Lady Gaga has shared a touching tribute to Tony Bennett following his death earlier this month.
The US music legend died at the age of 96, seven years after he was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, prompting an outpouring of tributes from fans worldwide.
Now, his most recent collaborator, Lady Gaga, who worked with the crooner on the albums ‘Cheek To Cheek’ (2014) and ‘Love For Sale’ (2021), has shared an extended tribute to the musician and reflected on their bond and the progression of his illness over the years.
Alongside a picture of the pair hugging, she penned: “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 & I had this magical power. We transported ourselves to another era, modernized the music together, & gave it all new life as a singing duo. But it wasnt 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.”
The Million Reasons singer continued: “I’ve been grieving the loss of Tony for a long time. We had a very long and powerful goodbye. Though there were 5 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.
“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 life. There’s such a feeling of vulnerability and a desire to preserve dignity. 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.”
In conclusion, she added: “If I could say anything to the world about this I would say don’t discount your elders, don’t leave them behind when things change. 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. And pay attention to silence—some of my musical partner and I’s most meaningful exchanges were with no melody at all.
“I love you Tony. Love, Lady.”
Bennett released his first album in 1952 and the US star went on to record more than 70 albums, winning 19 Grammys throughout his lifetime. In later years, he became known for his collaborations with Gaga, with whom he performed his final shows in 2021.
Throughout his lifetime, Bennett collaborated with numerous artists, including Amy Winehouse, k.d. lang and Frank Sinatra, with the latter famously calling him “the best singer in the business”.
Among his best known hits were Rags To Riches and his signature song, I Left My Heart in San Francisco.
