Favorite Seventies Artists In The News

Posted by Administrator on July 31st, 2023

Speaking to The Guardian paper, former Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon ("Johnny Rotten") says that artificial intelligence will "will ultimately make decisions for you, and that's very dangerous." Lydon, who is currently working with his post-Pistols band Public Image Ltd, was asked about his views on the ever-increasing impact of AI on the arts. "Who's in charge and who's feeding the information and giving the guidelines to these artifices? What or where is the moral code?," he said. "It has infiltrated young people's minds now to the point of total domination. What will this create? My advice is make small steps against this -- and get that f---ing Siri or whatever out of your house. It will ultimately make decisions for you, and that's very dangerous," he added. Lydon's comments come after other musicians have criticized AI recently, including Sting, Nick Cave and Kelly Jones of Stereophonics. In the film industry, Titanic director James Cameron said he warned the world of AI's rise in 1984, and Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan has described the AI boom sweeping Hollywood now as "terrifying." Meanwhile, Public Image Ltd is prepping the release of their new album End of the World on Aug. 11. The album is dedicated to Lydon's late wife Nora Forster, who lately lost a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's disease at age 80. The band are also set to embark on a UK and European tour this autumn. - New Musical Express, 7/30/23...... As Joni Mitchell releases a new live album of her comeback live performance last year at the Newport Folk Festival on July 28, industry insiders are wondering how the Grammys will categorize the new LP -- as folk, pop or traditional pop? Mitchell has won in all three fields over the years, landing her first Grammy nomination (and win) in a folk category -- Best Folk Performance for her sophomore album, Clouds (1969) -- but she hasn't been nominated in a folk category since. The Canadian singer/songwriter' Turbulent Indigo won for Best Pop Album in 1995, and 2000's Both Sides Now won for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. Joni Mitchell at Newport is likely to be slotted in one of the two latter categories -- and if it does well it may also have a shot at an Album of the Year nomination. Mitchell's other Grammy achievements include a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002, and she was also named the MusiCares Person of the Year in 2022. The singer turns 80 on Nov. 7, three days before the 66th annual Grammy Award nominations are announced on Nov. 10. The awards will be presented at Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 4, 2024. Mitchell's 2022 Newport Folk Festival was her third appearance at the event, following appearances in 1967 (where she met Leonard Cohen) and 1969 (where she met another lifelong friend and collaborator, James Taylor). The new album features live renditions of such Joni classics as "A Case of You" (which has been shared on YouTube), "Big Yellow Taxi," "Help Me," "Both Sides Now" and "Carey." She closed her 2022 set with "The Circle Game," which she performed at the Newport Folk Festival in 1967. Contributing liner notes to Joni Mitchell at Newport was music journalist-turned-filmmaker Cameron Crowe, who was nominated for a Best Album Notes Grammy for his notes for Bob Dylan's 1986 album Biograph. - Billboard, 7/27/23...... A two-night celebration at L.A.'s Hollywood Bowl on July 28 and 29 celebrated the life of legendary music producer/musician/composer Quincy Jones and his 90th birthday. Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Jennifer Hudson and Samara were among the artists performing in tribute during the two-and-a-half-hour event. Wonder shared with the audience that he'd first met Jones when he was a 14-year-old "running around the Apollo Theater like I could see" and heard that Jones was in the building. "When I met Quincy, it was magical," said Wonder. "I'd grown up listening to his music and arrangements; he knew Ray Charles, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Frank Sinatra and others. After I did Talking Book, he recorded 'You've Got It Bad Girl' for one of his albums and also did 'Superstition' with Ray Charles for another." Concluding his full-circle moment, Wonder noted, "I want to thank you [Quincy] for everything you've given me -- all the inspiration, the many times you said it's not quite right; keep working on it, and for bringing people together through music." The Saturday night edition included a Michael Jackson suite, with a salute to the top-selling, award-winning collaborations between Jones and King of Pop by several of the talented background vocalists. Jones, born on March 14, 1933, wasn't in attendance, however core members of his longtime house band backed the other musicians, and his goddaughter Austin also performed solo and duetted with Wonder. - Billboard, 7/30/23...... Herb Alpert has sent a congratulatory message to Taylor Swift on TikTok after Swift recently tied his record of a living artist having four albums on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart's Top 10, a record that has held for nearly 60 years. In his '60s heyday with Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, Alpert had four LPs in the Top 10 on the Apr. 2, 1966-dated chart: Going Places at No. 2, Whipped Cream & Other Delights at No. 3, South of the Border at No. 9 and The Lonely Bull at No. 10). The "Rise" hitmaker, now 88, took to his @herbalpertpresents account on TikTok to share a sweet video message: "Hi Taylor, this is Herb Alpert. I've been getting calls from all over the world from publications wanting to know how do I feel about you breaking my record of -- I don't know -- 150 years ago. I feel great! I think you're a wonderful artist, sincere, you're gracious and you deserve it. You deserve it all. Congratulations." Swift notched her 12th No. 1 album on the July 22-dated Hot 200 chart with Speak Now (Taylor's Version). Her other current Top 10 projects include Midnights (falling 4-5), Lover (8-7) and Folklore (13-10). - Billboard, 7/24/23...... Paul McCartney and Steven Spielberg were spotted attending a screening of Christopher Nolan's new movie Oppenheimer at a cinema in New York's summer vacation hotspot the Hamptons on July 24. Sir Paul and the famous Jaws and Raiders of the Lost Ark director have known each other since 1986, when the former Beatle told Rolling Stone at the time that he sought out Spielberg's advice on the possibility of making a movie about the Fab Four's career. More recently, Spielberg noted that The Beatles song "Michelle" from 1965's Rubber Soul brought back memories of his first kiss in college. A pic of the two famous entertainment personalities attending Oppenheimer was shared on Christopher Nolan's Twitter account. Meanwhile, Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy recently said his wardrobe for the movie was partly inspired by David Bowie during his Thin White Duke era. "Chris sent me a couple of shots of David Bowie, certain periods in David Bowie's career, like Thin White Duke and around 'Young Americans' time," Murphy said. "He had these massive trousers and he was so emaciated but so fucking cool. So we used that, weirdly, for some of Oppenheimer's trousers." - NME, 7/26/23...... Ozzy Osbourne has shared a health update after cancelling his headlining slot at the Power Trip festival in Indio, Calif., in October. "Unfortunately, my body is telling me that I'm just not ready yet and I am much too proud to have the first show that I do in nearly five years be half-assed," Osbourne said in a statement. Speaking to his co-host, Billy Morrison on his SiriusXM station Ozzy Speaks, Osbourne shared that he had recently had a blood clot filter removed from one of his arteries. "When I had the blood clots in my legs, they put a filter in your artery to stop the blood clots going to your heart and your brain," he shared. "It sounds worse than it is." Ozzy continued: "So, on Monday, I went to have it removed. The blood clots have jammed you all up. It's just disappointment after disappointment. Just get this thing fucking done so I can go get on with my life." Osbourne also reflected on his struggle over his ability to produce a vein for medical procedures, adding: "So, they put a thing down there in my neck, straight down to my groin, Yeah, but they can't even find a vein on me." Ozzy's interview can be viewed on YouTube. He had announced his retirement from touring on Feb. 1, calling off his European and UK tour dates in the process, after he suffered a fall a fall at his Los Angeles home which required neck surgery. - NME, 7/26/23...... The combat boots and dog tags worn by beloved M*A*S*H actor Alan Alda during the acclaimed 1972-1983 wartime sitcom were sold at auction on July 28 for $125,000 to an anonymous buyer. Alda held onto the boots and dog tags for more than 40 years after the show ended but decided to sell them through Heritage Auctions in Dallas to raise money for his center dedicated to helping scientists and doctors communicate better. Alda, 87, said he wore the boots and dog tags for the 11-season run of the show about a Korean War medical unit. The items had been given to him by the costume department, and "made an impression on me every day that we shot the show," said Alda, who won five Emmys for his work on the sitcom. His character, Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce, was a talented surgeon who helped ease the stress of working in a war zone with quips and practical jokes. The show's final episode, which aired in 1983 and was written and directed by Alda, was the most watched TV show in U.S. history. Alda said auctioning off the dog tags and boots now made sense. "I saw this as a chance to put them to work again," he said. The money raised from the auction will go to the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University in New York, which aims to help scientists and doctors communicate better through the use of improvisational exercises and other strategies. - AP, 7/28/23...... The Calabasas, Calif., mansion in which Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie Presley spent her final years has been listed for nearly $5 million. The 7,440-square-foot mansion boasts six bedrooms and seven bathrooms, as well as a large outdoor pool and eating area overlooking a canyon. Lisa Marie, Elvis and his ex-wife Priscilla Presley's only child, ad moved into the mansion in Calabasas, Calif., with her 14-year-old twin girls Finley and Harper, and musician ex-husband Danny Keough, 58, to whom she was married from 1988 to 1994. It also features a home theatre, wine cellar and indoor gym. Lisa Marie was found unresponsive in the residence on Jan. 12 after going into cardiac arrest. When paramedics arrived, they immediately performed CPR and the singer was rushed to the hospital, but she was pronounced dead hours later. It was recently revealed the singer died due to complications from weight-loss surgery -- which many of her friends knew nothing about. According to the Los Angeles County medical examiner, the 54-year-old was killed by a bowel obstruction that was a result of adhesions caused by the bariatric surgery. Bariatric surgery can create scar tissue that can strangulate the intestines -- which is what led to Lisa Marie's death. She reportedly was complaining of abdominal agony in the days before her death, and the autopsy noted she had suffered stomach pain hours before going into cardiac arrest at her home. She had "therapeutic" levels of oxycodone, opioid buprenorphine -- used to treat addiction -- and the antipsychotic drug quetiapine in her system, but they were not ruled to have contributed to her death. The home has been listed by her realtor and friend Robb Friedman, and it can be viewed on the TMZ.com Twitter page. - Bang Showbiz, 7/29/23...... Randy Meisner, the founding Eagles bassist who co-wrote and sang on the band's 1976 Top 5 hit "Take It to the Limit," died on the evening of July 27 due to complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to a statement from the band. He was 77. "Randy was an integral part of the Eagles and instrumental in the early success of the band," the band said in the statement. "His vocal range was astonishing, as is evident on his signature ballad, 'Take It to the Limit.'" Meisner was with the Eagles from their self-titled 1972 debut album through 1976's Hotel California, before quitting the group in 1977. (He was replaced by Timothy B. Schmit, who had also succeeded Meisner in the country-rock group Poco when he had departed the group to form the Eagles.) While the bulk of the Eagles' vocal duties went to Henley and Frey, Meisner sang lead on one of the group's most enduring hits: "Take It to the Limit." Taken from the band's No. 1 1975 LP One of These Nights, the song peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart in 1976 and spent 23 weeks on the chart -- the band's longest-charting hit on the tally. Co-written with Don Henley, the song is remembered for Meisner's lofty vocals, especially toward the end of the song when his "aaaahs!" rise to new heights. Before helping to form the Eagles, he played with Rick Nelson & The Stone Canyon Band and was the original bass player for Poco in the late 1960s. The Scotts Bluff, Nebraska-born Meisner was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, along with the other Eagles, in 1998. Tragedy struck the musician's personal life in 2016 when his wife, Lana Rae Meisner, was fatally shot in the couple's Los Angeles home after an "accidental discharge of a firearm," according to the Los Angeles Police Department. According to the Eagles' statement, funeral arrangements are pending for Meisner. In early July, the Eagles announced the initial dates for their "Long Goodbye Final Tour" that will feature their fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Steely Dan as openers. Kicking off on Sept. 7 at New York's Madison Square Garden, the band will also visit Boston, Newark, N.J., Belmont Park, N.Y., Denver, Indianapolis, Detroit, Cleveland in September and October. In November, they'll play Atlanta, Charlotte, N.C., Raleigh, N.C., Lexington, Ky., and St. Paul, Minn. The tour is expected to continue into 2025, but further dates -- potentially including the UK and Europe -- are yet to be announced. - Billboard, 7/27/23.

On July 23 Cher surprised her fans by announcing the launch of her own gelato brand, "Cherlato," in her native city of Los Angeles. The 77-year-old diva took to Instagram and Twitter to share a video of a brightly colored food truck decorated with images of the star posing with an ice cream cone and the word "Cherlato." "Yep, This Is Real.... I'm Launching My Gelato.... Watch Out LA!!" Cher captioned the video. "All Started 5 Years Ago And Now It's Finally HAPPENING. More to come....," she added. Cher received a huge amount of praise from her legion of fans on social media, with one Instagram user writing, "Serving us looks for decade and now she's serving us gelato." Another fan wrote, "What can't you do." Cher has previously been the face of multiple beauty brands, and has launched several of her own fashion and perfume lines. Earlier in July, Cher announced that her critically-acclaimed classic album It's A Man's World has been reimagined as a special deluxe limited-edition vinyl box. - Music-News.com, 7/25/23...... On July 25 Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry took to social media to speak about the recent loss of her bandmate Chris Stein's daughter, Akira Stein. Stein announced the news of his daughter's death in a Facebook post the previous week, revealing that the young lady died from a drug overdose in May. "We lost our daughter and sister Akira at the end of May to an overdose. I've been posting as usual because it distracts from the heartbreak," Stein told fans. Posting a photo of her with Stein and his family to her Instagram account, including Akira, Harry also wrote the caption: "Dear fans and friends, I had an awakening at the end of Blondie's recent tour which came from all of you on my birthday. All the birthday wishes and generous presents are such a sweet reminder of the loyalty of our Blondie fans so thank you for that." She continued: "It's hard for me to believe at my age cause I'm still playing music for you all and luckily, in spite of a few injuries and surgeries, can still put on a show and the best part, many of you are still in the audience. The flip side of this positivity is the loss of my god daughter Akira. She was just turning 20 and we lost her to Fentanyl. So my joys and sorrows are all the more extreme. While on stage sometimes I felt she was there watching just like when she was a little girl, standing with her sister Vali, their faces made up like mine, and dancing around on the side of the stage," she added. "I will grieve for the rest of my life along with Barbara Sicuranza and Chris Stein, her mom and dad, and her sister Vali, at our terrible loss. Fentanyl is too dangerous, seductive and easy to get." Stein had been absent from tours with Blondie over the last year, including a slot on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury 2023. During the set, and the whole tour, Blondie were joined by former Sex Pistols bassist Glenn Matlock. In Apr. 2022 Stein explained he'd been "dealing with a dumbass condition called Atrial Fibrillation or AFib which is irregular heart beats and combined with the meds I take for it I'm too fatigued to deal." - New Musical Express, 7/25/23...... Cincinnati, Oh., which had once been on the short list to be the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame before its upstate rival Cleveland won the honor due to its legacy as the home of pioneering label King Records were a number of very early rock n' roll, funk and R&B sides were cut by the likes of James Brown, Bootsy Collins, Otis Williams and others, unveiled its years-in-the-works Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame on July 22. The city's new multi-level Hall of Fame layout -- a necessity due to its proximity to the Ohio River floodplain -- will allow visitors to descend a series of ramps with a number of interactive displays that will bring the city's music history to life. After entering through a towering stainless steel arch that explains the various features, visitors will see a series of 13 podiums that each feature the stories of two prominent Black Cincinnati artists. This year's inductees include soul superstar Brown, who recorded some of his more iconic songs at King Records, as well as The Deele, an early 1980s R&B group featuring future superstars and local legends L.A. Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. Also on the list is late Spinners ("Could It Be I'm Falling In Love") singer Philippé Wynne and Louise Shropshire, who penned the original lyrics to what became the civil rights anthem "We Shall Overcome." The two previous classes included the first inductees, funk bass master Bootsy Collins, the Isley Brothers, gospel singer Dr. Charles Ford and The Charms' doo-wop singer Williams; the 2022 class featured Klymaxx/Snap! singer Penny Ford, hip-hop producer Hi-Tek, R&B/jazz guitarist Wilbert Longmire and funk group Midnight Star. The final iteration of the multi-million project will have room for up to 200 honorees and the July 22 grand opening featured a free show by the Ohio Players. "We wanted something that will bridge the gap between generations... grandmas and their grandkids can come and see something educational and entertaining," says Hamilton County Commissioner Alicia Reece, the main driver behind the project. - Billboard, 7/21/23...... Former Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters has announced an Oct. 8 live premiere of his re-recordings of Pink Floyd's The Dark Side Of The Moon LP. Set for the London Palladium, the show will mark the first time that Waters has performed his re-recorded version of the band's iconic 1973 album live. At the upcoming show Waters will not appear with any of his former bandmates, but will instead be joined on stage by bassist Gus Seyffert, drummer Joey Waronker and guitarist Jonathan Wilson -- all of which contributed to his re-imagined Dark Side album. Earlier in July, Waters confirmed that the project will be released as one of his solo albums, and is set for release on Oct. 6. The reimagined album, titled The Dark Side of the Moon Redux, coincides with the original's 50th anniversary but was not worked on by any other member of the legendary prog-rock band. Self-produced by Waters, the new album sees him put a new spin on the classic album. Lead single "Money," for instance (an official lyric video for which has been shared on YouTube), has been re-envisioned from the more upbeat version seen in the original recording, into a new acoustic track. Discussing his reasons behind re-recording the 50-year-old release, Waters said "the original... feels in some ways like the lament of an elder being on the human condition. But Dave [Gilmour], Rick [Wright], Nick [Mason], and I were so young when we made it, and when you look at the world around us, clearly the message hasn't stuck. That's why I started to consider what the wisdom of an 80-year-old could bring to a reimagined version." Back in March, Waters first shared a snippet of the re-recordings on YouTube -- a 52-second clip which played the first verse of a reworked "Us and Them" in the studio. He also went on to describe the project more in the description, adding that "it's not a replacement for the original which, obviously, is irreplaceable." Later that month, former Pink Floyd bandmate Nick Mason revealed that he had already been shown various snippets of the upcoming album, and hailed that "annoyingly, it's absolutely brilliant!" - NME, 7/25/23...... Tom Jones has hit back at the decision to ban his 1968 hit "Delilah" from being sung during rugby matches in his native Wales due to its connotations to domestic violence. Written by Barry Mason, "Delilah" was a classic track often sung by a choir during the matches, but in February the Welsh Rugby Union announced that it would no longer be performed by choirs at the Principality Stadium due to its lyrics, which describe a man murdering his girlfriend after she is caught with another man. Performing during a concert at Cardiff Castle on July 22, Jones reportedly told the crowd: "You can't stop us singing 'Delilah'. Can you imagine? Who was the man who didn't want us to sing 'Delilah'? They may stop the choir from singing it, but they haven't stopped the crowd," adding, "Keep on singing it -- and I'll keep on singing it too." This isn't the first time that the 83-year-old "She's a Lady" singer has spoken out regarding the controversy around the song. In 2014, he defended the track when there were calls to have it banned, and claimed that seeing it sung live made him "very proud to be Welsh." "I love to hear it sung at rugby games. It makes me very proud to be Welsh," he said at the time. "I think if they're looking into the lyric about a man killing a woman, it's not a political statement. It's just something that happens in life that [a] woman was unfaithful to him and he just loses it." Jones' most recent album was 2021's Surrounded By Time, his 41st record, which included covers of songs by Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens and Bobby Cole. - NME, 7/24/23...... Speaking of Yusuf/Cat Stevens, the likes of Paul McCartney, Dolly Parton, Ian Anderson, Lindsey Buckingham, Peter Gabriel, Carly Simon and Paul Rodgers were among the many music stars who wished him a happy 75th birthday on July 21. Yusuf first found fame with his debut album Matthew And Son when he was just 18 in 1967, before releasing such hits as "The First Cut Is The Deepest," "Father And Son," "Morning Has Broken," "Peace Train" and "Wild World" during a career that has spanned over 50 years. Yusuf, whose latest effort is 2023's King of a Land, told fans on his birthday that "Thanks to the One who gave us life after our lifeless non-existence -- to You is the Journeying." Posting to social media, Paul McCartney said: "It was wonderful to hang out with Cat in the '60s. We had some fun experiences together and I have always admired his music. It was a great pleasure to meet his wife and children in latter years and see how happy they all are as a family. From Cat to Yusuf he is a great singer and song writer and easy to admire." "I have loved Cat Stevens from the first time I heard his voice, heard him play the guitar, and heard his wonderful, touching, deep lyrics," Dolly Parton posted, while Jethro Tull's Anderson wrote: "it was the 1970 Island Records releases 'Mona Bone Jakon' and 'Tea For The Tillerman' that really brought home to me the excellence of his songwriting and the rich, rough-velvet texture of his voice. Over the years, I have often cited Cat/Yusuf as a major influence in my own occasional singer-songwriter efforts." Former Fleetwood Mac member Buckingham said that "When I first heard Yusuf's music, it was a revelation. [His] folk, rock and classical influences were similar to mine, and his breathtaking vocal performances, combined with his sublime melodies and rhythmic sensibility were inspirational and exemplary in helping me find my own way as writer and artist." Carly Simon posted that "It's not an exaggeration to say that if it wasn't for Cat Stevens (as most of us knew his name as that) I would probably never have performed. When my first album came out, it was presented to me that Cat Stevens had asked me to open for him at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. I balked and I put up barriers, but the lure of being a part of that week was too attractive." Yusuf performed in the Legends slot on the Pyramid Stage at this year's edition of Glastonbury. Though he told reporters he was "petrified" beforehand, he added that "I haven't done a big gig like that in a long time" and described the honor as a "bucket list moment." - NME, 7/21/23...... In a new interview in the UK paper The Guardian where fans asked Brian May questions, the Queen guitarist was asked which artist he regretted not having the chance to work with. May responded: "I very seldom turn down a collaboration. A regret is that I didn't get the chance to work with John Lennon." He added: "The Beatles didn't always agree, they were always pulling and pushing -- a bit like us and Queen -- and I think John would be such a stronger pusher and puller. You'd have to work really hard to keep up, to believe in your instincts. I could imagine us hitting it off." In other Queen news, the band recently was honoured with a Brit Billion Award for surpassing the landmark of 1 billion career streams in the U.K. The award was sponsored by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), the industry body for U.K. record labels and music companies and the organisers of the Brit Awards. The surviving members of the band, May and Roger Taylor, were presented with the personalised trophy, which comes in the shape of a "B" and incorporates a Brits statuette. The award, which also honoured the late Queen members, Freddie Mercury and John Deacon, coincides with the 50th anniversary of the band's self-titled debut album, which was released in July 1973. "Thank you for presenting Queen with a Brit Billion Award," May, 76, said. "We're grateful to all our fans that support us and continue to enjoy our music. Rock on BPI." Taylor, 73, added, "I'm thrilled to accept the Brit Billion Award on behalf of Queen, celebrating being streamed over a billion times in the U.K., which is incredible. I would like to say thanks to everyone who has extracted a morsel of enjoyment from our music. We are still around and we hope to entertain you a little." - NME/Music-News.com, 7/22/23...... On July 24 Paul Simon announced he has reunited his live band for rehearsals and wants to come out of touring retirement. Simon, now 81, had announced his retirement from touring in 2018 and played his final ever concert in Queens, New York -- near where he grew up. Speaking to Mojo magazine about his new music, the "Graceland" musician said writing new songs is a "lifesaver" although his health problems make it difficult to rehearse and get back to playing live again. "I haven't figured out how to perform with the hearing loss," he said. "I've tried to rehearse with the guys in my touring band, to see if I could manage it. I can't so far. This is at least an outlet for thinking musically." However, a return is still unlikely for now, as he added: "I've often wondered what it would feel like to reach the point where I'd consider bringing my performing career to a natural end. Now I know: it feels a little unsettling, a touch exhilarating, and something of a relief." Simon went on to say that he still loves music and if it weren't for the hearing loss he'd still be able to put on a good show for fans. "I love making music, my voice is still strong, and my band is a tight, extraordinary group of gifted musicians," he explained. "I think about music constantly. I am very grateful for a fulfilling career and, of course, most of all to the audiences who heard something in their music that touched their hearts." - Music-News.com, 7/24/23...... Legendary pop and jazz crooner Tony Bennett died on the morning of July 21 in New York City following a battle with Alzheimer's disease. He was 96. Mr. Bennett released his first album, Because of You, in 1952 and went on to chart in America in every subsequent decade of his life. He is perhaps best known for his 1962 signature song "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." Over the course of his eight-decade career, Mr. Bennett won 20 Grammys, including the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001, released more than 70 albums, and sold more than 50 million records worldwide. Born Antonio Dominick Benedetto in Long Island City, N.Y., on Aug. 3, 1926, Mr. Bennett started singing when he was 5, learning Irish songs from locals in his Astoria neighborhood and earn pennies and nickels for his performances. Mr. Bennett joined the Army and was stationed in Germany where he sang with Army bands. After his discharge from the service, Mr. Bennett studied drama, diction and music theory at the American Theatre Wing. He started a singing in nightclubs in 1946, using the name Joe Bari. He was opening for Pearl Bailey in 1949 at the Greenwich Village Inn when Bob Hope heard him and offered him an opening slot on his show at the Paramount Theatre. No fan of the name Joe Bari, Hope decided the singer's birth name was too long for a marquee and suggested the Americanized "Tony Bennett." Around that time he appeared on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts TV show, coming in second place to Rosemary Clooney. Mr. Bennett landed 12 top 20 singles between 1951 and 1954: "Because of You," "Cold, Cold Heart" and "Rags to Riches" went to No. 1; "Stranger in Paradise" peaked at No. 2. Although his signature tune "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" peaked at No. 19 in 1961, his album of the same name would enjoy 149 weeks on the Billboard Hot 200, peaking at No. 5. Mr. Bennett received renewed attention late in his career thanks to his collaborations with Lady Gaga. Together, they released their 2014 album of jazz standards, Cheek to Cheek, and the 2021 follow-up, Love for Sale. The pair went on tour to promote the former album, which made Mr. Bennett the oldest living act to reach number one on the U.S. album chart. For the second release, Mr. Bennett earned a Guinness World Record for becoming the oldest musician to release a collection of new material. In addition to Gaga, Mr. Bennett worked with Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Christina Aguilera, Amy Winehouse, Marc Anthony, John Legend and many more. Over the last 25 years, he thrived as the primary connection between modern pop and the music of the first half of the 20th century that came from Tin Pan Alley, Broadway shows and movies. Sticking to his style as he recorded with Gaga, Elvis Costello, k.d. lang and Winehouse, Mr. Bennett became a paragon of multi-generational cool starting in the early 1990s as he toured the world and, in 2011 at the age of 85, had his first No. 1 album with Duets II. Mr. Bennett was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2016 but didn't go public with his condition until 2021. He went on to perform his final shows alongside Gaga later that year. Mr. Bennett, who was married three times, is survived by his children Danny, Dae, Joanna and Antonia and his third wife Susan Crow. Among those paying tribute to Mr. Bennett on social media were Elton John, who shared an image of himself with Bennett along with the message: "So sad to hear of Tony's passing. Without doubt the classiest singer, man, and performer you will ever see." Billy Joel also paid tribute to the late crooner by sharing a photo of him performing with Bennett calling him "one of the most important interpreters of American popular song during the mid to late 20th century" and "also one of the nicest human beings I've ever known." - Billboard, 7/21/23.