The world is still grieving the loss of legendary singer Tony Bennett, but superstar Lady Gaga is mourning a “real true friend.”
In a nearly 400-word tribute shared to her Instagram account, Lady Gaga said she will “miss my friend forever.” On Monday, the singer posted a photo of her and Bennett embracing in formalwear.
“With Tony, I got to live my life in a time warp. Tony & I had this magical power,” Lady Gaga, 37, wrote of her friendship with Bennett. “We transported ourselves to another era, modernized the music together, & gave it all new life as a singing duo. But it wasnt (sic) an act. Our relationship was very real.”
Bennett died on July 21 at the age of 93.
Lady Gaga said the veteran musician taught her about music, showbiz and “how to keep my spirits high and my head screwed on straight.”
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“‘Straight ahead,’ he’d say. He was an optimist, he believed in quality work AND quality life,” she continued. “Plus, there was the gratitude…Tony was always grateful.”
She said Bennett was a Second World War veteran, an activist who marched with Martin Luther King Jr. and a celebrated jazz singer who performed with some of the world’s most iconic artists.
“Though there were 5 decades between us, he was my friend. My real true friend,” she wrote. “Our age difference didn’t matter– in fact, it gave us each something neither of us had with most people. We were from two different stages in life entirely–inspired.”
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Lady Gaga said she’d been grieving the loss of Bennett, who had Alzheimer’s, “for a long time.”
“Losing Tony to Alzheimer’s has been painful but it was also really beautiful. An era of memory loss is such a sacred time in a persons (sic) life. There’s such a feeling of vulnerability and a desire to preserve dignity,” she shared.
“All I wanted was for Tony to remember how much I loved him and how grateful I was to have him in my life. But, as that faded slowly I knew deep down he was sharing with me the most vulnerable moment in his life that he could–being willing to sing with me when his nature was changing so deeply. I’ll never forget this experience. I’ll never forget Tony Bennett.”
Lady Gaga encouraged her fans not to “discount your elders.”
“Don’t leave them behind when things change,” she wrote. “Don’t flinch when you feel sad, just keep going straight ahead, sadness is part of it. Take care of your elders and I promise you will learn something special. Maybe even magical.”
Lady Gaga signed the tribute, “I love you Tony. Love, Lady.”
Bennett and Lady Gaga have collaborated on several projects over the years. In 2011, the pair recorded their first song together, a cover of The Lady Is a Tramp for Bennett’s album Duets II.
Later, in 2014, the jazz singing duo released a collaborative album entitled Cheek to Cheek. Together, they performed a number of standards, including Nature Boy, But Beautiful and It Don’t Mean A Thing (If I Ain’t Got That Swing).
Bennett’s final album, the 2021 release Love for Sale, featured a Lady Gaga on the title track, Night and Day.
When Bennett died this month, many fans on social media wished Lady Gaga well. A 2021 clip of her and Bennett performing at Radio City Music Hall resurfaced at the time of his death, in which Bennett seemingly recognized Lady Gaga, despite his Alzheimer’s diagnosis. During the CBS broadcast of their special One Last Time: An Evening With Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, Bennett introduced Lady Gaga by name, to the singer’s obvious delight.
One Last Time: An Evening With Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga was the last time the duo performed together publicly.
In his lifetime, Bennett released more than 70 albums, bringing him 19 competitive Grammys — all but two after he reached his 60s — and enjoyed deep and lasting affection from fans and fellow artists.
— With files from The Associated Press
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