Madonna | biography

Madonna

Profession: Singer
Place/Date of Birth: Michigan USA
Assiociated with: Guy Ritchie

Guy Ritchie thinks Madonna’s new album is "s**t" - Nov 21, 2020
Madonna has confessed her husband Guy Ritchie thinks her new album is "s**t". The pop diva admitted director Guy walked out of the room when she first played him ’Confessions on a Dancefloor’, which is currently No 1 in the UK album chart. She is quoted in The Sun newspaper as saying: "Guy thought it was s**t. He prefers Irish folk music."

Meanwhile, a Belgian songwriter has won a plagiarism case over the 47-year-old singer’s 1998 hit single ’Frozen’. Salvatore Acquaviva claimed the track copied one of his songs - and it was upheld by a Belgian court, with a judge agreeing Madonna’s single used part of ’Ma Vie Fout L’camp’. The little-known composer told Belgium’s RTL TV in May: "I was in the bath. I was listening to the radio, and thought that’s strange, I know that melody. I said it’s not possible." The judge has now reportedly ordered EMI, Sony and Warner Music to withdraw the song - which Madonna took to No 1 - from sale in the country. Record companies have also been told to stop radio and TV stations from playing ’Frozen’. Madonna’s UK spokeswoman said she was unable to give a reaction, according to Britain’s BBC website.

Madonna wowed fans in London - Nov 16, 2020
Madonna wowed fans in London last night (15.11.05) when she performed tracks from her new album at an intimate concert. The 47-year-old launched into a blistering set for just few hundred fans who had braved icy weather and queued all day to get into the show at Camden’s Koko club - formerly the Camden Palace where Madonna first performed in the UK.

Emerging from a huge projection of a glitter ball, the material girl kicked off the show with an energetic performance of current hit single ’Hung Up’. Wearing a leather jacket, dark glasses and purple boots Madonna delivered a five song set and told the crowd: "Last time I played here was 22 years ago. It was my first show in London and it is so f***ing good to be back."

Madonna belted out four tracks from her latest album ’Confessions of a Dancefloor’ and danced throughout. At one point she said, slightly breathlessly: "I feel like I’m really out of shape right now, I don’t like falling off horses." The beautiful singer finished the set with ’Everybody’, her first ever single - which she played at her first show at the venue. The gig was filled with star fans, including fashion designer Stella McCartney, a close friend of Madonna, former Spice Girl Mel C and singer Will Young.

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Biography

Madonna Louise Ciccone was born in Michigan USA in 1958., the third of eight children. During her school years she was a cheerleader, excelled in dance and drama classes which gave her the love of performing that she is famous for. Moving to New York in 1977 to pursue her dream, (with a rumoured $35 dollars to her name) Madonna worked as a model and studied dance under notorious choreographer Alvin Ailey. Two years later she formed a band, The Breakfast Club and met boyfriend Steve Bray who recognised her talents immediately and helped her to create the solo dance tracks which saw her signed by Sire Records, releasing her first single, Everybody, with DJ Mark Kamins, in 1982.

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)
October 2007