Washington DC [US], July 23 : Tony Bennett’s wife Susan Benedetto paid to her late husband, following his death at age 96 on Friday, People reported.
“Thank you to all the fans, friends and colleagues of Tony’s who celebrated his life and humanity and shared their love of him and his musical legacy,” Benedetto said in a joint statement with Bennett’s son Danny Bennett, shared in the caption of an Instagram post on Bennett's account on Friday evening.
“From his first performances as a singing waiter in Queens to his last performances in 2021 at Radio City Music Hall, Tony delighted in performing the songs he loved and making people happy," the statement continued, "And as sad as today has been for all of us we can find joy in Tony’s legacy forever.”
“Tony Bennett, born Anthony Dominick Benedetto in Astoria, Queens on August 3, 1926, has passed away in his hometown of New York City at the age of 96 earlier today," the statement to PEOPLE on Friday said. "The beloved singer, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in 2016, is survived by his wife, Susan Benedetto, his two sons, Danny and Dae Bennett, his daughters Johanna Bennett and Antonia Bennett and 9 grandchildren."
Before getting married in a small ceremony in 2007, they were together for more than 20 years. Susan adopted her husband's legal surname, Benedetto, rather than his stage name after the wedding.
Bennett's family revealed in a profile of his life for AARP The Magazine in January 2021 that he had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease since 2016. Benedetto took over as his primary carer following the diagnosis in addition to continuing her charitable work for arts education. She reported that despite the diagnosis, her husband was still cheerful at the time.
The singer had a long career that spanned eight decades and included 20 Grammy awards among other prestigious honours.
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