Legendary singer Tony Bennett retires from stage aged 95

Legendary singer Tony Bennett retires from stage aged 95 on advice from his doctor.

Legendary crooner and Grammy award winner Tony Bennett is retiring from performing, according to his son Danny- who is also his manager. Last week’s sold-out shows alongside Lady Gaga at Radio City Music Hall in New York will be his last.

“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. His continued health is the most important part of this, and when Tony’s wife, Susan, heard the doctors she said, ‘Absolutely not,’” said Danny.

A 70-year veteran of the stage, Bennett scored his first US number one with Because of You in 1951, going on to record a number of pop and jazz classics.

The star has many Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award presented in 2001, to his name, as well as a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Kennedy Centre Honors and more than 50 million records sold.

Earlier this year it was revealed that Bennett had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016. Even so, he has continued to perform live in the five years since. The singer was expected to appear at a few more US dates later this year, however, these shows have now been cancelled.

“It’s not the singing aspect but rather the travelling- he gets tired. We don’t want him to fall on stage, for instance. We’re not worried about him being able to sing. We are worried, from a physical standpoint … about human nature, Tony’s 95,” said Danny Bennett.

This doesn’t mean the end of Bennett’s working life, and there are already releases in the pipeline. An album with Lady Gaga, Love For Sale, is due in October and will comprise of covers of Cole Porter songs. The two won a Grammy for the 2014 collaboration Cheek to Cheek.

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