Madonna (entertainer)
Background information
Birth name Madonna Louise Ciccone
Also known as Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone Ritchie
Born August 16, 1958 (1958-08-16) (age 48)
Flag of United States Bay City, Michigan, United States
Origin Flag of United States New York City, New York, United States
Genre(s) Dance-pop, synthpop, electronica, R&B, hip hop
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, record producer, film producer, film
director, musician, fashion designer, dancer, author, actress
Instrument(s) Vocals, guitar, percussion
Years active 1982–present
Label(s) Warner Bros., Maverick, Sire
Website Madonna.com
Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16, 1958), known as Madonna, is
an 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, The Guinness World Records listed Madonna as the most successful
female recording artist of all time, with estimated worldwide sales of 120
million albums;[1] in 2005, her record company credited her as having sold
over 200 million albums worldwide.[2] Madonna is the highest earning female
singer of all time according to both the 2007 Guinness Book of Records,[3]
and Billboard Magazine. Forbes magazine has estimated her net worth at $325
million.[4] In addition, Madonna holds the record for the top-grossing
concert tour by a female artist.[5]
Biography
Early life
Madonna Louise Ciccone was born in Bay City, Michigan. She was the third of
six children (Martin, Anthony, Christopher, Paula, Melanie, Mario &
Jennifer) born to Silvio "Tony" Ciccone, an Italian-American Chrysler
engineer whose parents originated from Pacentro, and Madonna Louise Fortin,
who was of Québécois 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.
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."[6]
”
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.
Professional career
1980–1985: Rise to fame
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 (April 24, 1982), "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.[7] 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 media] play in browser (beta)
o The mid-tempo song became Madonna's first top-ten hit on the Billboard Hot
100 in the U.S.
* "Like a Virgin" (1984) (file info) — [Play media] play in browser (beta)
o It became her first number-one hit in the U.S. and was criticized for its
sexual subject matter.
* "Material Girl" (1984) (file info) — [Play media] play in browser (beta)
o 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.
As Madonna rose to fame, teenage girls became increasingly influenced by her
fashions portrayed in photographs, live performances and music videos.
Defined by lace tops, skirts over Capri pants, fishnet stockings, jewelry
bearing the Christian cross, and bleached hair, this distinctive style
became a female fashion trend in the 1980s.[8][9]
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 U.S. 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] Madonna
later appeared on the cover of the NY Post newspaper quoted saying about the
photographs "I'm NOT ashamed."
1986–1991: Artistic development
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 media] play in browser (beta)
o 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 media] play in browser
(beta)
o 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.
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.
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. 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. 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 media] play in browser (beta)
o 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 media] play in browser (beta)
o 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 media] play in browser (beta)
o 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. There was a bit of controversy over this album, with the song Hanky
Panky alluding to her desire of receiving an erotic spanking.
From April until August 1990, Madonna toured Japan, North America, and
Europe on her highly successful Blond Ambition World 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.
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 at the Royal Monceau Hotel in Paris, 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 with
a mostly critically praised (one of her few film honors) portrayal of
Italian American Mae Mordabito [15] 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
Erotica, produced primarily with Shep Pettibone, was labeled a "porn" album,
many assuming that all of the album's tracks contained sexual themes, though
in reality 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 media] play in browser
(beta)
o A disco-style dance track.
* "Take a Bow" (1994) (file info) — [Play media] play in browser (beta)
o 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.
* "You Must Love Me" (1996) (file info) — [Play media] play in browser
(beta)
o 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 World 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.
Madonna later 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
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.
Madonna's pronunciation, in her recital of Sanskrit shlokas taken from the
opening hymn of yoga taravali for her album Ray of Light, had been declared
incorrect by Sanskrit pandits of Benares and, the material girl learnt the
basics of the correct pronunciation of Sanskrit words from an eminent
scholar, Dr B P T Vagish Shastri through telephonic chats arranged by the
BBC, London.[16][17]
Amazon.com described the album as "her richest, most accomplished record
yet",[18] 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.[19] 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. The Ray of Light title track was even used as
the Microsoft® Windows® XP theme song in its TV commercial when it launched
in 2001.
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 media] play in browser (beta)
o 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 number one
since 1990.
* "Don't Tell Me" (2000) (file info) — [Play media] play in browser (beta)
o 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.
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
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.[20] 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 media] play in browser (beta)
o 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 media] play in browser (beta)
o 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 media] play in browser (beta)
o 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 World 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.[21] In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine
ranked her #36 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[22]
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 tenth studio album, the Grammy-winning Confessions on a Dance
Floor (2005) which sold more than 9 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[23] 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. "Forbidden Love", although
not an official single release got rave reviews from a fan made video. The
dreamy purple theme can be seen online and on some TV stations in Japan. By
the end of 2006, Madonna became the most played international artist in
Ibero-America.[24]
In the summer of 2006, Madonna signed on to become the worldwide face of
H&M.[25] 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.[26] In its 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.[27]
Madonna's Confessions Tour kicked off in late May 2006. The tour grossed a
reported $260.1 million and was one of the top-grossing tours ever by a
female artist in history, with a global audience of 1.2 million.[28] 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.
On May 16th, 2007, a song was released by Madonna called "Hey You", released
in anticipation for Live Earth.[29] Madonna is currently directing her first
film, Filth and Wisdom and has started production on her next album, which
is expected to be released by November 2007.[27] A box set containing three
CDs and two DVDs marking the 25th anniversary, is said to be released
sometime in October 2007.[30] Madonna is confirmed to be performing at the
UK leg of Live Earth at Wembley Stadium, London in 2007,[31] where she will
close the venue.
Influences
Madonna has cited her Catholic background is a major influence in her life
and career. She has also noted on various occasions that her mother's
premature death left a lasting emotional impression throughout her
adolescence and adulthood.
The name "Madonna" is Catholic and references The Virgin Mary, who in the
Roman Catholic Church is often referred to as "The Madonna". She has
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", a variation on the Italian "mia" (the
contextual form for the adjective "my"), and "donna", which literally
translates to "my lady".[32]
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. Madonna used the crucifix as a
notable religious accessory in the church setting of the video, and was also
included in the stage design of her "Confessions" tour. "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. 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".[33]
The video release of her Who's That Girl Tour, titled Ciao Italia! - Live
From Italy, was filmed mainly in Turin, Italy.[34] 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".[35]) In her 2005
documentary I'm Going To Tell You a Secret, she jokingly states that she has
"big, fat, Italian thighs."
In 1988, city officials in the town of Pacentro, Italy,[36] 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.
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.[37] 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".[38] 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.[39] Among those mentioned was Bette Davis,
described by Madonna in a Rolling Stone interview as an idol, along with
Louise Brooks and Dita Parlo.[40]
Personal life
Relationships and family
Early relationships and first 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."[41]
Post-divorce relationships, motherhood, and remarriage
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."[42]
In late 1990, Madonna dated Tony Ward,[43] a young bisexual model and porn
star who starred in her music videos for "Cherish" (1989) and "Justify My
Love" (1990). Their relationship ended by early 1991,[42] and Madonna later
began an eight-month relationship with rapper Vanilla Ice,[43] who appeared
later in her Sex book.[43]
In 1992; Madonna dated actor John Enos, her bodyguard James Albright, and in
1994 went out with basketball player Dennis Rodman for four months.[44]
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.[45] The couple ended their relationship in 1997.[46] Madonna then
began dating Andy Bird, who sold his story to the newspapers in a tell-all
about their eighteen-month relationship in late 2000/early 2001.[47]
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.[48] On December 22, 2000, Madonna and Ritchie were
married in Scotland. As of 2007, Madonna resides in Marylebone, London and
her country estate in Wiltshire, with Ritchie and their children.[49]
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.
Post Adoption Pregnancy
- German Magazine 'In Touch' broke a story that Madonna is possibly pregnant
with her third biological child.[[1]]
Over the span of her lengthy career, Madonna also has been rumored to be
romantically linked to numerous men and women including John F. Kennedy,
Jr., 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,[50] born September 24, 2005,[51] during her trip to an orphanage in
Malawi.[52]
After a passport and visa were issued for the child, Banda was flown out of
Malawi on October 16.[53] 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.[54]
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."[55]
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."[56] 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.[57] Madonna reportedly donated $21 million towards a new
Kabbalah school for children.[58]
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."[59]
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.[60] ”
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."[61] In the autumn
of 2006, she expressed her support for Hillary Clinton in the 2008
election[62] 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.[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". Madonna's lyrics
have also been panned as simple or even dull by some,[65] though several
critics view Madonna as a talented vocalist and songwriter. [66][67]
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".[68] Other
popular entertainers like Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, and Mariah
Careyhave 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.
Much of her career has seen rebellion against the Roman Catholic Church,
which has generated criticism in the past. In 1990, when Madonna toured
Italy with the Blond Ambition Tour, the Pope encouraged citizens not to
attend the concert.[69] The Pope accused Madonna of blasphemy against the
Catholic Church (a crime in Italy). A private association of devout Roman
Catholics, called Famiglia Domani, also boycotted the show for many of the
same displays of sexual innuendos and eroticism the Pope had denounced. [70]
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".[71] 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.[72]
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.[73] Despite her alleged rebellion, Madonna had both of her
biological children baptized in a Roman Catholic Church.
Madonna has received criticism from animal rights groups for wearing fur
coats[74][75] and in the past, was criticized for renting out her house for
hunting parties.[76]
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Search Dictionary: a dictionary of the most common search terms and keywords used on the internet.