Legendary singer Tony Bennett permanently retires from the stage to the 95 years by order of the doctors who treat Alzheimer's disease that was diagnosed in 2016, officially announced his son and representative Danny.

“There will be no more concerts. It has been a difficult decision because he is a singer in shape. But that's how the doctors ordered it, and your health is the most important thing ", assured in an interview with the specialized site Variety.

And expanded: "The problem is not the performances but the trips. get tired. The concerts are, now, too much effort for him. We don't want him to fall off the stage, for example. We don't care that he can sing. We are concerned from a physical point of view. Tony has 95 years".

The singer that Frank Sinatra himself defined as “the best there is in the business” had its last function in the past 4 Y 5 August at Radio City Music Hall, from New York, in a concert series with Lady Gaga, that fulfilled the allowed capacities and where he was applauded by the audience.

The duo was presenting the jazz album “Love for Sale”, that will go on sale next 1 October, and from which the 3 this month's first single “I Get a Kick Out of You”, just the day the legendary crooner celebrated his 95 years.

It was precisely during the process of creating this album that the doctors diagnosed Bennett with his illness..

Beyond this, both the words of his son and the comments made days ago by his wife Susan Benedetto, They open up hope about the possibility that the singer's retirement is not total, because it could continue to record discs.

"He's doing a lot of things at his age that people without dementia can't do. There are many things about him that I miss because he is no longer old Tony, except when he sings”, the woman said.

But nevertheless, I accept that “Tony is not always sure where he is or what is going on around him”.

In this way, the interpreter rounds off a brilliant and multi-award winning career started in 1951, who managed to survive the fashion changes thanks to the advice of his sons Danny and Dae, who from their places of representatives guided him to stay close to the new generations.

This is how ideas arose such as those of forming duets with young figures of music, just as he currently does with Lady Gaga, and to appear as a guest on talk shows or in venues usually reserved for rock stars, in an attempt to avoid the fate of singing in Las Vegas casinos that seems reserved for artists of his style.

Born in Queens, in the bosom of an Italian family, under the name of Anthony Benedetto, The future star of the song had contact with the entertainment world since childhood thanks to an uncle who was a tap dancer in vaudeville and his taste for jazz figures.

But nevertheless, his early career was cut short when he was enlisted to fight in World War II, bound in Germany, where he participated in the liberation tasks of the detainees in concentration camps. There, the artistic vice also emerged with small shows to entertain the troops..

On his return, mythical comedian Bob Hope renamed him Tony Bennett and encouraged him to audition at the Columbia record label, who hired him, although on the condition that he differentiated his style from that of the successful Frank Sinatra.

“Blue Velvet”, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” Y “Because of You” Y “Cold, Cold Heart” are some of the themes with which Bennett conquered audiences throughout the '50s, on a par with stars like Elvis Presley.

As it happened with all the singers of standards, the rock boom of the '60s confined Bennett to oblivion, who as a result of that fell into cocaine addiction and had severe financial problems.

When it looked like he was going to end up being another performer in decline offering shows at Las Vegas casinos., his children took control of his career and reinvigorated his public image, from the association with new figures.

Appearances in “Los Muppets”, on David Letterman's late night show, in “Saturday Night Live” the contribution of his voice in a chapter of “The Simpsons”, and duet recordings with Elvis Costello, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Bono and George Michael, among others, kept it in the foreground from the '80s to the present.

Duets with Lady Gaga appear for now as his last experience and will go down in history as his last adventure on stage. At least, there is still a record that hopes to see the light soon and, perhaps, there's time for something else. (TELAM)