When Sam Smith was a 17-year-old schoolboy in England, he forged a sick note to his teachers so he could line up for a Lady Gaga concert at O2 Arena.
"I got in a lot of trouble," he told Rolling Stone. "I'd do it again in a heartbeat ... I would go to those shows to feed my hunger and I'd walk out of that show saying, 'I'm gonna do that.' Without Gaga, I wouldn't be here right now."
Smith learned Gaga's backstory — how the "Just Dance" pop star lived in a small apartment while playing minuscule New York gigs.
"That story of her hustle — I copied it," Smith said. "I moved to London. I knew I couldn't do it in a tiny village in the middle of nowhere, so I moved to London and I grinded. I tried to meet the right people and I focused on my trade and my art and my work, and I went for it."
It's safe to say that Gaga was and still is Smith's biggest idol. But given the U.K. hit maker's current stature as No. 1 seller, Gaga is now a contemporary.
She recently gave the "Stay With Me" singer advice via email.
"While everything he knows begins to change around him, to stay as relaxed and grounded as possible," she wrote. "Fame doesn't change the artists as much as it changes those around them. Continue to suffer for your art, Sam, but don't allow anyone around you who is not putting your talent and happiness first."
Meanwhile, Smith is staying busy before next weekend's Grammys:
My new single LAY ME DOWN will be released on 22nd February. Here's the link for anyone who'd like to pre-order xx https://t.co/5sp7wTAKBn
— SAM SMITH (@samsmithworld) January 31, 2015
