Lady Gaga recalls the moment Tony Bennett said her name amid Alzheimer’s battle: ‘I had to keep it together.
Tony Bennett was officially diagnosed with the progressive disease, which impacts memory and speech, in 2016
Lady Gaga can vividly recall the moment that Tony Bennett said her name for the first time in “a long time.”
The songstress first collaborated with the crooner in 2014 for her jazz album “Cheek to Cheek.” They reunited this summer for a new album titled “Love For Sale,” as well as his last concert at Radio City Music Hall before retiring per doctors’ orders.
During an appearance on “60 Minutes,” Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, detailed how the 95-year-old exclaimed “Woah, Lady Gaga! I like that!” after she said “Hey, Tony!” during their final duets on stage.
In February of this year, it was announced that Bennett is battling Alzheimer’s disease. AARP magazine reported he was officially diagnosed with the progressive disease, which impacts memory and speech, in 2016. Alzheimer’s is noted as a common form of age-related dementia.
The outlet shared that Bennett had no memory of performing at the legendary New York City venue. Still, Gaga insisted that Bennett’s last performance is “not a sad story.”
“It’s emotional,” she said. “It’s hard to watch somebody change. I think what’s been beautiful about this, and what’s been challenging, is to see how it affects him in some ways but to see how it doesn’t affect his talent. I think he really pushed through something to give the world the gift of knowing that things can change and you can still be magnificent.”
So, we got him a list that he put on the piano,” his wife Susan told AARP. “But he wasn’t happy about it.”
While Susan initially believed the memory lapse was part of the aging process, Bennett wanted to see a doctor.
