Lady Gaga Emotionally Recalls Moment Tony Bennett Recognized Her On Stage
By Ariel King
October 5, 2021
Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett recently released their new album, Love For Sale, and the record will be the last collaboration between the two artists. Gaga has been open about the difficulties in recording the record amid Bennett's Alzheimer's diagnosis, which was announced this past February. Now, after speaking with 60 Minutes, Gaga spoke to Anderson Cooper and expressed how emotional it felt for Bennett to say her name on stage while they performed in promotion of the record.
"That's the first time that Tony said my name in, a long time," Gaga said. "I had to keep it together because we had a sold-out show and a job to do. But I'll tell you, when I walked out on that stage and he said 'it's Lady Gaga,' my friend saw me. And it was very special."
Lady Gaga gets emotional as she describes Tony Bennett saying her name on stage for the first time in “a long time” amid Alzheimer’s diagnosis:
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) October 4, 2021
“I had to keep it together.” https://t.co/Mx4qcilM0i
Bennett has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's since 2016, and continued to perform up until the pandemic. Once his diagnosis had been announced, they weren't sure whether he would ever take to the stage again. However, he joined Lady Gaga on stage at Radio City Music Hall for his last-ever performance. His family opted to make his diagnosis public this year without his input, Bennett's wife, Susan, telling AARP magazine, "He would ask me, 'What is Alzheimer's?' I would explain, but he wouldn't get it. He'd tell me, 'Susan, I feel fine.' That's all he could process – that physically he felt great. So, nothing changed in his life. Anything that did change, he wasn't aware of."
Fans of Gaga and Bennett will have the opportunity to see Lady Gaga's "Jazz & Piano" residency later this month, and iHeartRadio is gifting one lucky fan a Love For Sale box set and flying them and a friend out to Las Vegas to enjoy the show. Gaga's "Jazz & Piano" will kick off on October 14, and run through the end of the month. Gaga also hosted a global livestream for Love For Sale on September 30.
Gaga and Bennett announced Love For Sale last August, with the record serving as the follow-up to their Grammy-winning 2015 outing, Cheek to Cheek.