Everyone has heard of Lady Gaga. It doesn’t matter if you’re old or young. Everyone at least has heard her name. She is a chart topping songwriter/artist/dancer/actor, and is known for her incredible high fashion looks, and her outrageous pop music. Lady Gaga hasn’t always been a huge pop star, but once she got there, no one thought about where her stardom came from. Many people may know who she is, but not many people know how she got to where she is now. Before she was famous, she was a waitress, a working musician, a burlesque dancer, and a wild child. She was just like everyone else, except, she was a little crazier.
Lady Gaga was born Stefani Germanotta on March 28th 1986, to her parent’s Cynthia and Joe Germanotta. Joe was an internet entrepreneur and Cynthia worked with telecommunications at verizon. They lived in New York City on the Upper West Side in a duplex. Joe and Cynthia were very proud of the fact that their daughter wanted to be a singer. By the age of 4 years old, Cynthia had Stefani playing the piano for an hour everyday. Stefani didn’t like playing the piano at f...
Diana Ross was born in 1944. Emerging from the housing projects in Detroit to become an international superstar, she gained prominence first as a member of the supremes, then as a solo artist. The mention of her name evokes the indelible image of the broadly smiling diva, the long hair, sequined gowns, etc.
Jenni endured a lot of struggles growing up in Long Beach. Jenni grew up in poverty even with both parents working one to three jobs at a time. She would help sell cassette tapes at flea markets with her parents to make money. She was a normal girl in Long Beach until she turned 15. At age 15 after dating for 2 months she became pregnant with her first kid. Traditionally she was kicked out of her house which caused even ...
WHITNEY HOUSTON Whitney Houston was born on August 9th, 1963, in Newark, New Jersey. Whitney came from a long line of illustrious singers, for her mother, Cissy Houston, was an American gospel singer. Her mother was the choir minister at “New Hope Baptist Church”. As well, her cousin Dionne Warwick was also an American singer and TV host, her best songs include “Walk on By” and “Heartbreaker”. Finally, her godmother, Aretha Franklin, was an accomplished American singer and musician.
Joan Crawford, whose real name is Lucille Fay LeSeur, was born in San Antonio, Texas, in 1905. She got her stage name from the executives of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), after working with them in their movies. Before all the fame, her life before that wasn’t so great. She was treated badly while she was in school and at home. The only happy thing about her childhood was dancing for the kids in her neighborhood. Her stepfather introduced her into the life of dancing. He got her to love dancing and soon she was hooked, doing her own little shows. That pushed her to become better and reach for her goals. Her career didn’t jump off to a great start. She started off dancing for traveling men. Crawford then slowly moved up the scale by becoming a chorus-girl in New York City. To stay a chorus-girl, she worked in clubs so she could pay for it. Her first attempt at being an actress didn’t work. When she finally got a chance to become a Hollywood actress, it did not get her anywhere either. She was rejected so many times that she sta...
Shirley Temple was a world renowned actress at a very young age. She was in many films and was adored worldwide. She was popular when the Great Depression was in play. Everyone knew her as a little dancing girl with curly red hair, and still that’s how she is remembered today. Shirley Temple was a very famous child star during the 1930’s and her legacy still lives today.
Marie Antoinette was born November 2nd, 1755, in Hofburg Palace, Vienna, France with the birth name Maria Antonia Josepha Joanna. Her parents were Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor, and Empress Maria Theresa. She lived a very relaxed childhood, playing with common children. Her and her siblings were treated to gardens and menageries. The education she experienced was typical of an eighteenth century aristocratic girl, learning mostly about religious and moral subjects. While she held a close relationship with her older sister, Maria Carolina, her relationship with her mother was different. Marie Antoinette resented her mother and did not spend enough time trying to show love toward her. Her mother left raising the children to a governess and pawned off her daughters to different political figures as wives.
Robyn Rihanna Fenty, known as Rihanna, was born on February 20,1988. She was born in St. Michael Parish on the Caribbean island of Barbados. Her mothers name is Monica Fenty, who is an accountant, and she is a mother of three, Rihanna being the oldest. Rihanna’s father, Ronald Fenty, a warehouse supervisor, is the father of Monica’s three children....
Wayside Madonna is an oil painting on canvas by Edith Catlin Phelps. It was painted around 1939. Painted in southern California, it is a genre painting that is part of the regionalism movement but also has a religious subject. This painting is currently part of the permanent collection at Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, California. Phelps's oil painting Wayside Madonna ultimately focuses on the lady in the foreground, providing a narrative about southern California culture, and places an emphasis on the need for a more American focus and style of painting that does not rely so heavily on European art.
Katherine Hepburn was born on may 12, 1907 in Hartford Connecticut to Thomas Hepburn and Katharine Houghton who were supporters of progressive changes in America. When she was younger she loved to play sports, she was shy and a bit of a tomboy. After her brother Tom committed suicide she dropped out of Oxford and began to claim November 8 which was her brother’s birthday as her own. Hepburn was home schooled until her mom made her attend Bryn Mawr College where she got a degree in history and got her first lead role.
Without a doubt there is one major performer that certainly stands out within our pop culture world. The name of this very famous American icon is, Dolly Parton. Dolly has surpassed any rags to riches story that ever lived. She has touched the lives of so many individuals over many decades through her many talents. Dolly started her career at a very young age and continued fulfilling her life endeavors through country music, pop music, and even acting. This American icon didn’t stop with just her talents, she also gave back to our society through charity, fundraising, and establishing her own theme park. Dolly Parton was brought up in a very poor family, however through much dedication she became the famous icon everyone idolized today.
Rihanna, from her very first music videos has compelled public eyes as an effigy, an icon and a statement of music lifestyle. Her independent outlook, badass attitude mixed with a Caribbean accent has undoubtedly confined not only music but the whole popular culture of our time. Diamonds, We Found Love, Bitch Better Have My Money and S&M are some of the top songs by this epic singer. Songs that today rule bars, dance clubs, parties and of course her numerous fans.
Before the songstress appeared on the pop scene, the name “Madonna” was used in reference to the Christian Mother of God. The original “Madonna” was the symbol of Roman Catholicism and Western Christianity. Madonna the entertainer however proved she was unlike this original female figure. She violated all the innocent icons of religion and femininity and by using the phrase “like a virgin” she began a long string of inserting religious, political and sexual references into the world of pop music.
Marilyn Monroe was considered a sex symbol, a determined female icon, and a great actress. She had a very tough life, and faced many challenges, yet she kept moving forward with confidence. Noted for her various movies, photographs, and modeling career, Marilyn made a name for herself during the 1960’s. she was the type of woman you could see helping everyone in her way. She was Longing for love in her life, and was divorced multiple times. At the end of her days, she ran into problems such as drugs and never escaped them. Marilyn Monroe had a tragic end to life, nut her legacy still lives on today.
Mariah Carey was born March 27, 1970 in Huntington, Long Island, New York. Her parents are Alfred Roy Carey and Patricia Carey who was a voice coach and opera singer. Mariah Carey shocked her family when she inherited her mother's vocals so she began singing lessons at age four. Today she is one of the most known artist but is also a film actress, music producer, songwriter, and she has won many awards. The day after she graduated high school she moved to New York City to pursue her music career. She started her career as a backing vocalist for Brenda K. Starr who gave columbia records Mariah’s demo tape at a party thrown by CBS records. The goal was to give the demo to a man named Jimmy Greenberg but it ended up in the hands of the president of Columbia records, after that her career took off.
Whitney Houston was an American recording artist, actress and fashion model born in a rough neighbourhood in the projects of Newark, New Jersey in 1963. Se is the third and youngest child of John and gospel singer Cissy Houston. Whitney was married to husband Bobby Brown and they had a daughter called Bobbi Kristina Brown. I chose Whitney because she was amazing; her voice was amazing and so was her acting. Her voice had so much emotion and she could give a song a feeling that anyone could relate to. Whitney Houston was famous for her electrifying live performances throughout her career, which gave her the chance to show the spectacular range of her unique voice. She started out her career by singing alongside her mother Cissy Houston at night clubs in New York City where she was discovered by Arista Records. At age 22 Whitney released her debut album which became the best-selling debut album by a female artist. Her second album called ‘Whitney’ became the first album by a female artist to debut at number one billboard 200 albums chart. Whitney appeared in her first starring role in ...