Liza Minnelli

Awards shows are a natural setting for honoring aging legends. It's reassuring when they don't try to hide the frailty that aging can bring.

And, like so many others, I was endeared by the reassuring presence of Lady Gaga; much as she has in her work with the 95-year-old Tony Bennett, she seemed intuitively prepared to act as companion to a legend. A columnist for The Colorado Sun wrote that Gaga’s behavior “turned me to a puddle,” while a writer for The Cut called it “profoundly moving.” The sheer vigor of people’s approval might say something about how rare it is to see ordinary gestures of support in contexts like awards shows, which tend to be stiff, scripted and spotlit, always highlighting the confidently glamorous and the glamorously confident. Seeing Mitchell and Minnelli receive their flowers was heartwarming, sure; the magnitude of their work cannot be overstated. We are so used to seeing her move with unbelievable energy that it was difficult to see that energy restrained. The reaction to Minnelli was more explicitly reverential, as if viewers were suddenly realizing that she would not be with us forever. Nobody seemed to mind that he hit on one of the hosts (Anne Hathaway) and the winner (Melissa Leo); they were happy to pay tribute while they could. Both are in their 70s, and both were honored this year: Raitt earned a lifetime-achievement award, while Mitchell won a Grammy for Best Historical Album (awarded before the main broadcast) and was named Person of the Year by the Grammy-affiliated nonprofit MusiCares. Raitt still tours and is set to release a new album this month, but Mitchell’s appearance was more exceptional. While accepting her preshow Grammy, she thanked her physical therapist, who accompanied her to the stage; days earlier, she sang her 1970 hit “Big Yellow Taxi” onstage with Carlile and others at a MusiCares ceremony. Raitt set Mitchell up to introduce the next performer, about whom she was meant to say: “Please welcome an extraordinary artist and beautiful human being — a stunning, brave and truthful voice, my brilliant friend and ambassador, Brandi Carlile.” But when it came to the word “truthful,” Mitchell stopped. Minnelli was using a wheelchair, and as their own standing ovation ebbed, Gaga said: “You see that? “Overwhelming,” she whispered to Raitt, before the applause died down. This year’s Grammys had centerpiece performances from Olivia Rodrigo and BTS, plus a big reception for the newly minted Oscar winner Questlove; Trevor Noah, the host, told jokes that offended nobody’s spouse.

Longtime collaborator Michael Feinstein has alleged that the manner of Minnelli's appearance presenting best picture last month was largely against her ...

The pair have been close for more than a decade, and last month Minnelli’s former publicist Scott Gorenstein told People their appearance at the Oscars was at the direct request of Gaga. Can you imagine being suddenly forced to be seen by millions of people the way you don’t want to be seen? I don’t want people to worry about me.’”

Lady Gaga previously won praise for supporting “fragile” Liza during her rare public appearance at last month's ceremony.

Liza Minnelli felt 'sabotaged' by Oscars bosses following her appearance on stage at the ceremony last month, it has been claimed.

‘She was so shaken that she was discombobulated. She was very disappointed.’ ‘I am honored to present the final award of the evening with a true showbusiness legend. She is really doing well and it’s a shame that it turned out that way. She said, “No, I will not be seen in a wheelchair in front of everybody. ‘She said, “I don’t want people to see me limping out there…

'She was very disappointed,' singer Michael Feinstein said.

Feinstein, who was with the legendary actor at the time, said: “She was so shaken that she was discombobulated. She was very disappointed.” “The stage manager said, ‘Well, she has to be in a wheelchair’ and Liza pleaded. And she was just so shaken up... She was nervous and it made her look like she was out of it. I don’t want people to worry about me.’”

The 65-year-old singer claims that the Cabaret icon appeared on stage at the 94th Academy Awards to present the Best Picture prize with Lady Gaga to 'CODA – in ...

She was very disappointed.” I don’t want people to worry about me.'” Appearing on SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show, he said: “You know, that whole thing was, she was sabotaged.

According to Minnelli's longtime collaborator Michael Feinstein, the legend was “forced” to use a wheelchair minutes before she took the stage with Lady ...

Feinstein, a five-time Grammy nominee and namesake of Broadway’s popular cabaret bar Feinstein’s/54 Below, went on to claim that Minnelli’s presenting plans changed at the last minute, in part due to the backstage kerfuffle caused by Will Smith’s slap. That’s what happened to her.” She said, ‘I don’t want people to see me limping out there.’ She said, ‘You know, I want to look good.