History of Lady Gaga in Timeline
Lady Gaga is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Her really name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. She was born on March 28, 1986. Her parents are Cynthia Louise (née Bissett) and Internet entrepreneur Joseph Germanotta, they both have Italian ancestry. Lady Gaga also also has more distant French-Canadian roots.
March 28, 1986: Birth
Lady Gaga was born on March 28, 1986 at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, New York City, to a Catholic family.
1997: Started to attend a private all-girls Roman Catholic school
At age 11, she started to attend a private all-girls Roman Catholic school - the Convent of the Sacred Heart
2003: Gained admission to a music school, Tisch School of the Arts
In 2003, at age 17, Gaga gained early admission to Collaborative Arts Project 21, a music school at New York University (NYU)'s Tisch School of the Arts, and lived in an NYU dorm. She studied music there, and improved her songwriting skills by writing essays on art, religion, social issues and politics, including a thesis on pop artists Spencer Tunick and Damien Hirst.
2005: Withdrew from school to focus on her music career
She withdrew from school during the second semester of her sophomore year, in 2005, to focus on her music career. That year she also played an unsuspecting diner customer for MTV's Boiling Points, a prank reality television show.
She recorded two songs with hip-hop singer Grandmaster Melle Mel for an audio book accompanying Cricket Casey's children's novel The Portal in the Park. She also formed a band called the SGBand with some friends from NYU. They played gigs around New York and became a fixture of the downtown Lower East Side club scene.
May 2006: Rob Fusari and Gaga began dating
Rob Fusari said he and Gaga began dating in May 2006, and claimed to have been the first person to call her "Lady Gaga", which was derived from Queen's song "Radio Ga Ga".
September 2006: Fusari and Gaga co-founded Team Lovechild, LLC to promote Gaga's career
Fusari and Gaga established a company called Team Lovechild, LLC to promote her career. They recorded and produced electropop tracks, sending them to music industry executives.
September 2006: Gaga was signed to Def Jam Recordings
Joshua Sarubin, the head of Artists and repertoire (A&R) at Def Jam Recordings, responded positively and, after approval from Sarubin's boss Antonio "L.A." Reid, Gaga was signed to Def Jam in September 2006.
December 2006: Lady Gaga was dropped from Def Jam
Lady Gaga was dropped from the label three months later and returned to her family home for Christmas. She began performing at neo-burlesque shows, which according to her represented freedom.
2006: A talent scout recommended her to music producer, Rob Fusari
Talent scout Wendy Starland recommended her to music producer Rob Fusari. Fusari collaborated with Gaga, who traveled daily to New Jersey, helping to develop her songs and compose new material.
January 2007: Her relationship Rob Fusari ended
Lady Gaga's relationship with her producer ended in January 2007.
November 2007: Was signed to Streamline Records label
In November 2007, Herbert signed Gaga to his label Streamline Records, an imprint of Interscope Records, established that month. Gaga later credited Herbert as the man who discovered her. She later struck a music publishing deal with Sony/ATV. As a result, she was hired to write songs for Britney Spears, New Kids on the Block, Fergie, and The Pussycat Dolls.
At Interscope, musician Akon was impressed with her singing abilities and convinced Jimmy Iovine, chairman and CEO of Interscope Geffen A&M, to form a joint deal by having Gaga also sign with his own label KonLive, making her his "franchise player".
2007: Performed at Lollapalooza music festival
She later met performance artist Lady Starlight, who helped mold her onstage persona. The pair performed at the 2007 Lollapalooza music festival.
May 2008: Made her first televised performances
One of her first televised performances was in May 2008 at the NewNowNext Awards, an awards show aired by the LGBT television network Logo. As a bisexual woman, Gaga actively supports LGBT rights worldwide. She attributes much of her early success as a mainstream artist to her gay fans and is considered a gay icon.
August 19, 2008: Released her debut album The Fame
By 2008, Gaga had relocated to Los Angeles to work extensively with her record label and she released her debut album The Fame on August 19, 2008. It reached number one in Austria, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland and the UK, and the top five in Australia and the US. Its first two singles, "Just Dance" and "Poker Face", reached number one in the United States, Australia, Canada and the UK.
March 2009: Started "The Fame Ball" Tour
Following her opening act on The Pussycat Dolls' 2009 Doll Domination Tour in Europe and Oceania, Gaga headlined her worldwide The Fame Ball Tour, which ran from March to September 2009 and grossed $227.4 million, making it the highest-grossing concert tour for a debut headlining
October 2009: Her "Heartbeats by Lady Gaga" and were made available
Gaga ventured into business, collaborating with consumer electronics company Monster Cable Products to create in-ear, jewel-encrusted headphones called Heartbeats by Lady Gaga and were made available in October 2009.
October 2009: Released "Bad Romance" single
She released a single "Bad Romance", which was later included on standalone EP. The single went number one in Canada and the UK, and number two in the US, Australia and New Zealand.
2009: Her Poker Face single became the world's best-selling single
Her single, Poker Face became the world's best-selling single of 2009, with 9.8 million copies sold that year, and spent a record 83 weeks on Billboard magazine's Digital Songs chart.
At the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, The Fame and "Poker Face" won Best Dance/Electronica Album and Best Dance Recording, respectively.
In the sam year, Gaga spent a record 150 weeks on the UK Singles Chart and became the most downloaded female act in a year in the US, with 11.1 million downloads sold, earning an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records.
March 2010: Fusari sued Gaga for 20% share of the company's earnings
In March 2010 Fusari sued Gaga for 20% share of the company's earnings, but the New York Supreme Court dismissed both the lawsuit and a counter-suit by Gaga.
April 2010: Time magazine named her as one of the most influential people in the world
She was named one of the most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2010.
April 2010: "Bad Romance" video became the most watched on YouTube
The video for "Bad Romance" became the most watched on YouTube in April 2010, and later in October, Gaga became the first person with more than one billion combined views.
June 2010: She was tested borderline positive for lupus
She revealed that she was tested borderline positive for lupus, but claimed not to be affected by the symptoms and hoped to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
September 12, 2010: Won 8 awards in 2010 MTV Video Music Awards
Gaga wore a dress made of raw beef to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. She won eight awards from 13 nominations, including Video of the Year for "Bad Romance". She was the most nominated artist for a single year, and the first female to receive two nominations for Video of the Year at the same ceremony.
The Fame Monster won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album, and "Bad Romance" won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Short Form Music Video at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards.
2010: Forbes included Gaga in World's Most Powerful Women List
Forbes included Gaga on its Celebrity 100 from 2010 to 2015 and then in 2018 and its list of the World's Most Powerful Women from 2010 to 2014. She earned $62 million, $90 million, $52 million, $80 million, $33 million, and $59 million from 2010 through 2015 and $50 million in 2018.
February 2011: Released "Born This Way" album
In February 2011, Gaga released "Born This Way", the lead single from her studio album of the same name. The song sold more than one million copies within five days, earning the Guinness World Record for the fastest selling single on iTunes. It debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the 1,000th number-one single in the history of the charts.
March 2011: Raised and donated $1.5 million Tōhoku for Japan's earthquake and tsunami disaster
Hours after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, Gaga tweeted a link to Japan Prayer Bracelets. All revenue from a bracelet she designed in conjunction with the company was donated to relief efforts; these raised $1.5 million.
May 23, 2011: Released "Born This Way" album
Her album "Born This Way" was released on May 23, 2011, and debuted atop the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 1.1 million copies. The album sold eight million copies worldwide and received three Grammy nominations, including Gaga's third consecutive nomination for Album of the Year.
June 2011: Appeared in international event dedicated to LGBT pride
Gaga appeared at Europride, an international event dedicated to LGBT pride, in Rome in June 2011. She criticized the poor state of gay rights in many European countries and described gay people as "revolutionaries of love". Gaga was ordained as a minister by the Universal Life Church Monastery so that she could officiate the wedding of two female friends.
June 2011: Gaga was named the "Queen of Pop"
Gaga was named the "Queen of Pop" in a 2011 ranking by Rolling Stone (based on record sales and social media metrics).
July 13, 2011: Promoted "Born This Way" in Australia
She performed a concert at the Sydney Town Hall in Australia that to promote Born This Way and to celebrate former US President Bill Clinton's 65th birthday.
July 2011: Started dating actor Taylor Kinney
While filming the "You and I" music video, Gaga met and started dating actor Taylor Kinney in July 2011, who played her love interest.
March 2012: She was ranked fourth on Billboard's list of top moneymakers
In March 2012, Gaga was ranked fourth on Billboard's list of top moneymakers of 2011 with earnings of $25 million, which included sales from Born This Way and her Monster Ball Tour.
April 2012: Embarked on the Born This Way Ball tour
She embarked on the Born This Way Ball tour in April 2012, which was scheduled to conclude the following March, but ended one month earlier when Gaga canceled the remaining dates due to a labral tear of her right hip that required surgery. While refunds for the cancellations were estimated to be worth $25 million, the tour grossed a total of $183.9 million globally.
July 2012: Co-founded the social networking service LittleMonsters.com
Gaga's fans call her "Mother Monster", and she often refers to them as "Little Monsters", a phrase which she had tattooed on herself in dedication. In July 2012, Gaga co-founded the social networking service LittleMonsters.com, devoted to her fans.
September 2012: Her meat dress was displayed in National Museum
The meat dress she wore in 2010 MTV Music Awards was displayed at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in 2012.
November 2012: Pledged to donate $1 million to the American Red Cross
In November 2012, Gaga pledged to donate $1 million to the American Red Cross to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy. Gaga also contributes in the fight against HIV and AIDS, focusing on educating young women about the risks of the disease.
2012: Launched the Born This Way Foundation (BTWF)
She launched the Born This Way Foundation (BTWF), a non-profit organization that focuses on youth empowerment. The foundation's original funding included $1.2 million from Gaga, $500,000 from the MacArthur Foundation, and $850,000 from Barneys New York.
August 2013: Released "Applause" single
In August 2013, Gaga released the lead single "Applause" from her Artpop album, which reached number one in Hungary, number four in the US, and number five in the UK.
October 2013: "Aura", lyric video was released
A lyric video for Artpop track "Aura" followed in October to accompany Robert Rodriguez's Machete Kills, where she plays an assassin named La Chameleon. The film received generally negative reviews and earned less than half of its $33 million budget.
November 2013: Artpop album was released
In November 2013, she released Artpop album. The album was followed with mixed reviews. Helen Brown in The Daily Telegraph criticized Gaga for making another album about her fame and doubted the record's originality, but found it "great for dancing". The album debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart.
2013: Ranked second in most influential people of the past ten years
She ranked second in most influential people of the past ten years in a Time magazine readers' poll in 2013.
May 2014: She embarked on the The Artpop Ball tour
In May 2014, she embarked on the ArtRave: The Artpop Ball tour, building on concepts from her ArtRave promotional event. Earning $83 million, the tour included cities canceled from the Born This Way Ball tour itinerary.
June 2014: Split from longtime manager, Troy Carter
Gaga split from longtime manager Troy Carter over "creative differences", and by June 2014, she and new manager Bobby Campbell joined Artist Nation, the artist management division of Live Nation Entertainment.
July 2014: Artpop sold more than 2.5 million
Her album "Artpop", sold more than 2.5 million copies worldwide as of July 2014.
September 2014: Released a collaborative jazz album with Tony Bennett
In September 2014, Gaga released a collaborative jazz album with Tony Bennett titled Cheek to Cheek. The inspiration behind the album came from her friendship with Bennett, and fascination with jazz music since her childhood. Before the album was released, it produced the singles "Anything Goes" and "I Can't Give You Anything but Love".
December 2014: Embarked on the Cheek to Cheek Tour with Tony Bennett
Tony and Gaga recorded the concert special Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga: Cheek to Cheek Live!, and embarked on the Cheek to Cheek Tour from December 2014 to August 2015.
2014: Revealed that she had been raped at 19
In 2014, Gaga said she had been raped at 19, for which she underwent mental and physical therapy. She has posttraumatic stress disorder that she attributes to the incident, and says that support from doctors, family and friends has helped her.
February 2015: Engaged to Taylor Kinney
In February 2015, Gaga became engaged to Taylor Kinney.
May 2015: Released clothing and accessories line Love Bravery with Elton John
Gaga and Elton John released the clothing and accessories line Love Bravery at Macy's in May 2015. 25% of each purchase support Gaga's foundation and the Elton John AIDS Foundation
September 2015: Named Billboard's Woman of the Year
Gaga was named Billboard's Woman of the Year in 2015.
October 2015: Starred in American Horror Story: Hotel
Gaga had spent much of her early life wanting to be an actress, and achieved her goal when she starred in American Horror Story: Hotel. Running from October 2015 to January 2016, Hotel is the fifth season of the television anthology horror series, American Horror Story, in which Gaga played a hotel owner named Elizabeth.
December 2015: Topped Forbes' List of Top-Earning Celebs Under 30
In 2015 Gaga topped Forbes' List of Top-Earning Celebs Under 30.
January 10, 2016: Won the Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film award
Gaga received the Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film award for her work on the season at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards in January 2016
January 2016: Was one of the best-selling music artists
Gaga was one of the best-selling music artists with estimated sales of 27 million albums and 146 million singles as of January 2016. She has grossed more than $512.3 million in revenue from her concert tours and residencies, becoming the fifth woman to pass the half-billion total as reported to Billboard Boxscore.
March 2016: Won Editor of the Year award
She was guest editor for V fashion magazine's 99th issue in January 2016, which featured 16 different covers. She received Editor of the Year award at the Fashion Los Angeles Awards in March 2016
April 2016: She joined Vice President Joe Biden to support Biden's It's On Us Campaign
In April 2016, Gaga joined Vice President Joe Biden at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas to support Biden's It's On Us campaign as he traveled to colleges on behalf of the organization, which has seen 250,000 students from more than 530 colleges sign a pledge of solidarity and activism.
June 2016: Gave a speech and read aloud the names of the 49 people killed in the attack in gay nightclub Pulse
In June 2016, during a vigil held in Los Angeles for victims of the attack at the gay nightclub Pulse in Orlando, Gaga read aloud the names of the 49 people killed in the attack, and gave a speech. Later that month, Gaga appeared in Human Rights Campaign's tribute video to the victims of the attack.
September 2016: She played a witch in American Horror Story: Roanoke
Gaga played a witch named Scathach in American Horror Story: Roanoke, the series' sixth season, which ran from September to November 2016.
October 21, 2016: Released an album titled Joanne
On October 21, 2016, she released an album titled Joanne, which was named after Gaga's late aunt, who was an inspiration for the music. It became Gaga's fourth number one album on the Billboard 200, making her the first woman to reach the US chart's summit four times in the 2010s.
2016: Supported Hillary Clinton for president
She has opposed the presidency of Donald Trump and deplored his military transgender ban. She supported former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for president in 2016.
February 05, 2017: Performed as the headlining act during the Super Bowl
Gaga performed as the headlining act during the Super Bowl LI halftime show on February 5, 2017. Her performance featured a group of hundreds of lighted drones forming various shapes in the sky above Houston's NRG Stadium—the first time robotic aircraft appeared in a Super Bowl program. It attracted 117.5 million viewers in the United States, exceeding the game's total of 113.3 million viewers. The performance led to a surge of 410,000 song downloads in the United States for Gaga and earned her an Emmy nomination in the Outstanding Special Class Program category.
April 2017: She headlined the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
In April 2017, Gaga headlined the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. She also released a standalone-single, "The Cure", which reached the top 10 in Australia.
June 2017: Partnered with Starbucks for "Cups of Kindness" campaign
Gaga partnered with Starbucks for a week in June 2017 with the "Cups of Kindness" campaign, where the company donated 25 cents from some of the beverages sold to the foundation.
August 2017: Began the Joanne World Tour
In August 2017, Gaga began the Joanne World Tour, which she announced after the Super Bowl LI halftime show.
September 2017: Netflix premiered her documentary, Gaga: Five Foot Two
In September 2017, Netflix premiered her documentary, Gaga: Five Foot Two. Throughout the film, she was seen suffering from chronic pain, which was later revealed to be the effect of a long-term condition called fibromyalgia. It resulted in Gaga canceling the last ten shows of the Joanne World Tour, which ultimately grossed $95 million from 842,000 tickets sold.
October 2018: Starred in musical romantic drama, A Star Is Born
She starred as a struggling singer named Ally in Bradley Cooper's critically acclaimed musical romantic drama A Star Is Born, a remake of the 1937 film of the same name. The film was released in September 2018
January 2019: Removed the song "Do What U Want" from all streaming platforms
Gaga removed the song "Do What U Want" from all streaming platforms in 2019 in the light of allegations made against R Kelly sexually abusing several women; Gaga apologized for ever collaborating with him.
February 2019: Ended engagement with her agent Christian Carino
Gaga and her agent Christian Carino ended the engagement in February 2019, four months after they confirmed their engagement.
Late 2007: Met with songwriter and producer RedOne
In late 2007, Gaga met with songwriter and producer RedOne. She collaborated with him in the recording studio for a week on her debut album, signing with Cherrytree Records, an Interscope imprint established by producer and songwriter Martin Kierszenbaum; she also wrote four songs with Kierszenbaum.
Despite securing a record deal, she said that some radio stations found her music too "racy", "dance-oriented", and "underground" for the mainstream market. She stated: "My name is Lady Gaga, I've been on the music scene for years, and I'm telling you, this is what's next."