Before passing away last month at the age of 96, Tony Bennett experienced a full-circle moment.
Despite having been given an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis in 2016, the renowned crooner’s wife, Susan Benedetto, said that he still recalled his songs.
She stated, “He could do that,” in an interview with son Danny Bennett, one of Bennett’s four children, which appeared on “TODAY” co-anchor Hoda Kotb on Thursday.
Bennett sang one of his earlier successes a few days before his passing, according to Benedetto, who wed Bennett in 2007 after first meeting him at one of his concerts in 1985.
“He performed “Because of You.” It was simple to just latch onto the piano because we were waking him up to exercise, she said.
‘Ton, why don’t you get up and you can sing,’ I suggested. Any reason, really, to simply get him up. ‘Why don’t you sing,’ I asked. What do you want to hear, he asks. How about singing “Because of You”?, I suggested. His song was “Because of You.”
She continued, “Yeah, that was really the final song he sang.
The song “Because of You” was included on Bennett’s self-titled first album from 1952, and it contributed to his rise to stardom.
According to Benedetto, the fact that the song was the final one signifies a sort of harmony.
If you only consider it from a musical standpoint, it obviously booksends his career. His debut hit was that. That was indeed the only song he sang after that. As a result, she said, the music never left him.
“And when he did have moments of greater alertness, or, say, early in the morning, he didn’t really inquire about anyone or anything other than, ‘Am I working tonight?'” And a few days ago, he asked Susan, “Am I seeing a good movie tonight?” He would say things like that.
Benedetto described how they used a health assistant to teach him about Bennett, who would go on to win 20 Grammy Awards, through watching YouTube videos.
And Tony was enough attentive to be watching. And he questioned, “Was I Popular Always?” I responded, “Yes, sweetheart.” You’ve been well-liked for more than 70 years, I said. That’s because I stuck with excellence, he responded.
Benedetto also relayed to her Bennett’s parting comments.
“That he loved me,” she affirmed. “Yeah. Every day when he would awaken, he would still say it. He had a good mood every morning. He had no memory of any unpleasant days or nights. The only blessing was that. Happy when he awoke. And he just says, “Susan.” The greatest thing that has ever occurred to me is you. And he frequently used to say that to me.
Bennett leaves behind a legacy as a renowned artist with a multigenerational following base, but Benedetto claimed he wanted to be remembered for something more.
“He didn’t want to have the finest reputation. He merely wished to be regarded as a kind person, she said.
“And I believe that has been demonstrated by the outpouring of love from both people we know and love and total strangers. Even though they had never met him, people still feel as though they had lost a family friend. And, as you may know, he sang from a place of genuine conviction.
Benedetto said that it’s impossible to measure what losing Bennett would mean to her.
She responded, “Well, I mean, the obvious thing is to say everything. “My North Star is gone. But there’s no need to feel sorry for me because my life has been fantastic. And I’ll figure out a method to keep it that way. It will always be different.