Madonna
(Louise Veronica Ciccone) was born on August 16, 1958 in Bay City,
Michigan to Madonna Fortin and Sylvio Ciccone. She was the oldest
female, and one of eight children (Martin, Anthony, Christopher,
Paula, Melanie, Mario and Jennifer). Her mother passed away when she
was five years old and she was raised mostly by her father. She was
raised in a strict Christian household and attended church daily.
At an early
age she began to sing and dance and took ballet lessons. Her family
eventually moved to Rochester, Michigan where she was a cheerleader
at the Rochester Adams High School. After graduating in 1976, she
decided to go into a career in dance. She wanted to attend the dance
school at the University of Michigan, and won a dance scholarship to
the school. College really was not her thing and left after three
semesters.
In 1977 she
moved to New York to pursue a career in classical ballet. She
eventually became part of the prestigious Alvin Ailey Dance Troop.
She also did some modeling on the side to make money.
She continued
to sing as well while in New York. She performed with several bands
around the city and Europe, including the Patrick-Hernandez Revue,
Emmy and The Breakfast Club [Note: she originally played drums for
the band].
In 1982 she
signed a record contract with Sire Records. Her first album
released, Everybody was an instant hit at the dance clubs. A year
later, she released her self-titled debut album Madonna. Her
song “Holiday” broke the top fourty in Billboard and a few months
later (in 1984) broke the top-ten list with “Borderline” (the first
of 17 consecutive top-ten singles).
Not only did
she make a big splash on the music scene, but also starred in a
movie the following year as the character Susan in Desperately
Seeking Susan. 1985 became a big year for her in music again
with the release of her second album Like a Virgin. The album
was a huge international success and gave her top ten hits,
including the number one singles “Like a Virgin” and “Crazy for
You.”
Her success in
1985 was dragged down slightly when a low budget very soft-porn
movie named A Certain Sacrifice she appeared in 1979 was
released followed by nude photos in Penthouse and Playboy from when
she modeled after arriving in New York
She also found
love in 1985 and married actor Sean
Penn in August. The marriage lasted longer than most expected
and they were divorced in September 1989.
True Blue, her
third album released in 1986 was another success and reached number
one on Billboard’s album chart in both the U.S. and the U.K. with
three more number one hits (“Live to Tell,” “Papa Don’t Preach,” and
“Open Your Heart”). On the other hand, her movie career was taking a
down-turn. In Shaingai Surprise, she co-starred with her
husband Sean, but it turned out to be a flop.
In 1987, her
music career was still going strong, but in her third attempt at
starring in a film was a dismal failure in Who’s That Girl?
Since her acting career on the big screen was floundering, she
brought her talents in 1988 to the lights of Broadway and appeared
in Speed the Plow (by David Mamet).
In 1989, she
released Like a Prayer, another number one album. The title
track, “ Like a Prayer” went straight up to number one followed by
“Vogue. She also took to the road and performed around the world to
sold-out performances during her Blonde Ambition Tour. A Video of
the Tour was released a year later, which won Madonna her first
Grammy Award (for Best Music Video, Long Form).
She hit
success again in the movies in 1990 as a support actress in the
movie Dick Tracey, which did exceptionally well at the box office.
She also released a greatest hits album (The Immaculate
Collection), which sold very well. She included two new
singles, “Justify My Love,” which was another number one hit and
“Rescue Me” a top-ten hit which debuted at number 15.
Another number
one hit, “This Used to Be My Playground” was released in 1992 as
part of the soundtrack to A League of Their Own, a movie in
which she appeared as a female baseball player. Later that year she
released a hit album Erotica, and a controversial photo book
of that same title in which she and other models and celebrities
posed in erotic positions, sometimes fully nude. It was panned by
critics calling it pornographic – but still sold fairly well. In
1992, she also formed her own record company, Maverick.
In 1993 she
appeared in a few more movies such as Body of Evidence and Dangerous
game without much critical acclaim. However, that same year, she
released another album, Bedtime Stories which although not as
successful as her previous undertakings, still went platinum and
included another number one hit (“Take a Bow”).
In 1995 she
began on a movie project unlike any others in the past, portraying
Evita Perone in the movie Evita. Her role did bring her some
critical acclaim and was awarded a Golden Globe award for Best
Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical.
The soundtrack for the album included songs that were not her usual
“pop-rock” style, but more ballard like and was only moderately
successful including the hit “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina.” She also
had her first child in 1996, Lourdes
Maria Ciccone Leon, with her fitness trainer Carlos Leon.
Madonna
released her next album, Ray of Light in 1998. The Album was another
hit. She won three Grammy Awards for this effort including: Best
Dance Recording, Best Pop Album and Best Short Form Music Video.
Madonna won
her fifth Grammy Award for Best Song Written For a Motion Picture,
Television or Other Visual Media (shared with William Orbit) for the
song “Beautiful Stranger” from the soundtrack to the motion picture,
Beautiful Stranger.
In 2000, she
also had her second child, Rocco Ritchie, with film maker Guy Richie.
Later that year, her and Guy Richie were married in a ceremony in
Scotland.
Madonna has
also become an author and has been writing books for children since
2003.
American Life
was released in 2003 and was another success for this pop diva. In
2003 she was awarded the International Artist of the Year Award by
the AMA. She followed this in 2004 with the spectacular sold-out
Reinvention Tour.
This busy pop
diva, actress, dancer, author and mommy is still on the move. She
just released her new album and will appear in yet another movie in
2006.
Madonna was hurt while
horseback riding in early August 2005. She received a few
broken bones (ribs and collar bone).
She released the album
Confessions on a Dance Floor in November 2005, which takes
listeners back to her origins with rythmatic dance tunes.
While in Africa, in
October 2006, it was rumored that Madonna and husband Guy Richie
were looking to adopt a child. According to a judge, priest,
government worker and the child's father, she is. However, at
this time she still denies the report.
Biography by Ian Ripley,
PopStarsPlus.com, Sr. Staff Writer
This biography may be copied in part
or in whole for non commercial purposes online or in hard copy and must
contain: (1) the name of the author, (2) the text "copied with
permission from PopStarsPlus.com" and (3) a link to the page that
contains the original biography.
MADONNA DISCOGRAPHY: ALBUMS, SINGLES, COMPILATIONS,
BOXED SETS, ETC.
Madonna (1983)
Like A Virgin (1984)
True Blue (1986)
Who's That Girl Soundtrack (1987)
You Can Dance (1987)
Like A Prayer (1989)
Lucky Star
Borderline
Burning Up
I Know It
Holiday
Think Of Me
Physical Attraction
Everybody
Material Girl
Angel
Like A Virgin
Over & Over
Love Don't Live Here Anymore
Dress You Up (In My Love)
Shoo-Bee-Doo
Pretender
Stay
Papa Don't Preach
Open Your Heart
White Heat
Live To Tell
Where's The Party
True Blue
La Ilsa Bonita
Jimmy, Jimmy
Love Makes The World Go Around
Who's That Girl*
Causing A Commotion*
Look Of Love, The*
24 Hours
Step By Step
Turn It Up
Best Thing Ever
Can't Stop*
El Coco Loco (So So Bad)
* = Sung by Madonna
Spotlight
Holiday
Everybody
Physical Attraction
Over And Over
Into The Groove
Where's The Party
Holiday*
Into The Groove*
Where's The Party*
* = remix
Like A Prayer
Express Yourself
Love Song
Till Death Do Us Part
Promise To Try
Cherish
Dear Jessie
Oh Father
Keep It Together
Spanish Eyes
Act Of Contrition
Selection N/A
Madonna: The Early Years
(1989)
The Immaculate Collection
(1990)
Dick Tracey Soundtrack: I'm Breathless
(1990)
Erotica (1992)
Erotica V.2 (1992)
Bedtime Stories (1994)
Give It To Me
Shake
Get Down
Time To Dance
Wild Dancing
Let's Go Dancing
We Are The Gods
Cosmic Climb
On The Street
Oh My!
[Note: Remixes of songs she did as
backup for Otto Von Wernherr]
Holiday
Lucky Star
Borderline
Like A Virgin
Material Girl
Crazy For You
Into The Groove
Live To Tell
Papa Don't Preach
Open Your Heart
La Isla Bonita
Like A Prayer
Express Yourself
Cherish
Vogue
Justify My Love
Rescue Me
[Note: Best of Album]
He's A Man
Sooner Or Later
Hanky Panky
I'm Going Bananas
Cry Baby
Something To Remember
Back In Business
More
What Can You Lose
Now I'm Following You (Part I)
Now I'm Following You (Part II)
Vogue
Erotica
Fever
Bye Bye Baby
Deeper And Deeper
Where Life Begins
Bad Girl
Waiting
Thief Of Hearts
Words
Rain
Why's It So Hard
In This Life
Did You Do It?
Secret Garden
Erotica
Fever
Bye Bye Baby
Deeper And Deeper
Where Live Begins
Bad Girl
Waiting
Thief Of Hearts
Words
Rain
Why's It So Hard
In This Life
Secret Garden
Survival
Secret
I'd Rather Be Your Lover
Don't Stop
Inside Of Me
Human Nature
Forbidden Love
Love Tried To Welcome Me
Sanctuary
Bedtime Story
Take A Bow
Something To Remember (1995)
Evita (1997)
In The Beginning (1998)
Ray of Light (1998)
Next Best Thing Soundtrack (2000)
Music (2000)
I Want You
I'll Remember
Take A Bow
You'll See*
Crazy For You
This Used To Be My Playground
Live To Tell
Love Don't Live Here Anymore
Something To Remember
Forbidden Love
One More Chance*
Rain
Oh Father
I Want You
* = Previously Unreleased
[Note: Best of Album pt.2]
Requiem For Evita
Oh What A Circus
On This Night Of A Thousand Stars
Eva And Magaldi / Eva Beware Of The City
Buenos Aires
Another Suitcase In Another Hall
Goodnight And Thank You
I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You
Peron's Latest Flame
New Argentina, A
Don't Cry For Me, Argentina
High Flying, Adored
Rainbow High
And The Money Kept Rolling In (And Out)
She Is A Diamond
Waltz For Eva And Che
You Must Love Me
Eva's Final Broadcast
Lament
Crimes Of Passion
Everybody '97
Ain't No Big Deal '97
Laugh To Keep From Crying
Burning Up
Ain't No Big Deal '81
Everybody '81
Stay '81
Don't You Know?
Drowned World / Substitute For Love
Swim
Ray Of Light
Candy Perfume Girl
Skin
Nothing Really Matters
Sky Fits Heaven
Shanti / Ashtangi
Frozen
Power Of Good-Bye, The
To Have And Not To Hold
Little Star
Mer Girl
Boom Boom Ba
Bongo Bong
Don't Make Me Love You
American Pie*
This Life
If Everybody Looked The Same
Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad
I'm Not In Love
Stars All Seem To Weep
Time Stood Still*
Swayambhu
Forever And Always
* = Sung by Madonna
Music
Impressive Instant
Runaway Lover
I Deserve It
Amazing
Nobody's Perfect
Don't Tell Me
What It Feels Like For A Girl
Paradise (Not For Me)
Gone
GHV2 [Greatest Hits Vol. 2] (2001)
American Life (2003)
Remixed & Revisited (2003)
Confessions on a Dance
Floor (2005)
Hard Candy (2008)
Deeper And Deeper
Erotica
Human Nature
Secret
Don't Cry For Me Argentina
Bedtime Story
The Power Of Goodbye
Beautiful Stranger
Frozen
Take A Bow
Ray Of Light
Don't Tell Me
What It Feels Like For A Girl
Drowned World/Substitute For Love
Music
American Life
Hollywood
I'm So Stupid
Love Profusion
Nobody Knows Me
Nothing Fails
Intervention
X-Static Process
Mother & Father
Die Another Day
Easy Ride
Nothing Fails
Love Profusion
Nobody Knows Me
American Life
Like A Virgin: Hollywood Medley
Into The Hollywood Groove
Your Honesty
* = Previously unreleased]
[Note: All Remixes]
1. Hung Up
2. Get Together
3. Sorry
4. Future Lovers
5. I Love New York
6. Let It Will Be
7. Forbidden Love
8. Jump
9. How High
10. Isaac
11. Push
12. Like It Or Not
1. Candy Shop
2. 4 Minutes
3. Give It 2 Me
4. Heartbeat
5. Miles Away
6. She s Not Me
7. Incredible
8. Beat Goes On
9. Dance 2night
10. Spanish Lesson
11. Devil Wouldn't Recognize You
12. Voices
