By ANI
WASHINGTON: Legendary singer Tony Bennett has stepped down from the stage as he is retiring from live performances, following his health issues.
The 95-year-old singer, who has been fighting Alzheimer’s disease since 2016, has finally said goodbye to the stage for live performances.
The iconic singer’s son Danny Bennett recently announced the news in an interview with Variety that his father is officially retiring from live music and scrapping his 2021 tour dates.
“There won’t be any additional concerts. This was a hard decision for us to make, as he is a capable performer. This is, however, doctors’ orders,” Bennett’s son and manager Danny Bennett told Variety.
This was in reference to Tony’s fall tour dates which were originally rescheduled from 2020 due to the pandemic but were cancelled as his family hopes to prioritise his health.
“His continued health is the most important part of this, and when we heard the doctors — when Tony’s wife, Susan heard them — she said, ‘Absolutely not, he’ll be doing other things, but not those upcoming shows. It’s not the singing aspect but, rather, the travelling. Look, he gets tired,” Danny told Variety.
Danny further explained that the decision made by the family was not because they are worried about him being able to sing but “we are worried, from a physical standpoint… about human nature” as he is 95.
“They kept telling me that we lied, that there was no way Tony had Alzheimer’s, I assured everyone that he does. … Yes, here he was, at 95, and still singing like this: strong, Emotive. But still, it is a complex question: how can he do this?” Danny told Variety in reference to the fans’ response to the Grammy-winning singer’s last live concerts with Academy Award-winning singer Lady Gaga.
“My answer is that this is where he has lived his whole life and where he is most happy — on the stage, making music. Dealing as we have with Alzheimer’s for the last four-five years, it’s cognitive,” he added telling the outlet that despite his father has “short-term memory loss” he still does not use a “teleprompter”.
Danny continued, “Tony may not remember every part of doing that show. But, when he stepped to the side of the stage, the first thing he told me was: ‘I love being a singer.'”
Tony Bennett is a singer known for his works in traditional pop standards, big bands, show tunes, and jazz. He is also a painter, having created works under his birth name that are on permanent public display in several institutions.
Tony has released over 70 albums during his career, almost all for Columbia Records. He has also charted over 30 singles during his career, with his biggest hits all occurring during the early 1950s.
On August 12, 2021, a few days after his 95th birthday, Tony’s retirement from concert performances was announced by his son and manager Danny Bennett.
Danny stated that “though Bennett remained a capable singer, he was becoming physically frail and risked a major fall if he continued touring.”
