Madona's Personal life

Personal life

Relationships and family

Early relationships and marriage
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Madonna dated Dan Gilroy, with whom she formed the band Breakfast Club. In the early 1980s, she also dated musician Stephen Bray, who later co-produced songs such as "Into the Groove" and "Express Yourself", artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, DJ and record producer Mark Kamins, and musician Jellybean Benitez, who produced tracks and remixed her debut album Madonna.
While filming the music video for "Material Girl" in 1985, Madonna began dating actor Sean Penn. The two were married later that year on Madonna's twenty-seventh birthday. Their relationship was marred by Penn's frequent outbursts against the press, leading the couple to be dubbed the “Poison Penns.” After filing and withdrawing divorce papers in December 1987, Madonna and Penn separated on New Year's Eve of 1988 after allegations of abuse on Penn's part, and were officially divorced in September 1989. Of her marriage to Penn, Madonna later told Tatler, "I was completely obsessed with my career and not ready to be generous in any shape or form."[40]

Post-divorce relationships, motherhood, and remarriage
During 1988, Madonna had relationship with John F. Kennedy Jr.. After the divorce from Penn was made official in 1989, Madonna began a highly-publicized relationship with Warren Beatty while working on the film Dick Tracy early in 1989. Despite rumors that the two had become engaged in May 1990, the couple's relationship seemed to have ended by the summer. In a 1991 interview with Vanity Fair, Madonna said, "I'd go, 'Warren, did you really chase that girl for a year?!?' And he’d say, 'Nah, it's all lies.' I should have known better. I was unrealistic, but then, you always think you're going to be the one."[41]
In late 1990, Madonna dated Tony Ward,[42] a young model and porn star who starred in her music videos for "Cherish" (1989) and "Justify My Love" (1990). Their relationship ended by early 1991,[41] and Madonna later began an eight-month relationship with rapper Vanilla Ice,[42] who appeared later in her Sex book.[42]
In 1992; Madonna dated actor John Enos, her bodyguard James Albright, and in 1994 went out with basketball player Dennis Rodman for four months.[43]
In September 1994, while walking in Central Park, Madonna met fitness trainer Carlos Leon who became her personal trainer and lover. On October 14, 1996, Madonna gave birth to the couple's child, Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon.[44] The couple ended their relationship in 1997.[45]
After Madonna's relationship with Leon ended in mid-1997, she began dating Andy Bird, who sold his story to the newspapers in a tell-all about their 18-month relationship shortly after Madonna's marriage to English director Guy Ritchie.[46]
On August 11, 2000, Madonna gave birth to a son, Rocco John Ritchie, with Guy Ritchie, whom she had met in 1999 through mutual friends Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler.[47] On December 22, 2000, Madonna and Ritchie were married in Scotland. As of 2007, Madonna resides in London and her country estate in Wiltshire, with Ritchie and their children.
In March, 2007 Crown Publishing canceled a tell-all book deal, thought to be worth 5 million dollars, with Madonna and Ritchie's former nanny Melissa Dumas. The book claims that Madonna and Ritchie have a cold and distant relationship and that they are both fixated on money and restrictive dietary habits.
Over the span of her lengthy career, Madonna also has been rumored to be romantically linked to numerous men and women including Sandra Bernhard, Prince and Esai Morales in 1988; Lenny Kravitz in 1990; Michael Jackson in 1991; José Canseco, Ingrid Casares and Big Daddy Kane in 1992; Mark Wahlberg and Anthony Kiedis in 1993; Charles Barkley and Tupac Shakur in 1994; Chris Paciello in 1997; Billy Zane in 1998; David Blaine and Jenny Shimizu in 1999 before her marriage with Ritchie. But most of these affairs are unconfirmed so far.

David Banda adoption

On October 10, 2006, Madonna filed adoption papers for a Malawian baby boy named David Banda, whom her family renamed David Banda Mwale Ciccone Ritchie,[48] born September 24, 2005,[49] during her trip to an orphanage in Malawi.[50]
After a passport and visa were issued for the child, Banda was flown out of Malawi on October 16.[51] The adoption raised public controversy about whether special treatment was given to Madonna considering the fact that Malawian law normally requires one year of residence for potential adoptive parents.[52] However, adoption rights groups pointed out that only three visas were issued in 2005 for adopted children to leave Malawi[citation needed].
Madonna appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show on October 25, 2006, to refute the allegations. During the half-hour interview, the singer claimed that there are no written adoption laws in Malawi that regulate foreign adoption and that she had been planning to adopt for two years. She also claimed that Banda had been in critical condition and was suffering from pneumonia after surviving malaria and tuberculosis when she had found him in the orphanage. In addition, Madonna blamed the media for "doing a great disservice to all the orphans of Africa, period, not just the orphans of Malawi", by discouraging people from adopting children from African nations. She stated, "I wanted to go into a Third World country—I wasn't sure where—and give a life to a child who might not otherwise have had one."[53]
On October 22, 2006, it was reported that Yohane Banda, David Banda's birth father, did not understand what "adoption" meant and that he had not realized that he was giving up his son "for good." He had assumed that this arrangement was more like a fostering agreement. A few days later, after the Winfrey interview, he said, "These so-called human rights activists are harassing me every day, threatening me that I am not aware of what I am doing." He was also reported to say, "They want me to support their court case, a thing I cannot do for I know what I agreed with Madonna and her husband."[54] On November 1, 2006, Madonna responded to Banda's comments on an Dateline NBC interview with Meredith Vieira by saying that Yohane Banda had known what he was doing, having refused to accept her offer to financially support him and the child without adopting the child.
Because of Malawi laws, Madonna and Guy Ritchie remain David Banda's foster parents for the required eighteen-month period.

Kabbalah Center

Since the late-1990s, Madonna has become a devotee of the Kabbalah Centre and a disciple of its controversial head Rabbi Philip Berg and his wife Karen. Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie attend Kabbalah classes and have been reported to have adopted a number of aspects of the movement associated with Judaism. The media has reported that Madonna has taken on the Biblical name of Esther and has donated millions of dollars to Kabbalah Centres in London, New York, and Los Angeles. She no longer performs on Friday nights because this is the time when the Jewish Sabbath begins. Madonna wears a red string and has visited Israel with members of the Kabbalah Centre to celebrate some of the Jewish holidays. She also studies personally with her own private-tutor, Rabbi Eitan Yardeni, whose wife Sarah Yardeni runs Madonna's favorite charitable project, "Spirituality for Kids", a subsidiary of the Kabbalah Centre.[55] Madonna reportedly donated $21 million towards a new Kabbalah school for children.[56]
Controversy erupted again well before the release of her most recent album Confessions on a Dance Floor. Many Israeli rabbis condemned Madonna and the forthcoming song "Isaac" (tenth on its track listing) because they believed the song to be a tribute to Rabbi Isaac Luria, also known as Yitzhak Luria (1534–1572), one of the greatest Kabbalists of all time, and claimed that Jewish law forbids using a holy rabbi's name for profit. In interviews, Madonna had called this song: "The Binding of Isaac" and rumors spread that it was based on the major episode in the life of the Hebrew patriarch Isaac. Despite continued accusations that the song is about Isaac Luria, Madonna has repeatedly denied such accusations, claiming she could not think of a title for the song and, therefore, named it after Yitzhak (Isaac) Sinwani. In the song, Madonna sings with Sinwani, an Israeli singer, who is chanting a Yemenite Jewish song. Said Madonna: "The album isn't even out, so how could Jewish scholars in Israel know what my song is about? I don't know enough about Isaac Luria to write a song, though I've learned a bit in my studies."[57]
Madonna has openly defended her Kabbalah studies by stating, for example:
“
I wouldn't say studying Kabbalah for eight years goes under the category or falls under the category of being a fad or a trend. Now there might be people who are interested in it because they think it's trendy, but I can assure you that studying Kabbalah is actually a very challenging thing to do. It requires a lot of work, a lot of reading, a lot of time, a lot of commitment and a lot of discipline.[58]
”
Furthermore, Madonna said in a BBC interview that she believes Christianity is intolerant of questioning, whereas Kabbalah is not. Madonna has also defended Kabbalah against detractors who claim it is a cult designed to extort money from followers.

Political views

Madonna does not support United States President George W. Bush. She endorsed Wesley Clark's Democratic nomination for the 2004 United States presidential election in an impassioned letter to her fans, saying at the time that "the future I wish for my children is at risk."[59] In the autumn of 2006, she expressed her support for Hillary Clinton in the 2008 election[60] Most recently she stated that she would be behind Al Gore if he decided to run for the 2008 elections after seeing his documentary on global warming, An Inconvenient Truth.
She also urged her fans to see Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11.[61]

Diet and exercise

Madonna has stated that she doesn't eat dairy and is on a macrobiotic diet, consisting primarily of whole grains, fish and fresh vegetables.[62] Furthermore, she has a personal Japanese chef and says that she does yoga and pilates to stay in shape.[63]

Criticism

Despite her career achievements,[64] Madonna has been the target of criticism since the beginning of her career. Reviews about her body of work have generally been mixed and many music critics have put her artistry in doubt, while some have proclaimed her the "Queen of Pop".
A common criticism against Madonna regards her singing voice and vocal range, which some consider to be weak, limited and mannered. She has also been criticized for egocentrism, publicity stunts and a tendency to generate controversy. Joni Mitchell once declared, "She has knocked the importance of talent out of the arena. She's manufactured. She's made a lot of money and become the biggest star in the world by hiring the right people".[65] Other popular entertainers like Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, and Mariah Carey[66] have expressed disapproval of her artistic abilities, disdain, or criticism against her image and work.
Moments of her career in which Madonna has been heavily criticized include her 1989 music video for "Like a Prayer", the publication of the book Sex and album Erotica in 1992, her 2006 performance of "Live to Tell" during the Confessions Tour, and her adoption of Malawian infant David Banda in 2006.
Madonna has received criticism from animal rights groups for wearing fur coats[67][68] and in the past, was criticized for renting out her house for hunting parties.[69]
Madonna's lyrics have also been panned as simple or even dull by some.[70]
Many critics, however, see Madonna as a talented vocalist and songwriter.[71][72] She received good reviews for "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" cover[73] on which her performance was described as a "heartfelt vocal".[74] Her vocals on "Live To Tell" were considered her best at the time by some, and the song's lyrics have been described as "poignant".[75][76]

References

^ http://www.madonna.com/
^ http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=55387 Guinnessworldrecords.com
^ Warner Bros. press release on Confessions On A Dance Floor & quote "..with international sales of over 200 million albums"
^ Queen of Pop Madonna crowned highest earning female singer on earth Daily Mail, 2006-09-28
^ In Pictures: The Richest 20 Women In Entertainment, Forbes magazine
^ Waddell, Ray. "Stones' Bigger Bang Is Top-Grossing Tour Of 2006", [[Billboard (magazine)]], 14 December 2006
^ Madonna on Making it. Madonna Village. Retrieved 26 February 2006.
^ MTV's Rockumentary. Music Television. 1990. (In this video, Madonna herself says, "People thought I was a black artist.")
^ Madonna.com. Music Section - Madonna (1983). Retrieved 4 May 2006.
^ AbsoluteMadonna.com. Album Charts & Stats (2005). Retrieved 9 May 2006.
^ Madonna Village Quoting from Rolling Stone review of True Blue, 1986. Retrieved 5 May, 2006.
^ Madonna.com. Music Section - True Blue (1986). Retrieved 5 May 2006.
^ All Music Guide Review of Like a Prayer. Retrieved 5 May, 2006.
^ Madonna Village Quoting from Rolling Stone review of Like a Prayer, 1986. Retrieved 5 May, 2006.
^ Madonna Village Quoting from Amazon.com review of Ray of Light, 1998. Retrieved 5 May, 2006.
^ Madonna Village Quoting from Rolling Stone review of Ray of Light, 1998. Retrieved 5 May, 2006.
^ Confessions On A Dance Floor by Madonna review at metacritic.com
^ MTV.com "Madonna Parts Ways With The Record Label She Co-Founded", June 2004. Retrieved 6 May, 2006.
^ The Immortals: The First Fifty. Rolling Stone Issue 946. Rolling Stone.
^ http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/madonna/confessionsonadancefloor?q=confessions%20on%20a%20dance%20floor
^ Ibero America's Top 100 of 2006
^ Adweek. "H&M Signs Madonna". Retrieved November 27, 2006.
^ Madonna's H&M TV Commercial (2007). Retrieved on {{#time:F j, Y2007-03-24}}.
^ [1]. "She's Still Got It".
^ http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/yearend/2006/touring/top_tours.jsp
^ [2].
^ Italians do it better shirt (JPG file)
^ Madonna - Ciao from Italy (JPG file)
^ Italian language Wikipedia article about the Pope Retrieved June 1, 2006
^ Madonna Diary By Maurice Gravelle Retrieved June 1, 2006
^ BBC: Madonna's giant cross 'offensive' 8th paragraph: "In 1990, the Pope called for a boycott of the Blond Ambition tour, in which Madonna simulated masturbation during Like A Virgin." Retrieved May 28, 2006
^ Rolling Stone, August 1991, "True Confessions: The Rolling Stone Interview With Madonna, Part One" by Carrie Fisher.
^ Vatican accuses her of blasphemy and provocation Retrieved August 13, 2006
^ Italians in America - Our Contribution Retrieved June 1, 2006
^ Italian language Wikipedia article on Pacentro Retrieved June 1, 2006
^ Time Magazine - May 27, 1985, Madonna interview, "Madonna, Why She's Hot", by Denise Worrell.
^ Time Magazine - May 27, 1985, Madonna interview, "Madonna, Why She's Hot", by Denise Worrell.
^ Goddess, Inside Madonna by Barbara and Victor, 2001, Cliff Street Books, ISBN 0-06-019930-X p 23.
^ Rolling Stone, August 1991, "True Confessions: The Rolling Stone Interview With Madonna, Part One" by Carrie Fisher.
^ femalefirst.co.uk Madonna: Guy makes me look good femalefirst.co.uk, Madonna interview. 18 May 2006. Retrieved 15 June 2006.
^ a b Vanity Fair, April 1991, "The Misfit" by Lynn Hirschberg
^ a b c Crazy for Madonna's men usatoday, 2000 "Madonna and model Tony Ward briefly dated in 1990", "Vanilla Ice and Madonna were together for eight months in 1992."
^ Madonna & Dennis Rodman usefultrivia.com
^ Biography for Carlos Leon imdb.com "Father, with Madonna, of Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon (Lola Leon), born 14 October 1996.
^ http://www.celebritywonder.com/html/madonna.html
^ http://www.madonnalicious.com/features/andybird2.html
^ "Madonna gives birth to boy", CNN.com, 2000-08-11. Retrieved 5 May 2006.
^ Madonna gives baby Davie Ritchie name
^ Boy Madonna Hopes to Adopt Leaves Africa People, October 2006. Retrieved 2006-10-16
^ "Madonna buys Malawian boy, his father says", CNN, October 2006. Retrieved 2006-10-11
^ Madonna baby flown out of Malawi The Daily Telegraph Retrieved 2006-10-16
^ Reuters Wire Services, "Madonna Adoption Plans Trigger Broad Backlash," October 17, 2006.
^ Heher, Ashley M. "Madonna 'Disappointed' by Criticism", Associated Press, SFGate.com, 25 October 2006.
^ Associated Press. "Boy's father worries Madonna may back out", MSNBC.com, 26 October 2006.
^ Mim Udovitch. Inside Hollywood's Hottest Cult - Part Three: Madonna’s Magical Mystical Tour. 20 June 2005. Retrieved 26 February 2006.
^ Madonna opens her own school. The Times of India. 5 August 2004. Retrieved 26 February 2006.
^ Elysa Gardner. Madonna at a crossroads. USA Today. 27 October 2005. Retrieved 26 February 2006.
^ Kabbalah No Fad, G W Bush should Take It Up. FemaleFirst.com. 18 November 2004. Retrieved 26 February 2006.
^ Madonna Urges Others to Support Clark; 'Future is At Risk'. 7 January 2004. Retrieved 17 April 2006.
^ " Madonna Touting Hillary for President", newsmax.com, 12 March 2006.
^ Madonna Urges Her Fans To See Michael Moore's documentary 'Fahrenheit 9/11'. MTV News. 17 June 2004. Retrieved 17 April 2006.
^ http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0210/10/lkl.00.html
^ Tweedie, Neil. Madonna on the evils of milk and 'trash television'. London Telegraph.
^ Queen of Pop Madonna crowned highest earning female singer on earth. Daily Mail.
^ [3]
^ A Few Things We Don't Need To See Early In The Morning. PerezHilton.com.
^ "Madonna's fur coat sparks outrage", Yahoo! Music, 8 December 2006.]
^ Frith, Maxine. "Madonna's fur coat outrages animal rights groups", New Zealand Herald, 9 December 2006.
^ Smart, Gordon. "Stella gives pal Madonna a blast", The Sun, 16 December 2006.
^ http://pitchforkmedia.com/article/track_review/30177
^ http://christopher.goodman.net/Papers/Madonna.html
^ http://www.jhu.edu/~newslett/04-02-98/Arts/4.html
^ http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=117
^ http://www.amazon.com/Like-Virgin-Madonna/dp/B000002L6P
^ "On Top of the World" from The Sunday Mirror
^ http://www.madonna.com

See also
Madonna on Letterman
Madonna and the gay community
MTV Video Music Awards and nominations for Madonna
List of awards and achievements for Madonna
List of best-selling music artists
List of best selling music artists in U.S.
List of number-one hits (United States)
List of number-one albums (United States)
List of best-selling albums in the United States
List of best-selling albums worldwide
UK Best selling singles artists of all time
List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
List of number-one dance hits (United States)
List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart
List of artists who reached number one in Ireland
List of artists who reached number one on the Australian singles chart

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
Madonna Ciccone

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Madonna (entertainer)
Official website
Official fan club
Official MySpace
RSS Feed For Madonna dot com
Madonna at the Internet Movie Database
Madonna at MusicBrainz

Madona's Influences

Influences

Madonna has cited her background as a Catholic as the major influence in her life and career. Her mother's death affected her.
The name "Madonna" is Catholic and references The Virgin Mary, who in the Roman Catholic Church is often referred to as "The Madonna". In a 1988 interview with Smash Hits magazine, Madonna said that Madonna is, in reality, her real name. She also described the name as being "very Italian", despite the fact that she was named after her French Canadian mother. The name "Madonna" is a combination of the two Italian words "ma" and "donna" which means "my lady." Therefore, no matter the nationality of the person named "Madonna", the name itself is of Italian origin.
Madonna's Catholic background and relationship with her parents were reflected in the 1989 album Like a Prayer, which featured songs about her parents and Catholic upbringing. The video for the title track contained Catholic symbolism, such as the stigmata. "Promise to Try" told of her sadness at the memory of her mother, while "Oh Father" told of a strict father who elicited fear in his child.
Madonna used the crucifix as a fashion accessory in the church setting of the "Like a Prayer" video, and in the stage design of her "Confessions" tour. In the The Virgin Tour, she wore the rosary around her neck. In the music video for "La Isla Bonita", she prays the rosary.
Madonna's Italian heritage has also been referenced in her work. The video for Like a Virgin, filmed in Venice, Italy, features her in Venetian settings. The "Open Your Heart" sees her boss yelling at her in Italian. In the "Papa Don't Preach" video, Madonna wears a shirt with the slogan, "Italians Do It Better".[27]
The video release of her Who's That Girl Tour, titled Ciao Italia! - Live From Italy, was filmed mainly in Turin, Italy.[28] In it, Madonna performs the song Papa Don't Preach while a portrait of the Pope appears on the screen behind her. "Papa" is the Italian word for "Pope".[29]) In her 2005 documentary I'm Going To Tell You a Secret, she jokingly states that she has "big, fat, Italian thighs." In film, she achieved a rare good review for her portrayal of the Italian American character Mae Mordabito in A League of Their Own.[30]
Madonna had both of her biological children baptized in a Roman Catholic Church. Yet, much of her career has seen rebellion against the Roman Catholic Church, In 1990, when Madonna toured Italy with the Blond Ambition Tour, the Pope encouraged citizens not to attend the concert.[31] The Pope accused Madonna of blasphemy against the Catholic Church (a crime in Italy), and attempted to have her banned from stepping foot on Italian soil[citation needed].
In response, in a 1990 press conference in Italy, Madonna declared, "I am Italian American and proud of it." In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Madonna said that the Pope's reaction hurt, "because I'm Italian, you know", but in another interview the same year stated that she had ceased to practice Catholicism because the Church "completely frowns on sex... except for procreation".[32] In the summer of 2006, Madonna drew criticism from Vatican officials when she took her Confessions Tour to Rome. Vatican officials claimed that Madonna's performance while hanging off a cross and wearing a crown of thorns was an open attack on Catholicism and should not be performed in the same city as the pope's residence.[33] In the documentary Italians in America - Our Contribution, author Gay Talese relates Madonna's rebellion against the Catholic Church to her Italian ancestry. Talese claims that Madonna's paternal ancestors come from a region of Southern Italy with a long tradition of rebellion against the Catholic Church.[34]
In 1988, city officials in the town of Pacentro, Italy,[35] planned to construct a 13-foot statue of Madonna in a bustier. The statue was intended to commemorate the fact that some of Madonna's ancestors had lived in Pacentro. The mayor of the city and the Pope intervened and prevented the project from coming to fruition, citing concerns that a statue of Madonna in their city would corrupt the morals of their youth.[citation needed]

Musical influences

In 1985, Madonna commented that the first song to ever make a strong impression on her was "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" by Nancy Sinatra and that it summed up her take-charge attitude.[36] As a young woman, she attempted to broaden her taste in literature, art, and music, and during this time became interested in classical music. She noted that her favorite style was baroque, and loved Chopin because she liked his "feminine quality". She has also acknowledged the impact of Debbie Harry and Chrissie Hynde saying they "paved the way" for her. In an interview with the Observer on October 29 2006, Madonna professed a love for fellow Detroit natives The Raconteurs and The White Stripes, as well as New York band "The Jett Set". Madonna has also commented that she enjoys Frank Sinatra, and especially likes to sing, "My Way" in the shower.

Film stars

During her childhood, Madonna became fascinated by films and film stars, later saying, "I loved Carole Lombard and Judy Holliday and Marilyn Monroe. They were all incredibly funny...and I saw myself in them...my girlishness, my knowingness and my innocence".[37] Her "Material Girl" music video recreated Monroe's "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" number from the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and she later studied the screwball comedies of the 1930s, particularly those of Lombard, in preparation for the Who's That Girl? film. The video for "Express Yourself" placed a femme fatale character alongside an androgynous figure in male attire, which was compared to Marlene Dietrich and was inspired by Fritz Lang's Metropolis movie. The video for "Vogue" recreated the style of Hollywood glamour photographers, in particular Horst P. Horst, and imitated the poses of Marlene Dietrich, Carole Lombard and Rita Hayworth, while the lyrics referenced many of the stars who had inspired her.[38] Among those mentioned was Bette Davis, described by Madonna in a Rolling Stone interview as an idol, along with Louise Brooks and Dita Parlo.[39]

Madona's Music career

Madonna Louise Ciccone was born in Bay City, Michigan. She was the third of six children born to Silvio "Tony" Ciccone, an Italian-American Chrysler engineer whose parents originated from Pacentro, and Madonna Louise Fortin, who was of Quebecer descent.
She was raised in a Catholic family in the Detroit suburbs of Pontiac and Avon Township (now Rochester Hills). Madonna's mother died of breast cancer at age 30 on December 1, 1963. Her father later married the family housekeeper, Joan Gustafson, and they had two children together.
Madonna convinced her father to allow her to take ballet classes. Her ballet teacher, Christopher Flynn, exposed Madonna to gay discotheques. She attended Rochester Adams High School, where she was a straight-A student and a member of the cheerleading squad. Madonna received a dance scholarship to the University of Michigan.[citation needed]
She left at the end of her sophomore year in 1978 and moved to New York City to pursue a dance career. Madonna has said:"When I came to New York it was the first time I'd ever taken a plane, the first time I'd ever gotten a taxi-cab, the first time for everything. And I came here with $35 in my pocket. It was the bravest thing I'd ever done."[7]
”
She had little money and for some time lived in squalor, working low-paying jobs including a stint at Dunkin' Donuts. She also worked as a nude model. She studied with Martha Graham and Pearl Lang, and later performed with several modern dance companies, including Alvin Ailey and the Walter Nicks dancers.
While performing as a dancer for the French disco artist Patrick Hernandez on his 1979 world tour, Madonna became involved with the musician Dan Gilroy, with whom she later formed her first rock band, the Breakfast Club. In it, she sang and played drums and guitar before forming the band Emmy in 1980 with drummer and former boyfriend Stephen Bray. She and Bray wrote and produced dance songs that brought her local attention in New York dance clubs. DJ and record producer Mark Kamins was impressed by her demo recordings, so he brought them to the attention of Sire Records founder Seymour Stein.







Music career

1980–1985: Rise to fame

Madonna in her first music video for 1982's "Everybody."
In 1982, Madonna signed a singles deal with Sire Records (a new wave label belonging to Warner Bros. Records) in the United States that paid her $5,000 per song. Her first release, "Everybody", a self-written song produced by Mark Kamins, became a hit on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Chart but failed to make an impact on the Billboard Hot 100. It also gained airplay on U.S. R&B radio stations, leading many to assume that Madonna was a black artist.[8] The double-sided 12" vinyl single featuring "Burning Up" and "Physical Attraction" followed in 1983, and was a success on the U.S. dance charts. These results convinced Sire Records' executives to finance an album.



Audio samples:

"Borderline" (1983) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
A mid-tempo song about complaints lovers have about their partners. It became Madonna's first top-ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S.
"Like A Virgin" (1984) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
Madonna's most recognizable and popular song. It became her first number-one hit in the U.S., but has been criticized for its sexual subject matter.
"Material Girl" (1984) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
The second top-ten single from Madonna's album Like a Virgin. The song's title would later earn her the nickname "The Material Girl" in the worldwide press.
Problems playing the files? See media help.
Her debut album, Madonna, a collection of dance songs, was primarily produced by Reggie Lucas, but in the process both realized they could not work well together. After initial production on the album was completed, Madonna took the record to her then boyfriend, John "Jellybean" Benitez, who remixed and rearranged it. It reached number eight on the U.S. albums chart and contained three successful Hot 100 singles, "Holiday", "Borderline", and "Lucky Star". At the time of its release, Madonna sold three million copies worldwide, one million of those in the U.S. It has since been certified with current sales of thirteen million worldwide.
Madonna's style became popular. Teenage girls were dressing like her.[9]

"Like a Virgin" (1984), directed by Mary Lambert, was shot in Venice, Italy and featured Madonna dancing on a gondola and in a wedding dress.
Her follow up album, Like a Virgin, was an international success, and became her first number one album on the U.S. albums chart. Buoyed by the success of its title track, which reached number one in the U.S. (with a six week stay at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart) as well as hit singles with "Material Girl" (#2 US, kept out of the number one spot by USA For Africa's "We Are The World" single), "Angel", and "Dress You Up", the album sold twelve million copies at its time of release and currently stands at seventeen million copies worldwide[10] and produced four top-five singles in the U.S. and the UK Her performance of the song at the first MTV Video Music Awards, during which she writhed on the stage (on top of a wedding cake) wearing a combination bustier/wedding gown, lacy stockings, garters, and her then-trademark "Boy Toy" belt, was the first of several public displays that boosted Madonna's fan base as much as they incensed some critics, who felt that her provocative style attempted to disguise an absence of talent.
In 1985, Madonna entered mainstream films, beginning with a brief appearance as a club singer in the film Vision Quest. The soundtrack to the film contained her second number one pop hit, the Grammy-nominated ballad "Crazy for You", as well as the UK hit "Gambler". Later that year she appeared in the commercially and critically successful film Desperately Seeking Susan, with her comedic performance winning her positive reviews. The film introduced the dance song "Into the Groove", which was released as a B-side to her single "Angel", peaking at number five in the US and becoming a major hit internationally, and her first number one in the UK.
Madonna embarked on her first concert tour in the U.S. in 1985 titled The Virgin Tour, with opening act The Beastie Boys.
In July 1985, Penthouse and Playboy magazines published a number of black and white nude photos of Madonna taken in the late 1970s. The publications caused a swell of public discussion of Madonna, who at first tried to block them from being published, but later remained unapologetic and defiant. Speaking to a global audience at the outdoor Live Aid charity concert at the height of the controversy, Madonna made a critical reference to the media and stated she would not take her jacket off, despite the heat, because "they might hold it against me ten years from now".[cite this quote]

1986–1991: Artistic development

The music video for "True Blue" (30 June 1986), directed by James Foley, featured a 1950s theme.
Madonna's 1986 album True Blue presented a more musically and thematically mature album than its predecessors, prompting Rolling Stone to declare, "singing better than ever, Madonna stakes her claim as the pop poet of lower-middle-class America."[11] The album included the soulful ballad "Live to Tell", which she wrote for the film At Close Range, starring then-husband Sean Penn. The album was also the first to credit her as producer. She collaborated with composer Patrick Leonard, who would become a long-time collaborator and friend. True Blue reached #1 in various countries and sold over eleven million copies worldwide at its time of release[12] It spawned five successful singles: “Live To Tell,” “Papa Don't Preach,” “Open Your Heart,” “True Blue” and “La Isla Bonita.” All going top five in the U.S., the first three hitting number one.
The music videos for the album displayed Madonna’s continued interest in pushing the boundaries of the video medium to a cinematic level, including elaborate art direction, cinematography, and film devices such as character and plot. Though Madonna had already made videos expressing her sexuality, she added religious iconography, gender archetypes, and social issues to her oeuvre, and these concepts would carry through her work for years to come. One notable example was the "Open Your Heart" video, her first collaboration with French photographer Jean-Baptiste Mondino.
In 1987, Madonna starred in the box office failure Who's That Girl?, and contributed four songs to its soundtrack, including the film's title track, which became a hit and Madonna's sixth #1 single in the U.S. The albums second single, "Causing a Commotion" also went top five.
Audio samples:
"Like A Prayer" (1989) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
A mid-tempo dance song, which features personal lyrics and a Gospel choir. It reached number-one in the UK and U.S., becoming her seventh number one.
"Express Yourself" (1989) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
The second top-ten single from Like A Prayer stirred up opinions about feminism with its subject matter and highly expensive music video.
Problems playing the files? See media help.
In 1987, Madonna embarked on the successful Who's That Girl World Tour, beginning her long association with backing vocalists and dancers Donna DeLory and Niki Haris, and moving closer to the more elaborately staged theater-inspired concert tour. It also marked her first run-in with the Vatican, with the Pope urging fans not to attend her performances in Italy. The Vatican later expressed outrage at the unveiling of a racy 13-foot tall statue of Madonna in the Italian town of Pacentro, from where her father's family hailed[citation needed].
Later that year, Madonna released a remix album of past hits, You Can Dance, which included one new song, "Spotlight." The album sold nearly two million copies in the U.S. upon release.
Madonna's fourth album, released in 1989, Like a Prayer, presented more personal lyrics and a more mature vocal style. Co-written and co-produced with Patrick Leonard and Stephen Bray, it settled her as a serious pop artist. She teamed up with Prince on a duet, and he also played guitar on two songs. Like a Prayer garnered Madonna the strongest reviews of her career and attracted a more mature audience. All Music Guide described the album as "her best and most consistent",[13] while Rolling Stone hailed the album as "..as close to art as pop music gets".[14] Like a Prayer produced five hit singles, the title track, “Express Yourself,” “Cherish,” “Oh Father,” and “Keep It Together.” “Like a Prayer,” itself, hit number one on the Hot 100.

"Like a Prayer" (1989) caused controversy as it was condemned by the Vatican for its 'blasphemous' mixture of Catholic symbolism and eroticism.
In early 1989, Madonna signed an endorsement deal with soft drink manufacturer Pepsi, which would debut her new song, “Like a Prayer,” in a Pepsi commercial that Madonna would also appear in. Madonna would make a separate music video which Pepsi would have nothing to do with. Although the commercial itself was not controversial, the video for “Like a Prayer” caused an uproar. The video premiered on MTV and featured many Catholic symbols, such as stigmata, and was condemned by the Vatican for its "blasphemous" mixture of Catholic symbolism and eroticism[citation needed]. The video depicted a black man who comes to the aid of a white woman being murdered by white men and he is falsely arrested for the crime. Madonna, who has witnessed the crime, secures his release. Although the video's intent was to denounce racism, Madonna was criticized for her use of burning crosses and "making out" with Jesus, even though it was St. Martín de Porres.[citation needed] Pepsi was bombarded with complaints and boycotts. Since the commercial and music video were nearly identical in visual terms, the soft drink manufacturer was unable to convince the public that their commercial actually had nothing that could be deemed inappropriate. Pepsi pulled the commercial but Madonna kept her five million dollar fee, as Pepsi had nullified the contract, not she. The album went to number one on the US album chart and it sold six million copies worldwide at that time (three million of those in the US).

Audio samples:

"Cherish" (1989) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
Touches upon minor subject matter. It became the third single release from Like a Prayer and another Top 10 hit worldwide.
"Vogue" (1990) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
A tribute to 'The Golden Age of Hollywood', it became Madonna's biggest hit of the 90s, reaching #1 in the UK and the US
"Justify My Love" (1990) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
Featuring whispered and spoken vocals, it became one of Madonna's most controversial singles, due to its sexually explicit lyrics and music video.
Problems playing the files? See media help.
In 1990, Madonna starred as Breathless Mahoney in a film adaptation of the popular comic book series Dick Tracy. To accompany the launching of the film, in May 1990 she released I'm Breathless, which included songs from and inspired by the film's 1930s setting. It featured the #1 house music anthem "Vogue" (which was an homage to the Hollywood stars), the Gershwin-esque "Something to Remember", and three songs by Stephen Sondheim, including "Sooner or Later", which won an Academy Award for 'Best Original Song.' I'm Breathless was a success in Europe, Australia and the United States, and sold four million copies worldwide (2x platinum in the US) at its time of release.
From April until August 1990, Madonna toured Japan, North America, and Europe on her highly successful Blond Ambition Tour, which the singer likened to musical theatre. Featuring religious and sexual themes and symbolism, the tour drew controversy from Madonna's performance of "Like a Virgin", during which she allowed two male dancers to caress her body before she simulated masturbation. Despite the controversy, however, the tour is now considered to have changed the look and feel of concert tours, and remains one of the singer's most popular tours amongst her fans.

The black and white music video for "Vogue" (1990) recalled the look of 1930s Hollywood films.
In November 1990, Madonna released her first greatest hits compilation album, The Immaculate Collection, which included two new songs: “Justify My Love” and “Rescue Me.” The music video for “Justify My Love,” again directed by Mondino, showed Madonna in a Parisian hotel, in suggestive scenes with her then-lover, model/actor Tony Ward, as well as scenes of S&M, bondage with gay and lesbian characters, and brief nudity. It was deemed too sexually explicit for MTV, and was subsequently banned from the station. Warner Bros. Records released the video as a video single—the first of its kind—and it became the highest-selling video single of all time.
In 1991, Madonna starred in her first documentary film, Truth or Dare (also known as In Bed with Madonna outside North America), which chronicled her successful 1990 Blond Ambition Tour, as well as her personal life. The following year, she appeared in the baseball film A League of Their Own, and recorded the film's theme song, "This Used to Be My Playground", which became her tenth #1 single in the United States.

1992–1997: Sex controversy and Evita

The controversial music video for "Erotica" (1992) was aired only three times on MTV due to its highly charged sexual content.
Erotica, produced primarily with Shep Pettibone, was disregarded as simply being a "porn" album, with most believing that all the album tracks were about sex; but in truth the album only featured three (out of fourteen) overtly sexual songs: "Erotica", "Where Life Begins", and "Did You Do It?". The album peaked at number two in the U.S. and produced six singles, with its most successful being its title track “Erotica,” which became the highest-debuting (number two) single in the history of the U.S. Hot 100 Airplay chart. The controversial music video that accompanied the song only aired three times on MTV due to its highly charged sexual content.
Audio samples:
"Deeper and Deeper" (1992) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
A disco-style dance track, which led to controversy due to its lyrics, which told the story of a young man dealing with his feelings of homosexuality.
"Take a Bow" (1994) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
Co-written by Babyface (who also provides backing vocals), the Canto-pop styled ballad became Madonna's first U.S. number one in almost three years and became the number one highest-selling single of 1995.
"You Must Love Me" (1996) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
The song was specially written for the film version of Evita and won an Oscar for "Best Original Song in a Film" in 1997.
Problems playing the files? See media help.
The Girlie Show Tour in 1993 was Madonna's most explicit and controversial concert tour to date and featured Madonna dressed as a whip-cracking dominatrix, surrounded by topless dancers, including Luca Tommassini and Carrie Ann Inaba. The controversy caused by the tour followed Madonna when she caused uproar in Puerto Rico by rubbing the island's flag between her legs on stage, while Orthodox Jews protested against her first-ever show in Israel. Madonna would later comment that this period of her life was designed to give the world every single morsel of what they seemed to be demanding in their invasion of her private life. She hoped that once it was all out in the open, people could settle down and focus on her work.

Credited as one of Madonna's most experimental videos, "Bedtime Story" (1995) directed by Mark Romanek featured images inspired by paintings by artists Frida Kahlo and Remedios Varo.
After the raunchy sex period, Madonna released her sixth studio album, Bedtime Stories, co-produced by Nellee Hooper and Dallas Austin. Madonna at the time was inspired by R&B/rock singer Joi's debut album Pendulum Vibe, and was so in love with it that she recruited producer Dallas Austin to help with her project. The album features Madonna turning to a more R&B-flavored sound. It was a success in Europe, Australia, and the United States, where it peaked at number three and was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Pop Vocal Album category. With its title track partially written by Björk, the album gave a hint of what would come musically a few years later. It produced four singles, including "Take a Bow", co-written and produced with Babyface. The song was a success on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number one for seven consecutive weeks, but became the first Madonna song not to chart in the UK Top 10, charting at number 16. The Michael Haussman Spanish-themed video, meanwhile, would later help her win the lead role in Evita.
On 7 November 1995, Madonna released Something to Remember, a collection of her best ballads, which featured three new tracks, including a cover of the Marvin Gaye classic “I Want You,” which she recorded with British band Massive Attack, and the top ten hit “You'll See.” The album just missed the top five on the U.S. charts; it has since been certified triple platinum.
In 1996, Madonna’s most critically successful film, Evita, was released. The film's soundtrack became her twelfth platinum album and produced two hit singles, “Don't Cry for Me Argentina” and “You Must Love Me,” the latter of which was written specifically for the film. “You Must Love Me” won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Original Song From a Motion Picture the following year. Madonna herself also won a Golden Globe award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy but failed to receive an Academy Award nomination.

1998–2002: Return to prominence

"Ray of Light" (3 March 1998), directed by Jonas Åkerlund, featured a high-speed video, showing ordinary people performing their daily routines.
Madonna's seventh studio album, 1998's Ray of Light, blended personal and introspective lyrics with Eastern sounds, down-tempo, electronic instrumentation, strings by Craig Armstrong and a strong rave flavor. The album reached number two on the U.S. albums chart and since its release has been certified 4x platinum. It earned Madonna the strongest reviews of her career since Like a Prayer and has been widely considered by critics to be one of her greatest artistic achievements. Amazon.com described the album as "her richest, most accomplished record yet",[15] while Rolling Stone credited Madonna and her co-producer William Orbit for "creating the first mainstream pop album that successfully embraces techno", stating that musically Ray of Light is her "most adventurous record" yet.[16] Ray of Light produced five singles, including the European number one "Frozen". The album won four awards at the 1999 Grammy Awards and has been ranked #363 on Rolling Stone's list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Madonna followed the success of Ray of Light with the top-ten single "Beautiful Stranger", a late 60s psyche-pop song she wrote with William Orbit and recorded for the Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me soundtrack (1999).
Audio samples:
"Frozen" (1998) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
A slow tempo dance track featuring Madonna's voice over layers of string arrangements and synthesizers. In the UK, it was seen as a "big comeback", becoming her first song ever to debut at number one and her first since 1990.
"Don't Tell Me" (2000) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
Featuring acoustic guitars and a techno beat, it became a top-ten hit worldwide.
Problems playing the files? See media help.
In 2000, Madonna released her follow-up film to Evita. The Next Best Thing was a disappointment at the box office and was panned by critics. Madonna contributed two songs to the film's soundtrack, namely "Time Stood Still" and European number one "American Pie", a dance cover version of the 1970s Don McLean single.
Music, her eighth studio album, had Madonna slightly step away from the exploration of spirituality and fame to get back to the "party" spirit of dance, pop, and house music. However, she retained the introspective poignancy of Ray of Light in songs such as "Paradise (Not for Me)" and introduced guitars for a more folk-like note, notably in “Don't Tell Me” or ballads such as “Gone.” Music debuted at number one on the U.S. albums chart and became her first number one album release since her 1989 Like a Prayer. Mainly co-written and produced with French house musician Mirwais Ahmadzai, the album produced three singles, including the worldwide number one "Music." The album's third single, “What It Feels Like for a Girl,” featured a controversial music video, directed by Madonna's husband, Guy Ritchie, and was banned by MTV and VH1 after just one airing due to its graphic violence.

The music video for "Music" featuring Ali G (2000).
In 2001, Madonna embarked on the Drowned World Tour, her first tour in eight years. The concert tour was successful, was the subject of a television special in the US, and was released on DVD in November 2001 to coincide with the release of her second greatest hits album, GHV2. Unlike her previous compilation, GHV2 did not include any new songs, although clubs did receive multiple mega-mixes for promotional play only. In 2002, she wrote and performed the theme song to the James Bond film Die Another Day. The song reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for both a Golden Globe for Best Original Song and a Golden Raspberry for Worst Song.

2003–present: Commercial ups and downs

The original video for American Life (2003) was widely seen as controversial and was revoked on the day of its release due to its graphic images and antiwar message.
Madonna's ninth studio album, American Life, in which her lyrics were themed on the aspects of the American dream, fame, fortune and society, received mixed reviews.[17] Arguably her most daring and musically extreme album, American Life presented a darker and more serious side of the singer.
The music video for the first single, "American Life", caused controversy in the U.S., as it contained visceral scenes depicting war, explosions, and blood. The day before the video was to air on European television, Madonna pulled it and released instead an edited version, which showed her singing in front of flags from around the world. The song failed to perform well on the U.S. singles chart, peaking at thirty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100. In the United Kingdom, it rose to number two.
Having sold five million copies, American Life became the lowest selling album of her career. The album produced three more singles, all failing to chart in the U.S., but enjoying Top 10 success in various European countries.
Later that year, Madonna performed the song "Hollywood" with Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Missy Elliott at the MTV Video Music Awards. Madonna kissed Spears and Aguilera during the performance, resulting in tabloid press frenzy. That fall, Madonna provided guest vocals on Spears's single "Me Against the Music".
During the Christmas season of 2003, Madonna released Remixed & Revisited, a remix EP that included rock versions of songs from American Life, as well as "Your Honesty", a left-over from 1994's Bedtime Stories album. The collection failed to chart in the Billboard top 100.
Audio samples:
"Die Another Day" (2002) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
Madonna's Die Another Day was the most successful James Bond theme tune since A View to a Kill. It remained on the top of U.S. singles sales chart for eleven weeks, longer than any of Madonna's previous singles.
"American Life" (2003) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
It was panned by music critics. Its electroclash arrangement with an acoustic guitar was different from most of the music being played on mainstream radio at the time.
"Hung Up" (2005) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
The single became Madonna's thirty-sixth Billboard top-ten hit, tying her with Elvis Presley for the most US top-ten singles.
Problems playing the files? See media help.
In 2004, Madonna embarked on The Re-Invention Tour, which featured fifty-six dates in the U.S., Canada, and Europe and became the highest-grossing tour of 2004, earning $125 million. She made a documentary about the tour named I'm Going to Tell You a Secret, which debuted on MTV and was directed by Jonas Akerlund. Also in 2004, Madonna was involved in a brief legal battle with Warner Music Group, with whom she co-owned record label Maverick. The legal dispute ended with Warner Music Group buying Madonna's shares in the record label.[18] In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked her #36 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[19]
In January 2005, Madonna performed a cover version of the John Lennon song "Imagine" on the televised U.S. aid concert "Tsunami Aid: A Concert of Hope", which raised money for the tsunami victims in Asia.

Madonna's retro inspired "Hung Up" (2005) music video.
Madonna's tenth studio album, the Grammy-winning Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005) which sold more than 10 million copies, was built as a continuous mix of dance songs, with musical elements borrowed from the '70s, and current dance music. The album received the most positive reviews since 1998's Ray of Light[20] and was considered a return to form after the negative reception to American Life. It has produced four singles: "Hung Up", became one of the most successful singles of all time, reaching number one in a record breaking 41 countries. Madonna opened the 2006 Grammy Awards with "Hung Up", alongside the nominated computer-generated band, Gorillaz. "Sorry" then became Madonna's twelfth number one in the UK. A third single, "Get Together", reached the UK Top 10 and became her thirty-sixth number one dance hit in the U.S. (the most for any artist in Billboard history), but failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. The fourth and final single was "Jump", charting at number nine in the UK, by the end of 2006, Madonna became the most played international artist in Ibero-America.[21]
In the summer of 2006, Madonna signed on to become the worldwide face of H&M.[22] Included in the deal was a specially designed track suit, created by Madonna. The next year M by Madonna, launched in the United States, and internationally[23]. In it's first week, the line took in $15 million dollars. It became so successful that the company has ordered a second and third line for late 2007.[24]
Madonna's Confessions Tour kicked off in late May 2006. The tour grossed a reported $260.1 million and set the record for the top-grossing tour ever by a female artist in history, with a global audience of 1.2 million.[25] The tour sparked controversy when she used religious symbols such as the crucifix and crown of thorns in her performance of "Live to Tell". The tour ended its 60-date run on September 21, 2006, in Tokyo. A CD+DVD of "The Confessions Tour - Live from London" special was released on January 29, 2007 internationally and January 30, 2007 in the US.
In October 2006, Madonna flew to Malawi to help build an orphanage, which she also funded, as part of the Raising Malawi initiative. While there, she adopted a baby boy, named David.
In January 2007, Forbes Magazine reported that Madonna was the 4th wealthiest woman with an active career in entertainment with a net worth Forbes conservatively estimated at $325 million. Her "Confessions Tour" in 2006, netted her with a paycheck of $65 million dollars. The tour itself cost $100 million and netted $260 million.
Madonna has started production on her next album, and expect to be release by November 2007.[26]

Madona's Early life

Background information
Birth name
Madonna Louise Ciccone
Also known as
Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone Ritchie
Born
August 16 1958 (age 48)
Origin
Bay City, Michigan, United States of America
Genre(s)
Pop, Dance, Electronica, Pop/Rock, R&B, Contemporary Ballad
Occupation(s)
Singer-songwriterrecord producerfilm producerpeformerfashion designerdancerauthoractress
Instrument(s)
Vocals, guitar, percussion
Years active
1982–present (singer-songwriter)
Label(s)
Warner Bros.(1982-Present)Maverick(1992-2004)Sire(1982-1995)
Website
Madonna.com IconMadonna.com ConfessionsTour.com

Madonna (entertainer)

Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16 1958), known as Madonna, is a Grammy[1] and Golden Globe award winning American dance-pop singer-songwriter, record and film producer, dancer, actress, author and fashion icon. She is noted for her ambitious music videos and stage performances as well as using political, sexual, and religious themes in her work.
In 2000, Guinness World Records listed Madonna as the most successful female recording artist of all time, with estimated worldwide sales of 120 million albums;[2] in 2005, her record company credited her as having sold over 200 million albums worldwide.[3] Madonna is the highest earning female singer of all time according to both the 2007 Guinness Book of Records,[4] and Billboard Magazine. Forbes magazine has estimated her net worth at $325 million.[5] In addition, Madonna holds the record for the top-grossing concert tour by a female artist.[6]

Madonna's Quote

"Catholicism is not a soothing religion. It's a painful religion."

"We're all gluttons for punishment."

"I won't be happy till I'm as famous as God."

"I stand for freedom of expression, doing what you believe in, and going after your dreams."

"I sometimes think I was born to live up to my name. How could I be anything else but what I am having been named Madonna? I would either have ended up a nun or this."

"How could I have been anything else but what I am, having been named Madonna. I would either have ended up a nun or this."

"Listen, everyone is entitled to my opinion."

"Poor is the man whose pleasures depend on the permission of another."

Madona's Life Sketch

Madonna (1958-)

In 2003, Madonna added "children's book author" to her already impressive resume, which also includes five Grammys and an Oscar for her musical career and a Golden Globe-winning turn as an actress. On the suggestion of publisher Nicholas Callaway, Madonna wrote five books, inspired by her Kabbalah studies, which teach moral lessons to children. Callaway had witnessed a crowd of teenagers sit and listen intently when Madonna read a children's book to them in the midnineties, while she was promoting her Bedtime Stories album. "I thought then that she had an uncanny ability to tell a story," Callaway told a London Times reporter, "and that's when I first suggested to her that she might make a terrific children's book author."
The five books are promoted as "Stories for Children of All Ages (Even Grown-Up Ones)," and indeed the stories are "sophisticated enough not to embarrass a ten-year-old," Emily Jenkins wrote on Salon.com. Though not entirely enthusiastic about Madonna's first two children's book efforts, Jenkins thought that by appealing to those older readers, Madonna's books may be filling an important, overlooked niche. "Once children begin reading on their own, they generally don't have access to those kinds of full-color pictures," Jenkins wrote, and "even more rarely do they get them in a book about everyday social interactions."
Madonna's first children's book, The English Roses, is about a clique of pretty, popular English schoolgirls who ostracize another girl, Binah, for being even prettier than they are. But when a fairy godmother appears to the girls in a dream and shows them how difficult Binah's life really is—her mother is dead, so Binah has to spend all of her free time cooking, cleaning, and running the house—the English Roses repent and accept her. Although many critics declared that The English Roses would not have gotten nearly as much attention had it not been written by someone as famous as Madonna, reviewers still found merit in the text. "It's a charming book with a deftly told lesson about envy and judging people," thought Palm Beach Post contributor Anne R. Smith. Similarly, wrote Florida Times Union reviewer Brandy Hilboldt Allport, The English Roses has "a worthy message, cleverly delivered."
Madonna had a great deal of input into the selection of illustrator Jeffrey Fulvimari and the composition of his drawings. The English Roses was Fulvimari's first children's book. He had previously worked as a fashion illustrator, and the influence of that career on his work is apparent. His stylish drawings of slim, large-eyed girls with long, thin legs "are hip and fun and will appeal to the target audience of girls in elementary and middle school," thought Buffalo News reviewer Jean Westmoore.
Mr. Peabody's Apples was the second of Madonna's tales to be released. Set in 1949 in a small all-American town called Happville, Mr. Peabody's Apples is about the damage done when a little boy named Tommy spreads a rumor. Tommy plays on a Little League team that is coached by a history teacher named Mr. Peabody. Tommy notices that every Saturday after their games, Mr. Peabody takes an apple from the town market without paying for it, and the story that Mr. Peabody is a thief quickly spreads through the town. However, Mr. Peabody was not stealing the apples at all: every Saturday morning, when he did his shopping, he paid for an apple and had the store keep it for him until after the game. When Mr. Peabody finds out who started the rumor, he has Tommy bring his pillow to the Little League field and cuts it open, spreading feathers far and wide. He then tells Tommy to go pick up all of the feathers, but Tommy protests that this would be impossible. "It would be just as impossible to undo the damage you've done by spreading the rumor that I am a thief," Mr. Peabody replies. Several critics commented that Mr. Peabody's rebuke seemed much harsher than was called for by Tommy's innocent mistake and wondered if it was fair to burden the child with unassuageable guilt. Despite this, Mr. Peabody's Apples still proved popular with audiences, following The English Roses to the top of the New York Times best-seller list.

Personal
Given name, Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone; born August 16, 1958, in Bay City, MI; daughter of Silvio (an engineer) and Madonna Ciccone; married Sean Penn (an actor), August 16, 1985 (divorced, 1989); married Guy Ritchie (a director and screenwriter), December 22, 2000; children: (with Carlos Leon) Lourdes Maria Leon, (with Ritchie) Rocco. Education: Attended University of Michigan, 1976-78.

Career
Singer, actress, dancer, and musician. Dancer with Alvin Ailey Dance Company, New York, NY, 1979; performer with various popular music groups during early 1980s, including Breakfast Club, Millionaires, Modern Dance, and Emmy; solo performer, 1983—; owner of Maverick Records (a recording label). Actress in films, including (as Bruna) A Certain Sacrifice, Commtron, 1980; (as nightclub performer) Vision Quest (also known as Crazy For You), Warner Bros., 1985; (as title role) Desperately Seeking Susan, Orion, 1985; (as Gloria Tatlock) Shanghai Surprise, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1986; (as Nikki Finn) Who's That Girl, Warner Bros., 1987; (as Hortense Hathaway) Bloodhounds of Broadway, Columbia, 1989; (as Breathless Mahoney) Dick Tracy, Buena Vista, 1990; Truth or Dare (documentary; also known as Madonna: Truth or Dare and In Bed with Madonna), Miramax, 1991; (as Mae Mordabito) A League of Their Own, Columbia, 1992; (as Marie) Shadows and Fog, Orion, 1992; (as Rebecca Carlson) Body of Evidence, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1993; (as Sarah Jennings) Dangerous Game (also known as Snake Eyes), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1993; (as singing telegram girl) Blue in the Face, Miramax, 1995; (as Elspeth) "Strange Brew," Four Rooms, Miramax, 1995; (as Boss Number 3) Girl 6, Fox Searchlight Pictures, 1996; (as Eva [Duarte] Peron) Evita, Buena Vista/Hollywood Pictures, 1996; (as Abbie) The Next Best Thing, Lakeshore Entertainment/Paramount Pictures, 2000; (uncredited; as Star) The Hire: Star, 2001; (as Amber) Swept Away, Columbia, 2002; and (uncredited; as Verity) Die Another Day, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 2002.
Executive producer of films, including Truth or Dare (documentary; also known as Madonna: Truth or Dare and In Bed With Madonna), Miramax, 1991; Agent Cody Banks, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 2003; and She Rocks, 2004. Producer of and song performer for films, including A League of Their Own, Columbia, 1992; and With Honors, 1994. Producer of the film Chasing Fate, 2005. Song performer for films, including Gummo, Fine Line Features, 1997; The Real Blonde, Paramount, 1997; Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, New Line Cinema, 1999; Karaoke Verite, 1999; Never Been Kissed, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1999; The Next Big Thing, Lakeshore Entertainment/Paramount Pictures, 2000; Snatch, Sony Pictures, 2000; Swept Away, Columbia, 2002; and Die Another Day, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 2002. Song performer for television series, including Wonderland, American Broadcasting Company (ABC), 2000, and The Big Arvo, Channel Seven Australia, 2001—. Contributor of a video clip to the film Red Corner, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1997.
Appeared in videos, including Madonna, WEA, 1984; Madonna Live: The Virgin Tour, WEA, 1985; Madonna Ciao Italia: Live from Italy, WEA, 1988; Like a Prayer, 1989; Blond Ambition World Tour (also known as Blond Ambition), 1990; Justify My Love, 1990; Music, 2000; What It Feels Like for a Girl, 2001; Pepsi More Music: The DVD Volume 1, 2003; The Work of Director Chris Cunningham, 2003; and Star Academy 2: En Concert, 2003. Also appeared in numerous shorter videos.
Appeared in television specials, including American Bandstand's 33 1/3 Celebration, 1985; Disney's D-TV Valentine, 1986; MTV Rewind, Music Television (MTV), 1989; Madonna—Live! Blond Ambition World Tour, Home Box Office (HBO), 1990; Sex in the '90s, Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), 1990; Rock the Vote, Fox, 1992; HBO's Twentieth Anniversary—We Hardly Believe It Ourselves, HBO, 1992; Madonna—Live Down Under: "The Girlie Show," HBO, 1993; Madonna: Exposed, syndicated, 1993; "Madonna," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 1993; (as song performer) Fox on Ice, Fox, 1994; Happy Birthday Elizabeth: A Celebration of Life, 1997; Madonna Rising, 1998; (as narrator) "The Camel Dances," Rosie O'Donnell's Kids Are Punny, 1998; Tony Bennett: An All-Star Tribute—Live by Request, 1998; Madonna, 1999; Paris Fashion Collections, 1999; Jarl & Madonna, 1999; There's Only One Madonna, 2001; Madonna Live: Drowned World Tour 2001, 2001; The New Royals, 2001; Premiere Bond: Die Another Day, 2002; Friday Night with Ross and Madonna, 2003; MTV Bash: Carson Daly, 2003; and MTV Europe Awards: Ten of the Best Performances, 2003. Also appeared in episodes of Behind the Music, VH1, 1997.
Appeared at televised awards presentations, including The Thirteenth Annual American Music Awards, American Broadcasting Companies (ABC), 1986; MTV's 1989 Video Music Awards, MTV, 1989; MTV's 1990 Video Music Awards, MTV, 1990; The Sixty-third Annual Academy Awards Presentation, ABC, 1991; The 1993 MTV Music Video Awards, MTV, 1993; The Sixty-sixth Annual Academy Awards Presentation, ABC, 1994; (as presenter) The 1995 MTV Music Video Awards, MTV, 1995; The 1995 BRIT Awards, ABC, 1995; The American Music Awards, ABC, 1995; The Sixty-eighth Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1996; The Sixty-ninth Annual Academy Awards, 1997; The 1998 MTV Video Music Awards, 1998; (as presenter) The Fifty-fifth Golden Globe Awards, 1998; (as presenter) GQ Men of the Year Award, 1998; (as presenter) The Eleventh Annual Kids' Choice Awards, 1998; (as presenter) The 1998 VH1 Fashion Awards, 1998; The Fifth Annual MTV Europe Music Video Awards, 1998; (as presenter) The Seventieth Annual Academy Awards, 1998; (as presenter) The 1999 MTV Music Video Awards, MTV, 1999; The Forty-first Annual Grammy Awards, 1999; MTV Europe Music Awards 2000, MTV, 2000; The Forty-third Annual Grammy Awards, 2001; 2003 Radio Music Awards, 2003; and MTV Europe Music Awards 2003, MTV, 2003.
Actress in Broadway productions, including (as Karen) Speed-the-Plow, Royale Theatre, New York, NY, 1988.

Awards, Honors
Grammy Award nomination for best female pop performance, 1986, for "Crazy for You"; Grammy Award nomination for best female pop vocal, 1986, for "Papa Don't Preach"; People's Choice Award for favorite female musical performer, 1986; "Video Vanguard" Award, MTV Video Music Awards, 1986, for career achievement; Grammy Award nomination, best song written specifically for a motion picture or television, 1987, for "Who's That Girl?"; Pop/Rock Video Award for favorite female video artist, American Music Awards, 1987; Favorite Pop/Rock Video Artist Award, American Music Awards, 1987; Best Female Video Award, MTV Video Music Awards, 1987, for "Papa Don't Preach"; Viewers Choice Award, MTV Video Music Awards, and International Music Award, both 1989, both for Like a Prayer; Artist of the Decade Award, MTV Video Music Awards, 1989, for career achievement; Critics Pick Award for best video, Rolling Stone, 1989, for Like a Prayer, and 1990, for Justify My Love; Grammy Award nomination for best short-form video, 1990, for "Oh Father"; Critics Award for best tour, Rolling Stone, 1991, for the Blonde Ambition Tour; Rolling Stone's Readers Poll Awards for best single, best video, best dressed female artist, and sexiest female singer, all 1991, first two for "Vogue"; Award of Courage, AmFAR, 1991; MTV Video Music Award for best long-form video, 1991, for The Immaculate Collection; People's Choice Award, Hard Rock Cafe Foundation/International Rock Awards, 1991; American Music Award for best dance single, 1991, for "Vogue"; Academy Award for best original song, 1991, for "Sooner or Later"; Grammy Award for best music video (long-form), 1991, for Blond Ambition World Tour Life; Rolling Stone's Readers Poll Award for best dressed female artist, 1992; Golden Globe Award nominations, best original song, 1992, for "This Used to Be My Playground," from A League of Their Own (with others); Film and Television Music Award for best songwriting, American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), 1993, for "This Used to Be My Playground"; Rolling Stone's Readers Poll Award for best dressed female artist, 1993; MTV Video Music Award for best female video, 1995, for "Take a Bow"; VH1 Music Fashion Award for most fashionable artist, 1995; Golden Globe Award nomination, best original song, 1995, for "I'll Remember," from With Honors; Grammy nomination for best pop album, 1995, for Bedtime Stories; Pop Award, ASCAP, 1996, for "You'll See"; Artist Achievement Award, Billboard, 1996; Golden Globe Award for best actress in a comedy/musical, American Moviegoers' Awards for most outstanding performance by a female actress, MTV Movie Award nomination for best female performer, and MTV Movie Award nomination for best movie song ("Don't Cry for Me Argentina"), 1997, all for Evita; VH1 Fashion Awards for most fashionable artist, most stylish music artist, and the Versace Award, all 1998; MTV Video Music Awards for video of the year and best female video, both 1998, both for "Ray of Light"; Grammy Award nomination for album of the year and Grammy Award for best pop album, both 1999, both for Ray of Light; Grammy Award nomination for record of the year and Grammy Awards for best dance recording and best short-form music video, all 1999, all for "Ray of Light"; ARTIST-direct Online Music Award for favorite female artist, 1999; Grammy Award nomination for best female pop vocal performance and Grammy Award for best original song from a motion picture, both 2000, both for "Beautiful Stranger"; Billboard Award for best video clip of the year, 2000, for "Music"; Capital FM Award for favorite international solo artist, 2001; International Dance Music Awards for best pop dance 12 inch record, best dance video, and best solo dance artist, all 2001, and for best solo dance artist, 2002; Grammy Award for best recording package, 2001, for "Music"; MVPA Award for video of the year, 2001, for "Don't Tell Me"; Grammy Award nomination for best short-form music video, 2002, for "Don't Tell Me"; Pop Music Award for most performed song, ASCAP, 2002, for "Don't Tell Me"; Grammy Award nomination for best original song, 2003, for "Die Another Day"; Michael Jackson International Artist of the Year Award, American Music Awards, 2003.

Writings

Children's Books
The English Roses, illustrated by Jeffrey Fulvimari, Callaway (New York, NY), 2003.
Mr. Peabody's Apples, illustrated by Loren Long, Callaway (New York, NY), 2003.
Yakov and the Seven Thieves, illustrated by Gennady Spirin, Callaway (New York, NY), 2004.
The Adventures of Abdi, Callaway (New York, NY), 2004.
Lotsa de Casha, Callaway (New York, NY), 2004.

Albums
(With Reggie Lucas and others) Madonna, Sire, 1983.
(With Steve Bray and others) Like a Virgin, Sire, 1984.
(With Pat Leonard, Steve Bray, and others) True Blue, Sire, 1986.
(With Pat Leonard, Steve Bray, and others) Who's That Girl?, Sire, 1987.
(With Steve Bray and others) You Can Dance, Sire, 1987.
(With Pat Leonard, Steve Bray, and others) Like a Prayer, Sire, 1989.
(With others) Vogue, Warner Bros., 1990.
(With Pat Leonard and others) I'm Breathless: Music from and Inspired by the Film "Dick Tracy," Sire, 1990.
(With Shep Pettibone and others) Erotica, Maverick, 1992.
(With others) Bedtime Stories, Maverick, 1994.
(With William Orbit, Pat Leonard, and others) Ray of Light, Warner Bros., 1998.
(With William Orbit, Mirwais Ahmadzai, and others) Music, Warner Bros., 2000.
(With others) GHV2: Greatest Hits Volume 2, Warner Bros., 2001.
(With Mirwais Ahmadzai and others) American Life, Warner Bros., 2003.
(With others) Remixed and Revisited, Warner Bros., 2003.
Also created The Early Years, 1989; (with others) The Immaculate Collection, 1990; (with others) Something to Remember, 1995; and (with Steve Bray) Pre-Madonna, 1996, released with an extended version of "Ain't No Big Deal" as In the Beginning, 1998.

Other
Sex, Warner Books (New York, NY), 1992.
Author of songs used in various films, including Desperately Seeking Susan, Orion, 1985; Vision Quest, Warner Bros., 1985; A Close Range, 1986; Walk Like a Man, 1987; Who's That Girl?, 1987; Dick Tracy, Buena Vista, 1990; Nothing But Trouble, 1991; A League of Their Own, Columbia, 1992; With Honors, 1994; Il Postino, 1994; Gummo, Fine Line Features, 1997; The Real Blonde, Paramount, 1997; The Wedding Singer, 1998; Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, New Line Cinema, 1999; The Next Best Thing, Lakeshore Entertainment/Paramount Pictures, 2000; Iedereen beroemd!, 2000; Snatch, Sony Pictures, 2000; Crossroads, 2002; and Die Another Day, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 2002. Also author of songs used in the television series Wonderland, ABC, 2000.

Work in Progress
Work on providing the voice of the fairy godmother for a feature-length animated film adaptation of The English Roses.

Biographical and Critical Sources

Books
Contemporary Musicians, Volume 38, Gale (Detroit, MI), 2003.
Contemporary Newsmakers, Volume 2, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1985.
Encyclopedia of World Biography, second edition, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1998.
Madonna, Mr. Peabody's Apples, illustrated by Loren Long, Callaway (New York, NY), 2003.
St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 2000.

Periodicals
Atlanta Journal Constitution, November 11, 2003, Richard L. Eldredge, review of Mr. Peabody's Apples, p. E2.
Booklist, October 15, 2003, Ilene Cooper, review of The English Roses, p. 420; November 15, 2003, Ilene Cooper, review of Mr. Peabody's Apples, p. 601.
Bookseller, June 20, 2003, "Puffin Keeps Madonna Under Wraps," p. 30.
Buffalo News (Buffalo, NY), September 29, 2003, Jean Westmoore, review of The English Roses, p. D1.
Business Wire, November 10, 2003, "Madonna's Second Children's Book, Mr. Peabody's Apples, Released Worldwide Today," p. 5371.
Entertainment Weekly, May 25, 1990; September 26, 2003, Missy Schwartz, review of The English Roses, p. 18.
Europe Intelligence Wire, September 20, 2003, review of The English Roses.
Florida Times Union, September 29, 2003, Brandy Hilboldt Allport, review of The English Roses, p. D-3.
Houston Chronicle (Houston, TX), September 29, 2003, Lana Berkowitz, review of The English Roses, p. 1.
Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service, November 13, 2003, "Madonna to Be Animated with English Roses," p. K1629.
New York Times, September 15, 2003, Jesse McKinley, review of The English Roses, p. E3.
Observer (London, England), September 21, 2003, Kate Kellaway, review of The English Roses, p. 15.
Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, FL), September 20, 2003, Anne R. Smith, review of The English Roses, p. 1D.
People Weekly, March 2, 1998, p. 51; September 22, 2003, review of The English Roses, p. 74.
PR Newswire, September 25, 2003, "Madonna's Book, The English Roses, Debuts at No. 1 on the New York Times Children's Best-Seller List"; November 10, 2003, "Madonna—Internationally Best-Selling Children's Book Author—to Release Mr. Peabody's Apples on November 10, 2003"; November 25, 2003, "Madonna Tops the Book Charts—Again!,"
Publishers Weekly, September 22, 2003, Diane Roback, "The English Roses Off to Fast Start," p. 20; October 6, 2003, review of The English Roses, p. 83.
Redbook, January 2, 1997, p. 58.
Rolling Stone, June 13, 1991.
School Library Journal, November, 2003, John Peters, review of The English Roses, p. 108.
Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), March 4, 2003, review of The English Roses, p. 32.
Tennessean (Nashville, TN), October 12, 2003, Robin Smith, review of The English Roses, p. D38.
Times (London, England), September 13, 2002, review of The English Roses, p. 32.
Wall Street Journal, March 5, 2003, Joe Queenan, "Like an Author: Madonna Turns to Kid Lit," p. D10.

Online
AbsoluteMadonna.com, http://www.absolutemadonna.com/ (February 4, 2003), "Madonna's Awards."
Internet Movie Database, http://www.imdb.com/ (January 21, 2004), "Madonna."
Madonna.com, http://www.madonna.com/ (October 6, 2003).
Salon.com, http://www.salon.com/ (November 14, 2003), Emily Jenkins, review of Mr. Peabody's Apples.

Other
American Decades CD-ROM, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1998.* MADONNA