Tony Bennett’s widow recalls the special meaning behind the last song he sang

03 August 2023 , 14:34

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Tony Bennett sadly died last month

Tony Bennett's widow Susan Benedetto, emotionally recalled the last song he sang to her amid his battle with Alzheimer's disease before his death.

Legendary crooner Tony died on July 21 at the age of 96, seven years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. His publicist Sylvia Weiner said he died in his hometown of New York.

And now, in a new interview with TODAY's Hoda Kotb, the late icon's wife said that despite his Alzheimer's disease, which he was diagnosed with in 2016, he still remembered his songs and even sang one of his earliest hits for her a few days before his passing. "He sang 'Because of You.' We were getting him up to exercise, and so it was easy to just latch onto the piano," Susan said.

"And I said, 'Ton, why don't you get up and you can sing?' You know, any excuse to just get him up. I said, 'Why don't you sing?' He's like, 'What do you want to hear?' I said, 'How about singing "Because of You"?' So he sang 'Because of You.'

Tony Bennett's widow Susan Benedetto recalled the last song he sang to her before his passing (Getty Images for Exploring the Arts)

Tony died on July 21 at the age of 96, seven years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (NDZ/STAR MAX/IPx)

"Literally, that was the last song he sang, yeah," she added. Because of You was the song on Tony's 1952 debut album that helped catapult him to fame and established his career.

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And speaking of the song being Tony's last that he sang for her, Susan explained that it represented a balance between the start and end of his professional life. She said: "Well, of course, it bookends his career if you think just musically speaking.

"That was his first hit. And then that was literally just the last song that he sang. So the music never left him." Susan continued: "And when he did have more alert moments, or, like, first thing in the morning, he didn't ask really about anyone or anything except, 'Am I working tonight?' And the other day, he's like, 'Susan, am I in a good theatre tonight?' He'd say stuff like that."

Because of You was the song on Tony's 1952 debut album that helped catapult him to fame (AFP via Getty Images)

She also remembered how they would watch old YouTube videos of him performing. "Tony was alert enough that he's like watching. And he said, 'Was I always popular?' And I said, 'Yes, sweetheart.' I said, 'You've been popular for over 70 years.' And he said, 'That's because I stayed with quality.'"

In Susan's most emotional admission, she revealed that his final words to her were, "he loved me". "He would wake up every day and still say that. He woke up happy every day. Even if he had had a bad day or night, he didn't remember it," she added.

Susan concluded: "That was the only blessing. He woke up happy. And he's just like, 'Susan. You're the best thing that ever happened to me.' And he would say that to me all the time."

Jabeen Waheed