On Monday, Lady Gaga (aka Stefani Germanotta) took to Instagram and bid farewell to the late, great Tony Bennett.

The pop star and iconic crooner released two duet albums — Cheek to Cheek in 2014 and Love for Sale in 2021 — and in the process, they forged a bond not often seen in Hollywood.

In her remembrance Gaga wrote, in part:

“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…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.”

Bennett passed away on July 21 in New York City at age 96 from Alzheimer’s Disease.

Yet, despite the dementia, Bennett was still crooning away at the piano up until his death.

The last song he sang was “Because of You,” his first number one hit.

 

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