Tony Bennett's Battle With Alzheimer's

I have been a fan and admirer of Tony Bennet all my life. This is sad new for him, his family, and those of us who've enjoyed his music and activism for us all.

For four years, the legendary singer and his family have kept his secret. Now, they're breaking their silence

Tony Bennett has Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of age-related dementia. Alzheimer's is characterized by a progressive memory loss that robs its sufferers of many of the gifts that we all take for granted — speech, understanding, treasured memories, recognition of loved ones — and leaves them utterly dependent on caregivers. Bennett, first diagnosed in 2016, has so far been spared the disorientation that can prompt patients to wander from home, as well as the episodes of terror, rage or depression that can accompany Alzheimer's frightening detachment from reality; and, indeed, he might never develop these symptoms. But there was little doubt that the disease had progressed.

Even his increasingly rare moments of clarity and awareness reveal the depths of his debility. At one point, as Susan and I stood chatting, he looked up suddenly from the book in his lap and, flashing that familiar smile, asked me in his soft, sueded whisper, “How's the weather outside?” Had I not known that he and Susan had just returned from walking their dog in the park, I might not have suspected that anything was amiss...

https://www.aarp.org/entertainment/celebrities/info-2021/tony-bennett-alzheimers.html