The performer known today as Lady GaGa began her life as Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta on March 28, 1986 in New York City. Of Italian heritage, she was the first child welcomed by Joseph and Cynthia Germanotta. At the age of 11, having demonstrated a talent for music, her parents considered enrolling her in the prestigious Julliard School of Music in the city of her birth. Tradition won out and instead, Stefani entered the Convent of the Scared Heart, a private Roman Catholic school, which would prove to have little influence upon her.
Shortly after her thirteenth birthday, the singer with the stoic stage presence wrote her first piano ballad and unveiled it at local talent shows. Four years later, New York University’s Tisch School of Arts accepted her into their music program, where she improved her songwriting skills. At the age of 19, she opted out of the program to focus on her career rather than her studies.
Striking out on her own, she performed in clubs on Manhattan’s Lower East Side with Mackin Pulsifer and the SG Band. With a repertoire that highlighted burlesque and a lifestyle that embraced drug abuse, the girl scandalized her father and turned her nose up at her Catholic school education.
Nicknamed GaGa by music producer Rob Fusari in honor of the Queen song, Radio Ga Ga, Stef adopted Lady GaGa as her stage name. In 2007, she teamed up with Lady Starlight for gigs in New York’s downtown clubs, where the duo was billed as Lady GaGa and the Starlight Revue. Promoting themselves as “The Ultimate Pop Burlesque Rock Show,” the pair performed a tribute to variety acts of the 1970’s. They went on to earn high accolades for their performance at the Lollapalooza music festival.
Finding her niche, Lady GaGa incorporated the music of David Bowie and Queen into her mix, thereby joining the scores of the uninventive claiming to “sample” other artists’ music when in truth, they rip it off. She also claimed Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Brittany Spears as influences. Discovered by producer-singer-songwriter and former car thief Akon at Interscope Records, she inked a joint deal with Jim Iovine and Akon’s label, Kon Live Distribution, where Akon dubbed her his franchised player. Lady GaGa began using her own material to launch her debut album with producer RedOne. Boys, Boys, Boys was the first song that they produced.
In 2008, she relocated to Los Angeles to finalize her debut album, The Fame. Its urban tracks combined Def Leppard-like drums with metallic handclaps. GaGa also collaborated with a collective, called the Haus of GaGa, which selected her clothing, or lack thereof, as well as stage sets and sounds (so much for musical artistry). The Fame received positive reviews from Metacritic and was described by Times Online as “fantastic.” The CD achieved #1 status in Austria, the United Kingdom, Canada and Ireland, netting worldwide sales of three million copies.
Following her success in foreign markets, the Haus of GaGa’s image mavens focused on U.S. audiences. They double billed GaGa on her first concert tour with her label mates, the newest incarnation of New Kids on the Block (who aren’t kids, by a long shot). The tour that ran for approximately two months (from October 8th to late November, 2008) led to The Fame Ball Tour of North America. This kicked off in March 2009 to critical acclaim. In the immortal words of Captain James Tiberius Kirk, “There is no accounting for some people’s tastes.”
On her World Domination Tour, GaGa opened for the Pussycat Dolls in the U.K. and Australia, where she was well received. One reviewer claimed that she upstaged the headliners. As the Dolls’ chief claim to fame is not their vocalizing but their soft porn stage gyrations, this speaks volumes for GaGa’s performance. In fact, GaGa’s MTV “Love Game” was banned from Australia’s Network 10 for its sexually explicit imagery. It’s good to see that there are some morals and musical taste alive somewhere in the world.
GaGa also appeared semi-nude on the May 2009 cover of Rolling Stone’s Hot 100, thus joining the myriad near-bare bods, male and female, that have graced those covers since the early ’90′s. In that issue, she stated that early in her career, she fell in love with a heavy metal drummer in a New York club, who served as her inspiration while writing music in her later years. She also stated that she was bi-sexual and is inspired by beautiful women. This revelation makes her male friends uncomfortable and me somewhat doubtful, remembering when Elton John referred to himself as bisexual before stepping fully out of the closet. In the same interview, GaGa insisted, “I am not using the gay community to look edgy. I’m a free sexual woman and I like what I like.”
After many tours, Lady GaGa received nine accolades at the MTV Video Music Awards. These include Video of the Year, Best Female Artist, Best Pop Video for Poker Face, Best Direction, Best Editing, Best Special Effects, Best Cinematography, and Best Art Direction for Paparazzi. Following her appearance at the Royal Variety Performance in London earlier this year, she had the honor of meeting Queen Elizabeth II. I would have paid to have been a fly on that wall.
A far cry from her modest upbringing, the former Stefani Germanotta embodies an old Italian saying used to discuss one’s children. “Almeno lei non fuma” translates as “At least she doesn’t smoke.”
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I like Lady GaGa’s music. On stage she is a little outrageous but I’ve seen a video of her just singing and playing the piano (without all the music and crazy stuff she does on statge) and she really is talented.
I too think Lady GaGa is a little much, she definitely seems like the kind of girl who loves to stir up drama and get people talking. From her outfits to her make-up to the countless rumors that have been said about her, Lady GaGa certainly is something to talk about, however as stated above, I saw a video of her sitting in front of a keyboard in a radio station and it was just her and this keyboard and I was blown away by her talent. I was forever a fan from that day. So outrageous as she is…she is also very talented and I see why people go “GaGa” over her because she definitely gives us something to talk about. Great article!
So, in other words, she’s a media whore. A sell out selling sex in exchange for fame.
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“Point Break” is the “Official Headquarters of the Lady GaGa concert appearances in New York City.” “Point Break” will be having promos, giveaways, drink specials, free merchandise and all the Lady Gaga you can handle. And also register for New York’s first and only Lady GaGa lookalike contest on Feb 5th. Go to Point Break NYC website or Facebook page for details.
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Lady gaga was a very popular singer and her album is amazing and her style is very nice and everyone like it!
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I really really like Lady Gaga, so cute. We have as yet to see her in concert. Maybe soon.
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lol, Madonna is so wild! I love her.
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Lady Gaga is magnificent and doesn’t deserve any of the abuse she gets. There will constantly be pretenders but Lady Gaga will be around for a long time
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So after all talking about her do you guys think she has a penis ?
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She is definitely following on the footsteps of Madonna. I personally don’t care for her singing, but I can see why people like her.
-Vocal Coach Ken
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Wow!…wouldn’t it be amazing to be a celebrity like that. So much talent and probably tons of money, too!
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superb! Lady gaga is a an awesome babe. I really love her work. I took my family to see her last year in concert and had a fantastic time.
Elton John has provided so much entertainment over the years…he is truly an icon and I love him!
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its great to see such a positive artist in a such a negative industry
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i think lady gaga is too old
like 40
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Cheers for this! Lady Gaga is the best. She is larger than life!
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