GRAMMY Artist From New York: Lady Gaga
By Amanda Wicks, Radio.com
It took some time for the music industry to recognize Lady Gaga's talents, but once they did her star quickly took off, and it's safe to say she hasn't looked back.
Born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, Lady Gaga grew up in Manhattan, where she got her start in music at a young age. After learning how to play piano when she was four years old, she used that talent--as well as her strong vocal ability--to perform at open mic nights and other local showcases in New York.
It would take some time before Stefani transformed into Lady Gaga, though. After high school, the creative-minded student enrolled in the prestigious musical theater conservatory Collaborative Arts Project 21 through NYU, but she left school during her sophomore year to focus on music, full time. Her life would soon change drastically.
Even though Def Jam Records had signed her to a record deal in late 2006, they ended up dropping her after only three months. Eventually a songwriting job with Sony/ATV Music Publishing would set Stefani back on track, keeping her in the music industry.
Like many a songwriter with a good singing voice, Stefani provided her client, Akon, with a vocal reference track of a demo she wrote. Akon heard her vocal talent, and worked with Interscope Geffen to sign Stefani to more than just a songwriting deal. He wanted her to be a recording artist.
In an earlier incarnation, she had been a solo singer/piano player. But Lady Gaga was something different. Gaga pushed past the standard radio fare of the era, and created something we hadn't quite seen or heard before: an artist with serious musical chops who was able to create monster EDM hits, and who had a visual identity as strong as the sexiest and most fabulous rock stars. People would love her songs, but they'd worship her persona. "Poker Face" was the single that brought her to a large audience, and it signaled Gaga's arrival as a bona fide superstar.
Both that song and the album from which it came (The Fame) would earn Lady Gaga GRAMMYs for Best Dance/Electronic Album and Best Dance Recording in 2009. (She has a total of six GRAMMYs so far.)
A performance artist through and through, Lady Gaga has always exuded a larger than life persona that is as much a part of her art as her music is. Appearing at awards shows and in meat suits and other elaborate costumes and even "hatching" out of an "egg," her music has very much been a force to allow other aspects of her creativity to shine.
Gaga followed up The Fame with an eight-song EP titled The Fame Monster, which continued her string of hits with "Bad Romance," "Telephone" and "Alejandro." The album won the 2010 GRAMMY for Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Bad Romance." She then went on to release the albums Born This Way (2011), Artpop (2014) and Cheek to Cheek (2014), the latter of which found the singer collaborating with Tony Bennett on numerous jazz standards.
More than just a pop star, Gaga continues to promote a message of tolerance, acceptance and inclusivity that has drawn thousands of marginalized young fans to her door. She even used the title of her third album Born This Way to create her own foundation by the same name, which works with youth on issues concerning wellness.
Like many pop stars, Lady Gaga has started branching out lately to act and do other creative projects. That doesn't mean the pop singer/songwriter fondly referred to as Mother Monster by her fans has forgone her roots, though. She's only exploring new territory. That's the thing about Gaga; no matter what she does, she always keeps us interested.
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