Lady Gaga is an American singer-songwriter, LGBT activist, record producer, businesswoman, fashion designer, philanthropist, and actress. She was born, raised, and lives in New York City. Gaga studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart before briefly attending Collaborative Arts Project 21 (CAP21). She withdrew from CAP21 to focus on her musical career. She soon began performing in the rock music scene of Manhattan's Lower East Side.

Gaga rose to prominence with her August 2008 debut album, The Fame, which was a critical and commercial success. The record included the international number-one tracks "Just Dance" and "Poker Face". Influenced by David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Queen, Gaga is recognized for her flamboyant, diverse, and outré contributions to the music industry through her fashion, performances, and music videos.

Gaga has consecutively appeared on Billboard magazine's Artists of the Year (scoring the definitive title in 2010), ranked fourth in VH1's list of 100 Greatest Women in Music, is the fourth best selling digital singles artist in US according to RIAA, is regularly placed on lists composed by Forbes magazine, including The World's 100 Most Powerful Women from 2010 to 2013, and was named one of the most influential people in the world by Time magazine.

Learn more about her in this informative and concise biography!