- Tony Bennett (aka Anthony Dominick Benedetto) passed away on July 21 at age 96 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
- The New York City native won 20 Grammy Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards.
- He was married thrice and has four children
Legendary singer Tony Bennett, best known for singing “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” sadly passed away on Friday, July 21 at his home in New York City after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. The Grammy-winning artist was 96, just two weeks short of his birthday.
In 2021, Tony and his wife, Susan Crow, shared that he had been struggling with dementia. “There’s a lot about him that I miss,” Susan told AARP at the time.“Because he’s not the old Tony anymore. But when he sings, he’s the old Tony.” Surprisingly, Tony had been diagnosed back in 2016, but he managed to keep his declining health a secret from the public by continuing to perform on stage.
Back in 1951, Tony got his start in show business by launching his debut single, “Because of You,” and then in 1962, he released one of his most beloved tracks, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.” Throughout his legendary career, Tony scored an impressive 20 Grammy awards, including the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001. And to top it off, in 1994, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” was rightfully honored and found its place in the Grammy Hall of Fame.
But he wasn’t done entertaining the masses just yet. In 2014, at age 88, Tony broke his own record as the oldest living performer with a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart for Cheek to Cheek, his duets project with Lady Gaga. The dynamic duo released their second collaborative album Love for Sale in 2021.
Along with all his incredible accolades, Tony was extremely proud of being a family man. The father of four opened up about it in an interview with Forbes in 2016. “Personally, my four children and seven grandchildren are what make me proud,” he said of his accomplishments. Let’s meet the late singer’s four amazing children — Danny, Dae, Joanna and Antonia — below.
D’Andrea ‘Danny’ Bennett
D’Andrea “Danny” Bennett was born on Feb. 3, 1954, to Tony and his first wife, Patricia Beech. Tony and Patricia would call it quits in 1965 and finalize their divorce in 1971. After a near-fatal drug overdose in 1979, Tony sought help from Danny, who eventually signed on as his manager. With Danny’s guidance, Tony successfully battled his drug addiction, sorted out his finances, and made a comeback by returning to New York and performing in over 200 shows per year, according to the New York Times.
Danny also played a crucial role in convincing Tony to record “MTV Unplugged: Tony Bennett” and was actively involved in promoting his father’s 2011 album, “Duets II.” In a 1999 interview with the New York Times, Tony said, “I realize how fortunate I am to have someone, in Danny, that is truly looking out for my best interests and not just in it for the money.”
Eventually, Danny utilized his business smarts to create RPM Productions, an entertainment management company. Not only did RPM Productions represent Tony, but they also collaborated with other famous artists like Ozzy Osbourne and Pearl Jam.
Danny, who does not appear to have a social media account, is also a proud father of two daughters, Kelsey and Rémy Bennett, both New York City artists, per W magazine. In September 2017, Danny welcomed a son with his his girlfriend, Hadley Spanier, according to People.
Daegal “Dae” Bennett
Tony and Patricia welcomed Daegal “Dae” Bennett in 1955. Just like his older brother, Dae was ready to get into the music business and eventually set up his own studio in his late 20s, according to his website. After stints with such acts as Naughty by Nature and Salt-N-Pepa, Dae began working with his father and brother on Tony’s two Duets albums.
“When my brother called me in 2005 saying that my Dad and he were thinking of doing a duets album, I wasn’t into it, because these type of records can sound so canned and artificial. I thought about it for a bit, and called him back and suggested that we make a feature out of doing it live,” he told SoundonSound in 2012. “So we decided to make the duet albums in such a way that they cannot be but spontaneous and exciting.”
All his hard work earned Dae a whopping 10 Grammys, including one for best traditional pop vocal album and best engineered recording for Tony and Lady Gaga’s album Love for Sale. On Tony’s Instagram, the proud papa once wrote, “So thrilled that my son Dae just won a Grammy for “Tony Bennett Celebrates 90″ #Grammys.”
In 2000, the New York Times reported that Dae was married to a woman named Anita, with whom he had two sons named Austin and Jared.
Joanna Bennett
Tony’s second wife was Sandra Grant, whom he married in 1971. The former lovebirds separated in 1979, but their divorce wasn’t finalized until 2007. During the romance, they welcomed daughter Joanna in 1969. She was named after the musician’s 1964 hit “When Joanna Loved Me.”
While she keeps her life private and does not appear to have a social media account at this time, People reported in 1998 that she was an actress. In a 2019 interview with the Twin Cities Arts Reader, her sister Antonia revealed that she and Joanna moved to the east coast when they became adults.
Antonia Bennett
The youngest of Tony’s children, Antonia Bennett, was born to the singer and Sandra on April 7, 1974. She instantly connected with music and began to hone her vocal skills as a teenager. “I have been singing my whole life,” Antonia told the Times of Israel in 2015. “My parents always exposed me to music as well as all the arts. I was surrounded by musicians, artists, writers, actors and directors at a very young age.”
Antonia married Ronen Helmann in 2013 at the the Beverly Hills Hotel, where Tony walked her down the aisle. “Congratulations to my beautiful daughter, Antonia,” he tweeted at the time. “What a fabulous wedding.” Antonia and Ronen welcomed a daughter, Maya, in May 2016, according to Antonia’s Instagram.