īennett’s wife, Susan Benedetto, also opened up about her husband’s Alzheimer’s battle during the CBS special. They recently joined forces on what will be Bennett’s last album Love For Sale, according to People. The two have a strong relationship, and first collaborated on Bennett’s album Duets II and then on their co-album in 2014 Cheek to Cheek. “Just simply being the woman that got to walk him off stage, that's enough for me,” says Lady Gaga. And what’s important for me, actually, is just to make sure that I don’t get in the way of that,” Lady Gaga told CBS.Īt the end of Tony Bennett’s performance at Radio City Music Hall, Lady Gaga escorted him off the stage one last time. “When that music comes on, something happens to him. And it was very special,” she said.īennett doesn’t let his disease get in the way of performing and making music that everyone loves. But I’ll tell you, when I walked on that stage and he said, ‘it’s Lady Gaga,’ my friend saw me. “I had to keep it together, because we had a sold-out show and I have a job to do. Most people with Alzheimer’s start experiencing symptoms in their 60s or 70s or even later, but in about 5% of cases, symptoms may start appearing at a younger age.ĭespite his diagnosis, Bennett continued to perform and sing-and remembered Gaga for his final show. Alzheimer's, which is believed to be caused by plaques and tangles that form in the brain, destroying both the brain cells and the connections between them, can start developing years before any symptoms appear. Unfortunately, memory loss is one of the key aspects of dementia, and Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia and affects an estimated 60 to 80% of all people with dementia. “That’s the first time that Tony said my name in a long time,” she said during the CBS interview. After which he added, “I like that! Do it again!” Gaga continued to twirl before approaching Bennett for their duet. When Gaga walked on stage, she greeted him with, “Hey Tony.” As the crowd cheered, Bennett exclaimed “Woah, Lady Gaga!” She appeared incredibly delighted by his response, bending over in laughter before twirling around on stage in her golden dress. But when she walked on stage during their final show together, it was heartwarming to see he recognized the singer. Lady Gaga revealed that during the first few weeks the two had spent time together since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Bennett referred to her as “sweetheart,” and she was unsure if he knew who she was. The special included one-on-one interviews and clips from Bennett’s final performance.
Both Bennett's family and Lady Gaga shared details of his battle with the debilitating disease during a CBS special, which aired over the weekend. The 95-year-old singer has been battling Alzheimer’s Disease since 2016.
Lady Gaga was thrilled that Tony Bennett recognized her during the pair's final performance together at Radio City Music Hall in August, according to a 60 Minutes interview on CBS.