Iconic performer Tony Bennett has opened up to the AARP about living with Alzheimer’s Disease, a diagnosis that he and his family have chosen to keep private for four years.
The singer—with the help of his wife, Susan, son/manager Danny, and a team of neurologists—revealed in an in-depth profile for the association’s magazine that he was first diagnosed with the condition in 2016. Bennett, who has maintained a very active career for over 75 years, has continued to perform with the likes of Lady Gaga since then: AARP writer John Colapinto recounts footage of a performance from the duo, noting that Gaga seemed “clearly aware of his condition” and that the older singer barely spoke beyond one-word responses—a far cry from his storied penchant for charismatic storytelling between songs.
Colapinto went on to describe Bennett’s state during the interview:
Bennett, first diagnosed in 2016, has so far been spared the disorientation that can prompt patients to wander from home, as well as the episodes of terror, rage or depression that can accompany Alzheimer’s frightening detachment from reality; and, indeed, he might never develop these symptoms. But there was little doubt that the disease had progressed. Even his increasingly rare moments of clarity and awareness reveal the depths of his debility. At one point, as Susan and I stood chatting, he looked up suddenly from the book in his lap and, flashing that familiar smile, asked me in his soft, sueded whisper, “How’s the weather outside?” Had I not known that he and Susan had just returned from walking their dog in the park, I might not have suspected that anything was amiss.
The report explained that Bennett remains stimulated with two extensive singing sessions a week with longtime pianist Lee Musiker. A team of neurologists have encouraged his continued performances as long as he is comfortably able to do so. Colapinto also notes that his ability to perform seemingly anchors him in familiarity:
Both Susan and Danny said that backstage, Tony could seem utterly mystified about his whereabouts. But the moment he heard the announcer’s voice boom “Ladies and gentlemen — Tony Bennett!” he would transform himself into performance mode, stride out into the spotlight, smiling and acknowledging the audience’s applause.
The article also revealed that Bennett plans to release a follow-up to Cheek To Cheek, his album with Lady Gaga sometime this spring.
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This is just heartbreaking. He’s always been my favorite from his era of crooners. The Gaga collaboration is great, but I’d point anyone interested to Love is Here to Stay, his 2018 Gershwin collaboration with Diana Krall. It’s just an all-around gorgeous album.
Poor guy, but it really is amazing what music can do for people with memory loss.
As the article states:[Alzheimer’s patients are left] utterly dependent on caregivers.Who in turn:jointly decided to break the silence around his condition, a decision they have, necessarily, had to make without Tony’s input, since he is, Susan said, incapable of understanding the disease, let alone making momentous decisions about whether to publicly disclose it.I generally don’t nitpick headlines, but this one seems really unfair to his son and wife. The latter’s devotion is truly remarkable; most partners with a 40 year age gap would have dumped him in an assisted living facility and run given these circumstances, but she’s been with him for 35 years (!) and from the article it sounds very much like her entire life now revolves around caring for him.So let’s say instead that the family opened up about the process. They deserve the recognition.
Starred for username/comment synergy.
It’s fascinating and sad to watch someone “doing well” with Alzheimer’s. You can never do well with it, but if you’re not prone to the rage and disorientation you can still be really happy while also never quite knowing what’s going on. When I worked in a museum one summer, a man who was “doing well” with his diagnosis went around the exhibits, talking excitedly about how he used to use different things when he was young and how stuff reminded him of his old grandparents. And then he did the loop again, reminiscing with the same stories. And then he did the loop again…Eventually his caregiver told me that he had Alzheimer’s and was in a fairly early stage, and taking him to museums made him happy because it brought him closer to things he still remembered. Sounds like Bennett is in kind of the same situation. The present is muddy, but the past is still there, and he still knows who he is when he’s doing he’s always done and closest to the memories he still has.
I’m not even sure if you need to have Alzheimer’s for that sort of loop. I was recently reading a story about how when David Bowie was living in Switzerland in the 1970s, Roger Moore (who lived nearby) would come visit. The first few times Bowie loved it — Moore would tell all these funny stories about things that happened while making the Bond movies. But eventually Moore began to repeat the same stories he said previous nights. Bowie ended up pretending he wasn’t home when Moore came to visit.
I think lots of people have stories they like going back to – my partner has an excellent memory so I get a lot of “you told that story before” from her – but this was more rapid than that. In under 20 minutes I heard the same story five times.
The portion of the AARP article regarding Bennett’s ability to still perform remarkably well wasn’t surprising to me. I worked for several years as a receptionist at an assisted living facility for people with Alzheimer’s and dementia and residents who had no idea where they were or what was going on would immediately respond when they heard a song they knew and sing every lyric without missing a beat. I would always put on old standards and musicals for them and it would always cheer them up. Without knowing all the science behind it music just lives in a different part of our brains.Bennett is so incredibly fortunate to be getting the care he needs and still be able to perform the music that has made him a legend. And I’m sure it’s a great comfort to his family to still have a connection to a part of him. In one part of the article his wife mentions that his Alzheimer’s symptoms worsened after March of last year when he last performed live.I was fortunate enough to see him and Gaga at Radio City in 2015 and they were a remarkable duo. At one point he turned his mic off and sang a song acapella to illustrate the acoustics of the venue and even in the nose bleeds I could hear him perfectly.
I was fortunate enough to see him and Gaga at Radio City in 2015 and
they were a remarkable duo. At one point he turned his mic off and sang a
song acapella to illustrate the acoustics of the venue and even in the
nose bleeds I could hear him perfectly. I wish I could’ve seen that tour, or seen Bennett on stage at all.
It was one of the more memorable tours I’ve ever seen. Very much something of a bygone era. I remember that Bennett ended up performing more than Gaga because she of course had to make several glamorous costume changes, which just added to the spectacle of the evening. They were sensational together – you could really tell they loved and respected each other. He would refer to her as “Lady.”It’s highly unlikely he’ll ever perform on stage again, but if Gaga’s Vegas residency ever returns her Jazz & Piano show is absolutely brilliant and definitely had that bygone era vibe to it. I was fortunate enough to see it a few months before the lockdowns began.
It’s highly unlikely he’ll ever perform on stage again
I hope he does, it seems like performing is one of the things that grounds him. That said, health comes first, and he is 94, on top of the Alzheimer’s.
Perhaps if the venue is right he could, but Alzheimer’s can very much be a good days/bad days disease making it hard to plan any concert. Perhaps some pre-recorded performances from the safety of his apartment with Lady Gaga (who, according to his wife, he still recognizes) when their new album is released. It sounds like he’s still singing regularly as a means of therapy.
I saw him back in the late 90’s on his MTV Unplugged tour, and he did “Fly Me to the Moon” sans mic, and just filled that space. It was incredible and I’ll never forget it.
I haven’t had a chance to read the entire article yet, but I will tonight. Tony Bennett is truly a legend. A 75-year career as one of the best-known crooners, ever. And many don’t know that he’s also a very successful painter, under his real name, Anthony Benedetto. The article also revealed that Bennett plans to release a follow-up to Cheek To Cheek, his album with Lady Gaga sometime this spring. Unfortunately, this will most likely be Tony Bennett’s final album. Definitely worth picking up (even if it wasn’t his last one).
But the moment he heard the announcer’s voice boom “Ladies and gentlemen — Tony Bennett!”
he would transform himself into performance mode, stride out into the
spotlight, smiling and acknowledging the audience’s applause.
Reading this made me think of this:
Apple Music has a video from 2020 of him singing The Way You Look Tonight if you need a good cry.