Tony Bennett’s son shares touching final words his father said to him before he died – as singer’s wife Susan reveals he remembered ALL his songs until the very end despite battling Alzheimer’s
- The singer passed away at age 96 after a years-long battle with Alzheimer’s
- His eldest son, Danny, 69, has now revealed the last thing that Tony said to him
- The musician’s wife, Susan, said he kept singing his hits all the way until the end
Tony Bennett’s son Danny has shared his late father’s sweet final words to him before he passed away – as the singer’s wife Susan revealed that he still remembered all his songs until the very end, even while he was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
The singer passed away last week at age 96, and now, his eldest child and his wife of over a decade sat down with Today show host Hoda Kotb to discuss the days leading up to his tragic death.
Danny, 69, who Tony welcomed with his first wife, Patricia Beech, in 1954, also opened up about the emotional last thing that the New York State of Mind crooner said to him.
‘His last words to me [were], “Thank you.” Can’t say it better than that,’ he told the talk show host.
Tony Bennett’s son Danny has shared his late father’s sweet final words to him before he passed away – while his wife Susan revealed that he kept singing up until the very end
The singer passed away last week at age 96, and now, his eldest child and his wife of over a decade sat down with Today show host Hoda Kotb to discuss the days leading up to his death
‘His last words to me [were], “Thank you.” Can’t say it better than that,’ he told the talk show host
When asked about the final interaction that she had with her husband, Susan, 56, explained that he told her he ‘loved her’
When asked about the final interaction that she had with her husband, Susan, 56, explained that he told her he ‘loved her.’
‘He would wake up every day and still say that,’ she said. ‘He woke up happy everyday, even if had a bad day [the day before] or a bad night, he didn’t remember it.
‘That was the only blessing. He always woke up happy. He’d say, “Susan, you’re the best thing that ever happened to me.” He would say that all the time.’
According to Susan, who is 40 years Tony’s junior and started dating him in the ’80s, when she was only 19 and he was 59, Tony didn’t know that he was suffering from Alzheimer’s – and her certainly never let it ‘slow him down.’
‘When he was diagnosed, Danny and I thought, “This is it, he’s gonna have to slow down,”‘ she explained.
‘But Tony was like, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, I want to keep singing.”‘
She added that even as it worsened in recent months, the ‘music never left him’ – and that they even used his songs to get him out of bed on the days that he didn’t want to.
‘A couple of days ago he was singing. He sang Because of You,’ she shared. ‘We were getting him up to exercise and it was easy if I used the piano.
‘He would wake up every day and still say that,’ she said. ‘He woke up happy everyday, even if had a bad day [the day before] or a bad night, he didn’t remember it’
According to Susan (seen with Tony in 1999), Tony didn’t know that he was suffering from Alzheimer’s – and her certainly never let it ‘slow him down’
She added that even as it worsened in recent months, the ‘music never left him’ – and that they even used his songs to get him out of bed on the days that he didn’t want to
‘I said, “Tony why don’t you get up and you can sing.” Any excuse to get him up. So he did and he sang Because of You. That was the last song he sang. The music never left him.
‘When he did have more alert moments, like first thing in the morning, he didn’t ask about anyone or anything except, “Am I working tonight?” He would say, “Susan, am I in a good theater tonight?”‘
‘A couple of days ago he was singing. He sang Because of You,’ she shared. ‘That was the last song he sang. The music never left him’
Susan remembered a recent time that she and Tony were watching old YouTube clips of him performing together.
‘He asked, “Was I always popular?” I said, “Yes sweetheart, you were popular for over 70 years.” And he said, “That’s because I stayed with quality,”‘ she recalled.
‘Tony loved being a public person, he loved being an entertainer. He would say, “I’m in the business of making people feel good.” He felt that was a very noble thing.’
Susan and Tony first started dating after they met backstage at one of his concerts while she was president of his fanclub.
‘When she was 19 she had tickets to see me perform at the Masonic Temple in San Francisco and she put in a request to say hello backstage after the show, probably not expecting a response,’ he wrote in his memoir.
Susan and Tony started dating in the ’80s when she was 19 and he was 59 after they met backstage at one of his shows
When asked by Hoda Susan why she thought their relationship worked despite their 40-year age difference, Susan insisted that she and Tony ‘never saw’ a ‘generational gap’
‘We just absolutely loved each other, and he was my life,’ she stated. ‘I lost my North star, but there’s no reason to feel bad for me because my life has been wonderful’
‘The request was sent to me, and it tickled me that someone of her age was so devoted to my music.
‘I not only agreed to say hello to her backstage, but asked her to be my date for the evening, and that’s how it really all began.’
They went on to tie the knot in 2007, and were together up until his passing this week.
He was previously married to Patrician from 1952 to 1971, and to actress Sandra Grant from 1971 to 1983.
When asked by Hoda Susan why she thought their relationship worked despite their 40-year age difference, Susan insisted that she and Tony ‘never saw’ a ‘generational gap’ between them.
‘We just absolutely loved each other, and he was my life,’ she stated. ‘I lost my North star, but there’s no reason to feel bad for me because my life has been wonderful.’
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