Lady Gaga sure seems to be living large. Perhaps a bit too large. The flamboyant singer is reportedly flying around on not one, or even two, but
three private jets during her current tour.
I know celebrities like to get around in style, but my goodness. You can really only be in one place at a time. And even if you are flying the friendly skies in a manner that most people can only dream about, you can still only physically be in ONE private jet at a time. I suppose, of course, that Lady Gaga has the usual multi-person entourage. So perhaps she wants her whole crew to enjoy luxury travel too.
But here's a free tip for Lady Gaga from
The Money Coach: Beware of the perils of over-spending and of supporting a great big entourage. You don't want to wind up in bankruptcy court, like
MC Hammer did, or even struggle with massive credit card debt, like
Lindsay Lohan, who reportedly owes $600,000 on plastic.
http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,entry&id=873781&pid=873780&uts=1272058633
http://cdn.channel.aol.com/cs_feed_v1_6/csfeedwrapper.swf
The Eccentrics
Grace Jones
As one of the definitive icons of the 1980's, Grace Jones' androgynous style helped define a decade. The 5'10 " actress, model, and singer was a willing muse for many an artist. This 1983 photo of her in this Japanese-inspired outfit is true to her edgy and frankly scary style.
Pete Souza, Official White House Photo
BlackVoices.com
The Eccentrics
Andre Leon Talley
With no fear of color or ostentatious design, the 6'8" mammoth editor-at-large of 'Vogue' proudly and unabashedly wears whatever he desires. In this picture, his large and intricate silk kimono is upstaged only by his equally large patent-leather "pilgrim" shoes.
The Eccentrics
Lil' Kim
One of the first females to push the envelope of sexuality in hip-hop, Queen B has had an equally boisterous presence on the fashion scene. Whether it be revealing chain-link bustiers or painted-on outfits with breasts covered only by a pasty, she has done it all. Pictured here is a more modern (and decidedly less brazen) Kim as she sports this metallic green getup.
The Eccentrics
T-Pain
T-Pain has established himself as the king of cameos with his signature "autotune" vocals. And with a sound so unique, it would only make sense that his style be just as flagrant, leading the blonde-tipped, dread-locked singer to wear interesting variations of his signature top hot. Only a true ringmaster (as he likes to refer to himself ) could conceive of such a brilliant outfit.
The Eccentrics
Grace Jones
As one of the definitive icons of the 1980's, Grace Jones' androgynous style helped define a decade. The 5'10 " actress, model, and singer was a willing muse for many an artist. This 1983 photo of her in this Japanese-inspired outfit is true to her edgy and frankly scary style.
The Eccentrics
Janelle Monae
With a distinctive style and excellent vocals to match, this Kansas City singer and recent P. Diddy protege is slowly but surely creating her own niche in music. Waist-high pants, knee-high socks, a Colonel Sanders tie, a top heavy hair style and two-tone leather bowling shoes can be quite an unusual combination.
The Eccentrics
Zoe Kravitz
The offspring of two of the most eccentric people in Hollywood, parents Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet, Zoe was seemingly destined to come into her own eccentricity at some point. A fan of the whole grungy, hole-in-the shoe vibe, she rarely disappointments with her simple yet intriguing fashion derelict sense.
The Eccentrics
Teyana Taylor
This young Harlem rapstress and singer has been making noise since 2007 when she appeared on MTV's Super Sweet 16. Now a Pharrell protege and a new signee to his label Star Trak Entertainment, she has been making her rounds as a fashionista with her punk-meets-hip-hop style and exceedingly large Afro.
The Eccentrics
Michael Jackson
No this not a picture of a Muslim woman in Saudi Arabia. It is actually none other than the King of Pop himself. Perhaps more than anyone else, MJ is the embodiment of an eccentric. Evolving from his more traditional garb of admiral jackets and white silk shirts, Michael has taken to wearing pajama bottoms and full-body coverings such as the one pictured here.
The Eccentrics
Andre J
Defining himself as unconfined by gender and social conventions, NYC muse Andre J is making an indelible mark in fashion. He can often be seen with a wig, a fashionable dress and... a beard. Here he poses at event with blond wig and his grizzly facial curtain in full effect.
The Eccentrics
Andre 3000
Perhaps hip-hop's most refreshingly different innovators, Andre 3000 veers far from convention as he favors a variety of digs, from space boots to orange slacks to even this unexplainable, possibly native American-inspired design. Coupled with his eccentric taste is his uncanny ability to look impeccably fashionable in any situation.
The Eccentrics
Needless to say, private jet travel isn't cheap. One private charter company flying around singers and other wealthy clients is
JetSelect Aviation, LLC, which has a fleet of 20 Bombadier aircraft. The company's CEO, Robert Austin, told me that the private travel arena has recently been booming and that his business was up 45% in the first quarter of 2010 -- thanks to increased action from Wall Street and entertainers. "We do musicians. They go on tour and we fly them to their destinations. Then there might be five days in between their gigs," Austin said. The CEO also related that his company has flown Lady Gaga three times.
JetSelect's cost for a typical mid-size private jet: "About $3,000 per hour," Austin said.
Perhaps that's why, during the economic downturn and amid rising fuel prices in 2008, even P. Diddy cooled it for a while with his private jet.
Diddy famously created a YouTube video, saying that he'd grounded his private mega-jet, in favor of getting around -- more economically -- via American Airlines (first class, of course). According to Diddy, he was paying about $200,000, just to take two round trip flights a month between Los Angeles and New York. I think (and hope, for his sake) that Diddy was jokingly exaggerating his actual bill to make a point that private travel costs a small fortune.
Still, let's hope Lady Gaga learns a serious lesson from Diddy about how to control costs and manage those dollars -- even while she appears to have lots of them. Otherwise, Lady Gaga will wind up as another broke celebrity, owing the tax man, and regretting that she's become a member of the
formerly rich and famous.
Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, an award-winning financial news journalist and former Wall Street Journal reporter for CNBC, has also been featured in top newspapers including the Washington Post, USA Today, and the New York Times, as well as magazines ranging from Essence and Redbook to Black Enterprise and Smart Money. Check out her New York Times bestseller,
'Zero Debt: The Ultimate Guide to Financial Freedom.'
Judy A. Smith: Ask Judy: 'I Didn't Go To School For This'
What You May Not Know About The Fight Against AIDS
Comments: (11)
Add a comment
By: Shaun Dean Ryan on 10/05/2010 8:51PM
LOOK HERE, YOU PEOPLE WILL WRITE ANYTHING FOR FAME, FORTUNE OR VIEWS 2 DIS SITE. WHAT I THINK IS IF YOU GOING TO COMMENT OR REPORT (AS YOU CALL IT) ON LADA GAGA, THEN YOU SHOULD REALLY STOP TO THINK ABOUT HOW "GAGA" GOT THE MONEY SHE IS EITHER APPARENTLY BURNING OR SAVING... SHE IS A MUSIC ARTIST WHO EARNS HER MONEY BY TOUCHING PEOPLES LIVES BY HER LYRICS, VOICE AND ZANY DRESS STYLES.. @ LEAST SHE IS COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT OR WHO SHE IS AND HAS BECOME AND WILL CONTINUE, WITHOUT A DOUBT BECOMING. ALL ON HER OWN ACCORD AND TALENTS. SHE DID NOT PROSTITUTE HER WAY 2 THE TOP, SHE DID NOT SELL OUT HER FRIENDS AND NOR DID SHE OR DOES SHE NEED TO LIE ABOUT SOMEONE ELSES LIFESTYLE TO MAKE THEMSELVES FEEL BETTER AND GAIN FAME; (UNLIKE YOUR WEBSITE..... THATS HOW I ROLL I AM OPEN AND HONEST SO I WILL NOT BE RETRACTING OR APOLOGISING FOR THIS COMMENT BECAUSE AS IT SAYS @ THE TOP OF THIS BOX "Your Comment" and this you losers is "MY COMMENT"
Reply to this Comment | Report This