Tony Bennett’s Wife Reveals He ‘Doesn’t Know’ He Has Alzheimer’s Disease

Tony Bennett’s wife Susan Crow has revealed the extent of the legendary singer’s Alzheimer’s disease, sharing that he is unaware of his diagnosis.

Bennett and Crow sat down for an interview with Anderson Cooper just weeks before his 95th birthday, which was aired Sunday on 60 Minutes, during which Crow detailed the state of the singer’s disease.

“Every day is different. Tony late at night, sometimes early in the morning, he’s more alert, if I can use that word,” Crow said. “So, I’ll tell him, ‘Tone, you’re gonna be on 60 Minutes.’ He’s, like, ‘Great.’”

Crow went onto say that his short term memory can be less consistent, explaining that he could be aware of the 60 Minute interview at one time, “But in any other given moment, he won’t know.”

Crow later revealed that Bennett is unaware of his diagnosis, Cooper adding that what he does know is “that he is at home, not performing on stage.”

“He recognizes me, thank goodness, his children you know, we are blessed in a lotta ways. He’s very sweet. He doesn’t know he has it,” Crow shared, referring to his Alzheimer’s disease.

Crow explained that Bennett’s doctor Gayatri Devi suggested he continue to sing if that is what he wants to do, as performing works to stimulate his brain.

Fortunately for Bennett and his fans, the artist’s music memory is still intact, which he proudly displayed during the interview, giving Cooper an hour long set of his past songs without any notes or cue cards.

“When I start playing, Tony is completely engaged, and this is a whole new performance, and new phrases, new nuance — nothing short of a miracle,” Bennett’s pianist Lee Musiker told Cooper.

While Bennett’s musical gift remains strong, his gave his last on-stage performance alongside Lady Gaga at Radio City Music Hall in August, Gaga revealing that she was often unsure if he knew who she was.

When Gaga walked onstage that day, greeting Bennett with a, “Hey, Tony” — he looked at her and exclaimed, “Woah, Lady Gaga!”

A delighted Gaga bent over in laughter as her face lit up, twirling over to Bennett in her golden dress. “I like that! Do it again!” Bennett said, prompting Gaga to continue twirling.

“That’s the first time that Tony said my name in a long time,” Gaga shared during an interview including in the 60 Minute broadcast. “I had to keep it together, because we had a sold-out show and I have a job to do. But I’ll tell you, when I walked on that stage and he said, ‘it’s Lady Gaga,’ my friend saw me. And it was very special.”

The pop star later had the honor of escorting Bennett off stage for his final show, later sharing, “Just simply being the woman that got to walk him off stage, that’s enough for me.”

Watch above, via CBS News.