Anderson Cooper had a wonderful piece on “60 Minutes” Sunday night about Tony Bennett, who is now 95 years old and suffering from dementia. Yet, despite severe memory problems, the old crooner can still remember the tunes he has sung for 70 years.
My wife and I had the pleasure of seeing Bennett in concert here in St. Louis in 2015, before the disease ravaged his brain (I wrote about it in this piece). Performing with a three-piece combo, Tony was still able to raise the roof singing songs from the great American songbook. He even did one a cappella (“Fly Me To The Moon”), with his voice ringing clearly to the very last row. I was really impressed.
Though he can’t tour anymore, Bennett performed his final concerts a few weeks ago to sold-out crowds at Radio City Music Hall. Lady Gaga, with whom he has recorded a couple of “Duets” albums, opened the show, then returned to sing with him at the end. In between, when the curtains parted and the light hit Bennett, something magical happened. The performances were captured for a CBS special that will air later this year, but Cooper included a few clips in his piece…