Lady Gaga Biography : People.com

Biography

Early 2000s: Prep School Days
Born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, the New York native quickly develops a passion for music, learning to play the piano by ear at 4 and composing her own ballads by 13. Working with Christina Aguilera's vocal coach, Gaga studies classical piano and sings in a classic-rock high school band at Manhattan private school Convent of the Sacred Heart.
2005: Gaga Does Go-Go
At 19, Gaga drops out of New York University after her freshman year to pursue music full time. "I thought I could teach myself about art better than the school could," she tells Elle. Working as a waitress and designing her own stage outfits by day, Gaga begins to make a name for herself by dancing in Lower East Side burlesque clubs and singing in dive bars.
2008: October 28
First Taste of Fame
After being signed and quickly dropped from Island Def Jam records, Gaga lands a deal with Interscope on her 20th birthday. The singer, who writes all of her own tracks, makes her debut with the electro-pop single "Just Dance." "I write about what I know: sex, pornography, art, fame obsession, drugs, and alcohol," Gaga tells Elle. The single burns up the charts, landing at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 list.
2009: Clothing Optional
Channeling '70s glam rockers and pop art, Gaga’s over-the-top style is much examined in the press. Though she makes headlines for wearing giant hair bows and a jacket made of Kermit the Frog dolls, Gaga's pants-less ensembles become her signature look. "It's not that I don't like pants," she tells British newspapers, "I just choose not to wear them some days."
June 11
Pop's New Diva
Wearing a transparent dress made of bubbles, Lady Gaga covers Rolling Stone's annual Hot List issue. Thanks to consecutive hits "Just Dance," "Poker Face," and "LoveGame," Gaga becomes only the third artist in history to score three No. 1 hits off a debut album. "My true legacy will be the test of time," she tells Rolling Stone, "and whether I can sustain a space in pop culture and really make stuff that will have a genuine impact."