- Birth Date March 28, 1986
- Birthplace New York, New York
- Height 5’1”
- Relationship Status Spotted recently with ex Luc Carl
- Where You've Seen Her Her debut album, The Fame, blasted onto the scene in the summer of 2008 spawning megahits like “Just Dance” and “Poker Face.” She’s since cemented herself as a permanent fixture on the pop scene thanks to more hit singles and her wild, can’t-stop-staring-at-her style.
- Defining Quote “When you make music or write or create, it's really your job to have mind-blowing, irresponsible, condomless sex with whatever idea it is you're writing about at the time.”
It didn’t take long for Lady Gaga to cement her place among the ranks of pop star royalty thanks to her catchy brand of danceable music and unique style. Almost as soon as she hit the scene in 2008, she was drawing comparisons to the King and Queen of pop, Michael Jackson and Madonna -- definitely no small feat.
But all this comes as no surprise to anyone who grew up with her -- least of all herself -- who knew from the start that she was destined for stardom.
MOLDING A NEW AGE POP STAR
Gaga was born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta in New York City, the daughter of Italian American parents Joseph Germanotta, an Internet entrepreneur, and Cynthia Bissett, a telecom assistant. Music was part of her life from the very beginning, and she dropped out of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts her sophomore year to carve out a place for herself in the pop world. She started off as a fixture in the Lower East Side burlesque and drag scene, where she experimented with drugs and her image. But the hard-partying lifestyle was short lived. As soon as her career began to take shape, she kicked her habit to the curb to focus all her attention on taking over the airwaves with her music -- a mission she promptly accomplished.
Gaga was born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta in New York City, the daughter of Italian American parents Joseph Germanotta, an Internet entrepreneur, and Cynthia Bissett, a telecom assistant. Music was part of her life from the very beginning, and she dropped out of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts her sophomore year to carve out a place for herself in the pop world. She started off as a fixture in the Lower East Side burlesque and drag scene, where she experimented with drugs and her image. But the hard-partying lifestyle was short lived. As soon as her career began to take shape, she kicked her habit to the curb to focus all her attention on taking over the airwaves with her music -- a mission she promptly accomplished.
The origin of her alter ego, Lady Gaga, is a topic of dispute. Her former producer and boyfriend, Rob Fusari, claims credit, saying it was born when an auto-corrected text message he sent her reading “Radio GaGa” (referring to the Queen track) was changed to “Lady Gaga.” A former collaborator claims it simply came about during a marketing meeting. Either way, she took the new image and mutated it into the half-naked, bubble dress-wearing, blood-soaked spectacle she is now.
THE BEST POKER FACE IN TOWN
Her breakthrough came in 2008, thanks, in some part, to celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, who endorsed her on his website and first drew the comparison to Madonna. The publicity brought with it a huge gay fanbase, whose support she credits with her success. She landed a deal with Interscope and her successful stint as a songwriter for other artists culminated in the release of her own album, The Fame, which received rave reviews, topped the charts in several countries and produced three hit singles -- 'Just Dance,' 'Poker Face' and 'Paparazzi.' It also won her a slew of awards, including two Grammys for Best Electronic/Dance Album and Best Dance Recording ('Poker Face'), an MTV VMA for Best New Artist and two People’s Choice Awards for Favorite Pop Artist and Favorite Breakout Artist.
Her breakthrough came in 2008, thanks, in some part, to celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, who endorsed her on his website and first drew the comparison to Madonna. The publicity brought with it a huge gay fanbase, whose support she credits with her success. She landed a deal with Interscope and her successful stint as a songwriter for other artists culminated in the release of her own album, The Fame, which received rave reviews, topped the charts in several countries and produced three hit singles -- 'Just Dance,' 'Poker Face' and 'Paparazzi.' It also won her a slew of awards, including two Grammys for Best Electronic/Dance Album and Best Dance Recording ('Poker Face'), an MTV VMA for Best New Artist and two People’s Choice Awards for Favorite Pop Artist and Favorite Breakout Artist.
She released her second album, The Fame Monster, in 2009, which spawned three more hits to add to her growing collection. 'Bad Romance,' 'Telephone' and 'Alejandro' became permanent fixtures on every radio station and came with outrageous and controversial music videos to match. And although we weren't sure it was possible, Gaga broke the boundaries ten fold with the release of her 2011 single, 'Born This Way.'
RUMORS FLY
Whether you love her or hate her, it’s impossible to deny that you can’t look away. Her videos have over one billion Internet views, she has made headlines for every rumor imaginable, including being bisexual (true), a hermaphrodite (false) and (gasp!) celibate. She is an outspoken proponent for gay rights, and was chosen as one of Barbara Walters’s 10 Most Fascinating People of 2009 and one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2010.
Whether you love her or hate her, it’s impossible to deny that you can’t look away. Her videos have over one billion Internet views, she has made headlines for every rumor imaginable, including being bisexual (true), a hermaphrodite (false) and (gasp!) celibate. She is an outspoken proponent for gay rights, and was chosen as one of Barbara Walters’s 10 Most Fascinating People of 2009 and one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2010.
And something tells us this is only the beginning.
