BREAKING: Tony Bennett Passes Away at 96

Photos: Lady Gaga through the years 2015: Recording Artists Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga perform onstage during The 57th annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center on February 8, 2015, in Los Angeles. (Larry Busacca/Getty Images for NARAS)

Iconic singer Tony Bennett has passed away at the age of 96, just two weeks shy of his 97th birthday.

Publicist Sylvia Weiner confirmed Bennett’s death to The Associated Press, saying he died in his hometown of New York. There was no specific cause, but Bennett had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016.

“I enjoy entertaining the audience, making them forget their problems,” he told The Associated Press in 2006. “I think people ... are touched if they hear something that’s sincere and honest and maybe has a little sense of humor. ... I just like to make people feel good when I perform.”

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