Who Is Lady Gaga, And Where Did She Come From? Germanotta was born on March 28, 1986 into an Italian American family in New York City. She showed musical promise early on — she played piano from age 4 and went on to perform at open-mic nights.

Gaga started performing as a teenager by singing at open mic nights and acting in school plays. She studied Collaborative Arts Project 21 before leaving to pursue a music career. After a contract cancellation by Def Jam Recordings, Gaga worked as a songwriter for Sony/ATV Music Publishing.

Gaga made her debut in August 2008 with the studio album The Fame, which peaked at number two in the United States, where it was subsequently certified triple Platinum, while topping the charts in Austria, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

After a period of difficulty with her father, she ceased this behavior pattern. Germanotta adopted a new name, "Lady Gaga", which came from the rock group Queen's song "Radio Ga Ga". She learned that with a new identity she could gain attention, which she appreciated.