Del Rey was homeless charity helper

Singing sensation Lana Del Rey spent years helping homeless New Yorkers get their life back on track before she found fame.

The Video Games hitmaker has revealed she and a former boyfriend worked as volunteers in outreach programmes, assisting recovering alcoholics in finding jobs and getting their identification paperwork in order.

She tells The Sun, "It's funny, I really have lived a quiet life for the last few years. I had an on/off boyfriend and neither of us drank and we spent a lot of time reaching out to other people who didn't want to drink any more.

"Outreach, that's been my life for the past few years. I did always sing - I sang downtown. I loved doing it but it wasn't my main, main focus."