Money problems, drug addiction, memory loss.
Legendary crooner Tony Bennett has experienced a lot of hardship during his 70-year career.
So how has the music icon dealt with it all?
Keep watching to find out.
Tony Bennett lived his younger years during the Great Depression.
Both his parents had to work to provide for their family, but sadly, his father died when
he was only 10 years old.
Bennett was enrolled at the High School of Industrial Arts in New York City, but he didn't
finish his education.
Bennett had to drop out in order to get work and help with the family's finances.
Fortunately, Bennett was able to get work doing what he loved — singing.
"I have to sing.
It's been that way since I was 9 years old."
As a teenager, Bennett worked as a singing waiter in different Italian restaurants in
New York.
Despite having to stop school to help support his family, it wasn't all that bad for the
aspiring singer.
In fact, he said he would be fine with doing just that if he never made it big.
In 2020, one of the restaurants where he used to work — Riccardo's — was forced to close
its doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bennett took to Twitter to say,
"When I was starting out, I got a job as a singing waiter at Riccardo's in Astoria.
I always felt that if I never made it as a performer, I would still be happy as a singing
waiter."
At 18 years old, Tony Bennett was drafted into the U.S. Army in November 1944 during
World War II.
He admitted that he had no idea what was going to happen to him during his service.
In his autobiography titled The Good Life, Bennett recalled an incident at the induction
center.
When asked whether he wanted to join the Army or the Navy, Bennett answered Navy, but then
the officer proceeded to stamp "Army" on his file.
That was just the start of it.
Bennett headed to Fort Dix in New Jersey to undergo his training, which was tough, to
say the least.
The crooner said that the officers treated them "like animals" in order to break their
morale.
The biggest shock for Bennett, however, was the bigotry he experienced.
In his words, his sergeant was "an old-fashioned southern bigot" who treated him poorly for
his ethnicity.
Bennett said:
"He had it in for me right from the start because I was an Italian from New York City.
I wasn't the only one who experienced prejudice — it was just as bad for other ethnic groups,
especially the Blacks and Jews."
In 1945, Bennett was demoted to private after inviting his Black comrade to eat with him.
At that time, soldiers were still segregated, and according to the singer,
"It was actually more acceptable to fraternize with the German troops than it was to be friendly
with a fellow Black American soldier."
Although Tony Bennett found success in the late 1950s up to the '60s, his career took
a downward turn in the 1970s when he lost a contract with Columbia Records.
It came to a point when he was in huge debt — mostly because of unpaid taxes that amounted
to about $2 million that he couldn't afford to pay.
Bennett also spent a bulk of his money over the years on publicity and advertising, but
he didn't manage his finances well and was spending more money than he was making.
The situation was so bad that he almost had his home seized.
Bennett's managers didn't give him the boost he needed during the tough time.
In an interview with the New York Times, Bennett recalled that his managers told him:
"You owe so much money.
You will never be able to pull out of it as long as you live."
Fortunately, Bennett was able to get through the financial struggle, and he turned to his
son — Danny Bennett — to help manage his financial affairs from then on.
The older Bennett was able to clear his IRS debt in 1990, and his son set aside millions
in savings for him.
Tony Bennett went through some tough times in the '70s.
He took a break from making music, he was deeply in debt, and his mother died around
Thanksgiving in 1977.
It was too much for the singer to handle, and he turned to marijuana and cocaine to
try and cope with unfortunate events.
Bennett told the Daily Mail,
"I wasn't doing a huge amount.
I was smoking pot and doing a little bit of cocaine.
People get addicted and everything changes for the worse."
In 1979, Bennett's then-wife, Sandra Grant, discovered he had overdosed on cocaine and
was passed out in the bathtub.
She had to revive him, and he was immediately transported to the hospital.
It was at that point that Bennett knew he had to turn his life around.
It was comedian Lenny Bruce's manager who made him realize he had to get clean when
he told Bennet:
"[Lenny Bruce] sinned against his talent with his drug habit."
From then on, Bennett stopped taking drugs.
Now, the singer admits that his only addiction is chocolate.
In 2021, Tony Bennett's family revealed that the singer has Alzheimer's disease.
He was diagnosed in 2016 when he was 90 years old.
The illness is slowly affecting the crooner, and according to Rolling Stone, he has become
quieter and at times experiences short-term memory loss.
Despite the struggle, his neurologist said that several parts of his brain are still
functioning well.
Bennett's Alzheimer's is managed with medication, regular exercise, and a healthy diet.
In addition, music is still a big part of his life.
"When that music comes on, it's, something happens to him.
He knows exactly what he's doing."
In August 2021, Bennett officially retired from his 70-year career as a singer.
He was in the middle of a tour when his son and manager, Danny, canceled the remainder
of the tour dates.
According to Danny, the cancellation of his live performances and his retirement was suggested
by his father's doctor.
However, he said that it didn't have anything to do with Bennett's ability to sing; rather,
it was done as a precautionary measure against falls or mishaps that may happen while performing
onstage.
Bennett released his last album titled Love for Sale — a collaboration with Lady Gaga
— in September 2021.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available.
Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact
SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).