Before she was Lady GaGa, Stefani Germanotta was just another hopeful singer-songwriter in New York City.Then she met Wendy Starland -- and everything changed.
MTV's "The Seven" aired an interview Thursday night with Starland and Gaga's former manager and lover, Rob Fusari. They talked about her transformation from struggling artist to the most popular pop music act in the world.
Starland recalled seeing Germanotta at the Cutting Room in New York.The band was a far cry from the act that would rocket her to superstardom with her debut album, "Fame," and garner so many industry awards that Wikipedia had to put up a separate web page to list them all.
But even then, she had something special, Starland said:
"She had the 'it' factor, but she just didn't have the rest of it yet."
In order to make GaGa the star she was born to be, some changes had to be made. Starland contacted Fusari. They decided to change her act to make it more theatrical, bigger than life.
First, she bleached her dark brown hair into a platinum halo that would become part of her signature look. Then she changed her name and repertoire, Starland said:
“I knew that if we changed the name, image, and songs that we might have something. We knew we needed to create something that would stand out and have a more theatrical type of appearance. We looked to Queen and Freddy Mercury and the song Radio Gaga for inspiration.”
[Listen to Radio GaGa to hear the song that inspired Lady Gaga's sound.]
It worked. Gaga's success was unprecedented. And Gaga credits Starland for much of it:
"Without Wendy's remarkable ears, hearing through my rough-around-the-edges college band, the eyes to see through 15 pounds I would lose over the next three months, and the heart to reveal to me one of her most credible contacts, I may never have become Lady GaGa."
Fusari said there's no denying the force of nature that GaGa has become, though he still misses the old Germanotta:
“I know Stefani is still in there, it’s like she has combined the two people. She’s the most driven artist I’ve ever worked with.”
Watch the video interview with Fusari and Starland at left.
Comments
Love u GaGa
I think the music industry has gone to pot and this chick is taking it further down the drain. there is absolutely no comparison to queen, micheal jackson or madonna. She is a very financially supported wanna be without the music to sustain or compare her to an icon.
I totally agree with you Pat. The music industry has completely disintegrated into nothing. I believe the last decade of truly good iconic music was the 90s.
No
Lady GaGa has stormed the world stage of pop culture and has rewritten the rules of the game as she goes. She has truly demonstrated her incredible talent, energy and understanding of what it means to be a megastar of this age. She is her own genre and cannot be denied her place as the current queen of pop in the 21st century. Hail Lady GaGa!
I'm sorry, didn't you just read that they changed basically everything about who she was to make her famous. That's what is called selling your soul.
She is by far the best new artist in the last 30 years.
Agree with Anonymous. I was just about to say the same thing. The most intriguing, fascinating international mega-star in a long, long time.
those two above,fuck u.go back to your madonna she's dying anyway.
When people say that Lady Gaga is not original they are thinking of the talentless whores that have done their so called "Pop" music Lady Gaga is the future
I think that many artists today will use anyone that they can to achieve a record deal and fame. I think that the business has gone down the tubes. You have idiots running these labels. Music that we listen to is based on how much money management companies and record labels pay to the radio stations to play these songs. Are they really songs that we want to hear or are we being forced to listen to them? I think that we need to go back to the artists writing their own songs and not going in with the same song writers over and over again.
I commend you Rob and Wendy for taking the time to develop Stefani. Unfortunately, you are not the first or the last to be used in the music industry. Musicians change once they start getting a taste of the money and fame. I hope that someday you will be compensated from Stefani for developing her into the pop star she has become.
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!