Lady Gaga says she’s heartbroken for Tony Bennett over Alzheimer’s

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Lady Gaga has praised her collaborator and friend Tony Bennett following the release of their new album, Love for Sale.

Appearing on Zoe Ball’s BBC Radio Breakfast Show, the House of Gucci star discussed the legendary crooner’s ongoing struggles with Alzheimer’s disease.

“He’s one of my most favourite people on the whole planet,” she said. “I can’t tell you how much I learnt from him, and what it’s like to sing with a legend for so many years – I’ve sung with him for almost 10 years. And it’s heartbreaking to watch what he’s going through with Alzheimer’s.”

Gaga urged anyone listening who knew someone dealing with Alzheimer’s or dementia to “play some music from their childhood, and I promise you they will come to life in a way that is not expected”.

She caveated this by pointing out that “every case is different”, but spoke to her own personal experience of watching Bennett remember the lyrics to the songs they recorded together.

During the interview, Ball played a recording of Gaga’s co-star Salma Hayek praising the singer for her work and performance in Ridley Scott’s new film about the Gucci family scandals.

House of Gucci is released in cinemas on 26 November. Love for Sale is out now – read The Independent’s five-star review here.

Across the country, an increasing number of new programmes are helping people with dementia reconnect through songwriting and performance. Read more here.