Lady Gaga shares tearful tribute to Tony Bennett in final concert before his retirement
Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga perform on stage during MTV Unplugged (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for ViacomCBS)
Lady Gaga said she will “cry about tonight forever” as Tony Bennett’s last concert before his retirement has aired.
The duo, who have been playing music together for a decade, performed two concerts in New York in August, the last of which was aired on CBS on Sunday (28 November).
The final concerts come as Bennett, 95, announced that he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in an interview with AARP.
“The real ‘lady’ of the hour is Susan Benedetto, Tony’s remarkable wife,” Lady Gaga said on Instagram when the concert was aired.
“Thank you Susan for how you love Tony Bennett. I love you and Tony and the whole family so much. I’ll cry about tonight forever.”
In a clip of the One Last Time concert shown on 60 minutes, Lady Gaga can be seen smiling and laughing as Bennett introduced her to the crowd.
“Wow, Lady Gaga!” he said as she twirled in a gold dress.
The singer told 60 Minutes that she became emotional after hearing him say her name, as he hadn’t in a “long time”, instead calling her “sweetheart” when they were together.
On stage, Lady Gaga said of Bennett: “He’s my friend. He’s my musical companion. And he’s the greatest singer in the whole world.
“I’m counting on you, New York, to make him smile… You better give your soul.”
Bennett performed signature tune I Left My Heart in San Francisco, as well as classics including Fly Me to the Moon.
Bennett and Gaga recently received six Grammy nominations for their album Love for Sale.
Speaking to Stephen Colbert, she said of the jazz legend: “He is a remarkable human being.
“He served our country, he also marched with Dr Martin Luther King Jr. He used to sneak Duke Ellington into the back of hotels to play jazz music all night long.
“His commitment to civil rights – and to humanity – is something that he has taught me from a very young age to take with me into all that I do. I love him very deeply.”
