Legendary singer Tony Bennett performed two sold-out concerts at Radio City Music Hall in August 2021 with friend Lady Gaga, in what came to be known as his final act. 

“One Last Time: An Evening with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga” premiered on August 3, in honour of Bennett’s 95th birthday. 

Bennett’s family disclosed in February last year that the renowned singer had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease since 2016. The concerts, therefore, came as a huge relief and stood as a source of inspiration for his fans. Despite his illness, the Grammy winner rehearsed, sang, and performed music with the assistance of his physicians. 

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Bennett’s treatment regimen reportedly included music, and he continued to travel following his diagnosis until the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Anderson Cooper, who serves as a correspondent for ’60 Minutes’ on CBS News, met the singer and his wife, Susan, during his preparation for his last performance in June, a few weeks before his birthday on August 3. 

Sharing snippets from his interactions with the Bennetts in an extensive post on the news portal, Cooper wrote that Susan did most of the talking due to Tony’s foggy memory. She told him that they first realized there was a problem about six years ago. “We came home one night, and he said, “Susan,” he said, “I’m having a hard time remembering the names of the musicians,” she told Cooper.

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Susan is Tony’s primary caregiver. “Every day is different. Tony late at night, sometimes early in the morning, he’s more alert, if I can use that word. So, I’ll tell him, “Tone, you’re gonna be on 60 Minutes.” He’s, like, “Great.” I said, “You remember that show, 60 Min–” he’s, like, “I do.” But in any other given moment, he won’t know,” she shared.

Tony is not aware that he has Alzheimer’s, his wife of 30 years said. “What he does know is that he’s at home, not performing on stage. He’d continued to sing after his diagnosis, but the pandemic took him off the road. Susan says it’s been hard on him.”

His disease had progressed by the time they had to begin rehearsals for the concert last year. Yet, miraculously, when Tony’s accompanist had started playing, the singer remembered his song, even without cue cards or notes. 

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Pianist Lee Musiker told Cooper, “When I start playing, Tony is completely engaged, and this is a whole new performance and new phrases, new nuance. Nothing short of a miracle.”

Lady Gaga also spoke of her friend’s magical relationship with music: “When that music comes on (SNAP), it’s– something happens to him. He knows exactly what he’s doing. And what’s important for me, actually, just to make sure that I don’t get in the way of that.”

Cooper also spoke to Tony’s neurologist, Dr Gayatri Devi. “People respond differently depending on their strengths. In Tony’s case, it’s his musical memory, his ability to be a performer. Those are an innate and hard-wired part of his brain. So even though he doesn’t know what the day might be or where his apartment is, he still can sing the whole repertoire of the American Songbook and move people,” she said.