Tony Bennett passed away earlier this month on July 21 after battling with Alzheimerās 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: 2014ās Cheek to Cheek and 2021ās 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:
āI 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 wasnāt 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. āStraight ahead,ā heād say. He was an optimist, he believed in quality work AND quality life. Plus, there was the gratitudeā¦ 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.ā
She continued, āI'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 didnāt matter. In fact, it gave us each something neither of us had with most people. We were from two different stages in life entirely ā inspired.ā
āLosing Tony to Alzheimerās has been painful but it was also really beautiful. An era of memory loss is such a sacred time in a personās life,ā Gaga added. āThereās 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 ā being willing to sing with me when his nature was changing so deeply. Iāll never forget this experience. Iāll never forget Tony Bennett.ā
She concluded, āIf I could say anything to the world about this, I would say donāt discount your elders, donāt leave them behind when things change. Donāt 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 ā some of my musical partner and Iās most meaningful exchanges were with no melody at all.ā
Following this post, Gaga announced that sheāll return to her Jazz & Piano residency in Las Vegas for a total of 12 shows. During these shows, Gaga has performed many of the songs she recorded with Bennett. Coming back to this residency will surely be an emotional experience following the legendary singerās death.
Sending nothing but love to Tony Bennettās friends, family, and collaborators!
