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When news broke that Tony Bennett had passed away one of my first thoughts was, “Gaga must be devastated.” Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett met in 2011 when she was in her Born This Way era (still her best solo album, in my opinion). By 2014 she appeared on his Duets series and they recorded a jazz album together, Cheek to Cheek. The fondness between them was apparent from the get-go. I think Bennett saw past all the outfits and hairdos and just thought, “the kid can sing!” And it seemed that Gaga, for her part, revered Bennett and always treated him with kindness. I imagine she feels like she’s lost a family member, which is why I wasn’t surprised to see this sweet little piece from People on how she’ll always remember him:
Lady Gaga will always have a permanent reminder of the late Tony Bennett.
In 2014, the pop star, 37, had the legendary “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” singer–who died at age 96 on Friday–sketch her one of her tattoos.
“I asked Tony to draw me a trumpet, and he sketched me Miles Davis’ trumpet,” Gaga told PEOPLE that year. “Then I had it tattooed with his last name, Benedetto, underneath. Just so I would always remember this time together.”
Gaga and Bennett–who is remembered in this week’s PEOPLE cover story, on newsstands Friday–first bonded in 2011 at a charity gala where she sang the standard “Orange Colored Sky.”
“Tony heard me sing it, and he asked to meet me,” Gaga said in 2014. “He said, ‘Do you want to do a jazz album together?’ I said, ‘Of course I do!’ We were fast friends.”
Their 2014 jazz album, Cheek to Cheek, debuted at No. 1, making Bennett, at 88, the oldest artist to top the charts. Even after Bennett was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016, he went on to release a second jazz album with Gaga, titled Love for Sale, in 2021.
In August of that year, Bennett played his final two sold-out shows with Gaga at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. “My time with Tony,” Gaga said at the time, “has changed me forever.”
In addition to singing, Bennett was also an accomplished fine artist (he actually wanted to be a painter before he turned to music), so it’s all the more fitting that Gaga’s hand drawn trumpet tattoo is a marriage of both his talents. For all of the crazy Lady Gaga has thrown out into the world–and it’s a lot, I won’t deny that–I think her true character comes through in the way she interacts with the people she adores. We saw this last year when she took care of Liza Minnelli at the Oscars. The tenderness was also there when she and Bennett recorded Love for Sale in 2021, especially when they played his final two shows in New York that year. She knew his disease was progressing, and she put the focus on him. That’s a class act, Lady.
I simply adore this.
I dont agree with you @H.
While I’m an inherently cynical person, I truly believe Gaga is a considerate and kind soul.
When you have progressed and succeeded professionally in your career (as she has) – and have admired and been informally or formally mentored by true industry icons, it’s a true honour to be able to ‘pay-back’ these people in their latter years when they need it. That is what I believe she has done.
I disagree so strongly. Between this and Liza Minelli I feel like Lady Gaga is an opportunist taking advantage of the elderly.
What???
You watched the obvious kindness and respect Gaga showed to her elders and thought ‘yeah nah this is clearly abuse’? What a weird internet-outrage-culture take.
Tony and Gaga were friends for almost a decade…they recorded at least 2 albums together. Most of the artist she’s collaborated with have been closer to her age. Liza adored Gaga, up until the last few years of her life bc she felt she was overstated by Gaga at the Oscars…all because she pushed her wheelchair to present an award. Opportunistic is a stretch.
@H And you base that on what? The opinion I listen to is that of Tony Bennett himself, as well as his wife and his son (who was also his manager, BTW). Did you see the 60 Minutes episode with them? It was both uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time. As for the Liza episode at the Oscars, Gaga was so giving – standing back and supporting – not pulling focus in the least. I’ve had my criticisms of Lady Gaga in the past, but to basically paint her as some sort of elder abuser is just absurd.
How? this is nuts.
She’s an artist. How is it opportunistic to record with another legendary artist?
His actual family is on the record saying that music was the only thing that connected Tony with them, and they loved the collaboration. Give credit where it’s due. I hardly think there’s anything exploitative about it.
An awesome girl I went to high school with did her trumpet tattoo.