In Pictures: Crooner Tony Bennett stayed at top in career that took off in 1950s

Bennett, who has died aged 96, was a consummate performer of traditional and jazz music.

US singer Tony Bennett ahead of a 19-day UK tour in 1971 (Archive/PA) (PA Archive)

Tony Bennett’s death at the age of 96 follows a career that first brought him to prominence in the 1950s.

Anthony Benedetto was born in New York City in 1926 and died there but not before a career that took him around the world and won him legions of new admirers even in his swansong years.

Collaborations with the likes of Lady Gaga and Amy Winehouse showed his constant ability to reinvent himself for new generations.

A regular visitor to Europe, the singer’s Italian roots in the southern province of Calabria helped him cross boundaries, although after diagnosis with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016 he took a well-earned rest from touring.

He also dabbled in art but will chiefly be remembered for his singing voice.

Bennett had served in the Second World War and still performed until 2021, years after his diagnosis, before finally calling time.