My co-host , Don, and I have been blessed with so many amazing guests, but truth be told, our 81st guest, Mary Lou Falcone , ranks as one of our very favorites!! We fell in love with this EXTRAORDINARY woman and we have no doubt you will, too.

For over 50 years, Mary helped guide the careers of celebrated artists – Van Cliburn, Gustavo Dudamel, Renée Fleming, Sir Georg Solti, James Taylor – and advised many institutions including Carnegie Hall, Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic. Then combining communication skills with her background as a performer and educator, she now adds another layer: advocate for Lewy body dementia (LBD) awareness.

Mary became a caregiver when her father had a massive stroke. She was 10 years old. The experience prepared her for the day, many years later, when her husband, a world-renowned cartoonist, illustrator, painter, and 1950s rocker, Nicholas 'Nicky’ Zann, was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD). Nicky, who died from LBD in 2020, was the catalyst for Mary's first book, I Didn’t See It Coming: Scenes of Love, Loss, and Lewy Body Dementia.

"Mary Lou Falcone is an expert storyteller. After years of telling other people's stories, she now tells her own compelling story." Friend and client, James Taylor.

In her memoir of love, loss, and Lewy body dementia (LBD), Mary Lou Falcone takes readers on a cathartic journey of caregiving that is filled with hope, laughter, and tears, making stops along the way for music, romance, and surprises. Written to inspire and give hope, Mary Lou unflinchingly shares in detail her late husband’s struggle with LBD, providing informative, compassionate, and inspiring insights into dementia. As she emerges transformed and energized, so will you after reading I Didn’t See It Coming: Scenes of Love, Loss, and Lewy Body Dementia .

Learn about Lewy Body Dementia, why it is difficult to diagnose, and the special challenges faced by caregivers. Enjoy Episode 81!!
Love conquers alz,
Susie xo

Support the show

JOIN THE MOVEMENT FOR NURSING HOME REFORM BY SUPPORTING THE COMPLETION OF OUR DOCUMENTARY "NO COUNTRY FOR OLD PEOPLE" BY MAKING A TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION THROUGH THE NATIONAL CONSUMER VOICE HERE or GO FUND ME
Follow us on Twitter, FB, IG, & TiK Tok 💜
Listen on your favorite platform 💜
If you like what you hear leave us some love. 💜

Get the future of podcasts.