According to a recent profile in AARP magazine, legendary singer Tony Bennett was diagnosed with Alzheimers back in 2016.
Following the initial news, the iconic crooner’s neurologist recommended that the 94-year-old continue to tour and record material, citing music’s “peculiar power” to rouse deep memories in dementia patients. Due to his seemingly normal appearance, “audiences and critics never suspected his condition.”
The lack of live performance dates during the COVID-19 pandemic confirmed just how much performing had been helping the singer. “Just how therapeutically beneficial performing had been for Tony soon became obvious when his world shrank to the confines of his apartment,” stated Dr. Gayatri Devi, Bennett’s neurologist. Elaborating on the situation, the medical professional noted that Bennett’s “increasingly rare moments of clarity” show how far the disease has advanced, when a fork and a set of house keys were “utterly mysterious to him.”
According to recently published article, Lady Gaga worked with Bennett between 2018 and 2010 on a forthcoming Spring release that was among several projects that helped slow the progression of Tony’s condition.
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Photo: Tom Beetz