Tony Bennett’s Son Reveals His Father’s Final Words
By Movieguide® Contributor
The family of legendary jazz singer Tony Bennett recalled his touching last words before he died on July 21, 2023, after struggling with Alzheimer’s.
His son Danny Bennett and his widow Susan Benedetto shared what he said to them.
“His last words to me [were], ‘Thank you,'” Danny said during an appearance on the TODAY show. “Can’t say it better than that.”
“Those two words exemplified both a strong love between father and son, as well as a prosperous and successful business relationship. When Tony was at the lowest point in his life, it was hiring his son Danny as his business manager that helped put the singer’s personal and professional fortunes back on track,” Yahoo reported.
The singer’s words to his wife were different but just as meaningful.
“That he loved me…he would wake up every day and still say that,” his widow Susan Benedetto recalled. “He woke up happy every day.”
Fox News also shared, “The performer also kept singing until the very end, and Benedetto revealed his final song was his very first hit, ‘Because of You.’ ‘The music never left him.’”
Bennett shot into fame in the 1950s. NPR shares that he was “a suave crooner in the 1950s [who] quickly established himself as one of radio’s most popular hit-makers. He was a showman, with an intimate nightclub sensibility. He wore that persona everywhere. It was like his tailored suits: age-appropriate, yet timelessly cool.”
His hit “I Left My Heart In San Francisco,” released in 1962, furthered his career. The song stayed at the top of the charts for nearly a year and won him two Grammys.
Bennett was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2016 but continued performing until 2021. His last album, “Love For Sale,” was a collaboration with artist Lady Gaga and was released in 2021.
Movieguide® previously reported on the singer’s death:
On Friday, July 21, legendary vocalist Tony Bennett died, just two weeks short of his 97th birthday, after battling Alzheimer’s disease. He was 96.
In a statement posted on his Twitter account, it was revealed that Tony was singing at his piano until his last days, with his final song being “Because of You,” the very same song that marked his first #1 hit.
“Tony left us today but he was still singing the other day at his piano and his last song was, “Because of You,” his first #1 hit,” the post read. “Tony, because of you we have your songs in our heart forever. ❤”
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