SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The country version of Lady Gaga's smash hit "Born This Way" has become such a viral sensation since being released through her Twitter page that she has decided to officially issue the track for sale on April 5th with a portion of the proceeds to benefit charity.  The "Born This Way – Country Road Version", produced by Lady Gaga and Fernando Garibay, was recently recorded while on tour and features new Lady Gaga vocals and added guitar and harmonica.  First released March 24th as a gift to her fans (she has become the first person on Twitter with 9,000,000 followers), overwhelming praise for the recording--marked by over 1,000,000 YouTube views in it's first few days of release--has prompted Lady Gaga to release the track officially, with Lady Gaga, her record label, and her publisher donating a portion of the proceeds from sales of the track to benefit the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). 

The original version of "Born This Way" spent six consecutive weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, starting with its debut February 11th.  The fastest song in history to reach sales of 1,000,000 copies, "Born This Way" is the first single and title track to Lady Gaga's hotly anticipated upcoming third album, Born This Way, scheduled for release on May 23rd.

About GLSEN

Founded in 1990, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (glsen.org) strives to assure that each member of every school community is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.  GLSEN seeks to develop school climates where difference is valued for the positive contribution it makes in creating a more vibrant and diverse community.

SOURCE Interscope Records