Tony Bennett continues to make music despite illness.
Photo: Dave Kotinsky. All rights reserved.
Tony Bennett, the American pop and jazz singer, a performer of the Great American Songbook, has died at the age of 96. This was announced by his press spokesman on Friday (July 21).
His biggest hit came in 1962: “I Left My Heart in San Francisco”. Most recently, the big crooner appeared with Lady Gaga and released the duet album “Cheek to Cheek” with her. Bennett has won 18 Grammys, including a lifetime achievement award in 2001. Sold more than 50 million records worldwide. In 2020, it was revealed that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2016.
As a soldier, Tony Bennett fought in the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. After Grammy-winning successes in the 1950s/60s with hits like “Shadows of Your Smile”, the American singer and entertainer celebrated a permanent comeback in old age. Especially his songs with Lady Gaga (who is currently causing a sensation with the movie “The House of Gucci”) have reached a large audience since the beginning of the 2010s.
In 2021, his family reaffirmed Bennett’s final departure from the spotlight. The reason is Alzheimer’s disease, which was diagnosed in August of the year when the 95-year-old was on stage with his duet partner Lady Gaga at Radio City Hall in New York. TV network CBS recently aired a recording of the poignant show, which is still available to stream. Title: One Last Time: An Evening With Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga.
Loss of awareness in Tony Bennett
According to CNN, family members had confirmed Bennett’s temporary loss of perception. At the New York concert, on the other hand, he didn’t miss a single entry. “That’s because music and performance are deeply ingrained in his consciousness,” said Bennett’s neurologist, Dr. Gayatri Devi on the 60 Minutes news program.
“People react differently depending on their strengths. In Tony’s case, it’s his musical memory, his ability to be a performer. It’s an innate and hardwired part of his brain,” Devi said. “It may no longer know today’s date or it may no longer be able to find its home. And yet he can sing the repertoire of the American Songbook and move people with it.”
Shortly after his 90th birthday in 2017, he told The New York Times, “I could have retired 16 years ago, but I just love what I do.”