"She was just the coolest" — Lady Gaga's bandleader opens up about his equation with her, reveals she is his daughter's godmother

Lady Gaga and her bandleader, Brian Newman, have known each other for a very long time now. They met way before the icon rose to fame, the time when Gaga was a go-go dancer in the Lower East Side, and Newman worked as a bartender.

In an exclusive interview with People Magazine, published on June 10, 2025, the trumpeter recalled those initial days, saying,

"She was always just cool, man. She was just the coolest."

Praising the "I'll Never Love Again" singer, Newman shared about his first impression, adding,

"My first impression was that she was a hard worker and a fun person to be around, and she's always been like that."

Highlighting how Lady Gaga has always had a "bigger-than-life kind of vibe," he confirmed,

"I mean, I think it was always apparent."

The Grammy winner is also a godmother to Brian's daughter. Lauding her as a godmother to his child, he remarked,

"She's great."

Brian Newman reflected on his bond with Lady Gaga

Their relationship exceeds professional commitments. They have known each other for years and have witnessed their hard work and how their lives have evolved with name, fame, money, and success.

Over the years, they have partnered several times on renowned projects. Their long-standing collaboration spans popular albums such as Cheek to Cheek, Love for Sale, and Harlequin, among other musical ventures.

Lady Gaga shares a wonderful bond with Newman's family, too. His wife, Angie Pontani, and daughter Sistilia appeared on the singer's documentary titled Lady Gaga: Five Foot Two.

During the virtual interview with the outlet, Brian also opened up about his little one, her nine-year-old daughter. Sharing how she attends events and concerts, he noted,

"She's been to the concerts, she's been to the Vegas [show] and backstage and she's been to Chromatica and yeah, I think she gets it. She's still only 9, though, so who knows."

As a 9-year-old kid, she is yet to understand the experience and excitement of enjoying such marvellous events. The Jazz musician later explained,

"I have to tell her, sometimes we tell her, 'Hey Sistilia, not everyone gets to do stuff like this.' So she has a very cool life, especially with her mom and dad. She's been backstage with us, on the road with us, in Vegas on our shows, and she's just a great showbiz kid, man."

Expressing love for Sistilia, he remarked,

"She's a great, wonderful, wonderful kid."

On July 25, 2016, Gaga shared a glimpse of her goddaughter, Sistilia's baptism event.

Posting an adorable click with the cute baby, she penned in the heartfelt caption,

"So proud to be made one of the Godmother's of our little angel Sistilia. @briannewmanny and his Wife Angie have been my friends since we were kids on the lower east side. It was a beautiful baptism and Italian style feast. We love u sissy! ❤️"

Brian remained one of the constants in Gaga's musical journey. He saw her creating excellent tracks, winning accolades, receiving awards, and so many wonderful chapters of her profession.

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Speaking highly of the "Shallow" singer, he expressed,

"[It] has always been cool to see her just do everything and just topping, everything she tops it's better than the last thing. It's just always from the heart."

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