#30. She Started Super Young
Stephanie Germanotta —yup, that’s her actual name— started playing the piano when she was only three years old. From the moment she learned how to talk, she knew she wanted to sing.
Luckily, her family was supportive from the very beginning and hooked her up with a piano teacher to help her learn. Music has been one of the most important parts of her life since she can remember, and it shows!
#29. She Acted A Long Time Ago
Before she wore her extravagant outfits and sang her heart out on stage, Lady Gaga worked as an actress. Although they were mostly minor roles, you might remember seeing her on some of your favorite shows.
For example, here’s a picture of her on The Sopranos. She was also on an MTV pranking show, Boiling Points, and a couple of stage plays. Can you recognize her in her pre-fame style?
#28. Her Career Began In A Shocking Way
You’d be surprised to learn that her first music work wasn’t a party anthem. In fact, her first music credits are part of a children’s audiobook version of The Portal in the Park, for which she made music in 2005.
After that, she formed a group, the Stefani Germanotta Band, which became pretty popular in the NYC underground music scene. She was discovered by a talent manager, WendyStarland, in one of her performances, and the rest is history.
#27. Where Her Name Comes From
As she was building her pop music career, music producer Rob Fusari told her she should have a stage name. This prompted Gaga to come up with a cool name to show herself to the world.
She drew inspiration from one of her favorite bands, Queen, and their song Radio Ga Ga. Her producer instantly loved it and from that point on, she became Lady Gaga.
#26. Who Inspired Her Image
Lady Gaga didn’t always look the way she does now. Her style went through thousands of changes, but the most drastic one came at the very beginning of her career. Before she got into pop, she used to dress in pretty ordinary clothes.
That was until she met musician Lady Starlight, who introduced Gaga to the world of contemporary burlesque. The two became super close and started performing together in New York clubs, and that’s when Gaga began dressing in a more flashy, extravagant way.
#25. Who To Thank For Her Career
Of course, we are not saying that Gaga didn’t earn her own achievements or anything, but if there’s someone we can also thank for where she is now, that’s Akon. The two met when she was assigned to write a song for him during her time working as a songwriter at Interscope Records.
Akon realized he had a star in the making in front of him and quickly signed her to his record label, KonLive. She eventually moved on to another label, but this was her first step into the big industry machine.
#24. Radio Stations Hated Her
You may not know this, but it is vital for an artist’s success to have their songs played on radio stations. So, when a new artist wants to make it, their record label will distribute a couple of their singles to radio stations.
But Gaga found it incredibly difficult to be picked up by radio stations because they just didn’t like her sound. Many stations rejected her singles for being too “dance-oriented” or “underground”. Thankfully, she didn’t give up.
#23. She Broke Countless Records
Pretty early on her career, Gaga started breaking record after record. The first one was in 2009 when Poker Face became the best-selling song in the world that year. Just one year later, Bad Romance became the highest-viewed video on Youtube.
She was also included in The Guinness World of Records as the most downloaded female artist in 2009. Also, she is the most-nominated artist for the MTV VMAs in history. And the list goes on and on.
#22. She Has Suffered Some Health Issues
Recently, Lady Gaga opened up about her struggles with fibromyalgia, stress, and anxiety. Fibromyalgia is a condition that consists of chronic widespread pain, stiffness, and soft-tissue tenderness all over the body.
Living with pain that doesn’t go away takes a toll on all areas of your life and affects your concentration, which leads to stress and anxiety. On the bright side, she says she’s doing better now. We wish you the best, Gaga!
#21. She’s A Business Owner
Gaga is not only successful in the entertainment industry. She has also released several products, for example, Heartbeats, a line of earbuds produced in partnership with Dr. Dre.
She is also the creative director of Polaroid, where she also gets to work as a designer. She also has her own skincare company, Haus Laboratories, which is doing extremely well. We can’t wait to see what she’ll come up with next!
#20. She Met Her Ex On Set
One of the singles for her album Born This Way, You and I, features Lady Gaga in a series of unique, surreal scenes with actor Taylor Kinney. It was then and there that the two met and began a long relationship.
After dating for four years, the pair got engaged in 2015 and enjoyed a very low-key relationship. Sadly, they split up a year later, but the two remain on good terms.
#19. She Has Dabbed On Comedy
Lady Gaga is not afraid to laugh at herself and just have some fun every once in a while. Her first big comedy collaboration came in 2011 when she did 3-Way (The Golden Rule), an SNL Digital Short with The Lonely Island and Justin Timberlake.
She also had an episode of The Simpsons fully focused on her titled Lisa Goes Gaga, and she also appeared in a holiday special of The Muppets. We gotta admit, she was amazing in all of them!
#18. She Sold Two Fragrances
When Gaga announced that she was releasing a fragrance in 2011, some ridiculous rumors were spread like wildfire. Allegedly, her perfume was going to smell like a mixture of blood and…lady parts. Of course, that was absolutely false.
That silly rumor did not interfere with her plans, and she released Lady Gaga Fame, which smelled like apricot and saffron and was a huge hit. She later released Eau de Gaga in 2014, which smelled like white violet and lime.
#17. She Collaborated With A Classic Singer
One thing everyone needs to know about Gaga is that she is versatile. Sure, she can dance and sing her butt off to her dance-pop tunes, but she can basically make any type of music she wants to. So, when she decided to collaborate with Tony Bennett, she had a hit on her hands.
Although people were skeptical about it at the beginning, their collaboration was incredibly successful and it turned into a full album called Cheek to Cheek, which the duo released in 2014. They later went on a one-year-long tour together.
#16. She Loves Horror
Yes, Gaga loves horror. If you’re a fan of her music videos, you probably already know this, because she never fails to include some disturbing, scary thing here and there. And when she gets the chance to appear in a horror flick, she rarely turns it down.
She was in not one, but two Robert Rodriguez movies: Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, and Machete Kills. She was also on American Horror Story: Hotel, playing The Countess, a vampire.
#15. She Has A Vegas Residency
Many artists have musical residencies in Las Vegas – that is, a series of concerts but only done at one location. But there’s something very special about Gaga’s: it’s actually two different concerts.
Somehow, this woman finds the time and energy to give the world the wonderful gift of two different concerts, one being a full-blown show of her biggest hits, pyrotechnics, and eccentric costume changes, and the other is just her singing and playing the piano, showing her vocal range.
#14. She Influenced Her Influencers
When asked about who influenced her to become who she is, Gaga has cited many artists, from Mariah Carey to Queen, and even Black Sabbath. But of course, one of her greatest influences has been Madonna.
Interestingly enough, Madonna has also stated that she is influenced by Gaga and that she admires her. The same happened with Donatella Versace, who Gaga loves and who loves Gaga right back.
#13. She Has a Male Alter-Ego
In 2010, Gaga created Jo Calderone, her male alter-ego. He was introduced to the world on the cover of Vogue Japan, and people wondered who this hot new model was. Later, it was revealed that it was Gaga in drag.
In 2011, Jo debuted at the MTV VMAs and performed the single You and I. There, Jo told the audience that he and Gaga had a failed romantic relationship. We don’t know much more about him, but we sure hope he makes a comeback.
#12. She Is A Philantromonster
Although her stage persona radiates selfishness and vanity, the real Gaga is the complete opposite of that. She actually gives back as much as she can and is an activist for many different causes close to her heart.
On top of many other things, she created the Born This Way Foundation to promote the rights of the youth. She named it after her super-empowering hit, and she couldn’t have picked a better name!
#11. Real Creatures Are Named After Her
Gaga’s fans are known as her little monsters, but there are actual little monsters named after her out there. For example, a parasitic wasp, the Aleoides gaga, was named after her by scientists who apparently are little monsters themselves.
There are also two plants that have been named after her: the Gaga monstraparva (a reference to her fandom), and the Gaga germanotta (her last name, hello?!). They were both named by Duke University researchers to pay tribute to her contribution to equality.
#10. She Was Going To Tour With Kanye
Now, this would seem utterly impossible, but there was a time when Kanye West and Lady Gaga were planning on going on a world tour together. This was because, in 2009, West was at the height of his career, and Gaga’s fame was exploding.
However, after the whole Taylor Swift vs. Kanye at the VMAs thing happened, Kanye’s image was heavily damaged, and Gaga didn’t want to be associated with the drama and went on tour by herself.
#9. A Star Was Born Before
Gaga took home an Academy Award thanks to A Star Is Born, the wonderful musical drama she starred in alongside Bradley Cooper. However, the movie wasn’t an original but a remake.
The original version, from 1937, was silent, and then the musical version starring Judy Garland was made in 1954. After that, Barbra Streisand starred in a rock version of it in 1976. Yet another version was going to be made starring Jamie Foxx and Aaliyah, but when the latter passed away, it was canceled.
#8. Paparazzi Is Not A Love Song
At first glance, Paparazzi seems to be a song about Gaga being obsessed with a man and wanting his attention, comparing herself with the paparazzi and the guy to a celebrity. However, the song is actually about her love-hate relationship with fame.
The song talks about how Gaga both wants the attention, the flashing lights, and the praise, but also wants to stay away from it because it’s dangerous. In her own words: “it’s a love song for the cameras“.
#7. She Became A Star Elsewhere
Her debut single, Just Dance, was an instant hit as soon as it came out. However, not in the USA. In fact, it reached number one in Australia, Sweden, and Canada, and charted in many other countries.
But in America, it was moderately successful. It seems as though her own country wasn’t ready for Gaga at the beginning, at least until Poker Face came out. It’s a shame the rest of the world got to appreciate her first.
#6. She Dresses This Way For A Reason
Nowadays, Gaga’s style is much less edgy than it used to be, but she is still dressing in an extravagant way and has stayed true to her style for over a decade. But they are more than just clothes and there’s a reason why she dresses this way.
One of her most iconic outfits was a dress completely made of plastic bubbles, and it had people talking. When asked why she decided to dress like that, she very simply stated that life is short, and she wants to be remembered. And, when people remember her for her fashion, hopefully, that will make them happy.
#5. She Has Her Own Concept Of Celebrity
Gaga has had a very clear idea of what it means to be a celebrity from a young age, and she always worked hard to get there. For her, being a celebrity is not about having the most followers on social media or taking pictures.
For Gaga, being a celebrity is about having a sense of style that is flashy, weird, and elite. That’s why, before she was famous, she saved up all her money to buy designer items like Gucci purses to stand out, even if that meant she couldn’t pay rent.
#4. She Had An Unlikely Inspiration
We’ve mentioned some of Gaga’s biggest inspirations before, but the most unexpected artist to be among her inspirations is none other than Nelly Furtado and her journey. This happened when Gaga was making her first album.
Gaga researched Furtado’s history and learned that after Furtado released her smash-hit, I’m Like a Bird, her career started to disappear. Then, with the help of Timbaland, she rebranded herself into a pop princess. This self-reinvention inspired Gaga to do the same.
#3. She’s An Andy Warhol Fan
This doesn’t come as much of a surprise when you think about it, but Gaga is a huge fan of visual artist Andy Warhol. After all, he was extremely influential, edgy, and eccentric. Does that sound familiar?
In fact, he was the reason why Gaga had platinum blond hair for so many years, just like Warhol. She has also quoted him many times, for example when talking about what art means to her:
“Warhol said art should be meaningful in the most shallow way… that’s what I’m doing too.”
#2. She Cut Many Friends Out
The transition a person goes through when they become a celebrity can be pretty tough, and many lose friends and family members along the way. This was the case of Gaga, unfortunately – although it may have been for the best.
She recalls being a struggling artist and asking her friends to come to see her perform, but only a few of them ever returned her texts. Then, once she blew up, all these fake friends suddenly wanted to spend time with her. This made her decide to leave them out of her life for good.
#1. She Was Stopped By The Police
Luckily, she wasn’t arrested, but one time, she was stopped by the police for indecent exposure. Yup, it’s true. You know that, if Gaga wants to wear something, she will wear it, and not even the police are going to stop her.
One time while out with friends in Chicago, she was apparently wearing very short shorts – so short that they weren’t pants anymore. The police stopped her and she argued with them until they let her go.