LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Toney Benett, the iconic musician was battling Alzheimer's till he breathed his last at the age of 96 on Friday, July 21. Although the news of the music legend being diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease came to light in 2021, his wife, Susan Benedetto later explained in a profile published in AARP The Magazine that the 20-time Grammy Award winner was officially diagnosed with it in 2016.
In case you do not know, Alzheimer's disease is often characterized by progressive memory loss and can lead to dementia, but it did not stop the 'Because of You' singer to continue doing what he loves the most. While it is common, people end up losing their ability to interact, understand and recognize their loved ones suffering from the disease, Benedetto explained that Benett was a special case.
How did Tony Bennett continue to sing with Alzheimer's?
Benett's wife said that he was able to recognize his friends and even able to remember the lyrics and sing out his songs. "Singing is everything to him. Everything," Benedetto noted, according to People Magazine. "It has saved his life many times.”
The star performed and toured as recently as 2019 before the Covid pandemic changed our lives forever. In early and mid-2021, Benett launched a concert series with his friend Lady Gaga, which was said to have been incredibly beneficial for the Primetime Award Winner by his neurologist, Gayatri Devi. "It kept him on his toes and also stimulated his brain in a significant way," Devi explained in 2021.
'Music is housed in different parts of the brain'
Gayatri Devi later explained to Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes, "I mean that's the other thing about music that sets it apart, is that it is a part of the brain that's very emotional. Music is housed in different parts of the brain, including parts of the brain that deal with emotion, and therefore, it's easy to be moved by it when you hear it." Devi admitted that the COVID-19 pandemic had been a” real blow from a cognitive perspective" for Bennett as he was unable to perform his songs on stage. She said his memory prior to the pandemic “was so much better," so she had recommended to Bennett's family that he continue to rehearse twice a week.
Lee Musiker, Benett's longtime pianist, would visit their house to run through a 90-minute set with him so he could perform. Back in 2021, during a 60 Minutes broadcast, Bennett performed a song with his pianist where he remembered every word and note without sheet music or lyrics in front of him. "Well that was really one of the great honors I've ever had," host Cooper, 56, after the performance. "Tony likes to say he's in the business of making people feel good, and he still is," Benedetto commented, to which Bennett confirmed, "That's it."
Benett also collaborated with Lady Gaga and produced new music on their joint Cole Porter tribute album released on October 1, 2021, called 'Love for Sale'. It was nominated for six awards at last year’s 64th Grammy Awards. "This album happened because it was Tony's idea and I made him a promise that we would make it and we did,” Lady Gaga said at the time.
