Pop sensation Lady Gaga was given the Contemporary Icon Award at the 46th annual Songwriters Hall Of Fame Induction And Awards held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City last month, June 18th.
The 29-year-old was handed the award by “Cheek 2 Cheek” co-creator, jazz legend Tony Bennett and delivered a very touch acceptance speech afterwards. Lady Gaga even thanked her first mentor Bob Leone, during her speech.
Now Bob Leone, sends his own message to Lady Gaga exclusively through our website, dreamofgaga:
Congratulations to you, Lady GaGa, on receiving the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame’s first-ever Icon Award. You most certainly deserved it.
Also, I would like to express my sincerest and most heartfelt gratitude for the very kind words you spoke about me that night. They mean a great deal to me, more than I can say, more than you’ll ever know. God Bless You!
One more thing: Billy Strayhorn’s “Lush Life” is my absolute favorite jazz standard and has been for many, many years. It’s one of the songs I most love to play when I sit at my piano. I heard your version of that masterpiece on You Tube several months ago and I want you to know that your performance of it was, by far, the best I’ve ever heard. Thank you for the experience of that.
~ Bob Leone
