Mom Cindy as WVU
cheerleader

Mama Mia! today

Lady Gaga, the outrageous success

Mom leaves ‘em ga-ga, too

Even today, Cynthia Louise "Cindy" Bissett Germanotta’s looks make men go ga-ga.

That’s appropriate. The former WVU cheerleader is singer Lady Gaga’s mother.

You know, the Lady Gaga who bowled everyone over with her National Anthem performance at the 50^th Super Bowl on Sunday.

Mountain mama and country roads are in Gaga’s DNA, not just in John Denver’s song that has become the West Virginia state anthem sung after every Mountaineers sports victory.

Singing is in Gaga’s DNA, too. Cindy’s father was a local singer.

Cindy’s mother and Gaga’s grandmother lives in Glen Dale, West Virginia, which has a population of 1,526 and is 10 miles south of Wheeling. It was settled by the Samuel Cockayne family in 1798.

Cindy Bissett was born and grew up in Glen Dale along with older brother Paul and younger sister Cheryl Ann.

After she married Joseph Germanotta, Cindy worked for Verizon. She often accompanies Gaga on tour. Gaga bought her mom and dad a Rolls Royce for their wedding anniversary.

Lady Gaga said, “My grandmother was there with me for one of the hardest times in my life, and she’s been there for every other hard time since that one.

“We have been through a lot together because my grandmother’s from West Virgin-i-a. She always told me not to give up. She always told me to be myself.

“I would say ‘Grandma this business is so hard, nobody understands me, grandma.’ She’d say, ‘Oh honey, they will.’ “

Grandma’s then spit out: “I'm gonna let you cry for a few more hours. And then after those few hours are up, you're gonna stop crying, you're gonna pick yourself up, you're gonna go back to New York, and you're gonna kick some ass.”

Lady Gaga was born March 28, 1986 at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. Her birth name was Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta.

Lady Gaga's family lived on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Her father is Joseph Anthony "Joe" Germanotta, Jr. Her ethnic descent is 75% Italian and the remainder includes French Canadian ancestry.

Lady Gaga's father was born in New Jersey. He started and owns a company that installs wi-fi service in hotels. The song "Speechless" was written about him in an effort to encourage him to undergo open-heart surgery.

Natali Germanotta, Lady Gaga's sister, attended the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Manhattan like her older sister. After graduation she attended Parsons New School of Design as a fashion student.

Paul Douglas Bissett, Sr., the father of Gaga’s mother, Cindy Germanotta, passed away at age 86 three days after Gaga’s 27th birthday.

He was a retired insurance man and a local singer.

The death of Gaga’s paternal grandfather, Joseph Germanotta, inspired her “Born This Way” song.