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