Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (b. March 28, 1986), better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American pop singer. She began performing in the rock music scene of New York City's Lower East Side in 2003 and enrolled at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She soon signed with Streamline Records, an imprint of Interscope Records. During her early time at Interscope, she worked as a songwriter for fellow label artists and captured the attention of Akon, who recognized her vocal abilities, and signed her to his own label, Kon Live Distribution.
Released on August 19, 2008, her debut album, The Fame, reached number one in the United Kingdom, Canada, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Ireland as well as accomplishing positions within the top-ten in numerous countries worldwide; in the United States, it peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 chart and topped Billboard's Dance/Electronic Albums chart. Its first two singles, Just Dance and
Poker Face, co-written and co-produced with RedOne, became international number-one hits, topping the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States as well as the charts of various other countries. The album, nominated for a total of six Grammy Awards, won the awards for Best Electronic/Dance Album and Best Dance Recording (for Poker Face). In early 2009, she embarked on her first headlining tour, The Fame Ball Tour. By the fourth quarter of the year, she had released an extended play, The Fame Monster, an extension of her debut album. This album has since garnered her a further six Grammy nominations, produced another global chart-topping lead single Bad Romance and allowed her to embark on her second headlining tour of 2009, The Monster Ball Tour, on which, Gaga currently performs. Her second studio album, Born This Way, is scheduled for release in 2011.
Lady Gaga is inspired by glam rock artists such as David Bowie and Queen, as well as pop singers such as Madonna and Michael Jackson. She has also stated fashion is a source of inspiration for her songwriting and performances.
As of August 2010, Gaga has sold more than 15 million albums and 51 million singles worldwide.
Forbes also placed her at number seven on their annual list of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women.
[8986 Ross / 8986 Gaga / 8976 Gibbard]
