Lady Gaga (born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta; March 28, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter, fashion designer, pianist and performance artist. She began performing in the rock music scene of New York City's Lower East Side. She soon signed with Streamline Records, an imprint of Interscope Records, upon its establishment in 2007. During her early time at Interscope, she worked as a songwriter for fellow label artists and captured the attention of Akon, who recognized her vocal talent, and had her also sign to his own label, Kon Live Distribution.
Her debut album, The Fame, was released in August, 2008. In addition to receiving generally positive reviews, it went number-one in four countries, and topped the Billboard Top Electronic Albums chart in the United States. Its first two singles—"Just Dance" and "Poker Face", co-written and co-produced with RedOne—became international number-one hits, and the album later earned a total of six Grammy Award nominations, including Best Electronic/Dance Album and Album of the Year. In early 2009, after having opened for New Kids on the Block and the Pussycat Dolls, she embarked on her first headlining tour, The Fame Ball Tour. By the end of 2009, she released her second studio album The Fame Monster, with the global chart-topping lead single "Bad Romance", as well as having embarked on her second headlining tour of the year, The Monster Ball Tour.
She is inspired by glam rock musicians such as David Bowie and Freddie Mercury, as well as pop music artists such as Madonna and Michael Jackson. She is also inspired by fashion, which she has said is an essential component to her songwriting and performances. To date, she has sold over eight million albums and 35 million singles digitally worldwide.
Source : Wikipedia.com