Legendary singer Tony Bennett has died at the age of 96 following a battle with Alzheimer's disease.
The crooner launched his career in the music industry after fighting in World War II and went on to sell over 50 million records worldwide in the seven decades that followed, earning 20 Grammy Awards and two Emmys along the way.
Bennett released his signature hit 'I Left My Heart In San Francisco' in 1962 and almost 60 years later, in 2021, he set a Guinness World Record for the oldest artist to release new material with his 61st album Love For Sale, his second collaborative record with Lady Gaga.
In the same year it was revealed that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's five years prior but he continued to work and performed his final shows, alongside Gaga, later in 2021.
Bennett's publicist Sylvia Weiner confirmed that he died on Friday at his home in New York, although no cause of death was provided.
The star is survived by his wife of 16 years Susan and four children from previous marriages.
Watch Bennett - then aged 94 - perform 'Smile' during the coronavirus lockdown in August 2020:
Neil Wilkes
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