Music Hall, Sunday, June 6, 2004.
2005: Tony Bennett among Kennedy Center honorees
In this photograph provided by the White House, President Bush, right, congratulates performer Tina Turner during a reception for the Kennedy Center honorees in the East Room of the White House Sunday, Dec. 4, 2005. Other honorees are, from left, singer Tony Bennett, dancer Suzanne Farrell, actress Julie Harris, actor Robert Redford and singer Tina Turner. (AP Photo/The White House, Eric Draper)
2006: Tony Bennett and Billy Joel
Singers Tony Bennett, left and Billy Joel perform live on stage during the NBC "Today" show Friday, Sept. 22, 2006, in New York.
2006: Tony Bennett turns 80
Tony Bennett reacts after performing the song "San Francisco" during his 80th birthday celebration at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2006.
2007: Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett accepts the award for best traditional pop vocal album for "Duets: An American Classic" at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2007, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
2007: Tony Bennett and Christina Aguilera
Tony Bennett and Christina Aguilera perform the song "Steppin' Out" during the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007, in Los Angeles.
2010: Tony Bennett performs at World Series
Tony Bennett sings before Game 1 of baseball's World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Texas Rangers Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2010, in San Francisco.
2012: Tony Bennett wins multiple Grammy Awards
Tony Bennett poses backstage with the awards for best traditional pop vocal album for "Duets II" and best pop/duo/group performance for "Body and Soul" at the 54th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012 in Los Angeles.
2014: Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga, right, and Tony Bennett arrive for a media event at the Brussels' city hall on Monday Sept. 22 , 2014. Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett will give a short concert on the Brussels' Grand Place for 6,500 clients of mobile operator Mobistar.
2015: Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga
Tony Bennett, left, and Lady Gaga perform at the 57th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015, in Los Angeles.
2016: Tony Bennett turns 90
In this Aug. 3, 2016 file photo, singer Tony Bennett arrives for his 90th birthday celebration at the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Plaza in New York. The Library of Congress announced Tuesday that the 90-year-old Bennett is the recipient of the lifetime achievement award.
2017: Tony Bennett
Singer/honoree Tony Bennett performs onstage during the 2017 Gershwin Prize Honoree's Tribute Concert at the DAR Constitution Hall on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017 in Washington
2018: Tony Bennett and John Legend
Tony Bennett, left, and John Legend present the award for best rap/sung performance at the 60th annual Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018, in New York.
2019: Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett arrives at the 61st annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019, in Los Angeles.
2019: Tony Bennett
Singer Tony Bennett performs at the Statue of Liberty Museum opening celebration at Battery Park on Wednesday, May 15, 2019, in New York.
Tony Bennett, eminent stylist of American musical standards and last of the great saloon singers, dies at 96.
Tony Bennett, whose devotion to classic American songs and knack for creating new standards graced a decadeslong career that brought him admirers from Frank Sinatra to Lady Gaga, died Friday. He was 96.