Admittedly, I don’t really “get” the friendship between Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett. It just seems bizarre. Gaga is crazier than a craphouse rat and Bennett is a classic. Where those two meet in the middle, I’m not sure, but they’ve become absolute best of friends, hanging out together in NYC and recording a jazz album together that’ll be out later this month.
The pair covered the new Parade magazine and were interviewed inside, and while the actual interview is way too long to paste, here are some highlights.
ON HOW CELEBRITY CULTURE HAS CHANGED SINCE TONY BENNETT BECAME A STAR
LG: It’s changed a lot. Celebrity culture now is a culture of humiliation. For young people it’s cool to not care and to be rude and crass. That’s not the way to act…. We’re all being poisoned by what we watch, listen to, read. Everyone’s using the headline that’s going to get them the most clicks. They don’t care about doing the right thing. It’s all about scandal, and selling, and celebrity. When young people finally realize this is happening, there is going to be a revolution. I really hope that this album can be part of that. We say, “You can listen to timeless, beautiful music that’s honest and authentic.”LADY GAGA ON WHETHER SHE WANTS TO START A FAMILY
LG: I thought I did, because I was feeling kind of finished with all of the chaos of my life. But then I started to spend a lot more time with Tony, and everything just became simpler, more pure, and more perfect. Now I think I’m going to take a lot more time before I have kids and settle down. I just want to sing.ON WANTING TO GIVE UP
LG: I’m not going to say any names, but people get irrational when it comes to money—with how they treat you, with what they expect from you. … But if you help an artist, it doesn’t give you the right, once the artist is big, to take advantage of them. … I was so sad. I couldn’t sleep. I felt dead. And then I spent a lot of time with Tony. He wanted nothing but my friendship and my voice. [She begins to cry.]
TB: [quietly] I understand. [He holds her hand.]
LG: It meant a lot to me, Tony. I don’t have many people I can relate to.
Okay, so these two are clearly soulmates. It’s weird and I don’t get it, but they seem to really love and vibe off each other, so good for them. Maybe Lady Gaga can stay in the jazz world and out of my eardrums permanently. I think that would work!
Hmmm.. I’m not sure why you have such a hardon for Lady Gaga. Have you seen her live shows? Look, I don’t give a tinker’s damn about any LBGTQ / bull-sh*T, but she most DEFINITELY struck a nerve. For people who are misfits or feel like they are, or are treated that way – oh, yeah, hmm.. that sounds like what Joan Rivers did for awkward Jewish gals. .and the Sex Pistols did for ever single kid who felt out of place. I gotta say, I was there at the VERY beginning with the Pistols, at least in the US, and they literally saved rock and roll for me. So did Joan for certain people, and no DOUBT Lady Gaga for many. I LOVE all her hits. That’s more than I can say for 99.999999 of all pop musicians – certainly over someone, like, say, Beee-yawn-say. Honesty, what did that chick ever do? Except show up in a Lady Gaga video… bwaaaah haaaaah haaaah! And suck up to Obama. Oh, wait, you’re a liberal.
Never mind.
i met tony once and went WEAK IN DA KNEEEES! good on her for linking up with such an extraordinary man. he really is – i felt it the moment we made eye contact, there’s a crazy chemistry and kindness in his shell of a body… still not a fan of hers, whatevuh, i can dig it.
I think they get on because underneath the crazy personas & crazier costumes, Gaga is a talented musician. I saw her perform with nothing but her own piano as accompaniment and she was fantastic. Maybe this is her way of finding herself after getting far too caught up in her own hype. I hope so, I think she’s still got a lot of good music left to make.