Lady GaGa Biography

Singer / Songwriter

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Name at birth: Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta

Lady GaGa is a singer, songwriter, and proud seeker of skin-deep pop culture celebrity. Her 2008 debut album, The Fame, stated her goal and achieved it all at once. Born into a New York Italian family, she went to Convent of the Sacred Heart (the same high school as Paris and Nicky Hilton) and attended New York University. A self-professed fan of the glam rock of David Bowie and Queen, she made her way into the New York club scene and wrote songs for the Pussycat Dolls before scoring her own record deal and releasing The Fame, with its hit singles "Poker Face," "Just Dance" and "Beautiful Dirty Rich." Lady GaGa is just as famous for her devotion to hot pants and outrageous fashion, with a look that seems to be equal parts Cher, Christina Aguilera and Joan Crawford.

Extra credit: She spells her name Gaga or GaGa, depending on whim... According to a 2009 report in The Times of London, she "works with a collective called the Haus of GaGa, who collaborate with their muse on clothing, stage sets and sounds. 'In this industry, you get a lot of stylists and producers thrown at you, but this is my own creative team, modelled on Warhol's Factory. Everyone is under 26 and we do everything together.'"