Tony Bennett is retiring from touring at 95
Tony Bennett has canceled the rest of his 2021 tour dates and is retiring from touring.
The legendary crooner -- who marked his 95th birthday last week by performing with Lady Gaga at two-sold out shows at New York's Radio City Music Hall -- has pulled out of concerts in New York, Maryland, Connecticut, Oklahoma and Canada.
Bennett's tour -- consisting of pre-pandemic show dates that had been rescheduled -- was set to begin in September. Ticket holders should check with the local venues for information regarding refunds. The shows won't be rescheduled, as Bennett is retiring from the road.
"There won't be any additional concerts. This was a hard decision for us to make, as he is a capable performer. This is, however, doctors' orders," the iconic singer's son and manager, Danny Bennett, told Variety. "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.'"
"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," Danny added. "We're not worried about him being able to sing. We are worried, from a physical standpoint… about human nature. Tony's 95."
Bennett's two shows with Lady Gaga -- ahead of the pair's second duets album, "Love for Sale," due out Oct. 1 -- had been billed as "One Last Time: An Evening with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga" and was announced as the singer's last New York City public performances. These performances were filmed and will be broadcast at a later date. "Love for Sale, which celebrates the songs of Cole Porter, will be Bennett's last studio album.
Bennett's family revealed back in February that the 19-time Grammy winner has been battling Alzheimer's disease, which he was diagnosed with in 2016.
