Lady Gaga attends 2018 Toronto International Film Festival - 'A Star Is Born' Press Conference at TIFF Bell Lightbox on September 9, 2018 in Toronto, Canada.
School period
Gallery of Lady Gaga
Gallery of Lady Gaga
College/University
Career
Gallery of Lady Gaga
214
Roseland Ballroom, New York City, New York, United States
Lady Gaga arrives at Roseland Ballroom on April 2, 2014, in New York City.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2009
Radio City Music Hall, New York City, New York, United States
Lady Gaga arrives at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall on September 13, 2009, in New York City.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2009
London, England, United Kingdom
Lady Gaga is photographed for the Sunday Times on February 5, 2009, in London, England.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2009
MOCA, Los Angeles, California, United States
Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton and musician Lady Gaga attend the MOCA NEW 30th anniversary gala held at MOCA on November 14, 2009, in Los Angeles, California.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2010
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, United States
Lady Gaga poses with Electronic/Dance Album award for 'The Fame' and Dance Recording award for 'Poker Face' in the press room during the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards held at Staples Center on January 31, 2010 in Los Angeles, California.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2010
Berlin, Germany
Lady Gaga receives three ECHO awards in Berlin.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2010
Lollapalooza Festival, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Lady Gaga crowd surfs at the BMI stage as Semi-Precious Weapons performs during the 2010 Lollapalooza Festival in Grant Park on August 6, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2010
Nokia Theatre, Los Angeles, California, United States
Lady Gaga attends the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on September 12, 2010, in Los Angeles, California.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2010
Grant Park, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Lady Gaga performs during the 2010 Lollapalooza music festival at Grant Park on August 6, 2010, in Chicago, Illinois.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2011
Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, New York City, New York, United States
Lady Gaga and Stephen Gan backstage at the 2011 CFDA Fashion Awards at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on June 6, 2011 in New York City.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2011
ArtScience Museum, Singapore, Singapore
Lady Gaga showcases a new hairstyle at a press conference ahead of her Singapore performance on at the ArtScience Museum on June 7, 2011 in Singapore, Singapore.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2013
Barclays Center, New York City, New York, United States
Lady Gaga performs during the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards at the Barclays Center on August 25, 2013, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2015
JFK, New York City, New York, United States
Lady Gaga is seen at JFK on October 12, 2015, in New York City.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2015
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, United States
Recording artist Lady Gaga attends The 57th Annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center on February 8, 2015, in Los Angeles, California.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2016
Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, Century City, California, United States
Actress/recording artist Lady Gaga performs onstage at the 27th Annual Producers Guild Of America Awards at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza on January 23, 2016, in Century City, California.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2016
Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Lady Gaga surprises fans while on the Bud Light x Lady Gaga Dive Bar Tour at the 5 Spot where the singer performed three new tracks off her upcoming album 'Joanne' on October 05, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2016
JW Marriott, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Lady Gaga joins his Holiness the Dalai Lama to speak to US Mayors about kindness at JW Marriott on June 26, 2016, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2016
Elyx House, Los Angeles, California, United States
Singer Lady Gaga and actress Pamela Anderson attend the Absolut Elyx Hosts Mark Ronson's Grammy's Afterparty at Elyx House Los Angeles on February 15, 2016, in Los Angeles, California.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2016
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, United States
Lady Gaga (C) performs a tribute to the late David Bowie onstage during The 58th Grammy Awards at Staples Center on February 15, 2016, in Los Angeles, California.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2016
Beverly Hills, California
Songwriter Diane Warren (L) and singer-songwriter Lady Gaga attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards nominee luncheon on February 8, 2016, in Beverly Hills, California.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2016
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
Lady Gaga performs during a campaign rally with Democratic presidential nominee former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at North Carolina State University on November 8, 2016, in Raleigh, North Carolina. The midnight rally followed Clinton campaigning in Pennsylvania, Michigan and North Carolina in the lead up to today's general election.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2016
Dolby Theatre, Hollywood, California, United States
Singer-songwriter Lady Gaga performs onstage during the 88th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on February 28, 2016, in Hollywood, California.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2016
Paris, France
Alessandra Ambrosio Leomie Anderson, Lais Oliveira, Lady Gaga, Cindy Bruna and Valery Kaufman pose backstage prior to the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on November 30, 2016, in Paris, France.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2016
Rainbow Room, New York City, New York, United States
Lady Gaga arrivess to V Magazine party at the Rainbow Room on February 17, 2016, in New York City.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2016
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, United States
Singer Lady Gaga attends The 58th Grammy Awards at Staples Center on February 15, 2016, in Los Angeles, California.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2016
New York City, New York, United States
Lady Gaga is seen on May 11, 2016, in New York City.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2016
Park Avenue Armory, New York City, New York, United States
Lady Gaga prepares backstage at Marc Jacobs Fall 2016 fashion show during New York Fashion Week at Park Avenue Armory on February 18, 2016, in New York City.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2017
The Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
Lady Gaga performs onstage during the 'Joanne' World Tour at The Forum on August 9, 2017, in Inglewood, California.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2017
Empire Polo Club, Indio, California, United States
Lady Gaga performs during day 2 of the 2017 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival (Weekend 2) at the Empire Polo Club on April 22, 2017, in Indio, California.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2017
NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas, United States
Lady Gaga performs onstage during the Pepsi Zero Sugar Super Bowl LI Halftime Show at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017, in Houston, Texas.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2017
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, United States
Lady Gaga arrives for the 59th Grammy Awards on February 12, 2017, in Los Angeles, California.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2017
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, United States
James Hetfield (L) of music group Metallica and Lady Gaga perform onstage during The 59th GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on February 12, 2017, in Los Angeles, California.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2017
Houston, Texas, United States
Lady Gaga speaks onstage at the Pepsi Zero Sugar Super Bowl LI Halftime Show Press Conference on February 2, 2017, in Houston, Texas.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2018
TIFF Bell Lightbox, Toronto, Canada
Lady Gaga attends 2018 Toronto International Film Festival - 'A Star Is Born' Press Conference at TIFF Bell Lightbox on September 9, 2018 in Toronto, Canada.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2018
Four Seasons Hotel, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, United States
Christian Carino (L) and Lady Gaga attend ELLE's 25th Annual Women In Hollywood Celebration presented by L'Oreal Paris, Hearts On Fire and CALVIN KLEIN at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on October 15, 2018, in Los Angeles, California.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2018
Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto, Canada
Lady Gaga attends the 'A Star Is Born' premiere during 2018 Toronto International Film Festival at Roy Thomson Hall on September 9, 2018, in Toronto, Canada.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2018
The Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States
Lady Gaga attends the premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures' 'A Star Is Born' at The Shrine Auditorium on September 24, 2018, in Los Angeles, California.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2018
Barker Hangar, Santa Monica, California, United States
Lady Gaga speaks onstage during the 2018 MTV Movie And TV Awards at Barker Hangar on June 16, 2018, in Santa Monica, California.
Gallery of Lady Gaga
2018
Vue West End, London, England, United Kingdom
Lady Gaga attends the UK premiere of 'A Star Is Born' held at Vue West End on September 27, 2018, in London, England.
Achievements
Membership
Awards
ACE Awards
2009
Cipriani, New York City, New York, United States
Lady Gaga attends the 13th Annual 2009 ACE Awards presented by the Accessories Council at Cipriani 42nd Street on November 2, 2009, in New York City.
Brit Awards
2010
Earls Court, London, England, United Kingdom
Lady Gaga poses in the Awards room with her 3 awards at The Brit Awards 2010 at Earls Court on February 16, 2010, in London, England.
ECHO Awards
2010
Berlin, Germany
Lady Gaga receives three ECHO awards in Berlin.
Grammy Awards
2010
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, United States
Lady Gaga poses with Electronic/Dance Album award for 'The Fame' and Dance Recording award for 'Poker Face' in the press room during the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards held at Staples Center on January 31, 2010 in Los Angeles, California.
Bambi Awards
2011
Rhein-Main-Hallen, Wiesbaden, Germany
Lady Gaga poses in front of the winners board during the Bambi Award 2011 ceremony at the Rhein-Main-Hallen on November 10, 2011, in Wiesbaden, Germany.
CFDA Fashion Awards
2011
Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, New York City, New York, United States
Lady Gaga and Stephen Gan backstage at the 2011 CFDA Fashion Awards at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on June 6, 2011 in New York City.
MTV Europe Music Awards
2011
Odyssey Arena, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Lady Gaga at Odyssey Arena on November 6, 2011 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton and musician Lady Gaga attend the MOCA NEW 30th anniversary gala held at MOCA on November 14, 2009, in Los Angeles, California.
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, United States
Lady Gaga poses with Electronic/Dance Album award for 'The Fame' and Dance Recording award for 'Poker Face' in the press room during the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards held at Staples Center on January 31, 2010 in Los Angeles, California.
Lollapalooza Festival, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Lady Gaga crowd surfs at the BMI stage as Semi-Precious Weapons performs during the 2010 Lollapalooza Festival in Grant Park on August 6, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois.
Lady Gaga poses in front of the winners board during the Bambi Award 2011 ceremony at the Rhein-Main-Hallen on November 10, 2011, in Wiesbaden, Germany.
Lady Gaga showcases a new hairstyle at a press conference ahead of her Singapore performance on at the ArtScience Museum on June 7, 2011 in Singapore, Singapore.
Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, Century City, California, United States
Actress/recording artist Lady Gaga performs onstage at the 27th Annual Producers Guild Of America Awards at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza on January 23, 2016, in Century City, California.
Lady Gaga surprises fans while on the Bud Light x Lady Gaga Dive Bar Tour at the 5 Spot where the singer performed three new tracks off her upcoming album 'Joanne' on October 05, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Elyx House, Los Angeles, California, United States
Singer Lady Gaga and actress Pamela Anderson attend the Absolut Elyx Hosts Mark Ronson's Grammy's Afterparty at Elyx House Los Angeles on February 15, 2016, in Los Angeles, California.
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, United States
Lady Gaga (C) performs a tribute to the late David Bowie onstage during The 58th Grammy Awards at Staples Center on February 15, 2016, in Los Angeles, California.
Songwriter Diane Warren (L) and singer-songwriter Lady Gaga attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards nominee luncheon on February 8, 2016, in Beverly Hills, California.
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
Lady Gaga performs during a campaign rally with Democratic presidential nominee former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at North Carolina State University on November 8, 2016, in Raleigh, North Carolina. The midnight rally followed Clinton campaigning in Pennsylvania, Michigan and North Carolina in the lead up to today's general election.
Dolby Theatre, Hollywood, California, United States
Singer-songwriter Lady Gaga performs onstage during the 88th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on February 28, 2016, in Hollywood, California.
Alessandra Ambrosio Leomie Anderson, Lais Oliveira, Lady Gaga, Cindy Bruna and Valery Kaufman pose backstage prior to the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on November 30, 2016, in Paris, France.
Park Avenue Armory, New York City, New York, United States
Lady Gaga prepares backstage at Marc Jacobs Fall 2016 fashion show during New York Fashion Week at Park Avenue Armory on February 18, 2016, in New York City.
Empire Polo Club, Indio, California, United States
Lady Gaga performs during day 2 of the 2017 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival (Weekend 2) at the Empire Polo Club on April 22, 2017, in Indio, California.
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, United States
James Hetfield (L) of music group Metallica and Lady Gaga perform onstage during The 59th GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on February 12, 2017, in Los Angeles, California.
Four Seasons Hotel, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, United States
Christian Carino (L) and Lady Gaga attend ELLE's 25th Annual Women In Hollywood Celebration presented by L'Oreal Paris, Hearts On Fire and CALVIN KLEIN at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on October 15, 2018, in Los Angeles, California.
Lady Gaga attends the 'A Star Is Born' premiere during 2018 Toronto International Film Festival at Roy Thomson Hall on September 9, 2018, in Toronto, Canada.
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her unconventionality and provocative work, as well as visual experimentation.
Background
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta was born on March 28, 1986, at the Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, New York City, to a Catholic family with Italian and French Canadian roots. Her parents are Cynthia Louise (née Bissett) and Internet entrepreneur Joseph Germanotta, and she has a younger sister, Natali. Brought up in the affluent Upper West Side of Manhattan, she says that her parents came from lower-class families and worked hard for everything.
Education
At the age of 11, Lady Gaga was accepted to the Juilliard School in Manhattan, but instead attended a private Catholic school in the city. She continued studying music and performing, writing her first piano ballad at the age of 13, and she held her first performance in a New York nightclub at the age of 14.
She was bullied at school. When she made the cover of Vogue, she Tweeted: “They used to call me ‘rabbit teeth’ in school and now I’m a real live Vogue Beauty Queen."
A few years later, Gaga was granted early admission to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts - she was one of only 20 students in the world to receive the honor of early acceptance. While there, she studied music and worked on her songwriting skills. She later withdrew from school to find creative inspiration.
She also studied method acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute for ten years.
In 2005, Lady Gaga was briefly signed by Def Jam Records, but was dropped just months later. Being dropped by the label propelled the singer to perform on her own in clubs and venues on New York City's Lower East Side. There, she collaborated with several rock bands, and began her experimentation with fashion.
In 2007, at the age of 20, Gaga began work at Interscope Records as a songwriter for other artists on the label, including Britney Spears, New Kids on the Block and The Pussycat Dolls. R&B singer Akon discovered Gaga while she was performing a burlesque show that she created, called "Lady Gaga and the Starlight Revue." Impressed, Akon signed the performer to his label under the Interscope umbrella, Kon Live. Through 2007 and 2008, Gaga wrote and recorded her debut album, The Fame. The record received positive reviews and was successful in the United States. With the help of her own creative team, "Haus of Gaga," the performer also began to make a name for herself internationally.
Lady Gaga's debut single, "Just Dance," was released to radio in early 2008, and received both popular and commercial acclaim. The song was then nominated for a Grammy Award (for best dance recording) in 2008. The song lost to Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger," but this didn't keep Gaga from reaching No. 1 on the mainstream pop charts in January 2009. The second single off The Fame, "Poker Face," earned Gaga even more success. The song topped singles charts in almost every category, and in almost every country. Both songs were produced by Akon's affiliate RedOne, who co-wrote most of Lady Gaga's album.
Later in 2008, Lady Gaga opened for the newly reformed New Kids on the Block. She also collaborated with them on the song "Big Girl Now" from the group's album The Block. The following year, Gaga released an album of eight songs, The Fame Monster, followed by 2011's Born This Way. In 2013, Lady Gaga released her third studio album, Artpop. The album didn't resonate as strongly with her audience as her previous works. Among the shake-ups in her inner circle, she and her manager parted ways.
In 2014, she released an album of jazz duets with crooner Tony Bennett entitled Cheek to Cheek, which later won a Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. In an interview with Parade, Lady Gaga said of her latest collaboration, “Working with Tony has reaffirmed everything I knew but that you start to forget when your life changes and it gets really noisy. For Tony, it’s all about great music.”
Gaga continued to showcase her versatility and strength as a vocalist at the Academy Awards telecast in Feburary 2015, paying tribute to the 50th anniversary of The Sound of Music and actress/singer Julie Andrews by performing selections from the musical. Later that year, she also showed her gifts as an actress by co-starring in American Horror Story: Hotel, earning a Golden Globe for her portrayal of The Countess. At the ceremony, a visibly stunned and emotional Gaga acknowledged that acting was her first dream before she embraced music, and thanked her fellow cast members and producer Ryan Murphy for their support. Gaga returned to the show for its sixth season, playing a witch in American Horror Story: Roanoke.
In February 2016, Gaga, joined by guitarist/producer Nile Rodgers, performed a tribute to the late David Bowie. Paying homage to one of her biggest musical heroes, a red-wigged Gaga sang a short medley of Bowie's hits. She also performed at the 88th Annual Academy Awards, performing "Til It Happens to You" after being introduced by Vice President Joseph Biden. The song was from the 2015 documentary The Hunting Ground, which looked at the issue of rape on college campuses. Assault survivors were brought to the stage toward the close of the song, with the performance earning a standing ovation.
In October 2016, Gaga released her fifth studio album, Joanne, her fourth album to reach number one in the United States and top the charts in countries around the world. Partnering with producer Mark Ronson, Gaga tapped into her own life story for the album that is named after her aunt and father's sister, Joanne Germanotta, who died of lupus complications at the age of 19 before Gaga was born. “Returning to your family and where you came from, and your history... this is what makes you strong,” Lady Gaga told People magazine. “It’s not looking out that’s going to do that – it’s looking in. Joanne is a progression for me. It was about going into the studio and forgetting that I was famous.”
She also told People that her relationships influenced the stories she tells in Joanne. “When you listen to the album, it’s clear the influence that all the men in my life have made on this record," she said. "That’s at the center of it, as well: I always wanted to be a good girl. And Joanne was such a good girl. But I have such a rebellious spirit, and my father was always very angry. He drank because of his sister’s death. I was trying to understand him through making this record, and in that, also trying to understand why I love men that are cowboys.”
Gaga launched the Joanne World Tour in support of her latest album in August 2017. She made news during a set in Connecticut in November, when she suddenly stopped her performance to check on a fan who had been hit in the face. Fellow audience members posted clips to social media that showed the singer talking to the fan and offering reassurance, before launching into an a cappella version of "Paparazzi."
In 2016, Lady Gaga performed the national anthem at Super Bowl 50, and she returned the following year to headline the Super Bowl LI halftime show. She began her powerhouse performance on the roof of the NRG Stadium in Houston, singing parts of "God Bless America" and "This Land is Your Land" and reciting an excerpt of the pledge of allegiance before diving through the air suspended by wires to the stage. Her half-time show included a medley of her iconic songs including "Edge of Glory," "Bad Romance," "Poker Face," "Born This Way," "Telephone," "Just Dance," as well as "Million Reasons" from her album Joanne.
In 2016, it was announced that Gaga had been cast in a remake of A Star Is Born as Ally, a role previously inhabited by Janet Gaynor, Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand. Scheduled for an October 2018 release, the film also features Academy Award-nominated actor Bradley Cooper in his directorial debut.
Signaling that perhaps she intended to pursue an acting career in earnest, the singer chose to be credited for the film under her given name, Stefani Germanotta, as opposed to her well-known music and stage persona.
On December 19, 2017, Gaga announced via Instagram that she had signed on for a Las Vegas residency. The following August, she confirmed that she would begin her residency at MGM Resorts' Park Theater at the end of the year, performing two separate shows over 27 dates: Lady Gaga Enigma, a collection of her most popular songs, and Lady Gaga Jazz & Piano, which features stripped-down versions of her greatest hits as well as selections from the Great American Songbook.
Around that time, the award-winning performer captured attention by posting a couple of risqué photos on Instagram, showing her putting on stockings in the nude.
Despite her upbringing, Gaga has expressed some contempt for organized religion in general, putting it in a socio-political context and decrying its negative influence on social and political values, saying: "The influence of institutionalized religion on government is vast. So religion then begins to affect social values and that in turn affects self-esteem, bullying in school, teen suicides, all those things."
Catholicism has emerged in Lady Gaga’s music in songs like “Judas,” a song about, as Gaga puts it, being in love with someone who betrayed her. However, the music video features much Catholic and Christian imagery and seems to tell the story of Mary Magdalene (a suspected prostitute) caught in a love triangle with Jesus and his betrayer, Judas.
Politics
Gaga has not specifically claimed any political-ideological territory (Democrat, Republican, Liberal, Conservative) but one could assume that she is quite socially liberal.
Views
Lady Gaga is an active philanthropist. After declining an invitation to appear on the single "We Are the World 25" (because of rehearsals for her tour) to benefit victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Gaga donated the proceeds of her January 2010 Radio City Music Hall concert to the country's reconstruction relief fund. All profits from her online store that day were also donated, and Gaga announced that $500,000 was collected for the fund. Hours after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, Gaga tweeted a link to Japan Prayer Bracelets. All revenue from a bracelet she designed in conjunction with the company was donated to relief efforts; these raised $1.5 million. In June 2011, Gaga performed at MTV Japan's charity show in Makuhari Messe, which benefited the Japanese Red Cross.
In 2012, Gaga joined the campaign group Artists Against Fracking. That October, Yoko Ono gave Gaga and four other activists the LennonOno Grant for Peace in Reykjavík, Iceland. The following month, Gaga pledged to donate $1 million to the American Red Cross to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy. Gaga also contributes in the fight against HIV and AIDS, focusing on educating young women about the risks of the disease. In collaboration with Cyndi Lauper, Gaga joined forces with MAC Cosmetics to launch a line of lipstick under their supplementary cosmetic line, Viva Glam. Sales have raised more than $202 million to fight HIV and AIDS.
In April 2016, Gaga joined Vice President Joe Biden at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas to support Biden's It's On Us campaign as he traveled to colleges on behalf of the organization, which has seen 250,000 students from more than 530 colleges sign a pledge of solidarity and activism. Two months later, Gaga attended the 84th Annual US Conference of Mayors in Indianapolis where she joined with the Dalai Lama to talk about the power of kindness and how to make the world a more compassionate place. The Chinese government added Gaga to a list of hostile foreign forces, and Chinese websites and media organizations were ordered to stop uploading or distributing her songs. The Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CCPPD) also issued an order for state-controlled media to condemn this meeting.
As a bisexual woman, Gaga actively supports LGBT rights worldwide. She attributes much of her early success as a mainstream artist to her gay fans and is considered a gay icon. Early in her career she had difficulty getting radio airplay, and stated, "The turning point for me was the gay community." She thanked FlyLife, a Manhattan-based LGBT marketing company with whom her label Interscope works, in the liner notes of The Fame. One of her first televised performances was in May 2008 at the NewNowNext Awards, an awards show aired by the LGBT television network Logo.
Gaga spoke at the 2009 National Equality March in Washington in support of the LGBT movement. She attended the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards accompanied by four gay and lesbian former members of the United States Armed Forces who had been unable to serve openly under the US military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, which banned open homosexuality in the military. Gaga urged her fans via YouTube to contact their senators in an effort to overturn the policy. In September 2010, she spoke at a Servicemembers Legal Defense Network's rally in Portland, Maine. Following this event, The Advocate named her a "fierce advocate" for gays and lesbians. Gaga appeared at Europride, an international event dedicated to LGBT pride, in Rome in June 2011. She criticized the poor state of gay rights in many European countries and described gay people as "revolutionaries of love". Gaga was ordained as a minister by the Universal Life Church Monastery so that she could officiate the wedding of two female friends. In June 2016, during a vigil held in Los Angeles for victims of the attack at the gay nightclub Pulse in Orlando, Gaga read aloud the names of the 49 people killed in the attack, and gave a speech. Later that month, Gaga appeared in Human Rights Campaign's tribute video to the victims of the attack. She has opposed the presidency of Donald Trump and deplored his military transgender ban. She supported former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for president in 2016. In 2018, a leaked memo from Trump's office revealed that his administration wanted to change the legal definition of sex in order to exclude transgender Americans. Gaga was one of the many celebrities to call him out and spread the #WontBeErased campaign to her 77 million Twitter followers.
Quotations:
"Take My Picture, Hollywood! I Wanna Be a Star!"
"Fame for me is not external, it’s internal. So I’ve been famous for a long time."
"I'm not real. I'm theatre."
"I think that fashion and music go hand-in-hand, and they always should. It's the artist's job to create imagery that matches the music... I think they're very intertwined."
"n my show I announce, ‘People say Lady Gaga is a lie, and they are right. I am a lie. And every day I kill to make it true.’"
"You listeners, the ones who found me first are, I believe, the future of great art thinkers. Because anyone that's found me now I really think is grabbing on to the ideas that I have, more than anything. It's about the music but it's also about the story. So thank you guys for loving and reading the story and being as into it and as passionate as I am."
"I operate from a place of delusion-that’s what the Fame is all about... I want people to walk around delusional about how great they can be - and then to fight so hard for it every day that the lie becomes the truth."
"I've gone bankrupt about four times now. Every dollar I earn goes on the show."
"You see, if I was a guy, and I was sitting here with a cigarette in my hand, grabbing my crotch and talking about how I make music because I like fast cars and fucking girls, you'd call me a rockstar. But when I do it in my music and in my videos, because I'm a female, because I make pop music, you're judgmental and you say that it is distracting... I'm just a rockstar."
"I don’t consider my own clothing to be outrageous... The truth is that people just don’t have the same references that I do. To me it’s very beautiful and it’s art, and to them it’s outrageous and crazy."
"Creativity for me is religious."
"I don't care what people think about me, I care what they think about themselves."
"It's always wrong to hate, but it's never wrong to love."
"Amidst all of these flashing lights I pray The Fame wont take my life."
"Everybody wants me to show my vagina to the world. And the truth is, I don’t have to."
"It takes time to become myself every morning."
"I've learned love is like a brick, you can build a house or sink a dead body."
"Some women choose to follow men, and some women choose to follow their dreams. If you’re wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you that it doesn't love you anymore."
"Right now the only thing that I am concerned with in my life is being an artist … I had to suppress it for so many years in high school because I was made fun of but now I'm completely insulated in my box of insanity and I can do whatever I like."
Personality
Public reception of Gaga's music, fashion sense, and persona is polarized. Gaga's outlandish fashion sense has also served as an important aspect of her character. During her early career, members of the media compared her fashion choices to those of Christina Aguilera. In 2011, 121 women gathered at the Grammy Awards dressed in costumes similar to those worn by Gaga, earning the 2011 Guinness World Record for Largest Gathering of Lady Gaga Impersonators. The Global Language Monitor named "Lady Gaga" as the Top Fashion Buzzword with her trademark "no pants" a close third.Entertainment Weekly put her outfits on its end of the decade "best-of" list, saying that she "brought performance art into the mainstream".
Gaga's songs have been called "depthless" by writer Camille Paglia in The Sunday Times, but according to Evan Sawdey of PopMatters, she "does manage to get you moving and grooving at an almost effortless pace". Gaga believes that "all good music can be played on a piano and still sound like a hit". Simon Reynolds wrote in 2010, "Everything about Gaga came from electroclash, except the music, which wasn't particularly 1980s, just ruthlessly catchy naughties pop glazed with Auto-Tune and undergirded with R&B-ish beats."
Gaga's songs have covered a wide variety of concepts; The Fame discusses the lust for stardom, while the follow-up The Fame Monster expresses fame's dark side through monster metaphors. The Fame is an electropop and dance-pop album that has influences of 1980s pop and 1990s Europop, whereas The Fame Monster displays Gaga's taste for pastiche, drawing on "Seventies arena glam, perky ABBA disco, and sugary throwbacks like Stacey Q". Born This Way has lyrics in English, French, German, and Spanish and features themes common to Gaga's controversial songwriting such as sex, love, religion, money, drugs, identity, liberation, sexuality, freedom, and individualism. The album explores new genres, such as electronic rock and techno.
The themes in Artpop revolve around Gaga's personal views of fame, love, sex, feminism, self-empowerment, overcoming addiction, and reactions to media scrutiny. Billboard describes Artpop as "coherently channeling R&B, techno, disco and rock music". With Cheek to Cheek, Gaga dabbled in the jazz genre. Joanne, exploring the genres of country, funk, pop, dance, rock, electronic music and folk, was influenced by her personal life. A Star Is Born contains elements of blues rock, country and bubblegum pop. Billboard says its lyrics are about wanting change, its struggle, love, romance, and bonding, describing the music as "timeless, emotional, gritty and earnest. They sound like songs written by artists who, quite frankly, are supremely messed up but hit to the core of the listener."
Featuring constant costume changes and provocative visuals, Gaga's music videos are often described as short films. The video for "Telephone" earned Gaga the Guinness World Record for Most Product Placement in a Video. According to author Curtis Fogel, she explores bondage and sadomasochism and highlights prevalent feminist themes. The main themes of her music videos are sex, violence, and power. She calls herself "a little bit of a feminist" and asserts that she is "sexually empowering women".
Gaga has called herself a perfectionist when it comes to her elaborate shows. Her performances have been described as "highly entertaining and innovative"; the blood-spurting performance of "Paparazzi" at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards was described as "eye-popping" by MTV News. She continued the blood-soaked theme during The Monster Ball Tour, causing protests in England from family groups and fans in the aftermath of the Cumbria shootings, in which a taxi driver had killed 12 people, then himself. At the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, Gaga appeared in drag as her male alter ego, Jo Calderone, and delivered a lovesick monologue before a performance of her song "You and I".
Lady Gaga once told in an interview that she carries a purple teacup and a saucer everywhere she goes. She drinks tea with her mother and carrying it makes her feel at home.
Physical Characteristics:
Critics have analyzed and scrutinized Gaga's musical and performance style, as she has experimented with new ideas and images throughout her career. She says the continual reinvention is "liberating" herself, which she has been drawn to since childhood. Gaga is a contralto with a range spanning from B♭2 to B5. She has changed her vocal style regularly, and considers Born This Way "much more vocally up to par with what I've always been capable of". In summing up her voice, Entertainment Weekly wrote: "There's an immense emotional intelligence behind the way she uses her voice. Almost never does she overwhelm a song with her vocal ability, recognizing instead that artistry is to be found in nuance rather than lung power."
She has 14 tattoos: a peace sign on her left wrist, "Little Monsters" on her left inner bicep, a Rainer Rilke quote on her left inner bicep, the death date of her aunt Joanne on her left inner bicep, "Tokyo Love" on her left shoulder blade, a heart with "Dad" on her left shoulder blade, daises on her left shoulder blade, a treble clef on her center lower back, flowers up her left side, a unicorn with "Born This Way" on her left thigh, the word "ARTPOP" on her left forearm, an anchor on the left side of her ribcage, a cherub on the back of her head and the word "Rio" on the back of her head.
She’s 5' 1" (1.55 m) tall. Her natural hair color is brown.
Quotes from others about the person
Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield: "Hard to remember a world where we didn't have Gaga, although we're pretty sure it was a lot more boring."
Cardi B: "I love Lady Gaga. When I was in high school, I really wanted to dress like her."
Simon Cowell: "I want people to understand that from the minute Lady Gaga arrived, she created a new set of rules: being different is good; embrace it."
Matt Bomer: "My favourite thing about working with Lady Gaga is really just the sheer level of creativity she brings to the table. And she's really one of the most intelligent people I've ever known. Her intelligence is equalled by her heart."
Kylie Jenner: "Lady Gaga is the present and the future. She is the most revolutionary and inspirational artist. She is fearless and daring."
Adam Lambert: "I think Lady Gaga is great and is changing pop music and bringing back a certain rock 'n' roll spirit, swagger to the game."
Interests
Her favourite colours are black and lavender. Lady Gaga’s favourite cartoon character is Bugs Bunny.
Philosophers & Thinkers
Deepak Chopra
Writers
Osho, Rainer Maria Rilke
Music & Bands
David Bowie, the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Queen, Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, Mariah Carey, the Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, Whitney Houston, Elton John, Blondie.
Connections
On Valentine’s Day 2015, Lady Gaga became engaged to Chicago Fire actor Taylor Kinney. After five years together, in July 2016, it was reported that the couple called off their engagement and parted ways. Lady Gaga got engaged to her agent, Christian Carino, in summer 2017.
2010 - Lady Gaga - International Female Artist;
2010 - Lady Gaga - International Newcomer;
2010 - "Poker Face" - International/National Song of the Year.
2010 - Lady Gaga - International Female Artist;
2010 - Lady Gaga - International Newcomer;
2010 - "Poker Face" - International/National Song of the Year.
2010 - The Fame - Best Electronic/Dance Album;
2010 - "Poker Face" - Best Dance Recording;
2011 - The Fame Monster - Best Pop Vocal Album;
2011 - "Bad Romance" - Best Female Pop Vocal Performance;
2011 - "Bad Romance" - Best Short Form Music Video;
2015 - Cheek to Cheek (with Tony Bennett) - Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.
2010 - The Fame - Best Electronic/Dance Album;
2010 - "Poker Face" - Best Dance Recording;
2011 - The Fame Monster - Best Pop Vocal Album;
2011 - "Bad Romance" - Best Female Pop Vocal Performance;
2011 - "Bad Romance" - Best Short Form Music Video;
2015 - Cheek to Cheek (with Tony Bennett) - Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.
2009 - Lady Gaga - Best New Act;
2010 - Lady Gaga - Best Female;
2010 - Lady Gaga - Best Pop;
2010 - "Bad Romance" - Best Song;
2011 - Lady Gaga - Best Female;
2011 - Lady Gaga - Biggest Fans;
2011 - "Born This Way" - Best Video;
2011 - "Born This Way" - Best Song;
2016 - Lady Gaga - Best Female;
2016 - Lady Gaga - Best Look.
2009 - Lady Gaga - Best New Act;
2010 - Lady Gaga - Best Female;
2010 - Lady Gaga - Best Pop;
2010 - "Bad Romance" - Best Song;
2011 - Lady Gaga - Best Female;
2011 - Lady Gaga - Biggest Fans;
2011 - "Born This Way" - Best Video;
2011 - "Born This Way" - Best Song;
2016 - Lady Gaga - Best Female;
2016 - Lady Gaga - Best Look.
ADL Awards
2015 - Lady Gaga - Making a Difference Award.
2015 - Lady Gaga - Making a Difference Award.
American Music Awards
2010 - Lady Gaga - Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist;
2017 - Lady Gaga - Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist.
2010 - Lady Gaga - Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist;
2017 - Lady Gaga - Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist.
2010 - "Video Phone" (with Beyoncé) - Video of the Year.
2010 - "Video Phone" (with Beyoncé) - Video of the Year.
Billboard Japan Music Awards
2011 - "Born This Way" - Billboard Japan Adult Contemporary of the Year;
2011 - "Born This Way" - Billboard Japan Digital and Overseas Airplay of the Year.
2011 - "Born This Way" - Billboard Japan Adult Contemporary of the Year;
2011 - "Born This Way" - Billboard Japan Digital and Overseas Airplay of the Year.
2011 - Lady Gaga - Top Pop Artist;
2011 - Lady Gaga - Top Dance Artist;
2011 - The Fame - Top Electronic/Dance Album;
2012 - Lady Gaga - Most Influential Artist;
2012 - Lady Gaga - Best Fashion Artist;
2012 - Lady Gaga - Top Dance Artist;
2012 - Born This Way - Top Electronic/Dance Album.
2011 - Lady Gaga - Top Pop Artist;
2011 - Lady Gaga - Top Dance Artist;
2011 - The Fame - Top Electronic/Dance Album;
2012 - Lady Gaga - Most Influential Artist;
2012 - Lady Gaga - Best Fashion Artist;
2012 - Lady Gaga - Top Dance Artist;
2012 - Born This Way - Top Electronic/Dance Album.
2016 - American Horror Story: Hotel - Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film.
2016 - American Horror Story: Hotel - Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film.
Guinness World Records
2009 - "Just Dance" (featuring Colby O'Donis), "Poker Face", "Paparazzi", "LoveGame" and "Bad Romance"- Most Cumulative Weeks on the UK Singles Chart in One Year;
2009 - Lady Gaga - Most Downloaded Female Act in a Year in USA;
2010 - "Poker Face" - Most Weeks on US Hot Digital Songs Chart;
2010 - "Telephone" (featuring Beyoncé) - Most Product Placement in a Video;
2011 - "Born This Way" - Fastest-Selling Single on iTunes;
2011 - The Fame - Best-Selling Digital Album in United Kingdom;
2011 - Lady Gaga - Most Searched-For Female on the Internet;
2011 - Lady Gaga - Largest Gathering of Lady Gaga Impersonators;
2011 - Lady Gaga - Most Followers on Twitter;
2013 - Born This Way - Fastest-Selling US Digital Album;
2014 - Lady Gaga - Most Followed Female Pop Singer on Twitter;
2015 - Lady Gaga - The Most Powerful Popstar.
2009 - "Just Dance" (featuring Colby O'Donis), "Poker Face", "Paparazzi", "LoveGame" and "Bad Romance"- Most Cumulative Weeks on the UK Singles Chart in One Year;
2009 - Lady Gaga - Most Downloaded Female Act in a Year in USA;
2010 - "Poker Face" - Most Weeks on US Hot Digital Songs Chart;
2010 - "Telephone" (featuring Beyoncé) - Most Product Placement in a Video;
2011 - "Born This Way" - Fastest-Selling Single on iTunes;
2011 - The Fame - Best-Selling Digital Album in United Kingdom;
2011 - Lady Gaga - Most Searched-For Female on the Internet;
2011 - Lady Gaga - Largest Gathering of Lady Gaga Impersonators;
2011 - Lady Gaga - Most Followers on Twitter;
2013 - Born This Way - Fastest-Selling US Digital Album;
2014 - Lady Gaga - Most Followed Female Pop Singer on Twitter;
2015 - Lady Gaga - The Most Powerful Popstar.
Hollywood Music in Media Awards
2015 - "Til It Happens to You" - Song – Documentary.
2015 - "Til It Happens to You" - Song – Documentary.
2009 - Lady Gaga - Breakthrough Solo Artistж
2009 - "Just Dance" (featuring Colby O'Donis) - Best Pop Dance Track;
2010 - Lady Gaga - Best Solo Artist;
2010 - "Bad Romance" - Best Music Video;
2011 - Lady Gaga - Best Solo Artist;
2011 - "Alejandro" - Best Pop Dance Track.
2009 - Lady Gaga - Breakthrough Solo Artistж
2009 - "Just Dance" (featuring Colby O'Donis) - Best Pop Dance Track;
2010 - Lady Gaga - Best Solo Artist;
2010 - "Bad Romance" - Best Music Video;
2011 - Lady Gaga - Best Solo Artist;
2011 - "Alejandro" - Best Pop Dance Track.
Los Premios 40 Principales
2010 - "Bad Romance" - Best International Song;
2010 - Lady Gaga - Best International Artist.
2010 - Lady Gaga - Best Dressed;
2010 - Lady Gaga - Worst Dressed;
2011 - Lady Gaga - Hero of the Year;
2011 - Lady Gaga - Hottest Woman;
2012 - Lady Gaga - Best Band Blog or Twitter;
2018 - Gaga: Five Foot Two - Best Music Film.
2010 - Lady Gaga - Best Dressed;
2010 - Lady Gaga - Worst Dressed;
2011 - Lady Gaga - Hero of the Year;
2011 - Lady Gaga - Hottest Woman;
2012 - Lady Gaga - Best Band Blog or Twitter;
2018 - Gaga: Five Foot Two - Best Music Film.
O Music Awards
2011 - Lady Gaga - Innovative Artist;
2011 - Lady Gaga - Must Follow Artist on Twitter.