While most celebrities have already expressed their thoughts on the passing of Whitney Houston, Lady Gaga has remained quiet until now. The pop megastar opened up to Oprah Winfrey on the legendary singer’s tragic death and how she influenced her.

During an interview on “Oprah’s Next Chapter” on OWN, Gaga recalled idolizing Houston as a child. “I found it slightly inappropriate to speak about, but actually my greatest influence in this house for 10 years was Whitney,” she said while speaking at the house where she grew up.

“I used to stand at the top of that staircase and sing ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ every single day after school. I would play it over and over. I used to stand up there and I would study her. I thanked her at the Grammys when I won that award because she for me is the greatest of all time.”

Upon learning of her death, Gaga’s initial reaction wasn’t shock. “I don’t know that I was like really surprised, I think it was just more I couldn’t believe that her heart wasn’t beating any more,” shared Gaga. “That’s really sort of the feeling that I felt. I was grateful that I knew that she knew I loved her.”

She previously acknowledged her idol while accepting the award for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2011 Grammys. “I wanted to thank Whitney because when I wrote ‘Born This Way,’ I imagined she was singing it because I wasn’t secure enough in myself to imagine I was a superstar,” she said during the live ceremony. “So Whitney I imagined you were singing ‘Born This Way’ when I wrote it. Thank you.”