New Lady Gaga Interview on the Jay Leno Show

Lady Gaga appeared as a guest and a performer on The Jay Leno Show on November 23, 2009, the night after she performed at the American Music Awards. After guest Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger talked it up with show host Jay Leno, it was time for Lady Gaga to come out. Of course they saved the best for last.

Lady Gaga came out on stage and performed her number one hit Bad Romance. Lady Gaga was smoking hot head to toe, including black sun glasses and a costumed high collar, skin-tight pants suit. Her dancers pranced around behind her in leather, chains, bondage caps and face masks. As usual, Lady Gaga's performance of Bad Romance was excellent!

While watching Lady Gaga's Bad Romance performance, I noticed towards the end that she was overly concerned with her costume top slipping and exposing her breast. She must have checked her top three times in the last minute of the song. Then, when Jay Leno came out to thank Lady Gaga, she gave him a big hug and then checked her top once more. It was an obvious, but necessary quick glance on Lady Gaga's part. But if accidental breast exposure was not enough for Lady Gaga to worry about, Jay lifted her up like one of the back up dancers would do and carried her off stage as the show went to commercial. It was awkward and a little bit silly, but didn't break Lady Gaga's stride. She went with it.

After the commercial break, Lady Gaga was sitting in the chair next to Jay Leno sipping a cup of tea. Jay Leno began the interview by congratulating her on such a great year. "Four #1 songs - this hasn't happened since the Jackson 5." Jay proclaimed. "It's been 39 years since a singer got this many number ones." Lady Gaga graciously responded. "Oh, by the way, great job at the AMA's last night. Could you feel the heat from the flames on the piano you were playing, being closed up in that box and all?" Jay asked her. Lady Gaga laughed and said "I know, that would have been a real show stopper if I had just gone up in flames!"

Jay asked the Grammy nominated Lady Gaga, "Do you think you're getting screwed being left out at the Grammy's this year? "Yes, it's true; I've been locked out of the Grammy's this year. No it's fine. I've been nominated in the past." she said. Technically, since Lady Gaga released her first album in 2008, the Grammy's do not consider her to be a new artist. Lady Gaga went on to say, "The biggest reward for me has been my fans. I truthfully don't rely on that kind of outside validation. My fans are my family now. I only care what they think."

"So you grew up in Manhattan." Jay said. "Yes I did, and around 4 years old I started playing piano." Lady Gaga went on to say that her mom was the one who saw her talent and began to encourage Lady Gaga to play piano and sing. She told Jay Leno that when she was 14, her mom would take her into nightclubs and say, "My daughter is too young to be in here and I'm too old to be in here - but she plays the piano and she's really, really good!" Her mom was with her at the Jay Leno show, backstage during the interview, and also goes with Lady Gaga on the road and to shows as often as possible. Lady Gaga is quick to give her mom credit for her early interest and success in music.

"Have you always worn the provocative outfits?" asked Jay. "Well, I didn't want to be like anyone else." Lady Gaga said. She added that her clothes were inspired by her early obsession with stars like Judy Garland all the way to Led Zeppelin. Jay commented, "That shows real range!" And then Leno asked her, "Were you a good student? I was dyslectic, and didn't fit in." Lady Gaga replied, "I was sort of the girl who got straight A's, but I was really very bad, I was naughty. I would roll my skirt way up high." "Oh, and you were in catholic school!" laughed Jay. "How did the nuns like your music? How did they react? "My music in high school was different. I was singing about love. Things I don't' care about anymore." said Lady Gaga.

Jay asked about Lady Gaga's scheduled performance for the Queen of England at the annual Royal Variety Performance show. "Now you're going to be singing for the queen. What do you wear? How does that work did they ask you?" Lady Gaga answered "Yes, they asked me. What do I wear? Well lace hats and fish nets of course." Lady Gaga will join musical greats like Bette Midler and Chaka Khan next Monday, December 7, 2009 in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. The show will be aired to the public on December 13, 2009.

The funniest part of the interview, I thought, was when Jay Leno asked Lady Gaga "What is the worst rumor you have ever heard about yourself?" Lady Gaga waited, then in a thick New Yorker accent she said, "That I'm from Yonkers!" Jay screamed back "That's a horrible thing to say about someone." Lady G responded, "I mean I love the Bronx, but I'm just not from Yonkers. You know that website Wikipedia? It says that I am from Yonkers and I can't seem to be able to change it. Every time I do, the next day it will pop back up again." She has a great sense of humor and it showed throughout the interview.

"Hey, you're mom is cute!" proclaimed Jay Leno to Lady Gaga. "Don't! She's married! I come from a good Italian family so don't go swooping in. He came and swooped me off my feet at the end of my performance so watch out." Lady Gaga lovingly explained to the audience about the host. She sat up straight and confident with her little cup and saucer of tea. Jay did a pretty good job of interviewing Lady Gaga. But in the end, Lady Gaga did a fantastic job of handling Jay.

Tickets for Lady Gaga's Monster Ball concert are on sale now. The tour kicked off this week, December 1, 2009 in Boston. You can watch Jay Leno's interview with Lady Gaga on Hulu.com. The link is here: http://www.hulu.com/watch/110712/the-jay-leno-show-lady-gaga#x-4,vclip,2,0