BODY AND SOUL

Tony Bennett Has Been Suffering From Alzheimer’s Since 2016

He recorded a new album with Lady Gaga after his diagnosis.

Singing legend Tony Bennett’s family has revealed that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016. AARP magazine reports that the 94-year-old is still singing daily and has a new album due with Lady Gaga, recorded as the disease progressed. “Although he can still recognize family members, he is, according to Susan, not always sure where he is or what is happening around him. Mundane objects as familiar as a fork or a set of house keys can be utterly mysterious to him,” the report states. Gayatri Devi, his neurologist, says Bennett is still doing better than many patients his age, saying that some areas of his brain “are still resilient and functioning well.” She added, “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.”