Lady GaGa was especially moved by Amy Winehouse's death because she was often mistaken for the troubled singer before she hit the big time.
The Poker Face hitmaker paid tribute to the tragic Rehab star after hearing of her death on Saturday (23Jul11), taking to Twitter.com to write, "Amy changed pop music forever, I remember knowing there was hope, and feeling not alone because of her. She lived jazz, she lived the blues."
She further spoke of her respect for the late singer during a radio interview, revealing she looked up to the Brit before she was famous - because New Yorkers would often shout out Winehouse's name when she walked down the street.
She tells U.S. radio show, Omaha 94.1, "It's a lesson to the world. Don't kill the superstar, take care of her soul.
"I was nobody when she was first coming out. I would be on the street and people would go 'Amy'. I just remember feeling like I wasn't alone because she was so different."