Lady Gaga Honored Tony Bennett With a Heartbreaking Tribute

Lady Gaga has spoken out publicly for the first time about Tony Bennett’s death with an emotional tribute shared to Instagram. On Sunday, the singer honored her longtime friend and collaborator with a sweet photo of them sharing a hug alongside an even sweeter message.

“I will miss my friend forever,” she began. “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 wasn't an act. Our relationship was very real.”

Gaga went on to say that Tony not only taught her about music, but also how to keep her "head screwed on straight" ("straight ahead," he'd say) before listing just a few of his accomplishments. “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 wrote.

The "Poker Face" singer then reflected on the treasured time spent with Bennett after their initial meeting in 2011, which led to the creation of two albums: the duo's 2014 jazz album, Cheek to Cheek, and their sophomore record, Love for Sale, in 2021. “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," Gaga explained. "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.”

She continued, “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 person's 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," adding; 'I'll never forget this experience. I'll never forget Tony Bennett. ... I love you, Tony. Love, Lady”

The legendary singer passed away on July 21, 2023 at the age of 96, following his Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2016. Bennett's son and manager, D'Andrea "Danny" Bennett, told People that his father "imbued the essence of the American dream."