Enrichment Arts & Culture

After Alzheimer’s diagnosis, singing great Tony Bennett to perform free concert with Lady Gaga

(FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

Story at a glance

  • Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga will perform live for MTV Unplugged on Friday at 11 a.m. EDT.
  • The 94-year-old jazz singer revealed earlier this year that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Bennett and Gaga previously recorded and released a joint jazz album, “Cheek to Cheek,” in 2014, which won a Grammy.

Legendary singer Tony Bennett will be performing a free concert with Lady Gaga months after his family announced he has Alzheimer’s disease.

Bennett, 94, and Gaga, 35, will perform live for MTV Unplugged on Friday at 11 a.m. EDT at an undisclosed location in New York.

“Come witness a new chapter in Unplugged’s history as Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga grace the Unplugged stage for the first time, performing fresh renditions off their brand new Jazz standards album — and a handful of surprises you definitely won’t want to miss,” a message on the ticketing website stated.

Bennett and Gaga previously recorded and released a joint jazz album, “Cheek to Cheek,” in 2014, which won Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the 57th Grammy Awards.


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Bennett was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016, though he didn’t begin to truly show symptoms until 2018 and only revealed the diagnosis in a 2021 feature in AARP Magazine.

“[When] he sings, he’s the old Tony,” his wife Susan Crow said.

Bennett previously performed for MTV Unplugged solo in 1994

Ticketing is free, though attendees must submit a request through the ticketing website and be chosen. Those picked must be 18 or older, fully vaccinated, be able to provide in-person proof of vaccination and receive a negative COVID-19 test on the morning of the show.


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