Tony Bennett, at 95 years old, is a true American treasure. This beloved, award-winning entertainer and artist recently announced his exit from live performing, but with his upcoming album “Love for Sale” — his second with Lady Gaga — coming out in October, Bennett still has new material to share with the world.

                By                    Michelle Tompkins

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Between his recordings, concerts and books, and his popular and critically-acclaimed paintings, he is worth $200 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Not bad for a poor kid from Queens, N.Y.

His recordings have sold more than $50 million worldwide, and he has earned 20 Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was a Kennedy Center Honor recipient in 2005.

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In addition to his illustrious music career, Bennett, who paints under his birth name, Anthony Benedetto, has works featured in numerous galleries worldwide, including three in the Smithsonian. His original works have been sold for as much as $80,000, Celebrity Net Worth reported.

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His primary residence over the past few years has been a penthouse apartment located just steps away from one of his self-proclaimed favorite places, Central Park. While Bennett is quiet on the value of his home, park-view penthouses currently listed on Zillow range in price ranging from $2 million to over $50 million.

His previous, Bay Area mansion was Belvedere. It was listed for $27.5 million in 2011 and sold for $15.5 million in 2015, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Sadly, Bennett was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016, but not only did he maintain his cheerful look at life, he also continued to perform until spring 2021 and is still recording.

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Early Life

Bennett was born Anthony Dominick Benedetto on Aug. 3, 1926, in Queens, N.Y. His dad passed away when Bennett was 10, and his mother worked as a seamstress to support the family. His love of music and art was evident from his childhood. He performed at the opening of the Triborough Bridge on July 11, 1936. He studied music and art at New York’s School of Industrial Art but dropped out at age 16 to help his family, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

He worked several jobs but still sang in amateur nights throughout the city. Bennett joined the Army in 1944 and helped liberate a Nazi concentration camp near Landsberg.

Professional Music Career

In 1946, Bennett returned to the States and honed the bel canto singing style for which he is now famous. He was mentored by Pearl Bailey and caught the eye of Bob Hope. In 1950, he was signed by his first label.

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Bennett was proficient in pop and orchestral and jazz music. However, his hit country song, “Cold, Cold Heart,” introduced him to a larger audience. He continued to evolve, going on to be popular in the rock and roll era.

Live performing was always important to him. In 1962, he co-starred in a concert at Carnegie Hall that helped cement his stardom. It was at this time he released his signature tune, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.”

Bennett hit hard times in the 1970s. His work had dried up and he developed a drug problem, Celebrity Net Worth reported. However, he was back in the charts in 1986. He took his son’s advice and became a frequent guest on popular talk shows and garnered the attention of new generations.

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In 2011, he teamed up with some of the finest singers, including Amy Winehouse, Willie Nelson and Lady Gaga. The latter has been one of his favorite collaborations. Eleven more Grammy Awards and honors were to follow.

Personal Life

Bennett has been married three times. First to Patricia Beech in 1952, with whom he had two sons. Next was Sandra Grant in 1971, and he had two daughters with her. Since 2007 he has been married to Susan Crow, with whom he’d had a relationship since 1980.

He and wife Susan founded the charitable organization involving arts education called Exploring the Arts as well as the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Queens. The latter, which opened in 2001, is a public high school dedicated to teaching the performing arts.

Even with his illness, Tony Bennett refuses to retire and spends his time with his loved ones creating new musical and artistic masterpieces in NYC.

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