Landmark Musician Beverly Glenn-Copeland Diagnosed With Dementia

'We want to challenge the mainstream image of this illness, which focuses on loss,' the 80-year-old composer said.

By Allison Schonter

Canadian composer and folk-jazz artist Beverly Glenn-Copeland has revealed that he's been diagnosed with dementia. The 80-year-old musician shared the news alongside his wife and creative collaborator Elizabeth Glenn-Copeland in a Sept. 23 Instagram video, also revealing that their tour dates in Canada and New York would be his last.

"For a while now, we have been managing privately a diagnosis of a cognitive disorder known as dementia," Glenn-Copeland said. "But so far it does not impact my ability to be fully in the moment with those I love."

According to Elizabeth, the illness is currently impacting Glenn-Copeland's memory and spatial abilities. Although she said watching her husband's "health decline has been like "death by a thousand cuts," she said that "as these parts of him go, I see his essential light shining brighter than ever, so as is often the case in life, in the sadness there is also a really profound beauty."

Glenn-Copeland added that he and his wife "want to challenge the mainstream image of this illness, which focuses on loss. We are actively asking the universe to show us where the life is here. I want to thank Elizabeth for her unending caregiving and support, and for the brilliance of her creative vision, which has often gone unnoticed. It's because of her that I'm still able to join you onstage for this tour, which will be my last."

The "Sunset Village" musician had four final shows scheduled at the time of the video – a Sept. 26 performance at Montreal, Quebec's Rialto Theatre, a Sept. 28 show at New York's Transa: A Celebration at Performance Space New York, a Sept. 30 show at Brooklyn's Pioneer Works, and an Oct. 5 performance at Saugerties, New York's Opus 40, which marked his final show.

Glenn-Copeland concluded the video by telling fans, "We will need support from the community in the times ahead and we'll share details soon. Until then, take good care of yourselves and your loved ones. We'll see you soon."

Related:

The Canada-based musician has been active since the '80s and has experienced a resurgence in popularity in recent years amid the rediscovery of his 1986 album Keyboard Fantasies. In 2023, he released his first album in almost 20 years, The Ones Ahead.

According to Deadline, Level Ground and Visitor Media are currently working on a new documentary about Glenn-Copeland that will feature the musician and his wife as they "navigate the implications of the former's dementia diagnosis, contemplating high stakes, complex decisions about care and wellbeing while they embark on a mission to preserve his artistic legacy."

Trending Now: