Tony Bennett celebrated his 95th birthday performing on stage in front of generations of fans, and that Aug. 3 concert found its way into a TV special, "One Last Time: An Evening With Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga."
What makes the special that aired on CBS Sunday that much more moving is that for the past several years Bennett has been battling Alzheimer's and recently canceled all upcoming performances for the year to focus on his health.
"There won’t be any additional concerts," his son, Danny Bennett, told Variety in August. "This was a hard decision for us to make, as he is a capable performer. This is however doctors’ orders."
During the show, Bennett soared his way through timeless classics as well as duets with Lady Gaga, with whom he has worked on two albums. Addressing the audience before Bennett took to the stage, Lady Gaga teared up as she spoke about him.
"He's my friend. He's my musical companion. And he's the greatest singer in the whole world. And I'm counting on you, New York, to make him smile," she said, according to CNN. "So you better cheer. You better yell. You better laugh. You better cry. You better give your soul."
Bennett has been performing in front of fans for decades but his family admitted to "60 Minutes" that, because of his Alzheimer's, they were not sure what would happen during this particular live show but knew everything would be all right when they saw him on stage that night.
"He became himself. He just turned on. It was like a light switch," wife Susan Benedetto told "60 Minutes' in a segment aired last month," according to CNN.
Lady Gaga has known Bennett for several years and admitted to the outlet that she was not sure he truly knew who she was during the pandemic as he had been calling her "sweetheart," so it was an emotional moment when she joined him onstage during the concert and he recognized her.
"I had to keep it together, because we had a sold-out show, and I had a job to do," Lady Gaga told "60 Minutes." "But I'll tell you, when I walked out on that stage, and he said, 'Lady Gaga,' my friend saw me, and it was very special."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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