Lady Gaga thanks Whitney Houston for inspiring 'Born This Way'

Lady Gaga gave a surprise shout out to Whitney Houston at the 2011 Grammy Awards on Sunday when she thanked Houston for being the inspiration behind her new single.

After accepting the Best Pop Vocal Album for The Fame Monster, The Paparazzi hitmaker said it was Houston who gave her the strength to write her latest song Born This Way.

“I need to say thank you tonight to Whitney Houston,” Contactmusic quoted her as telling the star-studded audience.

“I wanted to thank Whitney because when I wrote Born This Way, I imagined she was singing it because I wasn't secure enough in myself to imagine I was a superstar. So Whitney, I imagined you were singing Born This Way when I wrote it. Thank you,” she added.