Few musicians have left a more lasting legacy than Tony Bennett. The jazz vocalist has been performing for almost 70 years and has shared the stage with luminaries such as Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald.

The passage of time has taken its toll. Bennett was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2021 and is currently receiving the best treatment available.

Despite this, Tony’s love of music has not waned. Lady Gaga’s “two final performances” have already been confirmed. Simply said, we’d like to see him perform one more time.

Tony Bennett, 96, did not become well-known overnight. His early years were, in fact, challenging.

More than 50 million recordings have been sold.

“And on that trip, we played a gig at a small club in Hot Springs, Arkansas. We were rehearsing the song and a musician came over and said: ‘If you record that song, it’s going to be a major smash’.

“So when we went to San Francisco, we started performing it and everybody remarked ‘Where did you find that song? You must document it immediately.’ We recorded it, and it became the biggest record I ever had.”

The song became famous, propelling Bennett to new heights. In fact, it was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress in 2018 for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.

Tony Bennett’s incredible career could be analyzed for days. Due of differences regarding the style of music they thought Tony should record, he decided to leave Columbia Records and embark on a whole new road. Success did not come easily to him, but he never gave up. And for that, we are incredibly grateful.

Throughout his lengthy career, Bennett has released 60 studio albums and 11 live albums, and his CDs have sold more than 50 million copies worldwide. Yet it wasn’t until Duets II in 2011 that he achieved his first Billboard 200 No. 1 album.

Tony Bennett has always made music his life, but he also has other hobbies. He developed the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in New York with his wife Susan Crow for artistically inclined teenagers.

Anthony Benedetto is a painter.

Bennett had no doubt about the school’s name.

“He transformed my life,” Bennett said.

“In [a Life magazine piece], he stated unequivocally that I was the best singer he’d ever heard. I was reasonably popular at the time, and every now and then I’d have a million-selling song, but for me, being good was more important than being famous.

“[Then] he referred to me as the best he’d ever heard. Since then, I’ve sold out all over the world. “I thought it was customary courtesy to name the school after him.”

Bennett is a skilled painter in addition to being a talented guitarist. He always signs his paintings with his given name, Anthony Benedetto, and has had numerous successful shows.

“The greatest compliment I could ever get is being called a good singer and a good painter. “I’ve always had an interest in both,” he explained. “I adore them both. It’s like a delicate balance.

“But, I paint virtually every day. I like oils best, but when I travel I do a lot of watercolor, pen and ink, sketches and charcoal. “I did some watercolors on Jupiter’s beach.”

Tony has also reached a younger audience in recent years, performing duets with both the late Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga. But his life took a dramatic turn earlier this year.

Tony Bennett – Alzheimer’s

In an interview with the Alzheimer’s Association, the Grammy-winning star revealed he was diagnosed with the condition, a “degenerative brain disease” which causes memory loss.

“Tony Bennett has Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of age-related dementia,” ARRP reported.

According to the ARRP, Tony was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2016. However, his wife Susan said that he was “showing clear signs of the disease” by 2018.

Dr. Gayartri Devi – the neurologist who diagnosed Tony – said that Bennett is doing well, even though he has had “cognitive issues”. The doctor alsp noted “multiple other areas of his brain are still resilient and functioning well”.

“He is doing so many things at 94. He really is the symbol of hope for someone with a cognitive disorder,” Dr. Devi added, crediting Susan for her “level of devotion” for her husband.

“I’ve been humbled by [her]. She also expects a lot from him. I think her background as a teacher helps, but she’s also very much in love with him. And he rises to her expectations.”

Early in July, Tony Bennett made a rare appearance in New York City with his wife Susan Crow at the Tony’s MTV Unplugged Concert, where he collaborated with Lady Gaga. He appeared to be “happier than ever,” according to Closer Weekly.

There is no doubt that Alzheimer’s is a severe and brutal disease, but the fact that Tony is thriving despite his illness gives us hope.

Recently, further encouraging information regarding Tony Bennett’s future was made public.

Tony will sing at Radio City Music Hall in New York City with Lady Gaga for two nights in August, which also happens to be Bennett’s 95th birthday. According to CNN, it is being referred to as “their final performances together.”

Not only that, but it will be the last New York City performance of Bennett’s career, according to a press release. It’s “set appropriately at a venue that Tony has enjoyed a multi-decade run of sold-out shows.”

Later this year, the two will also release a new joint album.

“I am so honored and excited to celebrate Tony’s 95th birthday with him at these special shows,” Gaga said.