Tony Bennett’s son Danny revealed the last thing that his father said to him during an interview on Today on Thursday, August 3. Danny, 69, and Tony’s wife Susan Bendetto, 56, sat down for their first joint interview since the music icon’s death at 96 on July 21. The “For Once In My Life” singer’s son and wife also both opened up about how he wanted to keep working through his battle with Alzheimers.
When recalling his dad’s last words, Danny revealed that Tony had a beautiful final message for his loved ones. “His last words to me (were), ‘Thank you,'” he said. “Can’t say it better than that.” He also explained that his father was a “man of the people,” and he and his three siblings tried to not take the “amazing journey” for granted.
Later in the interview, Susan revealed that his last words to her were equally beautiful. “That he loved me … he would wake up every day and still say that he woke up happy every day,” she said.
Besides sharing the last words, Danny also recalled some of the sweet moments he had working with his dad and introducing him to the MTV generation, revealing that the singer remained bold and was looking to evolve throughout his career.
Susan revealed that despite his battle with Alzheimer’s, he wanted to keep performing, even though they thought he would slow down. “But Tony’s like, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about. You know, I wanna keep singing,'” she said. “The music never left him.” The singer’s son and wife also mentioned that the last song he’d sang was his earliest number one hit: “Because of You.”
Tony passed away following a long battle with Alzheimers on July 21. After his death, numerous musicians paid tribute to the singer on social media, including his frequent collaborator Lady Gaga. Susan and Danny also released a joint statement, mourning his passing. “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,” they said. “And as sad as today has been for all of us we can find joy in Tony’s legacy forever.“