The Mercury News

Bennett turns 95, announces album.

- By Christie D’Zurilla

Tuesday was Tony Bennett’s 95th birthday, and he celebrated with Lady Gaga’s announceme­nt of their second album of duets.

“The day we released ‘Cheek To Cheek’ in 2014, @itstonyben­nett called me and asked me if I wanted to record another album with him, this time celebratin­g the songs of Cole Porter. I’m always honored to sing with my friend Tony, so of course I accepted the invitation,” Gaga tweeted Tuesday.

“Today, I am so excited to announce that our new album ‘Love For Sale’ will be released October 1,” she continued in a second tweet, which included an audio clip. “You can pre-order the album and listen to our first single ‘I Get A Kick Out Of You’ everywhere now!”

“Love for Sale” was recorded by Bennett and Gaga over the course of two years. The release is being billed as Bennett’s last after the revelation earlier this year that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016.

In February, AARP the Magazine reported that unlike some Alzheimer’s patients, Bennett could still recognize friends and family members, did not wander from home and had not demonstrat­ed signs of terror, rage or depression often prompted by the debilitati­ng disease.

He struggled to identify everyday objects, however, and when recording his upcoming album with Lady Gaga from 2018 to 2020, he had lost his vigor and awareness in the studio.

“There’s a lot about him that I miss,” his wife, Susan Benedetto, said in the AARP article. “Because he’s not the old Tony anymore . ... But when he sings, he’s the old Tony.”

Despite all that, Bennett and his protege are performing together Tuesday and Thursday at New York’s Radio City Music Hall. The nearly soldout shows are titled “One Last Time: An Evening With Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga.” He also has a couple of solo shows planned for September and October.

Bennett’s Twitter account rounded up birthday wishes Tuesday from the likes of Alec Baldwin, Robert De Niro, Cyndi Lauper, U2’s Bono and the Edge, the Pointer Sisters, Billy Joel, Keith Richards and Paul McCartney and Katie Couric.

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 ?? LARRY BUSACCA — GETTY IMAGES FOR NARAS ?? Recording artists Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga perform during the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles in 2015.
LARRY BUSACCA — GETTY IMAGES FOR NARAS Recording artists Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga perform during the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles in 2015.

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