Lady Gaga Breaks Her Silence on Tony Bennett’s Death

Lady Gaga is remembering her late friend Tony Bennett, who died July 21 at 96.

The singers were an unlikely duo — 60 years separated them — but they were the perfect team for tours, albums, and rejuvenating classic hits. They released two records together: “Cheek to Cheek” in 2014 and “Love for Sale” in 2021.

Gaga took to Instagram Sunday to remember her beloved pal, writing, “I will miss my friend forever. I will miss singing with him, recording with him, talking with him, being on stage together.”

Looking back, she wrote, “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.”

Lady Gaga said Bennett’s optimism helped lift her spirits.

“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,” she wrote.

The star added, “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.”

Eventually, Alzheimer’s forced Bennett into retirement. His final shows were with Gaga at Radio City Music Hall in 2021 as part of his 95th-birthday celebration. The concert aired as a CBS special, “One Last Time: An Evening with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga.”

Gaga shared in her Instagram post, “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 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. I'll never forget this experience. I'll never forget Tony Bennett.”

She also had a powerful message to share: “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.”

Gaga closed with, “I love you Tony. Love, Lady.”

“Extra” spoke with Gaga and Bennett over the years about making music together.

Lady Gaga previously told “Extra,” “I’ve been singing jazz since I was 13, and being with Tony, it’s really changed my life.”

He added, “She’s completely unexpected and so creative in every part of her life. It’s amazing.”

Gaga also announced she’s planning a series of jazz shows in Las Vegas at Dolby Live at Park MGM. In a separate Instagram post, her team revealed, “Lady Gaga Jazz & Piano returns to Las Vegas for 12 shows between August 31 and October 5 🎺🎼 Sign up now for the Little Monsters pre-sale on vegas.ladygaga.com for early ticket access tomorrow! Tickets go on sale to the public this Friday, August 4 at 10am PT.”