Working together to produce two acclaimed jazz albums led to the odd friends developing close friendships.
Lady Gaga has stopped speaking. The pop diva, along with millions of his fans worldwide, is lamenting the loss of Tony Bennett, a friend and fellow musician who passed away last Friday at the age of 96.
“I’ll always miss my friend. I’ll miss chatting with him, singing with him on recordings, and sharing the stage with him. I got to live in a time warp with Tony. With Tony, I possessed this ethereal talent. She claimed that as a vocal duo, they “modernized the music together, transported ourselves to another era, and breathed new life into it.”.
Even so, it wasn’t an act. It seemed like we had a real connection. Sure, he taught me about music and show business, but he also showed me how to be optimistic and maintain my composure. Straight ahead, he’d say. He was an optimist who valued both a good life and a good job. There was also Tony’s appreciation; he was always grateful.
In addition to marching with Martin Luther King Jr., he took part in the Second World War. , and performed jazz alongside some of the best musicians and singers in the world. I’ve been grieving Tony’s loss for a very long time. We had a lengthy and emotional farewell. Despite the five decades that separated us, he was still my friend.
“You are my best friend. Our age difference didn’t matter; in fact, it gave us both advantages we wouldn’t have had with other people. At two different points in our lives, we were totally different individuals. Although heartbreaking, losing Tony to Alzheimer’s has also been incredibly lovely.
“When a person is suffering from memory loss, their life is so sacred. A strong sense of vulnerability and the need to uphold one’s reputation are present. All I wanted was for Tony to understand how grateful and loved he made me feel.
He was sharing with me the most vulnerable time in his life that he could because of his willingness to sing with me even though his personality was drastically changing.
This experience is something I’ll never forget.
I’ll never forget Tony Bennett.
“Respect your elders and don’t leave them behind when things change, I would say to the world if I could share anything about this. Grief is a normal part of life, so keep going even when you’re upset. If you treat your elders with respect, I promise you’ll gain some wonderful knowledge. perhaps even miraculous. Also, pay attention to the silence; my musical partner and I have had some of the most meaningful conversations that have involved no music at all.
Tony, you are the best. Love, Lady,” the singer concluded the post.
Lady, you are a jazz singer,” Tony remarked to Lady Gaga after she performed “Orange Colored Sky” in 2011 at a charity event in New York City. Together with many other musicians, including Diana Krall and Amy Winehouse, Tony also sang duets. After being impressed by the pop superstar’s jazz abilities, he immediately invited her to record “The Lady Is a Tramp” for his Duets II album, which was released that same year.
According to Tony, “she came in so prepared and so knowledgeable about what to do” during the recording session. “”She has equal talent to Ella Fitzgerald or anyone else you can name. Not to mention her dancing, beliefs about dispelling myths, or methods for navigating awkward social situations. She possesses incredible strength.
If they just let her get on with what she needs to do, she might turn into America’s Picasso.
I’m aware that sounds improbable.
She is incredibly talented.
At President Barack Obama’s second inauguration celebration in January 2013, they shared the stage once more.
Along with the Grammy-winning “Cheek to Cheek,” Gaga and Tony collaborated on two albums.
Tony and Lady Gaga worked together on two albums, one of which, “Cheek to Cheek,” won a Grammy.
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2014 saw the release of Cheek to Cheek, a full-length album of pop jazz standards they co-wrote at Gaga’s suggestion. The album, which also featured the songs “Lush Life,” “Anything Goes,” and “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,” won the Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album and went on to sell about 800,000 copies in the US alone.
Tony has been dubbed “the greatest singer in the world” and “my musical companion” by Gaga.
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As well as being “my musical partner,” Gaga has referred to Tony as “the greatest singer in the world.”. ”.
In spite of Tony receiving an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis in 2016, the duo persisted, and Love for Sale, their subsequent album, was released in 2021. Gaga was inspired by her friend and mentor throughout the course of their friendship and the time they spent working on projects together. In a statement to AARP, she acknowledged, “I still haven’t gotten over Tony seeing me as a natural-born jazz singer. ”.
Tony celebrated his 95th birthday with a series of sold-out performances at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, where Gaga and Tony famously performed together one final time. One Last Time: An Evening with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, a TV special, was created from the performances. ”.
On August 3, 2021, Gaga introduced her idol at a concert by saying, “He’s my friend. He is my partner in performance. Furthermore, he is the world’s best singer. You, New York, have the power to make him smile. Then, you’d better cheer. You should shout. You should laugh. I want you to cry. It would be best if you gave everything.
The Lady is a Tramp” was the first song they performed together at a 2011 charity event.
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Gaga was honest when she talked about how awful it was to watch Tony struggle as his Alzheimer’s got worse. She acknowledged to Anderson Cooper, “It’s difficult to see someone change. I think it’s been both beautiful and frustrating to see how it affects him in some ways, while also seeing how it hasn’t affected his abilities. I think he endured a lot so that the world could see that greatness can endure hardship.
When they won the Grammys in 2015, Gaga praised their friendship and creative efforts. She said, “I think something I was yearning for myself was a truly authentic partnership, a true artistic interchange…Along with that, Tony proved to be a friend. Along with spending a lot of time together and making music, we communicate frequently. The trip has been incredible in all respects.
Bennett informed Gaga that she was a jazz singer the night they first met.
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“Lady, you are a jazz singer,” Bennett said as he introduced himself to Gaga. ”.
Tony is survived by his wife Susan Benedetto, his four stepchildren, and his seven grandchildren.
