Lady Gaga Brought To Tears by 'Clear Signs' of Tony Bennett's Alzheimer's Disease
In a recent article from AARP The Magazine, Tony Bennett's family revealed his Alzheimer's diagnosis, including a heartbreaking anecdote about Lady Gaga's reaction to witnessing his disease first-hand.
The pair of performers released their Grammy-winning duet album Cheek to Cheek in 2014, and reunited in the studio sporadically between 2018 and 2020 to record a follow-up. Though Bennett was diagnosed in 2016, documentary footage from their recording sessions highlights a specific moment when the "Born This Way" singer broke down after watching her friend and mentor wrestle with his illness.
According to the article, as Gaga speaks to him, Bennett looks "lost and bewildered," only responding with simple, one-word sentences. After bringing up their 2015 tour, it becomes more clear that Bennett does not remember. Reporter John Colapinto explains, "The pain and sadness in Gaga's face is clear at such moments — but never more so than in an extraordinarily moving sequence in which Tony (a man she calls 'an incredible mentor, and friend, and father figure') sings a solo passage of a love song. 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.
Their second album is expected to be released sometime this spring. Bennett's wife and son, Susan and Danny, chose to go public with his diagnosis to encourage fans to listen to what could be his final album, as well as combat the stigma surrounding his condition, as many treat it as something to hide.
Dr. Gill Livingston, a dementia specialist explains, "Panicking and hiding away is really unhelpful,” she said. “What we want is for people to be as open as they can, open within themselves and within their families so that they can be supported in the things they can't do and be helped to live a relatively full life. Support makes a great deal of difference.”
Although Bennett's family worries about his condition, the "Rag to Riches" crooner continues to maintain his regular lifestyle. Dr. Gayatri Devi, the neurologist who diagnosed Bennet in 2016, told the family that Bennett could continue rehearsals twice a week. Devi says, “He is doing so many things, at 94, that many people without dementia cannot do. He really is the symbol of hope for someone with a cognitive disorder."
