By Bernardo Sim for OUT –
Tony Bennett passed away earlier this month on July 21 after battling with Alzheimer’s disease for seven years. He was 96 years old and passed in his New York City apartment.
In recent years, Lady Gaga became one of his most consistent collaborators, as well as a close friend. Together, Gaga and Bennett released two studio albums: 2014’s Cheek to Cheek and 2021’s Love for Sale.
On Sunday, July 30, Gaga took to social media to mourn her friend, collaborator, and idol, sharing an incredibly emotional and powerful message about Bennett. She wrote:
“I will miss my friend forever. I will miss singing with him, recording with him, talking with him, being on stage together. With Tony, I got to live my life in a time warp. Tony and I had this magical power. We transported ourselves to another era, modernized the music together, and gave it all new life as a singing duo. But it wasn’t an act. Our relationship was very real. Sure, he taught me about music, about showbiz life, but he also showed me how to keep my spirits high and my head screwed on straight. ‘Straight ahead,’ he’d say. He was an optimist, he believed in quality work AND quality life. Plus, there was the gratitude… Tony was always grateful. He served in WWII, marched with Martin Luther King Jr., and sang jazz with the greatest singers and players in the world.”
She continued, “I’ve been grieving the loss of Tony for a long time. We had a very long and powerful goodbye. Though there were five decades between us, he was my friend. My real true friend. 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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