'I love you': Lady Gaga pays heart touching birthday tribute to friend who died of cancer

Lady Gaga has paid a touching birthday tribute to her friend who died in May after battling cancer. Sonja Durham would have been 42 years old on Sunday (8 October).

Taking to Instagram, the songstress shared a photo of the two and wrote that she would love Durham forever. The snap was taken at Durham and Andre Dubois' wedding, which took place months before her death.

At the wedding, Gaga wore a pink sequined dress, which she paired with an expensive pair of earrings and a necklace.

"I ♥ you forever Sonja. #breastcancerawareness #womenempowerment," she wrote on the photo-and-video-sharing application.

Gaga then shared a photo of a necklace she wears, which contains Durham's ashes inside it.

"I wear some of @sonjad7777 Sonja's ashes around my neck in a black pearl given to me by her husband & widower @viegitane007 André Dubois," Gaga wrote.

"My extended family @angiepontani, mother of my godchild Sissy and wife of @briannewmanny my buddy I've played jazz within NY for over ten years told us she had a dream. That we could talk to Sonja through her pearls. And I will Sonja. I Will. Happy Birthday. I love you. #breastcancerawareness #breastcancer #womenempowerment."

Gaga also shared a selfie of herself with her boyfriend Christian Carino, who is seen with his chin placed on the singer's shoulders.

"After rollin around on the couch feeling sad with the help of some of my #grigiogirls and a very special someone I managed to dress up and feel better in a beautiful pink sequined dress generously gifted to me from @oscardelarenta," Gaga wrote.

"Sonja would want us to celebrate her Birthday. So we are. Dressed in Pink and handing out pink chocolate kisses for #breastcancerawareness."

Gaga has mentioned Durham in the song Grigio Girls from her latest album Joanne. Gaga refers to Sonja as the "Texas girl real strong" in the song.