Madonna’s literary debut The English Roses became the fastest-selling children’s picture book of all time in the UK after it went on sale in 2003. The illustrated story about four school girls sold more than 10,000 copies in the UK within a week of hitting stores.
Details of which UK retailers will sell Madonna’s range of children’s clothes and at what price have not yet been released.
Madge to try directing? - Dec 21 2006
She’s been criticised for her latest adoption, but could Madonna be seeking refuge in the world of movies? Only not as an actress this time, but behind the camera?
Rumours are circulating around the web that Madge is planning to follow in the footsteps of hubby Guy Ritchie by directing a film - entitled Blade To The Heart.
Even more amazingly, the film’s subject matter is boxing - it’s centred around a famous fight, already chronicled in the documentary Ring Of Fire, in which Emile Griffith beat opponent Benny "Kid" Paret to a pulp.
After being ridiculed by Paret, an angry Griffith rained blows on his opposite number, putting him in a coma, from which he died 10 days later.
It is remembered for being the first time real-life injuries that resulted in death were seen on television, since the bout was broadcast from Madison Square Garden in New York.
Madonna has yet to confirm or deny the story, but it might well make a few boxing fans very nervous.
After all, while the superstar is known for her physicality, her last cinematic outing was the mega-dud Swept Away, although she didn’t direct it (her husband did).
Madonna teams up with H&M again - Dec 8 2006
After wearing her beloved H&M tracksuit all summer, Madonna has now signed on the dotted line to produce her own line of women’s clothes for the retailer.
Called ’M by Madonna’, the new line will be a collaborative effort between the material mom and H&M’s head of design, Margareta Van Den Bosch, and is set to arrive in stores by March 2007.
"I’ve made no secret of my love for fashion and trends," Madonna in a statement.
"Working with Margareta and H&M was an exciting and new creative challenge for me. I’m really happy with the results and look forward to wearing ’M by Madonna’ along with the rest of the world."
H&M, which is Europe’s largest fashion retailer, initially provided Madonna and her tour crew with their offstage wardrobe during her recent Confessions Tour.
In a statement released by H&M, the retailer says the new collection will "reflect Madonna’s timelessness, unique and always glamorous style".
Madonna agrees adoption monitoring - Nov 30 2006
Madonna accepts a Malawian high court ruling allowing a coalition of human rights groups to monitor her as she tries to adopt a Malawian child, the singer’s lawyer has said.
"The Ritchies called me from London and I explained to them the ruling ... they have no problem with the ruling and are also willing to sit back and wait," Alan Chinula told reporters in the capital, Lilongwe.
Justice Andrew Nyirenda ruled on Wednesday that the Human Rights Consultative Committee and the state-run Malawi Human Rights Commission could join the adoption process as friends of the court and could pursue their application for a full judicial review of the interim custody order he earlier granted to Madonna and her husband Guy Ritchie.
The rights groups say they are concerned that the government had cut legal corners to fast-track the adoption. They said that while they do not object to Madonna as a prospective parent, regulations must be followed to protect children.
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The following year Madonna broke away from Kamins and recorded Holiday which went straight in to the American top 20 and was a hit across Europe. She cemented her raunchy image with Like A Virgin, her first US number one, and Material Girl with it’s iconic video. By this time Madonna was becoming one of the most emulated and best loved artists in the world and she became even more popular thanks to her part in Live Aid and a high profile marriage to Sean Penn.
The pop diva followed up her success with several singles from the True Blue album and turned her hand to acting for the first time in the poorly received A Certain Sacrifice and of course, Desperately Seeking Susan. Her first real flop was alongside her husband in the laughable Shanghai Surprise. Her failure’s in the film department didn’t stop David Mamet from casting her in a Broadway production of Speed the Plow - by this time talent or no, Madonna’s was name that guaranteed attention.
1989 saw the singer court controversy with the video for Like A Prayer, featuring a black Jesus, which outraged and shocked the Catholic church and caused Pepsi to cancel a sponsorship deal. But far from ruining her career, this stunt saw her become the icon that we know today. The 1990s were the pinnacle of Madonna’s success, her divorce from Sean Penn pushing her further in to the lime light, beginning with a part in Dick Tracy opposite Warren Beatty and a fantastic soundtrack album alongside featuring hit song Vogue. Documentary film Truth or Dare and her Blonde Ambition tour (with that pointy bra) followed with further controversy.
In 1992 she signed a multi million pound deal with Time Warner guaranteeing the release of music, films and books through her own record label, Maverick. She made the most of the deal with picture book Sex, which caused another controversy but rocketed up the bestsellers charts nonetheless. Erotica was her first album for years though not to generate a US number one. People thought that perhaps Madonna had gone too far with her need to shock, and perhaps she had realised it too as her next album was far mellower and a part in Evita in 1996 made her bankable again.
Later that year she fell pregnant with Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon, daughter of her personal trainer. But far from slowing her work, having a child only seemed to spur Madonna on, she released the runaway success, Ray of Light which produced hit after hit and recorded Beautiful Stranger for the second Austin Powers movie. she also starred alongside Rupert Everett in romantic comedy The Next Best Thing.
It was around this time that Madonna met British director Guy Ritchie - the man who would change her life. They had son Rocco in 2000 and they married in 2002 after Madonna moved permanently to England, took to wearing flat caps and drinking tea. The title track of her album Music gave her a transatlantic number one hit. Collaborations with Ritchie, especially their film Swept Away, have generally been unsuccessful but Madonna’s music career continues to go from strength to strength, her latest album American Life has been a worldwide hit and she has even found time to pen a children’s book, The English Roses. Now, an honorary Brit and devout follower of Kaballah, Madonna lives with her family in Marylebone and Wiltshire. She also owns a ?4 million Spanish-style villa in Beverly Hills, a house in Miami and a duplex overlooking Central Park in New York.
(Updated April 04)
November 2007