Tony Bennett, one of the last great American crooners, dies aged 96

Sign up to Roisin O’Connor’s free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Bennett first rose to prominence in the 1950s, as a crooner known for recording commercially successful pop songs, including 1951’s “Because of You”. He’s the singer who gets across what the composer has in mind, and probably a little more.” Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 4 month free trial Sign up Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 4 month free trial Sign up In the late 1960s and 1970s, Bennett found his popularity on the wane. “And that was pretty much that.” open image in gallery Singer Tony Bennett with Sandi Grant, 1968 In the 1970s, Bennett was reported to have suffered from depression and substance abuse issues. Bennett’s renewed popularity with younger audiences was fuelled in part by a memorable appearance on the televised music programme MTV Unplugged in 1994. open image in gallery Singer Tony Bennett By the late 1990s, he was performing at Glastonbury, shooting up the charts, and even appearing on The Simpsons.