Tony Bennett has quit performing for good at the age of 95.
The music icon returned to the stage earlier this month for a pair of live shows with Lady Gaga in support of their forthcoming duets album ‘Love For Sale’.
In addition to the New York concerts, they also recorded an ‘MTV Unplugged’ special but, following the crooner’s diagnosis with Alzheimer’s disease, he’s made the decision to step away from the stage.
Hours after announcing the cancellation of Tony’s remaining 2021 tour dates, his son Danny told Variety the star is under “doctors’ orders” take life easy from now on.
“There won’t be any additional concerts,” he explained. “This was a hard decision for us to make, as he is a capable performer.
“This is, however, doctors’ orders. His continued health is the most important part of this, and when we heard the doctors – when Tony’s wife, Susan heard them – she said, ‘Absolutely not.’
Danny added: “He’ll be doing other things, but not those upcoming shows. It’s not the singing aspect but, rather, the traveling. Look, he gets tired.
“The decision is being made that doing concerts now is just too much for him. We don’t want him to fall on stage, for instance — something as simple as that.
“We’re not worried about him being able to sing. We are worried, from a physical stand point… about human nature. Tony’s 95.”
The family’s decision means shows is New York, Maryland, Connecticut and Canada have been axed.
However, he’s still expected to promote ‘Love For Sale’, featuring cuts from the Cole Porter songbook, alongside Gaga around the time of its release on October 1.
Announcing the LP on social media, she penned: “The day we released ‘Cheek To Cheek’ in 2014, @itstonybennett called me and asked me if I wanted to record another album with him, this time celebrating the songs of Cole Porter.
“I’m always honored to sing with my friend Tony, so of course I accepted the invitation.
“Today, I am so excited to announce that our new album ‘Love For Sale’ will be released October 1.”
‘Love for Sale’ is available to pre-order across CD, vinyl and cassette formats.
