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Who Is Joanne? The Inspiration Behind Lady Gaga's Most Recent Album

An in Depth Look Behind the Story of Lady Gaga's Most Passionate, Relatable, and Touching Album to Date

By Mel NestorPublished 6 years ago 2 min read
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When we think of Lady Gaga, we all think of her crazy stage antics and even crazier wardrobe choices. As of 2016, people's relativity to the pop queen may have slightly shifted. Much to her fans' satisfaction, she released Joanne on October 21st, 2016. The album was praised by many and rejected by few. Gaga fans everywhere went...well...gaga. The beautifully written songs on this album did take her followers a bit by surprise due to being less electronic and slightly folky at times. Calling them songs almost seems like an insult, since many are beautifully crafted stories and very personal to the singer.

There have been many reviews of the album, so that is not why we are here. We are here to find out who exactly Joanne is. If you have seen the Netflix documentary, Five Foot Two, you probably already have a good idea of who this album was dedicated to.

Joanne Stefani Germanotta was Lady Gaga's father's (Joseph Germanotta) sister. She passed away on December 18th, 1974 at the young age of only 19 years old. 12 years later, Joseph and his wife, Cynthia, brought into the world Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, which is Lady Gaga's birth name.

Stefani and Joanne share much more than just a name. Even though Stefani never met Joanne in person, the bond they share is one of the strongest I've witnessed. She has always been open about her connection with her late relative. In her debut album, The Fame, which was released in 2008, there was a poem included in the liner notes called "For a Moment," which was written by Joanne. The tour supporting the album was dedicated to her, as well. She also has a couple of tattoos in Joanne's honor. The date of her death is tattooed on Gaga's left arm and the other is Joanne's name in her handwriting. Her dad also got a matching tattoo.

Gaga's family was also heavily impacted by Joanne's short life. In 2012, her parents opened a restaurant in New York called Joanne's Trattoria.

Even though she had never met her, Gaga credits Joanne as one of the most influential people in her life. She even says that Joanne is the one that helped her overcome her addiction issues she has had in the past.

One of the most moving moments in the documentary is when Lady Gaga and her father went to her grandmother's house (Joanne's mother). In their visit, Gaga showed her grandmother the song "Joanne." The emotion in the room could be felt through the television screen. Joanne's mother also showed Gaga some things that used to belong to her late daughter. It was one of the most moving moments I have ever witnessed in a documentary.

I was so glad I watched the documentary and dug into the story behind Joanne. As a writer and musician, it really inspired me. It is also a reminder to live your best and most positive life while you are here, because you never know who you will influence or inspire long after you are gone.

pop culture
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About the Creator

Mel Nestor

Mel Nestor is a writer, guitarist, bassist, and touring musician. She has written for quite a few online publications locally and nationally.

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