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With a string of No.1 hits, an armful of awards and chart-topping albums, Lady Gaga is a worldwide sensation. How did it all start though, for the Italian-American girl from Manhattan, and how did she achieve such phenomenal fame?
Lady Gaga was born in 1986. Her real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. She could play the piano by ear from the age of four and later said her musical inspiration was the classical composer Johann Sebastian Bach. Gaga always loved performing and dreamt of fame from an early age. At 17, she became one of the youngest students at the Tisch School of Performing Arts in New York. After that, she followed her dream the hard way, moving out of her parents’ home to a cheap flat, while trying to earn a living as a singersongwriter. It wasn’t easy. Gaga spent a few years performing in clubs without success. Then, her luck started to change.
She began writing songs for successful artists like Britney Spears and The Pussycat Dolls and music executives quickly spotted her talent for writing pop hits. Meanwhile, Gaga was developing her own image and performance style, wearing outrageous costumes, wigs and make-up.
Lady Gaga set up her own website, as well as MySpace, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook profiles to promote her music. This was the turning point. She grabbed the attention of the world. She even made her songs available as free downloads. Lady Gaga also used these social media sites to chat with fans about various things such as her latest fashion statement or the lyrics of a new song. In fact, Lady Gaga’s Twitter page now has 7.5 million followers!
Lady Gaga shows no sign of slowing down. She writes songs, she sings and she dances, surprising audiences with her unusual clothes. Her talent and hard work have made her a reigning icon of today’s pop culture.