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Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta[9] (born March 28, 1986),[10] best known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. The latter part of the name is variably spelled either GaGa or Gaga, both on her websites and by her record label.[11][12][13][14] She has been influenced by glam rockers such as David Bowie and Queen as well as '80s pop singers such as Madonna and Michael Jackson.

After singer-songwriter and record producer Akon recognised that Gaga also had vocal talent, he signed her to a joint deal with his own label, Kon Live Distribution, and then started to work on her own new material for her debut album. In 2008, Gaga released The Fame, which she explained was "about how anyone can feel famous". To date, the album spawned the international hit singles "Just Dance" (nominated for Best Dance Recording at the 51st Grammy Awards) and "Poker Face".

Contents [hide]
1 Early life
2 Music career
2.1 2007: Career beginnings
2.2 2008–present: The Fame
3 Philanthropy
4 Public image
4.1 Fashion
5 Discography
6 Awards and nominations
7 See also
8 References
9 External links



Early life
Lady Gaga was born in Yonkers, New York, to an internet entrepreneur father and a business partner; both of whom are of Italian American descent.[15][16] As a child, she attended the private Catholic school Convent of the Sacred Heart.[17] Having learned piano by ear at the age of four, Gaga went on to write her first piano ballad at 13 and began performing at open mic nights by the age of 14.[7] At the age of seventeen, Gaga was one of twenty people in the world to have gained early admission to the New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where she studied music.[7] She honed her writing skills by composing essays and analytical papers focusing on topics such as art, religion and socio-political order.[18] However she withdrew from the New York University.[5] At age 20, she began working for Interscope Records as a songwriter, penning songs for pop acts such as the Pussycat Dolls. After she moved out of her parent's house,[19] Gaga started hanging out downtown, performing in the Lower East Side club scene with bands Mackin Pulsifer and SGBand. Finding herself surrounded by singers who all wrote the same style of music, she decided to do something fresh and provocative in the rock 'n roll underground: pop music.[20] Her entrepreneur father was shocked when she ran off to the Lower East Side to dabble in drugs and appear in burlesque shows at dive bars with drag queens and go-go dancers. "He couldn't look at me for a few months," she admits of her early experimentation. "I was in leather thongs, so it was hard for him — he just didn't understand."[17]

Gaga got her stage name when the music producer Rob Fusari compared her vocal style to that of Freddie Mercury and took the name 'Gaga' from the Queen song, "Radio Ga-Ga". It was Fusari who helped her to write some of her early hits, including "Disco Heaven", "Dirty Ice Cream" and "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich".[20]


Music career

2007: Career beginnings

Lady Gaga (left) and Lady Starlight at their weekly party New York Street Revival and Trash Dance.[21]Gaga was originally signed to Def Jam when she was 19 years old; it happened after the record executive L. A. Reid heard her singing down the hallway from his office.[22] However Gaga states Reid never met with her.[22] "I used to wait outside his office for hours, hoping he'd take meetings with me about my songs, but it never happened."[22] Reid dropped Gaga from the label after three months.[22] She was spotted a couple of years later by the music executive Vincent Herbert and signed to Interscope in January 2008. Impressed by her ear for melody and knack for spotting a great hook, various acts — Akon’s Konvict label, as well as Fergie, Pussycat Dolls, Britney Spears and New Kids on the Block — have hired her as a songwriter.[17] Gaga also sparked the interest of Interscope's Chairman Jimmy Iovine in early 2007.[22] He offered her a label deal via Streamline/Interscope and partnered her with singer-songwriter Akon.[22] It was Akon, who, upon hearing her sing a reference vocal for one of his tracks, recognized that Gaga also had vocal talent.[23] Akon ultimately convinced Jimmy Iovine to sign her to a joint deal with his own label, Kon Live Distribution.[22]

Throughout 2007, Lady Gaga collaborated with the similarly named Lower East Side Rock DJ, go-go dancer and performance artist Lady Starlight, who helped Gaga create her onstage fashions.[24] The pair began playing gigs at downtown club venues like Mercury Lounge, The Bitter End, and Rockwood Music Hall[21], with their live performance art piece, "Lady Gaga and The Starlight Revue"[25]. Billed as "The Ultimate Pop Burlesque RockShow"[26], their act was a low-fi tribute to 1970's variety acts.[27] In August 2007, Lady Gaga and The Starlight Revue were invited to play at American music festival
Source(s):
Wikipedia

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta