Lady Gaga has proven herself to be one of the most talented singers in the music industry. Not only has she received a number of accolades and achievements, but she has managed to prove herself as a singer and an actress after appearing in "A Star Is Born" alongside Bradley Cooper. The singer has not only received multiple Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe but she is also an Oscar winner.
If there is one person who completely built their career from the bottom up, it is Lady Gaga. The singer began performing in clubs throughout New York City after dropping out of college. She got lucky after being discovered by a famous R&B singer during a burlesque show she created, which landing her a job at Interscope Records.
It didn't take much time for Lady Gaga to eventually adopt her very own persona and record her first album, "The Fame". She became an overnight success and has since become one of the most successful female artists of all time. However, she had quite the journey getting there. Here is everything we know about Lady Gaga before she was famous.
10 She Was Stefani Before She Was Gaga
Lady Gaga is without a doubt one of the biggest pop stars of today, and rightfully so! The singer has always had a passion for music and singing from a very young age, however, she was going by a much different name back then. While we know her as Lady Gaga today, Gaga actually grew up as Stefanie Joanne Angelina Germanotta. While the "Born This Way" singer may still be referred to as Stefani during her film, TV or red carpet events, she is always Lady Gaga on stage.
9 Gaga Grew Up In New York
Lady Gaga has been quite vocal about her roots and where she grew up. Gaga has talked about her New York City Italian background a time or twenty, and she holds her upbringing in the city that never sleeps. While Gaga did, in fact, grow up in New York City, she definitely did not have to rough it out by any means. The singer grew up in the Upper West Side, which, similarly to the Upper East Side, is known to be quite an affluent and residential area.
8 And Attended An All-Girls School
In addition to growing up in a very wealthy area of New York City, Lady Gaga also attended a very prestigious high school. The star attended the Convent of the Sacred Heart, which was a private all-girls Roman Catholic school. Gaga attended the school from age 11 to graduation, where she described herself as a student as being "very dedicated, very studious, very disciplined", but also "a bit insecure". Gaga was quite eccentric during her times in high school, which is why she would often consider herself a "misfit".
7 She Then Studied Music At NYU Tisch
Despite being "different", Lady Gaga always stood by and stuck to her music, which ultimately paid off in the end. After graduating from high school, Gaga attended Tisch, a prestigious music school part of New York University. While this was quite an impressive feat, Gaga decided Tisch was not the best fit for her and dropped out after 2 years of studies. Although she did not take her studies for granted, the singer felt it was the right thing to do in order to make it as an artist on her own.
6 She's Appeared On An Episode Of “Boiling Points”
During her time working on local productions, shows and booking smaller gigs across the city, Lady Gaga became quite familiar with MTV. Many fans often forget that the star has appeared on not one, but two MTV shows prior to being famous.
The first is "Boiling Points", which aired between 2004 and 2005 and starred Lady Gaga. The premise of the show was to put "strangers" in situations that would get them angrier and angrier, while the person who set them up can win money for every level they pass without finally reaching their "boiling point" and walking away. This is exactly what happened to Gaga after she was pushed over the edge with a messy salad she ordered.
5 Gaga Played A Lot Of Clubs In New York City
After making the decision to leave Tisch, something very few students at Tisch would ever do, Lady Gaga decided to pursue her career as a singer and began to perform in a number of clubs throughout New York City. Gaga eventually partnered up with Lady Starlight to create their very own burlesque show called "Lady Gaga & The Starlight Revue". The show began to gain quite a lot of traction, so much that Gaga was later discovered by singer, Akon, who later took her under his wing.
4 She Began Working At Interscope Records In 2007
Akon saw something in Lady Gaga and instantly led her to a gig at Interscope Records. The singer was not signed just yet but began working for the label as a songwriter. Gaga was brought on board to write for the label's most popular artist at the time which included Britney Spears, New Kids On The Block and The Pussycat Dolls. After working tirelessly to make a name for herself, Akon finally signed Gaga to his label, Kon Live, under Interscope and the journey began.
3 And Later Appeared On An Episode Of “The Hills”
As mentioned, Lady Gaga has found herself in a number of MTV shows. While the first one fans are able to look back on featured a pre-famous Lady Gaga, this one featured the singer at the very start of her career as Lady Gaga.
The "Pokerface" singer appeared on an episode of MTV's "The Hills". Gaga was performing at a club that Lauren Conrad and Whitney Port's "place of work" were organizing. The two had to dress and prepare Gaga for her performance and the whole thing was filmed and aired!
2 "The Fame" Became An Instant Hit
After debuting her first ever single "Just Dance", which landed at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, led Lady Gaga to become one of the biggest breakout stars of the late 2000s. Her album, "The Fame" stunned music critics and listeners across the globe, and she instantly developed a fanbase overnight. The album also consisted of other hit songs such as "LoveGame", "Pokerface" and "Paparazzi", all of which gained the singer worldwide notoriety and fame.
1 Lady Gaga Was Then Officially Born
By 2009, Lady Gaga was a household name and the talk of the town! The singer became known for her great vocals but her unique style and sense of fashion, which turned many heads. Gaga remains the only singer in history to lead an entire audience to visibly gasp at the sight of her on-stage effects during her Video Music Awards performance of "Paparazzi" in 2009. It was made clear at this very moment that Lady Gaga was a force to be reckoned with.
