Lady Gaga subject of biography

Shock divas are women who deliberately set out to shock the music world with their outrageous style and music. And there have been many — Cher, Bette Midler, Madonna, Brittney Spears, to name a few. And now joining their ranks is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta.

Who?

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta is that gal with all the outlandish costumes and the incredible singing voice, otherwise known as Lady Gaga.

In the new book “Lady Gaga: Behind The Fame,” Emily Herbert tells the story of the girl behind the strange outfits. Using references from many, many different sources, Herbert has put together a fairly solid biography of the new pop icon, and includes 45 full color photographs that cover the various stages (and outfits) of Gaga.

Herbert covers Gaga’s childhood, noting that she grew up in New York City, the daughter of affluent Italian-Americans. She attended private schools, and graduated from the Convent of the Sacred Heart, the same parochial school as Paris Hilton. Gaga began her musical journey at age 4, learning to play the piano by ear, and later was trained classically. It was this training that would become the basis of her career later on.

Gaga’s entry into the world of entertainment, via the burlesque circuit, caught the attention of many in the music world. It wasn’t too long before she was performing as the opening act for the Pussycat Dolls tour. Soon she herself would be the star attraction.

Although sometimes redundant, Herbert, an English journalist with many of these “star biographies” to her credit, does give the reader a full-bodied accounting of the persona behind Lady Gaga, and fans are sure to appreciate the information on their idol, as well as many photos.