May 25, 2011 3:55PM ET

Lady Gaga’s Universe

A guide to the ex-boyfriends, stylists, family members and admirers in Gaga’s orbit

Rolling Stone's Most Recent Stories

Since her career took off two years ago there has been a cast of recurring characters in Gaga's Kingdom. Some have stayed close to her while others have been cast aside, but one thing is for sure: It’s hard to keep track of all her monster minions. Here’s a quick guide to who’s who in the wild world of Gaga.

By Marielle Anas

Bobby Bank/WireImage

Cynthia Louise "Cindy" Germanotta (née Bissett) was born and raised in a small town in West Virginia with along with her older brother Paul and younger sister Cheryl Ann. After she married Joseph Germanotta , she worked in telecommunications at Verizon. She is known to have a very close relationship with her daughter and often accompanies her on tour – and just recently Gaga bought her mom and dad a Rolls Royce for their wedding anniversary.

RELATED:

•Photos: Lady Gaga's Fashion Icons

Lester Cohen/WireImage

Italian-American Joseph Germanotta was born in New Jersey and raised his family in a duplex in Manhattan, on the Upper West Side. He worked as an Internet entrepreneur, starting and ultimately owning a company that installs Wi-Fi in hotel chains. Gaga wrote the song "Speechless" as a way to convince him to undergo open-heart surgery for his malfunctioning aortic valve in 2009.

bauergriffin.com

Gaga's 18-year-old sister followed in her sister's footsteps by graduating from the Convent of the Sacred Heart on Manhattan's Upper East Side, and is currently a first-year student at Parsons the New School for Design. She had a quick cameo about two and a half minutes into the video for "Telephone."

Francois Durand/Getty Images

All of Gaga's famously outrageous looks are filtered through the lens of the star’s avant-garde stylist. They met on the set of a 2009 photo shoot for V Magazine, and although he has kept his distance from celebrity clients in the past, the two struck up an instant friendship and collaboration; they now work together on all of her shows, videos and photo shoots. He is the Fashion Director for Haus of Gaga, Men's Vogue in Japan and Uniqlo, and was most recently named Creative Director for the French fashion label Thierry Mugler.

RELATED:

•Photos: Lady Gaga's Fashion Evolution

•Photos: Lady Gaga's Best Looks

NY Post / Splash News

An ex-lover who is widely credited with helping to discover the star – and claims to have come up with the moniker "Lady Gaga." The Grammy-winning songwriter and producer claims to have co-written a few of Gaga’s early hits, and sued her last year for $30.5 million in a case that was later dismissed. He was co-executive producer on her debut album The Fame.

•Lady Gaga Sued For $30 Million By Producer/Ex-Boyfriend Rob Fusari

Rick Diamond/WireImage

This fellow pop superstar has appeared in two sexually provocative videos with Gaga: "Telephone" and on her own "Videophone." Of Gaga, Beyoncé has said, "She and I had an effortless connection and I've always admired her work."

•Lady Gaga's Music Videos: A Complete Guide

Kevin Kane/WireImage

Gaga first sang with Elton John at the 2009 Grammy Awards and he has been one of her biggest supporters ever since. The living legend has called her "the most adventurous and talented star of our time" while also making her godmother to his newly adopted baby boy – and called "Born This Way" "the gayest song [he had] ever heard."

RELATED:

•Photos: Lady Gaga's Fashion Icons

•Album Review: 'Born This Way'

Originally from Nebraska, Gaga's on-again and currently off-again lover met the singer almost a decade ago when she moved to New York City’s Lower East Side, where Carl worked as a bartender. She has admitted that he is the inspiration for many of her early hits and that their "relationship really shaped me."

Kevin Mazur/WireImage

An ex-lover nicknamed "Dada" by Gaga herself, he designed props and clothes for the singer's live performances, and is most famously credited for the creation of her disco-shtick. He was the original creative director for Haus of Gaga, though he recently relinquished the job to Nicola Formichetti. Originally a DJ and designer when they met at a restaurant in Los Angeles, Gaga has said, "He's the inspiration of the beginning of my fashion."

•Photos: Lady Gaga's Fashion Evolution

Roger Kisby/Getty Images

This New York DJ and performance artist was one of Lady Gaga's first friends and collaborators when she hit the downtown New York scene. They met at a bar on the Lower East Side and performed together at clubs and venues around the city as "Lady Gaga and the Starlight Revue."

•The Ultimate Ranking of Lady Gaga's Catalog

Splash News

The longtime saxophonist for the E Street Band and self-proclaimed "Gaga-ite" jumped at the chance to work with the artist when he was summoned to lay down a solo for the song "Hair." He said related to the song despite its heavy electronic sound. Clemons also plays on "The Edge of Glory."

•Album Review: 'Born This Way'