The way Lady Gaga rose to fame and quickly took over the music industry back in the late 2000s doesn't happen to everybody. You have to be born under a lucky star and have a tremendous amount of talent to achieve what Gaga did. But even then, the way to the top is not easy.
In today's article, we take a look at Lady Gaga — whose real name is Stefani Germanotta — and her life before she got her big break. From attending the NYU Tisch School of the Arts to performing at open mic nights — here are 10 things Lady Gaga did before she got famous.
10 Lady Gaga Started Playing The Piano When She Was Four
It was very obvious from the very beginning that Stefani Germanotta would become a musician when she grows up. She showed interest in music at a very early age and by the time she was five, she had already learned how to play the piano.
"When Stefani started to crawl, she would use the leg of the piano to pull herself up and stand, and in doing so, her fingers would eventually land on the keys," said Cynthia Germanotta, Lady Gaga's mom, for Billboard. "She would stay there and just keep pressing the keys to hear the sound. We would then start to hold her up or sit on the bench and let her tinker."
9 Attended A Private All-Girls School
Lady Gaga attended a private all-girls Catholic school Convent of the Sacred Heart, located in Manhattan. And she wasn't the only future celeb there — Nicky Hilton went to the same school as well. Gaga talked about this back in 2008 during an interview with DJ Ron Slomowicz. "I never saw Paris, she was older than me, and it’s funny that the press always write that I went to school with the Hilton sisters, but I actually only went with Nicky," said the "Poker Face" singer.
8 Gaga Even Got Admitted To New York University Tisch School of the Arts
Lady Gaga's artistic potential was recognized by one of the best drama schools in the world, New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where she was enrolled before dropping out to pursue a music career. During a radio interview with Ryan Seacrest, Gaga revealed that one of her songs was written in the school's library.
"Yes I did go to college Ryan — I went to NYU Tisch. In fact, I have never told anyone this before, but my song "LoveGame" was actually written in NYU’s library — I think it’s called Bobst if I remember correctly," said Gaga.
7 She Used To Perform At Open Mic Nights
When she was a teenager, Lady Gaga started performing in open mic nights around Manhattan. Because she was still underage, Gaga had to bring her mother with her to the New York bars where she'd perform. "She’d say to the manager, 'Listen, I know she’s too young to be in here, and I’m too old to be in here, but she’s incredibly talented and she’s a singer-songwriter and can she sign up on your open-mic list?' And we just sat and waited around for them to call my name,” revealed Gaga in a 2009 interview with The Times UK.
6 She Studied Method Acting For Ten Years
If you've seen Gaga in American Horror Story: Hotel or A Star Is Born, then you already know that she's an amazing actress. That is because Gaga studied acting for ten years. "I studied method acting for almost ten years. I studied [Lee] Strasberg, the version that makes people roll their eyes," said Gaga in a 2015 interview for News.com.au.
5 In 2001, Gaga Appeared In An Episode of 'The Sopranos'
Long before she starred in the Oscar-nominated movie A Star Is Born, Stefani Germanotta appeared in a very popular series — HBO's The Sopranos. Her role in "The Telltale Moozadell" episode of the series was pretty small, though — she played 'Girl at Swimming Pool #2',
4 She Got Signed To A Record Label In 2006
After years of trying to make it in the music industry, Lady Gaga finally got signed to a record label in 2006. The label in question was the Island Def Jam Records, whose CEO was rapper L.A. Reid. Only two months after signing her, L.A. Reid decided to drop Gaga from his label, and boy did he make a wrong decision there because Gaga's career finally took off and she skyrocketed to international fame soon after.
3 She Released An EP The Same Year
Before she created her Lady Gaga persona and released her debut studio album The Fame, Gaga had recorded an EP named Red and Blue, under her real name, Stefani. The album, which was released in 2006, had only five tracks and was only 20 minutes long. It was sold at the Bitter End, a New York nightclub where Gaga used to perform.
2 Gaga Has Written Many Songs For Other Famous Musicians
Apart from having an amazing voice that can sing almost any note you want, Lady Gaga is also a very skilled songwriter. Not only did she write all of her biggest hits such as "Poker Face" and "Bad Romance", but Gaga has also written for other famous stars. Britney Spears' song "Quicksand" and Jennifer Lopez's "Hypnotico" are just some of the songs Lady Gaga wrote.
1 She Was An Opening Act For A Girl Group
Before she got to headline her own concerts in arenas and stadiums all over the world, Lady Gaga was an opening act for the Pussycat Dolls on their Doll Domination Tour in Europe and Oceania back in 2008. Gaga did such a good job that some critics said she stole the show and outshined the headliners. Getting to work with an iconic group like the Pussycat Dolls definitely helped Gaga's career.
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