00:00 The famed crooner known for such classics as I left my heart in San Francisco died in his hometown of New York City
00:06 The last of the great saloon singers of the mid 20th century
00:09 Bennett often said his lifelong ambition was to create a hit catalog rather than hit records. Here's ABC's Rena Roy
00:24 Tony Bennett was a singer's singer for more than 60 years. He played his voice like a beautiful instrument
00:30 And with a passion that led Frank Sinatra to call him the best in the business
00:36 Well, you know Sinatra was my best friend. He gave me the best advice
00:39 He was 10 years my elder and he was my master. You know what he said stay away from bad songs
00:45 He said just do great songs and he did singing classics from what he called the Great American Songbook
00:52 One song stood out above all others
00:54 San Francisco
01:05 It became his signature and won him the first of more than a dozen Grammys
01:12 Ironically Bennett was born in New York the son of a grocer and a seamstress
01:16 He was performing by the age of 10 and painting - he became a very accomplished painter
01:22 I've always had to sing and I had to paint the two things that I love there were tough times in the mid 60s
01:29 There wasn't much demand for Bennett style of music. So he tried acting
01:33 Anyhow, I know Frankie
01:36 He won't be back the movie flopped as did his two marriages
01:41 But in the 1980s with his son's help Bennett resurrected his career and found a new audience in the MTV generation
01:48 He's saying duets with Elton John Amy Winehouse
01:53 And Lady Gaga
01:58 Bennett was even featured on The Simpsons. Hey good to see you as he celebrated his 80th birthday
02:09 Again
02:11 It was hip again and having the time of his life
02:14 But at age 90 a devastating Alzheimer's diagnosis
02:18 His family saying the disease progressed rapidly with the weight of isolation during the kovat 19 pandemic
02:25 Still he continued singing when there are clouds in the sky
02:30 His wife Susan opening up to a ARP magazine
02:36 I just chalked it up to
02:38 you know old age and
02:41 So I said well, we'll put the names of the musicians on the piano for you
02:44 So you can just kind of look over and it was Tony that said yeah
02:47 I'd like to go see the doctor the secret Bennett has said is loving what you do
02:51 Rena Roy ABC News, New York
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