Tony Bennett reveals in the latest issue of “AARP” that he’s suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. The 94-year-old singer was first diagnosed in 2016, and Dr. Gayatri Devi, M.D., a neurologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, who diagnosed Bennett, describes him as suffering from “cognitive issues, but multiple other areas of his brain are still resilient and functioning well."
“He is doing so many things, at 94, that many people without dementia cannot do,” Devi says. “He really is the symbol of hope for someone with a cognitive disorder." Devi adds that Tony’s singing has also helped him, noting, “It kept him on his toes and also stimulated his brain in a significant way.”
- In an interview with CBS This Morning, Tony’s wife Susan Benedetto says he first noticed something was wrong after a show when he couldn’t remember the musicians names. “And I just chalked it up to him being, at the time, late 80s, we forget things," she says. "And he said, 'No, no, this isn't right.'"
- In the “AARP” article it was also revealed that Tony and collaborator Lady Gaga have another album coming out this spring, which was recorded between 2018 and 2020. The article describes the recording process noting that video shows Tony speaking rarely, and seeming “lost and bewildered,” and you can see the “pain and sadness” in Gaga’s face. It describes her reaction to him singing a love song, noting, “Gaga looks on, from behind her mic, her smile breaking into a quiver, her eyes brimming, before she puts her hands over her face and sobs,”
- Tony’s son Danny actually says he checked in with Gaga to let her know they were going public with Tony’s diagnosis. "I wanted to check with her to make sure she was cool,” said Danny, “because she watches his back all the time. She was like, ‘Absolutely, it's just another gift that he can give to the world.’"
Source:AARP