NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Tony Bennett's wife Susan Benedetto breaks silence after the death of the late legendary singer who died at the age of 96. The Grammy-winning crooner died on Friday, July 21 in New York.

On Friday morning, Bennett's publicist Sylvia Weiner confirmed the news of his death. He was just two weeks shy of his 97th birthday. However, an official cause of his death has not been revealed. Bennett's official Instagram page also announced his death on Friday. "Tony left us today but he was still singing the other day at his piano and his last song was 'Because of You,' his first #1 hit. Tony, because of you we have your songs in our hearts forever," read the post.

Susan Benedetto pays tribute to her husband Tony Bennett

Susan also took to her husband's official verified Instagram page to post an emotional message to Bennett's colleagues, friends, and admirers who "celebrated his life and humanity and shared their love of him and his musical legacy."

"And as sad as today has been for all of us we can find joy in Tony's legacy forever," she captioned the photo of her husband performing on his 95th birthday in 2022 at Radio City Music Hall. The note was signed by her and the longtime pair's son, Danny Bennett.

On Saturday, a photo of flowers being left on the music icon's bench at Central Park was also shared on the Instagram page. Speaking of the bench dedicated to Bennett, Benedetto wrote, "A few Central Park carriage drivers left this note on the Tony Bennett Bench which you can find at the entrance of the park - one of Tony’s favorite spots to spend an afternoon 💐."

Bennett's battle with Alzheimer's disease

According to ET, Bennett fought Alzheimer's disease for seven years before his death. In February 2021, his family revealed to the world that he had been battling Alzheimer's disease since the first diagnosis in 2016.

Alzheimer's disease is defined as "a progressive neurologic disorder that causes the brain to shrink (atrophy) and brain cells to die and is the most common cause of dementia — a continuous decline in thinking, behavioral and social skills that affect a person's ability to function independently," according to Mayo Clinic. Bennett is survived by his wife, Benedetto, his daughters, Johanna Bennett and Antonio Bennett, his two sons, Danny and Dae Bennett, and nine grandchildren.