Lady Gaga Shared Moving Tribute To Friend And Mentor Tony Bennett After Icon's Death
The artist formerly known as Stefani Germanotta shared a beautiful tribute to her friend, mentor, and fellow New York native Tony Bennett after the singing icon passed away following a long battle with Alzheimers on July 21st. In the post, Gaga reflected on her tender relationship with the elder entertainer, discussing her friendship with Bennett and how the relationship changed and evolved over their partnership and, eventually, through his Alzheimer's diagnosis. "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," her Instagram caption read. "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."
The songstress continued, "[Tony] also showed me how to keep my spirits high and my head screwed on straight. He was an optimist, he believed in quality work AND quality life. Plus, there was the gratitude…Tony was always grateful.”
Of the devastating Alzheimer's diagnosis received by Bennett in recent years, the A Star Is Born actress wrote, "I’ve been grieving the loss of Tony for a long time. We had a very long and powerful goodbye. 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," she said. "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."
Gaga ended her heart-wrenching tribute, "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."
The famous pair’s friendship was the stuff of warm Hollywood legend, a close bond spanning over 10 years and with 50 years between their ages. The duo recorded two Grammy-winning albums together, 2014’s Cheek to Cheek and 2021’s Love for Sale. They also partnered for a 2021 variety musical special, One Last Time: An Evening with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga.
Fans Criticize Gaga Career Announcement Timing: 'Not Promo Straight After The Tony Post Girl'
A day after Lady Gaga posted her emotional tribute to Tony Bennett on Instagram, the singer received criticism for posting once again—this time, to announce a return to Las Vegas with her Show Lady Gaga Jazz & Piano.
The genre-spanning artist wrote that her Lady Gaga Jazz & Piano show would run from August 31st to October 5th, at the Dolby Live at Park MGM Theater, urging fans to sign up now for ticket pre-sale and early ticket access, beginning on Tuesday, with ticket access being widened to the general public on Friday. Exciting news to be sure, but some fans found the timing so soon after her heartbreaking post honoring the late Tony Bennett a little "awkward." One commented about the apparent "promo" right after "the Tony post." Another sarcastically stated, "She said Tony is dead let me do a promo."
However, many Little Monsters shot back, arguing that the residency promo had nothing to do with her mentor's death, and in fact, Bennett of anyone would be proud and want her to "go on with the show." As one fan noted, "I see it as a tribute to him. She would not be doing this show without his influence. She'll dedicate it to him. How fitting and lovely that is."