Lady Gaga remembers Tony Bennett: 'I will miss my friend forever'

July 31 (UPI) -- Pop music icon Lady Gaga took to Instagram early Monday to post a heartfelt tribute to her late friend and frequent collaborator Tony Bennett, who died on July 21 at the age of 96.

"I will miss my friend forever. I will miss singing with him, recording with him, talking with him, being on stage together. With Tony, I got to live my life in a time warp," she wrote alongside a photo of her hugging Bennett.

"Tony & I had this magical power. We transported ourselves to another era, modernized the music together, & gave it all new life as a singing duo."

She went on to say their chemistry and friendship weren't pretend for the stage.

"Our relationship was very real. Sure he taught me about music, about showbiz life, but he also showed me how to keep my spirits high and my head screwed on straight," Lady Gaga added.

"He was an optimist, he believed in quality work AND quality life. Plus, there was the gratitude...Tony was always grateful. He served in WWII, marched with Martin Luther King Jr., and sang jazz with the greatest singers and players in the world. I've been grieving the loss of Tony for a long time. We had a very long and powerful goodbye. Though there were 5 decades between us, he was my friend. My real true friend."

The post has gotten more than 1.1 million "likes" since it was posted early Monday.

Bennett revealed his 2016 Alzheimer's diagnosis in an interview with AARP magazine in February 2021.

As the story broke, he tweeted: "Life is a gift -- even with Alzheimer's. Thank you to Susan and my family for their support, and @AARP The Magazine for telling my story."

Bennett continued to tour until the coronavirus pandemic shut down live performances in 2020.

He officially retired from public life at age 95 in August 2021 after a pair of triumphant farewell concerts he headlined with Lady Gaga at New York City's Radio City Music Hall.

Bennett had been expected to go back on the road to perform six more solo concerts that were postponed because of the pandemic, but his son and manager Danny Bennett told Variety after the Gaga gigs, "There won't be any additional concerts."