Saturday, January 16, 2010

Lady Gaga Pledges Haiti Earthquake-Relief Donation On 'Oprah'



In an appearance as varied as one of her song medleys, on Friday's (January 15) "Oprah Winfrey Show," Lady Gaga performed, announced that she'll be donating the proceeds from one of her forthcoming concerts to relief for Haiti, and indirectly addressed her show cancellations in the wake of her collapse from exhaustion after a show on Thursday.

Regarding Haiti, Gaga said that all proceeds from her January 24 concert in New York will go to relief organizations for the earthquake in the embattled country.


"Haiti's still suffering," she said. "And I was thinking earlier, because I was in New York during 9/11 and I always felt, the level of disaster isn't in the neighborhood of what is happening in Haiti, but I just remember feeling nobody really understood. And I worry that young people don't know enough about what's going on there.

"And I will say today that on the 24th, the Monster Ball [show] in New York City, all of the money that I make in ticket sales and merchandise will go to Haiti. And on the 24th you can also go onto LadyGaga.com and any merchandise that you buy, the money will go to Haiti." Reached for comment, Gaga's label rep told MTV News the specifics of the contribution would be announced in the coming days. (Learn more about what you can do to help with earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti.)

Although the concerts she postponed or canceled on Friday due to exhaustion didn't come up directly in conversation, Gaga did admit, "I always have very trying weeks in terms of my physical schedule."
For Gaga's performance, she stepped onto the stage with a ball and chain and spiky getup — complete with a spiked hairstyle — that was part dress, part pantsuit and busted out a medley that started off with "Monster" before going into her hit "Bad Romance," complete with several dancers. She later took the ball and chain, jumped on a mock taxi and attempted to break through its windshield. (Oprah was shown pumping her fist in the crowd during the performance.) She then slowed it down by completing the set at her piano singing "Speechless."

Also appearing on the show was "Avatar" director James Cameron, and Gaga revealed that she had always wanted to paint herself blue, like the Na'vi in the film. "It's actually funny about James Cameron, because I've been talking about how I want to paint myself blue for a performance for the longest time," she explained. "I've been preparing to do it and then 'Avatar' came out."

In the interview with Winfrey, the singer addressed her long-simmering stardom aspirations. "I don't like that, actually. It feels so weird when people call me 'lady,' " she said about her stage name, adding, "I wake up in the morning and I get on my computer and I have files and reference boards and I call the Haus of Gaga all day and argue with them. For me it's all about being provocative. It's not just about getting attention, but about really saying something that affects people.

"The hardest part about my job is that I'm bossy, really. This is my only opportunity to live my dream."
Gaga also gave Winfrey's cameras a peek at the inner workings of her Monster Ball Tour, showing her wardrobe closet and her office. She added that before her team hits the stage they have a very specific pre-show ritual. "We always at the end of the prayer say 'Joanne' altogether because that was my father's sister, who died very young, and I believe she's onstage every night."

 SOURCE

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