Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. As Anderson Cooper reported on 60 Minutes, the music legend spent his final years living with Alzheimer’s disease. On any given day, Tony would forget a lot about his past life, but when on stage performing his favorite music, the beloved songs that accompanied him through more than seven decades of American life, the singer that millions knew and loved, returned.
There are millions of Americans, like Tony, living with some form of dementia. At present there is no cure, and so our goal for the people we are caring for cannot be a cure. Instead, we strive to do everything we can to help them have as much comfort, as much pleasure, as much meaning, as much well-being in their days as possible.
At Music & Memory, we help people in nursing homes and other settings who suffer from a wide range of cognitive and physical challenges to find renewed meaning and connection in their lives through the gift of personalized music playlists. Studies have shown that listening to favorite music can help reduce chronic pain, decrease agitation, anxiety, sleeplessness and depression. It can prevent distressed behaviors, aid in the reduction of antipsychotic medications and even improve swallowing. Caregivers and family members enjoy more meaningful relationships with those in their care and use the music as a tool to provide respite and ease transitions.
Please consider supporting Music & Memory. Your tax-deductible gift to our organization will help us to expand our program of personalized music to reach out and support more individuals, like Tony, living with dementia and other forms of cognitive and physical impairment.