Rhiannon Hendricks
Born Elizabeth Woolridge Grant on June 21, 1985, in Manhattan, New York, Lana Del Rey is an American singer-songwriter known for her unique musical style and aesthetic. Before settling on the stage name Lana Del Rey, she performed under several other names, including Lizzy Grant, Lana Rey Del Mar, Sparkle Jump Rope Queen, and May Jailer.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Elizabeth Woolridge Grant |
| Known as | Lana Del Rey |
| Profession | Singer-songwriter, record producer, poet, model, and music video director |
| Date of Birth | 21 June 1985 |
| Birthplace | Manhattan, New York, U.S. |
| Alma Mater | Fordham University |
| Year of Graduation | 2008 |
| Degree | Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy |
| Specialization | Metaphysics |
| Stage Names | Lizzy Grant, Lana Rey Del Mar, Sparkle Jump Rope Queen, and May Jailer |
| Awards | 3 MTV Europe Music Awards, 2 Brit Awards, a Satellite Award, and 9 GAFFA Awards |
| Nominations | 11 Grammy Awards and a Golden Globe Award |
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What You'll Learn
- Lana Del Rey was born in Manhattan, New York, US
- She moved to New York City in 2005 to begin her music career
- She graduated from Fordham University in 2008 with a degree in philosophy
- She has had multiple stage names, including Lizzy Grant and Sparkle Jump Rope Queen
- The name Lana Del Rey was inspired by her Cuban friends
Lana Del Rey was born in Manhattan, New York, US
Born Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, Lana Del Rey was born in Manhattan, New York, US. She was raised in Lake Placid, New York, and attended Catholic school but started drinking heavily as a teenager, so her parents sent her to the Kent School, a boarding school in Connecticut. Grant was interested in the mystic aspects of Catholicism but was never extremely religious herself. While at Kent, she read Lolita, and had a speculated relationship with her teacher, Gene Campbell, which would later influence much of her music.
After high school, Grant moved to Long Island for a few years and learned to play the guitar from her uncle. She eventually enrolled in Fordham University, where she studied philosophy. In 2005, Grant created an EP called Sirens, which was never officially released but was leaked in 2012. In her early career, she sang under the name Lizzy Grant, doing open mic and nightclub gigs in New York City. During her senior year at Fordham, she entered a songwriting competition, which resulted in Van Wilson recruiting her to sign with 5 Points, an indie record label owned by David Nichtern.
Grant also created a demo with Van Wilson, earning $10,000 in total from 5 Points, which allowed her to move to a New Jersey trailer park. Her early life, especially her experiences with alcohol and Catholic school, reading Lolita, her relationship with Gene Campbell, learning philosophy at Fordham, and living in the trailer park, informed and influenced most of her music and the creation of the persona that is Lana Del Rey.
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She moved to New York City in 2005 to begin her music career
Born Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, Lana Del Rey was raised in Lake Placid, New York. She attended Catholic school but started drinking heavily as a teenager, so her parents sent her to Kent School, a boarding school in Connecticut. After high school, she moved to Long Island for a few years and learned to play the guitar from her uncle. She eventually enrolled at Fordham University, where she studied philosophy.
In 2005, Grant moved to New York City to begin her music career. She created an EP called Sirens, which was never officially released but was leaked in 2012. Under the name Lizzy Grant, she performed open mic and nightclub gigs in New York City. During her senior year at Fordham, she entered a songwriting competition, which resulted in Van Wilson recruiting her to sign with 5 Points, an indie record label owned by David Nichtern. Grant also created a demo with Van Wilson, earning $10,000 in total from 5 Points, allowing her to move to a New Jersey trailer park.
In 2010, Del Rey met her managers, Ben Mawson and Ed Millett, who helped her get out of her contract with 5 Points Records, where she felt nothing was happening. Shortly after, she moved to London and lived with Mawson for a few years. On September 1, 2010, she was featured by Mando Diao in its MTV Unplugged concert at Union Film-Studios in Berlin.
In 2012, Del Rey promoted her debut major-label album, Born to Die. She also moved to Los Angeles, inspired by a greater migration of friends from the music world, including her longtime collaborator, producer, and songwriter Dan Heath.
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She graduated from Fordham University in 2008 with a degree in philosophy
Born Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, Lana Del Rey grew up in Lake Placid, New York. She attended Catholic school but was sent to a boarding school in Connecticut as a teenager due to heavy drinking. After high school, she moved to Long Island for a few years and learned to play the guitar from her uncle. She eventually enrolled at Fordham University, graduating with a degree in philosophy in 2008.
During her time at Fordham, Del Rey entered a songwriting competition, which led to her signing with 5 Points, an indie record label. She also created a demo with Van Wilson, earning $10,000, which allowed her to move out of her alleged couch-surfing living situation and into a New Jersey trailer park.
Del Rey's experiences with alcohol, Catholic school, and her time at Fordham and in the trailer park influenced her music and the creation of her persona. She adopted the stage name Lana Del Rey, inspired by the glamour of seaside Miami and the Ford Del Rey sedan, and the name stuck. She also honed her signature retro-glam image, which, combined with her enchanting stage name, helped her gain a cult-like following and musical success.
Del Rey's early life in Lake Placid is chronicled in local newspapers, including photos of her as a baby and a feature on an Abercrombie & Fitch bag in 2000. She has said that Lake Placid was a difficult place to live for someone with artistic ambitions. In 2012, she moved to Los Angeles, inspired by a migration of her friends from the music world, including her longtime collaborator, producer, and songwriter Dan Heath. California has since been a source of inspiration for her music.
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She has had multiple stage names, including Lizzy Grant and Sparkle Jump Rope Queen
Born Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, Lana Del Rey was raised in Lake Placid, New York. She is the artist formerly known as Lizzy Grant, Lana Rey Del Mar, Sparkle Jump Rope Queen, and May Jailer. Lizzy Grant was the name she used when she was performing open mic and nightclub gigs in New York City in her early career. She also used this name when she released her first EP, 'Kill Kill', in 2008.
Del Rey has explained that she chose her current stage name because she "wanted a name [she] could shape [her] music towards". She was inspired by the name after speaking Spanish with her Cuban friends in Miami, as it reminded her of the glamour of the seaside. The name was also inspired by actress Lana Turner and the Ford Del Rey sedan, produced and sold in Brazil in the 1980s.
Del Rey's self-titled debut album was released in January 2010 under the name Lana Del Ray (with the same spelling as the car). The album was briefly available for purchase on iTunes before being withdrawn in April 2010. During the promotional campaign, the album and Del Rey herself were marketed under three names: Lana Del Ray, Lana Del Ray A.K.A. Lizzy Grant, and Lizzy Grant.
Del Rey's second album, Born to Die, was released in 2012. This marked her transition from Lizzy Grant to Lana Del Rey and was a turning point in her career.
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The name Lana Del Rey was inspired by her Cuban friends
Born Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, Lana Del Rey is a native of Lake Placid, New York. She attended Catholic school but started drinking heavily as a teenager, prompting her parents to transfer her to Kent School, a boarding school in Connecticut. After high school, Grant moved to Long Island for a few years and learned to play the guitar from her uncle. She eventually enrolled at Fordham University, where she studied philosophy.
In 2005, Grant created an EP called Sirens, which was never officially released but was leaked in 2012. In her early career, she performed under the name Lizzy Grant, doing open mic and nightclub gigs in New York City. She also used other stage names, including Lana Rey Del Mar, Sparkle Jump Rope Queen, and May Jailer.
The name Lana Del Rey, which she adopted before the release of her self-titled debut album in January 2010, was inspired by her Cuban friends and the glamour of the seaside. In an interview, she explained that she wanted "a name I could shape the music towards." She further stated that she frequently visited Miami at the time and spoke a lot of Spanish with her Cuban friends, and the name Lana Del Rey reminded them of the seaside's glamour. The name also drew inspiration from actress Lana Turner and the Ford Del Rey sedan, produced and sold in Brazil in the 1980s.
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Frequently asked questions
Lana Del Rey is from Manhattan, New York, USA. She was raised in Upstate New York and moved to New York City in 2005 to pursue her music career.
Her name is Elizabeth Woolridge Grant. She adopted the professional moniker of Lana Del Rey, inspired by her Spanish-speaking Cuban friends.
She graduated from Fordham University in the Bronx with a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy and a specialization in metaphysics in 2008.
Her debut studio album was titled "Born to Die" and was released in 2012. However, her first album overall was "Lana Del Ray A.K.A. Lizzy Grant", released in 2010.
