As Lady Gaga's bandleader, Brian Newman has had the privilege of working alongside the 14-time Grammy winner for years. But what many may not know is that Gaga is also the godmother to his 9-year-old daughter.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Newman revealed what Gaga is like as a godmother to his daughter, Sistilia. "She's great," he confirmed. "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."

Newman's daughter has even appeared in the 2017 documentary Lady Gaga: Five Foot Two, although Newman thinks she's still too young to fully understand the magnitude of having a superstar godmother. "She's still only 9, though, so who knows," he said.

Newman, 44, met Gaga when he was a bartender and she was a go-go dancer in the Lower East Side. He recalled his first impression of her as "a hard worker and a fun person to be around." He added, "She always had a bigger-than-life kind of vibe. I mean, I think it was always apparent."

The trumpet player has collaborated with Gaga on several projects, including the albums Cheek to Cheek and Love for Sale with Tony Bennett, as well as the Joker: Folie à Deux companion album Harlequin. Newman praised Gaga's ability to top herself with each new project, saying, "It's just always from the heart."

Newman recently wrapped up his residency at the Flatiron Room in Manhattan and will return to the venue this year. He spoke highly of the venue, saying, "The thing I love about the Flatiron Room is just that we can really stretch there. We can, of course, we're entertaining and we're making sure the crowd is having a great time, but it is a great place for me to try new things."

For more on Lady Gaga and Brian Newman's friendship, check out this article on Miley Cyrus opening up about her family's dark decade of drama and reconciliation.

And for more on celebrity friendships, read about Brad Pitt's Formula One drama and Shaquille O'Neal's NBA players' road trip antics.

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