28 March 1986, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
Birth Name
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta
Nickname
GaGa
Mother Monster
Height
5' 1" (1.55 m)
Trade Mark
Her hair bow
Platnium blond hair
Her futuristic outfits
She carries a glow-in-the-dark disco stick during performances
Rhythmic hooks and choruses
Refers to all her fans as "Monsters"
Often portrays herself as a rebel in her videos
In her videos, she often ends up killing someone - usually her boyfriend
Various colored wigs
Her tattoos
Revealing outfits
Wild, charismatic dancing
Elaborate sunglasses and high heels
Trivia
Has three tattoos: one her on wrist, shoulder blade, and lower back.
Is of Italian descent.
Used to be a go-go dancer.
The album's lead single, "Just Dance", was released on April 8, 2008 and had reached number one in five countries.
Went to the same school with Paris Hilton.
She has been influenced by Madonna, David Bowie, Judy Garland, Grace Jones, Cyndi Lauper, Freddie Mercury, Björk, Liza Minnelli, Yoko Ono, Britney Spears and Michael Jackson.
At seventeen, she was one of twenty people in the world to have gained early admission to the New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
Her stage name, Lady GaGa, is a reference to the song "Radio Ga-Ga" by Queen.
Interscope music executive Vincent Herbert hired her in January 2008 as a music writer.
She states that she is "very into fashion" and that it is "everything".
Her song "Boys, Boys, Boys" was inspired by Mötley Crüe's hit "Girls, Girls, Girls".
She learned how to play the piano at the age of four, wrote her first piano ballad at 13, and began performing at open mic nights by the age of 14.
Her parents are Joseph, an Internet entrepreneur, and Cynthia, a telecommunications assistant.
She makes mention of the band, The Killers, in her song "Boys, Boys, Boys".
On February 20, 2009, she donated tickets and a meet and greet, for any show on her Fame Ball tour, in the US or Canada, to raise money for Odyssey Charter School and elementary schools in Los Angeles affected by budget cuts.
Has a younger sister, Natalie Germanotta.
Is a natural brunette.
Attended Sacred Heart School, a private Catholic school in New York City. Her classmates included Paris Hilton and Nicky Hilton. Other former students include Joanna Philbin and J.J. Philbin.
Bleached her hair blonde in light of the fact that she was being mistaken for Amy Winehouse by interviewers while trying to make it big.
Has a contralto vocal range.
Her song "Telephone" was originally written for Britney Spears's sixth album Circus. However, after it failed to make the album's final track listing, Gaga recorded the song as a collaboration with 'Beyonce Knowles' for her second album, The Fame Monster.
Is a big fan of Britney Spears.
Made the cover of Time magazine's double issue - The 100 Most Influential People in the World - alongside Bill Clinton and Didier Drogba. In the magazine's "Artists" category (which she headed), the singer's tribute was written by Cyndi Lauper. [May 10, 2010]
Is good friends with Deepak Chopra and has stated he is one of the most influential people in her life because of the spiritual guidance he gives her.
In high school, one of her nicknames was "The Germ".
A staunch supporter of LGBT Rights.
Her sister, Natalie Germanotta, once dressed as her for Halloween.
Her album "Born This Way" (2011) sold over 1 million copies in the first week. Amazon sold 440,000 copies of the album in its first two days at a price of 99 cents (at a loss of over $3 million). This contributed to the album's 662,000 digital sales. However, in the second week the album experienced an 84% sales decrease and a 94% digital sales drop. In it's third week the album had a 42% sales decrease and, in the fourth week sales of of the album decreased by another 33%.
Her second album "Born This Way" (2011) is the seventh album to sell 1 million copies in 1 week. Gaga is the 5th woman to sell 1 million album copies in a week, after Whitney Houston, Britney Spears, Norah Jones and Taylor Swift.
Ranked #99 in the 2011 FHM list of "100 Sexiest Women". Ranked #92 in the 2010 FHM list of "100 Sexiest Women".
Launched "Born This Way Foundation", a non-profit organization to help people, worldwide, develop a new standard of care towards one another [November 13, 2011].
[November 14, 2011] Fired her longtime creative director and choreographer, Laurieann Gibson.
In a 2011 Billboard poll, Gaga was voted as having the Best Fashion for 2011 and was also voted as the Most Overrated artist of 2011. Her song "Born This Way" was voted as the 3rd Favorite Hot 100 No. 1 (16% of all votes), behind "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele (32% of all votes) and "Hold it Against Me" by Britney Spears (31% of all votes). Gaga's album "Born This Way" was also voted as the 3rd Favorite No. 1 album for 2011 (17% of votes), behind "21" by 'Adele' (35% of votes) and "Femme Fatale" by Britney Spears (33% of votes).
Sang "The Lady is a Tramp" with Tony Bennett on his compilation album "Duets II" (2011).
Her father, Joe Germanotta, and Art Smith are co-owners of "Joanne Trattoria", a New York Italian restaurant [January 2012].
Voted #18 on Ask men's top 99 'most desirable' women of 2012 list.
Got her middle name, Joanne, after her aunt. Her aunt Joanne died of lupus at age 19.
Personal Quotes
[on Donatella Versace] She's iconic and powerful, yet people throw darts at her. She's definitely provocative.
Some artists are working to buy the mansion or whatever the element of fame must bear, but I spend all my money on my show.
I was the arty girl, the theatre chick. I dressed differently and I came from a different social class from the other girls. I was more of an average schoolgirl with a cork.
[on her style] My grandmother is basically blind, but she can make out the lighter parts, like my skin and hair. She says, "I can see you, because you have no pants on." So I'll continue to wear no pants so that my grandma can see me.
You must never ever let a guy know how much you like him, because then he'll run in the other direction ... Well, I just sign that when you don't play hard to get, if you're too easy or you come off too eager, they run away so you gotta keep your pokerface on.
I love Dolce & Gabbana. I love Versace. I love the crazy, more eccentric stuff. I can't pay my rent, but I'm f---ing gorgeous.
I dropped out of NYU, moved out of my parent's house, got my own place, and survived on my own. I made music and worked my way from the bottom up. I didn't know somebody, who knew somebody, who knew somebody. If I have any advice to anybody, it's to just do it yourself, and don't waste time trying to get a favor.
Writing a record is like dating a few men at once. You take them to the same restaurants to see if they measure up, and at some point you decide who you like best. 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.
My album covers are not sexual at all, which was an issue at my record label. I fought for months, and I cried at meetings. They didn't think the photos were commercial enough... In my opinion, the last thing a young woman needs is another picture of a sexy pop star writhing in sand, covered in grease, touching herself.
[on Britney Spears] Britney's a real class act in terms of the way she handles herself in the media and embraces new artists. She's always really kind, I've always admired that about her.
[on Britney Spears] It was awesome seeing the song change when she put her touches on it. I'm just really grateful that she loves the music and she's so supportive of me. She's a fan of my stuff and to write a song that she loves and to know she loves me as an artist, you can't ask for anything better than that.
[on Britney Spears] She's gonna kick everybody's ass. She's awesome; as far as I'm concerned, Britney never left.
[on writing the song Quicksand for Britney Spears] She was very sweet and she was very excited to do this song. It's an honor to do anything for Britney Spears - she is such an iconic pop figure for my generation.
I am not sexy in the way that Britney Spears is sexy - which is a compliment to her because she's deliciously good-looking.
[on writing songs for Britney Spears] She's a nice girl - I just feel very honored that she wanted to sing my song. I used to scream for her in Times Square and now I work for her. When I was 13 she was the most provocative performer of my time. I love her so much!
[on Britney Spears] Britney certainly doesn't need any freaking tips from me! Britney Spears is the queen of pop. I was learning from her.
I would rather die than have my fans not see me in a pair of high heels. I'd never give up my wigs or hats for anything. You see legendary people taking out their trash, I think it's destroying show business.
[about her experience at school] I had a very big nose, very curly brown hair and I was overweight. I got made fun of.
Pop music will never be low brow.
[on how to be glamorous for a photo shoot] Just look straight into that lens and be yourself.
Be yourself and love who you are and be proud. Because you were born this way, baby.
People assume that when I'm off stage I transform back into someone else. But I truly believe in the glamorous lifestyle that I present to the outside world. I love glamor. A glamorous life is quite different to a life of luxury. I don't need luxury. For years I was practically broke but I was still vain and glamorous.
[on Freddie Mercury]: Freddie was unique - one of the biggest personalities in the whole of pop music.
Everywhere I go a Gaga fairy has been there before me and left a cupboard full of wonderful clothes that I'm allowed to borrow and wear. When I move on to the next city, the next cupboard is waiting. I haven't been shopping myself for over a year now.
She is the queen, Madonna is the queen. I have so much adoration for her. Being compared to her is unbelievably flattering, but in truth there is no one that can compare with Madonna. She is the queen!
First thing in the morning, try to think compassionate thoughts about yourself for five minutes. I don't always do it, but I try to.
[on sleeping with her makeup still on] I've got to wash my face at some point. I do get laughed at quite a bit by all my friends because they say I go to sleep a lot with my make-up on. But I say that I have to be ready for the men in my dreams!
They'd say, 'Why do you do your make-up like that, what's with your eyebrows?' I used to do these really big Evita brows. I used to self-tan, and I had this really intense tan in school, and people would say, 'Why the fuck are you so orange, why do you do your hair that way, are you a dyke?' I used to be called a slut... I didn't even want to go to school sometimes.
[on sex] It's always been important to me, as it's for my generation, a most relevant consideration when you're growing up. Sex doesn't mean nothing; sex means so much. I hope that young women know that sex is still a big deal, and they don't have to put out soon. If they want someone to court them for a while before they give it up, that's wonderful and beautiful, and a man will only respect you more for honoring your body. I am that way.
My mother and I have initiated a passion project. Together we hope to establish a standard of Bravery and Kindness, as well as a community worldwide that protects and nurtures others in the face of bullying and abandonment.
Don't you ever let a soul in the world tell you that you can't be exactly who you are.
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