At the age of 96, music trailblazer Tony Bennett has died. After news of his passing was announced, fans of the entertainer and fellow musicians influenced by him took to social media to mourn the beloved star. Although Bennett’s official cause of death is unknown at this time, after years of battling Alzheimer’s disease, many believe that could be at the root of his death.
Lady Gaga, one of Bennett’s dear collaborators, witnessed how the condition has impacted Bennett. So, over the years, what has Lady Gaga Said about Tony Bennett’s Alzheimer’s disease? While promoting their second collaborative album, Love for Sale, Gaga recounted how recording their first project helped with moments of clarity during an appearance on The Late Show.
“Watching him begin his journey with Alzheimer’s years ago, I remember I wanted to make good on a promise I made to him,” said the singer referring to Bennett’s desire to record with her.
She later added, “Then a couple of years later, his Alzheimer’s just started to set on, and I said, ‘Let’s go into the studio now,’ and we did. And when I tell you that when jazz begins, this man lights up in a way that is such magic. It just reminded me that anybody that has a family member or somebody that they love that’s suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia, music is… music is magic. Music is a miracle.”
Unfortunately, as the disease progressed, those coherent moments began to fade. Some of these were captured as part of a 2021 profile piece by AARP. Lady Gaga hasn’t released a statement yet regarding the news of Bennett’s death.