An ode to the wholesome friendship between Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga
The pop star credited Bennett, who died on July 21 at age 96, with making her fall in love with music again after nearly quitting.

An amazing music duo, sure. But also loving friends.
Few celebrity friendships are as wholesome as the one shared between Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga. The icons would release two Grammy-winning, chart-topping albums together and perform two sold-out concerts at Radio City Music Hall, but they were much more than creative collaborators.
Bennett, who passed away on July 21 at age 96, previously told Parade that he first met Gaga, whom he lovingly called “Lady,” at a charity concert, where she performed the jazz standard "Orange Colored Sky".
Struck by how she could captivate a crowd, Bennett immediately went backstage to meet her (a huge and pleasant surprise, Gaga would recall) and suggested they do an album together, which would later be titled, “Cheek to Cheek.”
This interaction had a profound effect on the pop idol, who at the time had been disillusioned with the music industry and “didn’t even want to sing” anymore. But recording together reignited her passion.
"All of a sudden, I'm singing in the studio with Tony and my childhood is flashing before me. All of those moments singing Ella Fitzgerald, being in the jazz band in high school and jazz being my first love. It's been really exciting to revisit everything again and go back to my roots,” she told USA Today.
Because of that reaffirmation, Gaga credits the crooner for “saving her life.” According to People, she would even end up getting a tattoo of a trumpet, drawn by Bennett, “just so I would always remember this time together.”
The duo’s friendship would continue to deepen throughout the years. Gaga became an advocate for Alzheimer's after Bennett’s diagnosis in 2016. In an interview with 60 Minutes in 2022, she shared how “beautiful” and “challenging” it was to watch someone she cared about change, but at the same time have his talent be unaffected.
Tony Bennett (battling with Alzheimer’s) said Lady Gaga’s name for the first time at their last concert together. this was a special moment for both of them. #RIPTonyBennett pic.twitter.com/62oXbXekB6
— ً (@keaaaaley) July 21, 2023
"When that music comes on ... something happens to him," she said. "He knows exactly what he’s doing. I think he really pushed through something to give the world the gift of knowing things can change and you can still be magnificent.”
Though Gaga hasn’t commented on Bennett’s death, her sentiments are likely akin to what she said of “Love For Sale,” their last album made together: “The celebration of jazz, and us as musical companions, will live on with me forever.”
Fueled by a deep love of music, Tony Bennett wholeheartedly shared the spotlight (and his infectious joy) with singers across virtually all genres, singing duets with everyone from Barbara Streisand to Paul McCartney to Amy Winehouse to John Legend. He even sang with country superstar Carrie Underwood.
Besides God-given talent, Bennett had a childlike spirit that brought out the best in others, and he will be missed.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.