Typically the choice to have children is that of the parents-to-be, but in Lady Gaga’s case, jazz legend Tony Bennett had a significant role in her decision not to reproduce right now.
“I thought I did [want kids immediately], because I was feeling kind of finished with all of the chaos of my life,” she told Parade. “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.”
Gaga, 28, who has been dating Chicago Fire star Taylor Kinney since 2011, recently went through a rough patch in her career — namely, poor critical and commercial reception to her third studio album ARTPOP — and even considered giving up on music all together.
“Six months ago I didn’t even want to sing anymore,” the “Applause” singer explained. “The other day, Tony said, ‘I’ve never once in my career not wanted to do this.’ It stung. Six months ago I didn’t feel that way. I tell Tony every day that he saved my life. 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.”
Together the new duo, who call themselves Tony and Lady, are preparing for the release of their jazz album Cheek to Cheek, which is set to be released on Sept. 23.
“I just love what she did on this album,” Bennett, 88, said. “She’s up there with Ella Fitzgerald, who was the greatest singer in the world.”