Legendary singer Tony Bennett dies at 96

Anthony Dominick Benedetto, known professionally as Tony Bennett, is considered an American classic who demolished generational divides by singing with musicians from Judy Garland to Lady Gaga. He was revered by other artists, including Frank Sinatra, who said he was “the best in the business.”

On Friday morning, his death at 96 — just weeks shy of his birthday — seems almost like the end of an era. He was born in 1926 in Queens, New York.

“The beloved singer ... is survived by his wife, Susan Benedetto, his two sons, Danny and Dae Bennett, his daughters Johanna Bennett and Antonia Bennett and 9 grandchildren,” his representative told People magazine.

His publicist, Sylvia Weiner, told The Associated Press that there was no specific cause of death.

Bennett was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016, which didn’t stop him from singing, as the Deseret News reported.

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In 1994, Bennett said that searching for his voice during his career reminded him of something Leonardo da Vinci once supposedly said on his deathbed: “It’s too bad I’m going to die, I’m just learning how to paint,” per the Deseret News.

In later life, Bennett’s voice was as rich as ever. He released his album “Love for Sale” with Lady Gaga in 2021, which won a Grammy for best traditional pop vocal album.

What are Tony Bennett’s hit songs?

During his lifetime, Bennett released over 70 albums, per AP. He won 19 different Grammy awards — most of which he received after he turned 60 — and was nominated for 41, per the Grammy Awards Recording Academy.

Here are five of his most popular performances (in no particular order), per USA Today:

• “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” 1962. It won Bennett Grammy awards for record of the year and best solo vocal male performance in 1962. This song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1994.

• “Rags to Riches,” 1953.

• “New York State of Mind,” originally by Billy Joel, 2001.

• “I Wanna Be Around,” 1962.

• “I Get a Kick Out of You,” 2021.