Tony Bennett's one phrase which snapped him back to showman amid dementia battle

21 July 2023 , 19:33

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Tony Bennett's heartbreaking battle with dementia - but one phrase would snap him back to a showman (Image: Getty Images)

The passing of Tony Bennett was sadly confirmed by his publicist Sylvia Weiner on Thursday.

And while a cause of death has yet to be revealed, it has been known that the legendary singer endured a heartbreaking battle with Alzheimer's disease, which he was first diagnosed with in 2016, and made public in 2021.

Speaking of the severity of the degenerative brain disease, his wife Susan Crow recalled: "I would explain, but he wouldn't get it. He'd tell me, 'Susan, I feel fine.'"

"That's all he could process — that physically he felt great. So, nothing changed in his life. Anything that did change, he wasn't aware of."

However, while he had reportedly been feeling fine and not experiencing common side effects such as terror, rage or depression associated with the condition, his disease had "progressed".

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Tony Bennett's one phrase which snapped him back to showman amid dementia battle

Tony Bennett endured a heartbreaking battle with Alzheimer's disease for years before his passing (AFP via Getty Images)

Gayatri Devi, a neurologist at New York's Lenox Hill Hospital who diagnosed Tony in 2016, heartbreakingly added: "Even his increasingly rare moments of clarity and awareness reveal the depths of his debility", according to AARP Magazine in 2021.

However, relatives of Tony revealed at the time that there would be one phrase that would snap the performer back to a showman amid his battle with Alzheimer's.

"The moment he heard the announcer's voice boom 'Ladies and gentlemen — Tony Bennett!' he would transform himself into performance mode, stride out into the spotlight, smiling and acknowledging the audience's applause," it was said.

One phrase would snap Tony back to a showman amid his battle with Alzheimer's (Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Tony had also raised awareness of Alzheimer's disease in a post that featured a photo of him and his wife Susan, which was shared on social media just weeks before his death.

The couple were seen holding up a sign that featured the hashtag #ENDALZ.

The hashtag is understood to relate to supporting those diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and their families, featuring in awareness campaigns around the condition.

Alongside the photo from last month, the caption read: "June is Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month. #GoPurple with Susan and I, and @alzassociation in honor of the more than 6 million Americans living with Alzheimer's. #ENDALZ".

Tony had raised awareness of Alzheimer's disease in a post just weeks before his passing (AFP)

It was announced in 2021, months after his diagnosis was made public, that Tony would be retiring from live shows on "doctors' orders," amid concerns related to his health.

The news came after some tour dates were cancelled, with his son and manager Danny Bennett saying that doing gigs was "just too much". He added at the time: "We don't want him to fall on stage - something as simple as that."

Tony's final studio album before his death was released later that year. The collaboration album, Love for Sale, reunited him and Lady Gaga, whom he'd worked with previously.