95-year-old signer Tony Bennett retires from the stage

Tony Bennett is the winner of 19 Grammy awards and has sold over 50 million records worldwide. He is the founder of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in New York, and a Kennedy Center Honoree.

Tony Bennett (photo credit: Courtesy)
Tony Bennett
(photo credit: Courtesy)

The seven-decades-famous US singer and artist Tony Bennett has stopped performing, the New York Post reported this weekend.

"There won't be any additional concerts," his son Danny Bennett confirmed to Variety on Friday. "This was a hard decision for us to make, as he is a capable performer."

Bennett's son added that the decision was made "by doctors' orders," due mainly to his father's deteriorating health.  “The decision is being made that doing concerts now is just too much for him. We don’t want him to fall on stage, for instance — something as simple as that," described his son, who has been managing his careeer for over 40 years. "We’re not worried about him being able to sing. We are worried, from a physical standpoint … about human nature. Tony’s 95.”

The iconic music idol had been performing until recently, despite the Alzheimer's disease revealed he suffers from earlier this year. Bennett performed two sold-out shows at New York's Radio City Music Hall alongside Lady Gaga just last week, BBC news reported.

Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett on stage in Tel Aviv, September 13, 2014.  (credit: SHUKA COHEN)
Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett on stage in Tel Aviv, September 13, 2014. (credit: SHUKA COHEN)

Bennett's outstanding career included jazz and pop, tracks such as "Rags to Riches" and iconic albums like The Beat of My Heart and Basie Swings, Bennet Sings, and his all-time-classic, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco". In the late 1990's, Bennett's carreer saw a comeback with gold record albums that were aimed at the MTV generation, leading Bennett to collaborate with Lady Gaga and produce two albums together.

Tony Bennett is the winner of 19 Grammy awards and has sold over 50 million records worldwide. He is the founder of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in New York, and a Kennedy Center Honoree.

Bennett's tour for the fall season was already scheduled, postponed a year due to COVID-19, but has now been cancelled. "19-Time Grammy Award winner Tony Bennett, who just celebrated his 95th Birthday last week performing with Lady Gaga at two-sold out at Radio City Music Hall, will not be resuming his touring schedule this fall," reads the Tony Bennett website. "His performance dates starting in September, which had been rescheduled due to restrictions on live performances as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, are going to be canceled marking an end to Bennett’s concert touring."