Tony Bennett's sadness following the death of one-time duet partner Amy Winehouse has been lifted by the late singer's mum, who told the legendary crooner that her daughter lived a full life.

The I Left My Heart in San Francisco singer was left devastated when Winehouse died, aged 27, last summer - but her own mother assured him that the star had achieved everything she set to do - including recording with him.

He tells WENN: "After she died... her mother got me on the side (and) she said, 'You know, everybody feels so tragic about her dying, but, as a mother, I'm very different.'

"She said, 'She actually did what she really wanted to do, and she became world famous, and, to me, even though she had a very short life, she had a very successful life because what she really wanted, what she dreamed about her whole life happened.'

"That was so different than anything I ever heard a mother say about this tragedy that the whole world felt so bad about. It was quite different."
Bennett and Winehouse teamed up to sing the standard Body & Soul on the crooner's latest Duets record.