Tony Bennett’s Guinness World Records, explained

With the passing of legendary singer Tony Bennett, it’s time to look back on one of his most incredible crowning achievements that garnered him a Guinness World Record. Just what was this unprecedented milestone, and why did it involve Lady Gaga?

Bennett passed away in his New York home at the age of 96 Friday, according to NBC News. Though the cause of death of the standards singer was not known, he passed away less than two weeks before his birthday. It also came to light recently that Bennett had been undergoing a battle with Alzheimer’s in the final years of his life.

Incredibly, Bennett’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis did not appreciably slow down his music career, because he continued to produce well into his advanced age. In fact, this achievement is at the very crux of the Guinness World Record in question.

What was Tony Bennett’s most recent world record?

Thanks to Bennett’s collaborative 2021 album with Lady Gaga, Love for Sale, the singer became the “oldest person to release an album of new material at the age of 95 years and 60 days,” according to Guinness World Records. The album that celebrated the music of Cole Porter is not the only time Bennett broke a world record, either. The singer holds five Guinness World Records in total, all related to his illustrious music career. That includes:

• Oldest person to reach No.1 on the US album chart with a newly recorded album for Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga: Cheek to Cheek
• Longest time between UK top 20 albums: 39 years
• Oldest person to enter the UK top 20 album chart with Duets: An American Classic when he was 80 years old
• Longest time between the release of an original recording and a re-recording of the same single by the same artist

Bennett and Lady Gaga’s first collaboration was in 2011 with the single “Lady is a Tramp.” They released their first album together with 2014’s Cheek to Cheek.