Lady Gaga breaks her silence following death of Tony Bennett
Lady Gaga has shared a heartbreaking tribute to her late friend, Tony Bennett.
The 96-year-old jazz singer sadly passed away on July 21, after previously being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
Now, 10 days on from his death, Lady Gaga has broken her silence and shared an emotional message to her late singing partner.
Taking to Instagram, the Rain On Me hitmaker posted a beautiful snap of herself and Tony sharing a hug.
“I will miss my friend forever. I will miss singing with him, recording with him, talking with him, being on stage together,” Lady Gaga penned at the beginning of her lengthy tribute, adding that their friendship “wasn't an act”.
The 37-year-old old went on to admit that she had been “grieving the loss of Tony for a long time.”
“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,” she gushed.
Lady Gaga further added how Tony’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis affected him.
“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,” she explained.
“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,” the Born This Way singer promised.
Lady Gaga concluded her caption by writing: “Take care of your elders and I promise you will learn something special.”
Many fans have since been expressing their own condolences to Lady Gaga following Tony’s passing.
“love u gaga. RIP tony,” one follower wrote.
“Rest in Peace, Mr. Bennett. Keep on jazzing in heaven!” another added.
