16 Celebrities Touched By Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer’s does not discriminate. Some of the biggest names, like Ronald Reagan, publicly announced their diagnosis. The Reagans, like other famous families, suffered along with him, and have started foundations to help fund and aid Alzheimer's research in his name.

Celebrities like Glenn Campbell fought to keep their careers intact, until the very end. Some of these famous names are still raising awareness, or have brought an understanding to the disease as a whole.

Here are 16 celebrities who have suffered, and are currently suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Celebrities Who Have Lived with Alzheimer’s

1. Charlton Heston

Charlton Heston (1923-2008) had a long legacy of providing us with remarkable movies. He was also a political activist and president of the American Rifle Association. Who can forget his overwhelming performance in “The Ten Commandments”? Heston announced publicly he had Alzheimer’s and worked to help find a cure.

2. Pat Summitt

Pat Summitt (1952-2016) was the coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team. She led the team to 8 NCAA championships and retired with an astounding record of 1,098 wins to 28 losses. In 2011, Pat announced her diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s. However, Summitt completed the 2011-2012 before having her successor, Holly Warlick, assume her duties. Summitt became an advocate for the disease until she died in 2016. 

3. Perry Como

In 2001, Perry Como (1912-2001) had Alzheimer’s for two years before he passed away. Como had a career that lasted more than 50 years in the entertainment business. Fans adored his smooth-sounding voice, and he was mostly popular in the 1940s, '50s and '60s. The singer sold over 4 million records in just one single week in the 1940s. And, during the 6 decades of his career, he sold more than 1 million copies of each record.

4. Charles Bronson

Charles Bronson (1921-2003) starred in many action films, but he spent the last years of his life not remembering any of these films. Bronson passed away in 2003 from Alzheimer's disease. Bronson was always known as the tough guy, vigilante, in all of his roles, and starred in classics like The Magnicifent Seven (1960), The Great Escape (1963), The Dirty Dozen (1967) and Death Wish (1974).

Read on to see who else suffered from Alzheimer's disease.

Photo source: Wikimedia Commons