1. LAD Y GAGA By: Cody Ricks

2. GROWING UP  Born in Yonkers, New York  Born in March 1986  Joined first band at age nineteen  Signed with first producer, Def Jam Records, at a very young age

3. RISE TO FAME  Initially built a fan base with Lady Starlight  This lead to the signing with her second producer, Streamline Records  She began working with singer/songwriter Akon  Her work with Akon lead to the opportunity to write music for other artist

4. THE FAME  Gaga released her first album, The Fame, in 2008  Her top hit song at the time was Just Dance  Just Dance made the Billboard’s Hot 100 list  Subsequently, the album went viral and everybody knew of Lady Gaga  The Fame sold over 12 million copies

5. ACCOMPLISHMENTS  Lady Gaga has been nominated for more than 6 Grammy awards  She has received criticism from conservative groups and popularity from liberal groups  The LGBT community looks to Gaga as a type of icon

6. BORN THIS WAY  Adopted as an anthem by the LGBT Community  Received record-breaking sales and stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 list longer than any other song  Sold more than one million copies in the first week  Led to the establishment of the Born This Way Foundation

7. Just Dance  Click here to watch the music video. Click here to watch the music video. First song to put Lady Gaga on the charts Written about her experiences touring gay clubs in the United Kingdom Written about tossing aside reservations Tries to support the idea we should live in the moment

8. Alejandro  Click here to watch the music video Click here to watch the music video Released in Lady Gaga’s album, the Fame Created controversy with conservative groups, such as the Catholic Church Tells a story about a woman who falls in love with a gay man The music video signifies the Catholic Church’s oppression of the LGBT Community

9. Born This Way  Click here to watch the music video Click here to watch the music video Sold over a million copies the first week of release Became the top song at the same time in over 25 countries The LGBT Community adopted the song as an anthem Empowered other minorities such as women and Latinos Led to the establishment of the Born This Way Foundation

10. WORKS CITED AceShowbiz. (n.d.). Lady GaGa Biography. Retrieved February 22, 2014, from Aceshowbiz.com: http://www.aceshowbiz.com/celebrity/lady_gaga/biography.html Ben-Yehuda, A. (2009, April 2). Lady GaGa Scores Hot 100 Milestone With 'Poker Face'. Retrieved February 22, 2014, from billboard.com: http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/269058/lady- gaga-scores-hot-100-milestone-with-poker-face Born This Way Foundation. (n.d.). Our Mission. Retrieved February 22, 2014, from http://bornthiswayfoundation.org/pages/our-mission/ Bradbury, G. (n.d.). Lady Gaga. (IMDB, Producer) Retrieved February 22, 2014, from imdb.com: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3078932/bio Alejandro [Motion Picture]. Gaga, L. (Composer). (2011). Born This Way. [L. Gaga, Performer] On Born This Way. Los Angeles, CA, US: F. G. RedOne. Gaga, L. (Composer). (2008). Just Dance. [L. Gaga, Performer] On The Fame. Los Angeles, CA, US: RedOne. Hall, D. (2010, April 12). "Just Dance" and "Telephone" as Two Sides of the Same Coin. Retrieved February 22, 2014, from gagajournal.com: http://gagajournal.blogspot.com/2010/04/just- dance-and-telephone-as-two-sides.html People Magazine. (n.d.). Lady Gaga. (J. Wang, Ed.) Retrieved February 22, 2014, from People.com: http://www.people.com/people/lady_gaga/biography/ Semigran, A. (2011, April 27). 'Glee' Covers 'Born This Way': The Story Behind The Song. Retrieved February 22, 2014, from mtv.com: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1662734/glee-lady-gaga- born-this-way.jhtml The VigilantCitizen. (2010, June 13). Retrieved February 22, 2014, from thevigilantcitizen.com: http://vigilantcitizen.com/musicbusiness/the-occult-interpretation-of-lady-gagas-alejandro/