Rob Fusari
Encyclopedia
Rob Fusari is a record producer
and songwriter
, possibly best known for his work with American recording artist Lady Gaga
.
, Fusari began studying classical piano at age eight, and became so skilled as a pianist, that he started performing in national competitions by age 10. "It was exciting to play in these piano competitions," recalled Fusari. "The top three finalists would get to play a recital at Carnegie Hall, and I had the opportunity to play at Carnegie for three years in a row." It was during his college years at William Paterson University
in New Jersey that Fusari began writing songs. He started recording demos, and he subsequently met hit songwriter Irwin Levine, who was known for writing "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree
" and several other hits for Tony Orlando & Dawn. In the mid-90s, Fusari began collaborating with another songwriter, Josh Thompson, whose background was more R&B-influenced. "Josh and I worked together for two or three years, and I got into writing R&B with him," said Fusari. "I learned how to produce R&B vocals through working with Josh. We ended up writing about 300 songs together, and we would meet with labels to pitch our songs. One of the highlights, was when we got to record a song with George Benson.”
's Grammy winning debut album, The Fame
. He co-wrote and produced and is credited for five songs: "Paparazzi
", "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich
", "Again Again", "Brown Eyes" and "Disco Heaven". Fusari also produced and co-wrote, "Vanity", "Glitter & Grease", and "Retro Dance Freak".
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, possibly best known for his work with American recording artist Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
.
Early life
Born and raised in Livingston, New JerseyLivingston, New Jersey
Livingston is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 29,366.Livingston was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 5, 1813, from portions of Caldwell Township and Springfield...
, Fusari began studying classical piano at age eight, and became so skilled as a pianist, that he started performing in national competitions by age 10. "It was exciting to play in these piano competitions," recalled Fusari. "The top three finalists would get to play a recital at Carnegie Hall, and I had the opportunity to play at Carnegie for three years in a row." It was during his college years at William Paterson University
William Paterson University
William Paterson University is a comprehensive public institution located in Wayne, New Jersey serving nearly 11,000 undergraduate and graduate students through five colleges: , , , , and ....
in New Jersey that Fusari began writing songs. He started recording demos, and he subsequently met hit songwriter Irwin Levine, who was known for writing "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree
Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree
"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" is a song by Dawn featuring Tony Orlando, written by Irwin Levine and L. Russell Brown and produced by Hank Medress and Dave Appell. It was a worldwide hit for the group in 1973....
" and several other hits for Tony Orlando & Dawn. In the mid-90s, Fusari began collaborating with another songwriter, Josh Thompson, whose background was more R&B-influenced. "Josh and I worked together for two or three years, and I got into writing R&B with him," said Fusari. "I learned how to produce R&B vocals through working with Josh. We ended up writing about 300 songs together, and we would meet with labels to pitch our songs. One of the highlights, was when we got to record a song with George Benson.”
Career
Fusari is co-executive producer to Lady GagaLady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
's Grammy winning debut album, The Fame
The Fame
The Fame is the debut studio album by American recording artist Lady Gaga. It was released on August 19, 2008 through Interscope Records. After joining Kon Live Distribution and Cherrytree Records in 2008, Gaga began working on the album with different producers, primarily RedOne, Martin...
. He co-wrote and produced and is credited for five songs: "Paparazzi
Paparazzi (Lady Gaga song)
"Paparazzi" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga. It was released as the final single from her debut album The Fame . Written by Rob Fusari and Gaga, the song portrays Gaga's struggles in her quest for fame, as well as balancing success and love...
", "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich
Beautiful, Dirty, Rich
"Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" is a song performed by American recording artist Lady Gaga from her debut studio album The Fame. It was released as a promotional single from the album on September 16, 2008. It is an uptempo dance-pop song that makes heavy use of synthesizers, and is lyrically about Gaga's...
", "Again Again", "Brown Eyes" and "Disco Heaven". Fusari also produced and co-wrote, "Vanity", "Glitter & Grease", and "Retro Dance Freak".