Katy Perry Mourns Death of Friend and Music Exec Angelica Cob-Baehler Who Helped Launch Her Career

Katy Perry is mourning the loss of a close friend after she sadly passed away from cancer last week.

The singer, 34, posted the heartfelt tribute to Angelica “Geli” Cob-Baehler on Instagram Tuesday and explained how bigtime music executive, 47, played an incredibly important role in her career.

“Six days ago, one of my biggest champions and realest friends, Angelica Cob-Baehler moved on from this place,” Perry began. “She was one of the strongest women I have ever known – fighting her cancer like friggin’ Rocky, enduring chemo, immunotherapy, a tracheotomy, feeding tubes for months on end, and experimental cancer treatment trials.”

“I watched her go through many stages for over a year, but a few things remained constant: her sarcastic/wicked sense of humor, her positive outlook, and the incredible love she had for her family,” she continued.

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Six days ago, one of my biggest champions and realest friends, Angelica Cob-Baehler moved on from this place. She was one of the strongest women I have ever known – fighting her cancer like friggin’ Rocky, enduring chemo, immunotherapy, a tracheotomy, feeding tubes for months on end, and experimental cancer treatment trials. I watched her go through many stages for over a year, but a few things remained constant: her sarcastic/wicked sense of humor, her positive outlook, and the incredible love she had for her family. We had a lot of wins together for over 10 years, and I am incredibly grateful she was a born fighter/no shit-taker because she practically willed me into existence as a young artist when she “stole my files” from limbo at Columbia Records and brought them to life at Capitol Records. She was like a big sister to me, showing me the ropes and always having my back. She never became a yes-person and was quick to check me when I needed checking – that was family. I have procrastinated posting this because it makes it feel a little too final, but I don’t believe people ever really die – she just had to leave that body behind. Out of body, and full of spirit now. Sadly, she also left behind two amazing young girls, and an incredible husband who was the definition of ROCK through this whole process. As for me, I’ll never let them forget that Angelica embodied the angel in her name, was a woman of incredible integrity and character, a massive giver, and a DOPE human being. I know today is #GivingTuesday, and if you have been a longtime KatyCat and a friend of mine or Geli’s, let’s honor her by donating to her favorite charity, Generosity.org by clicking the link in bio. She may be gone from this place, but she will never be forgotten. Rest in power, my angel, and don’t worry, we got Chapman and the girls. #RIPGeli

A post shared by KATY PERRY (@katyperry) on Nov 27, 2018 at 4:01pm PST

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Perry and Cob-Baehler have known each other for over a decade. At the start of her career in 2004, Perry had landed with Sony’s Columbia Records, according to a 2012 profile by The Hollywood Reporter.

However, after things fell through with them, she ended up signing with Capitol Records thanks to help of Cob-Baehler who “stole her files” and “brought them to life” at the label, Perry explained.

“We had a lot of wins together for over 10 years, and I am incredibly grateful she was a born fighter/no s— -taker because she practically willed me into existence as a young artist when she ‘stole my files’ from limbo at Columbia Records and brought them to life at Capitol Records,” the singer wrote. “She was like a big sister to me, showing me the ropes and always having my back.”

“She never became a yes-person and was quick to check me when I needed checking – that was family,” she continued. “I have procrastinated posting this because it makes it feel a little too final, but I don’t believe people ever really die – she just had to leave that body behind. Out of body, and full of spirit now.”

“Sadly, she also left behind two amazing young girls, and an incredible husband who was the definition of ROCK through this whole process,” she added. “As for me, I’ll never let them forget that Angelica embodied the angel in her name, was a woman of incredible integrity and character, a massive giver, and a DOPE human being.”

Perry finished her post by asking her followers to donate to Cob-Baehler’s favorite charity, Generosity.org, in honor of Giving Tuesday.

“She may be gone from this place, but she will never be forgotten,” she wrote. “Rest in power, my angel, and don’t worry, we got Chapman and the girls. #RIPGeli”

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Cob-Baehler played a massive role in the production of Perry’s 2008 album “One of the Boys,” which featured her breakthrough hit “I Kissed a Girl,” according to Variety. She also helped with the development of Perry’s next album “Teenage Dream.”

The music executive’s influence has also been clear from a financial standpoint. Perry recently topped Forbes‘ highest-paid women in music list for 2018. According to the outlet, the “Swish Swish” singer rakes in $83 million, just above Taylor Swift.

from PEOPLE.com https://ift.tt/2SeU31D