(Tony Bennett, iconic American traditional pop and jazz singer, has died at the age of 96)
By Gary Raynaldo – DIPLOMATIC TIMES CORRESPONDENT
SAN FRANCISCO – Tony Bennett, the masterful American crooner, and adopted son of San Francisco, died Friday morning at the age of 96. The legendary pop and jazz singer is most famous here in the City by the Bay for his iconic song “I Left My Heart in San Francisco”. According to the Associated Press, the singer died in his hometown of New York. There was no specific cause of death cited. Bennett had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016. Although born in New York, Bennett became a great ambassador for San Francisco with his charming song paying homage to the City. With a career that spanned eight decades, Bennett’s life and philosophy is said to be the embodiment of the Great American Story. Bennett was “on the front lines of every major issue impacting the cornerstones of this country’s modern history. He has performed for eleven U.S. Presidents, a World War II veteran who fought in the Battle of the Bulge and participated in the liberation of a concentration camp, and marched side by side with Dr. Martin Luther King in Selma to support civil rights,” according to his website bio. He released some 72 albums and won 19 Grammys for his songs.
(Photo by Gary Raynaldo / ©Diplomatic Times / Statue of singer Tony Bennett outside the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco that was erected in 2016)
The former mayor of San Francisco and current U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein paid tribute to Bennett with this statement:
“I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Tony Bennett. The world lost a wonderfully talented musician who inspired millions, San Francisco lost a beloved champion and I lost a dear friend. Tony was a true New Yorker but he was also an adopted son of San Francisco. From riding the cable cars to celebrate their renovation to uplifting us by leading a city-wide singing of ‘I Left My Heart in San Francisco’ during the pandemic, Tony’s love and support for San Francisco have been felt for decades. Tony was above all else a kind and generous person who was loved by so many and whose music transcended generations. His heart will forever be in San Francisco and ours will forever be with him.”
-Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)
Music legend Tony Bennett first performed his hit “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” at the San Francisco Fairmont Hotel in 1961
(Photo by Gary Raynaldo / ©Diplomatic Times / The Fairmont Hotel where in 1961 Tony Bennett first performed “I left my heart in San Francisco” in the hotel’s Venetian Room.
Bennett first sang “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” written by George Cory and Douglass Cross, in December 1961 in the Venetian Room of the Fairmont Hotel to an audience that included then-Mayor George Christopher and future Mayor Joseph Alioto.
“He (Tony Bennett) really found a song that many San Franciscans can relate to. Everybody loves the Cable Cars. It is a city that still knows how.”
DIPLOMATIC TIMES VIDEO – The late singer Tony Bennett “left his heart in San Francisco” and charmed millions of San Francisco residents with his music paying tribute to The City by the Bay.
(Photo by Gary Raynaldo / ©Diplomatic Times / Flowers from fans of Tony Bennett left in front of statue of singer in memorial outside the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco July 21, 2023.
(Photo by Gary Raynaldo / ©Diplomatic Times / Tony Bennett fan with flowers in outside the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco July 21, 2023.)
DIPLOMATIC TIMES VIDEO – The late singer Tony Bennett “left his heart in San Francisco” and charmed millions of San Francisco residents with his music paying tribute to The City by the Bay.
(Photo by Gary Raynaldo / ©Diplomatic Times / Tony Bennett lays flowers near his statute in memorial outside the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco July 21, 2023)
(Photo by Gary Raynaldo / ©Diplomatic Times / Teddy Bear left by fan of Tony Bennett outside the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco July 21, 2023.)
“I left my heart in San Francisco. High on a hill, it calls to me. To be where little cable cars climb halfway to the stars” – Tony Bennett
(Photo by Gary Raynaldo / ©Diplomatic Times / One of the little cable cars that “climb halfway to the stars” in San Francisco.
DIPLOMATIC TIMES VIDEO – The late singer Tony Bennett “left his heart in San Francisco” and charmed millions of San Francisco residents with his music paying tribute to The City by the Bay. “The little cable cars that climb halfway to the stars”
(Photo by Gary Raynaldo / ©Diplomatic Times / One of the little cable cars that “climb halfway to the stars” in San Francisco
