Getting to Know Lady Gaga

The superstar says her moniker was inspired by "Radio Gaga," the song by Queen. "It was just a nickname that my friends had for me in New York and my producer, and it kind of stuck with me," she says. "It was nice having a space for myself where I could feel safe and not feel like such a freak all the time." 

There's one person who took a little while to adjust to Lady Gaga's new persona: her father. When he first saw his daughter perform, Lady Gaga says she was wearing a leopard G-string and an Indian headdress at a night club called Lady Starlight. "He just thought I was completely nuts. He didn't get it," she says. "I don't know if I really got it. I just know I really wanted to do it and believed it in it. I think it was the nature of doing these sort of shock art pop cultural commentary pieces." 

Lady Gaga says she still can't believe how her life has evolved. "I really feel so blessed, and every day I can't believe the amazing fans I have," she says. "I'm so lucky."