9781422271322

CHAPTER 1

A STAR

IS BORN

Remarkable Rise Ever since “Just Dance” was released and earned the honor of becoming Lady Gaga’s first-ever No. 1 hit, her rise to prominence was swift and stunning, and she hasn’t slowed since.While “Just Dance” cracked the door open on her trek to greatness, several other songs on The Fame, her debut album, garnered plenty of praise, too. “Poker Face” won Lady Gaga’s first Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording, The Fame was also a Grammy winner for Best Dance/ Electronic Album, and those would be the first of many trips taken up stage steps to receive major awards, as her hit songs keep flowing and the acclaim for them continues pouring in from everywhere. The Beginning Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta was born on March 28, 1986, at Lenox Hill Hospital in NewYork City, the same hospital where Beyoncé gave birth to daughter Blue Ivy Carter. Her parents are Joseph and Cynthia Germanotta, and she has a younger sister, Natali. Germanotta grew up in a duplex on the UpperWest Side, where the surrounding streets were filled with families of varied backgrounds and ethnicities. Her home life was filled with love and support, and her parents pushed and prioritized education over all else. The family money wasn’t squandered on fancy cars, expensive wardrobes,

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a star is born