Lady Gaga says she's been 'grieving the loss' of Tony Bennett 'for a long time': 'Losing Tony to Alzheimer's has been painful'

• Lady Gaga wrote an emotional tribute to her late friend, Tony Bennett.
• The singer was diagnosed with Alzheimer's back in 2016.

Lady Gaga has paid a heartfelt tribute to Tony Bennett, her longtime friend and collaborator, who died earlier this month.

Bennett died on July 21, aged 96, after years of dealing with Alzheimer's disease, which he was diagnosed with in 2016.

Gaga took to Instagram early Monday to post a photo of her and Bennett embracing, as well as share memories of their friendship and musical collaborations.

Admitting that she has been "grieving the loss of Tony for a long time," the singer said: "Though there were 5 decades between us, he was my friend."

Gaga went on to describe how "losing Tony to Alzheimer's has been painful" but "also really beautiful."

"An era of memory loss is such a sacred time in a persons life," the singer wrote. "There's such a feeling of vulnerability and a desire to preserve dignity. All I wanted was for Tony to remember how much I loved him and how grateful I was to have him in my life. But, as that faded slowly I knew deep down he was sharing with me the most vulnerable moment in his life that he could--being willing to sing with me when his nature was changing so deeply. I'll never forget this experience. I'll never forget Tony Bennett."

The "Born This Way" singer also remembered how Bennett gave her meaningful advice about life and navigating her music career.

"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. 'Straight ahead,' he'd say. He was an optimist, he believed in quality work AND quality life," Gaga wrote.

Concluding her post, Gaga advised her fans to "take care of your elders," promising that they "will learn something special" in doing so.

Bennett was best known for his voice, but he was also a talented painter, and served in the United States Army during World War II.

As Gaga pointed out, "He served in WWII, marched with Martin Luther King Jr., and sang jazz with the greatest singers and players in the world."