155 Facts About Madonna (Entertainer)

Madonna Louise Ciccone is an American singer, songwriter, and actress.

Madonna has pushed the boundaries of artistic expression in mainstream music, while maintaining control over every aspect of her career.

Madonna moved to New York City in 1978 to pursue a career in modern dance.

Madonna followed it with a series of successful albums, including all-time bestsellers Like a Virgin, True Blue and The Immaculate Collection as well as Grammy Award winners Ray of Light and Confessions on a Dance Floor.

Madonna contributes to various charities, having founded the Ray of Light Foundation in 1998 and Raising Malawi in 2006.

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Madonna is the most successful solo artist in the history of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and has achieved the most number-one singles by a woman in Australia, Canada, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Madonna was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008, her first year of eligibility.

Madonna was ranked as the greatest woman in music by VH1, and as the greatest music video artist ever by MTV and Billboard.

Madonna Louise Ciccone was born on August 16,1958, in Bay City, Michigan, to Catholic parents Madonna Louise and Silvio Anthony "Tony" Ciccone.

Since Madonna had the same name as her mother, family members called her "Little Nonnie".

Madonna later adopted Veronica as a confirmation name when getting confirmed in the Catholic Church in 1966.

Madonna was raised in the Detroit suburbs of Pontiac and Avon Township, alongside her two older brothers, Anthony and Martin, and three younger siblings, Paula, Christopher, and Melanie.

Madonna resented her father for getting remarried and began rebelling against him, which strained their relationship for many years afterward.

Madonna attended St Frederick's and St Andrew's Catholic Elementary Schools, and West Middle School.

Madonna was known for her high grade point average and achieved notoriety for her unconventional behavior.

Madonna would perform cartwheels and handstands in the hallways between classes, dangle by her knees from the monkey bars during recess, and pull up her skirt during class—all so that the boys could see her underwear.

Madonna's father put her in classical piano lessons, but she later convinced him to allow her to take ballet lessons.

Madonna later attended Rochester Adams High School and became a straight-A student as well as a member of its cheerleading squad.

In 1978, Madonna dropped out of college and relocated to New York City.

Madonna studied dance under the tutelage of Martha Graham, the noted American dancer and choreographer.

Madonna started to work as a backup dancer for other established artists.

In 1979, Madonna became romantically involved with musician Dan Gilroy.

Madonna moved into an abandoned synagogue where Gilroy lived and rehearsed in Corona, Queens.

In 1980, Madonna left the Breakfast Club with drummer Stephen Bray, who was her boyfriend in Michigan, and they formed the band Emmy and the Emmys.

Madonna frequented nightclubs to get disc jockeys to play her demo.

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Madonna signed a deal for a total of three singles, with an option for an album.

In December 1982, Madonna performed the song live for the first time at Danceteria.

Madonna made her first television appearance performing "Everybody" on Dancin' On Air in January 1983.

However, Madonna was dissatisfied with the completed tracks and disagreed with Lucas' production techniques, so she decided to seek additional help.

Madonna asked John "Jellybean" Benitez, the resident DJ at Fun House, to help finish the album's production and a romance ensued.

In January 1984, Madonna gained more exposure by performing on American Bandstand and Top of the Pops.

Madonna's style became one of the female fashion trends of the 1980s.

Madonna's popularity continued to rise globally with the release of her second studio album, Like a Virgin, in November 1984.

Madonna received huge media coverage for her performance of "Like a Virgin" at the first 1984 MTV Video Music Awards.

Madonna entered mainstream films in February 1985, beginning with her cameo in Vision Quest.

Madonna played the title role in the 1985 comedy Desperately Seeking Susan, a film which introduced the song "Into the Groove", her first number-one single in the UK.

Madonna's popularity caused the film to be perceived as a Madonna vehicle, despite how she was not billed as a lead actress.

In July, Penthouse and Playboy magazines published a number of nude photos of Madonna, taken when she moonlighted as an art model in 1978.

Madonna had posed for the photographs because she needed money at the time, and was paid as little as $25 a session.

In June 1986, Madonna released her third studio album, True Blue, which was inspired by and dedicated to her husband Penn.

Madonna starred in the critically panned film Shanghai Surprise in 1986, for which she received her first Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress.

Madonna made her theatrical debut in a production of David Rabe's Goose and Tom-Tom; the film and play both co-starred Penn.

Madonna contributed four songs to its soundtrack, including the title track and "Causing a Commotion".

Madonna embarked on the Who's That Girl World Tour in June 1987, which continued until September.

Madonna made her Broadway debut in the production of Speed-the-Plow at the Royale Theatre from May to August 1988.

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Madonna filed for divorce on January 5,1989, and the following week she reportedly asked that no criminal charges be pressed.

In January 1989, Madonna signed an endorsement deal with soft-drink manufacturer Pepsi.

Madonna co-wrote and co-produced the album Like a Prayer with Patrick Leonard, Stephen Bray, and Prince.

The film went to number one on the US box office for two weeks and Madonna received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Actress.

In 1992, Madonna starred in A League of Their Own as Mae Mordabito, a baseball player on an all-women's team.

Later that year, Madonna co-sponsored the first museum retrospective for her former boyfriend Jean-Michel Basquiat at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Madonna continued her provocative imagery in the 1993 erotic thriller, Body of Evidence, a film which contained scenes of sadomasochism and bondage.

Madonna starred in the film Dangerous Game, which was released straight to video in North America.

In September 1993, Madonna embarked on the Girlie Show, in which she dressed as a whip-cracking dominatrix surrounded by topless dancers.

Around this time, Madonna briefly dated basketball player Dennis Rodman and rapper Tupac Shakur.

Madonna made a subdued appearance with Letterman at an awards show and appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno after realizing that she needed to change her musical direction in order to sustain her popularity.

An enthusiastic collector of modern art, Madonna sponsored the first major retrospective of Tina Modotti's work at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1995.

Madonna was presented with the Artist Achievement Award by Tony Bennett at the 1996 Billboard Music Awards.

Madonna had reached another turning point in her career, reinventing herself and her image with the public.

Madonna collaborated with electronica producer William Orbit and wanted to create a sound that could blend dance music with pop and British rock.

Madonna founded Ray of Light Foundation which focused on women, education, global development and humanitarian.

Madonna recorded the single "Beautiful Stranger" for the 1999 film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, which earned her a Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.

Madonna starred in the 2000 comedy-drama film The Next Best Thing, directed by John Schlesinger.

Madonna contributed two songs to the film's soundtrack—a cover of Don McLean's 1971 song "American Pie" and an original song "Time Stood Still"—the former became her ninth UK number-one single.

Madonna released her eighth studio album, Music, in September 2000.

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The music video of "What It Feels Like for a Girl" depicted Madonna committing acts of crime and vandalism, and was banned by MTV and VH1.

Madonna met director Guy Ritchie in the summer of 1998, and gave birth to their son Rocco John Ritchie in Los Angeles on August 11,2000.

Rocco and Madonna suffered complications from the birth due to her experiencing placenta praevia.

Madonna was christened at Dornoch Cathedral in Dornoch, Scotland, on December 21,2000.

Madonna married Ritchie the following day at nearby Skibo Castle.

Madonna released her second greatest-hits collection, GHV2, which compiled 15 singles during the second decade of her recording career.

Madonna starred in the film Swept Away, directed by Ritchie.

In 2003, Madonna collaborated with fashion photographer Steven Klein for an exhibition installation named X-STaTIC Pro=CeSS, which ran from March to May in New York's Deitch Projects gallery and traveled the world in an edited form.

Madonna gave another provocative performance later that year at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, when she kissed singers Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera while singing the track "Hollywood".

Madonna donated all of its proceeds to a children's charity.

In mid-2004, Madonna embarked on the Re-Invention World Tour in the US, Canada, and Europe.

In January 2005, Madonna performed a cover version of the John Lennon song "Imagine" at Tsunami Aid.

Madonna performed at the Live 8 benefit concert in London in July 2005.

Madonna embarked on the Confessions Tour in May 2006, which had a global audience of 1.

Madonna used religious symbols, such as the crucifix and Crown of Thorns, in the performance of "Live to Tell".

Madonna addressed this on The Oprah Winfrey Show, saying that there were no written adoption laws in Malawi that regulated foreign adoption.

Madonna described how Banda had been suffering from pneumonia after surviving malaria and tuberculosis when they first met.

Madonna released and performed the song "Hey You" at the London Live Earth concert in July 2007.

In 2008, Madonna produced and wrote I Am Because We Are, a documentary on the problems faced by Malawians; it was directed by Nathan Rissman, who worked as Madonna's gardener.

Madonna did not sing at the ceremony but asked fellow Hall of Fame inductees and Michigan natives the Stooges to perform her songs "Burning Up" and "Ray of Light".

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Madonna released her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy, in April 2008.

At the 23rd Japan Gold Disc Awards, Madonna received her fifth Artist of the Year trophy from Recording Industry Association of Japan, the most for any artist.

In July 2008, Christopher Ciccone released a book titled Life with My Sister Madonna, which caused a rift between Madonna and him, because of unsolicited publication.

Madonna re-appealed, and on June 12,2009, the Supreme Court of Malawi granted her the right to adopt Mercy.

Madonna concluded her contract with Warner by releasing her third greatest-hits album, Celebration, in September 2009.

Madonna appeared at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards to speak in tribute to deceased pop singer Michael Jackson.

Madonna ended the 2000s as the best-selling single artist of the decade in the US and the most-played artist of the decade in the UK.

Madonna performed at the Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief concert in January 2010.

Madonna granted American television show, Glee, the rights to her entire catalog of music, and the producers created an episode featuring her songs exclusively.

Madonna collaborated with Lourdes and released the Material Girl clothing line, inspired by her punk-girl style when she rose to fame in the 1980s.

Madonna directed her second feature film, W E, a biographical account about the affair between King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson.

Madonna contributed the ballad "Masterpiece" for the film's soundtrack, which won her a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.

In February 2012, Madonna headlined the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Madonna's performance was visualized by Cirque Du Soleil and Jamie King and featured special guests LMFAO, Nicki Minaj, M I A and CeeLo Green.

Madonna was signed to the record label since Live Nation was unable to distribute music recordings.

Madonna collaborated with Steven Klein and directed a 17-minute film, secretprojectrevolution, which was released on BitTorrent in September 2013.

When Madonna visited the schools in April 2013, President of Malawi Joyce Banda accused her of exaggerating the charity's contribution.

Madonna was saddened by Banda's statement, but clarified that she had "no intention of being distracted by these ridiculous allegations".

Madonna visited her hometown Detroit during May 2014 and donated funds to help with the city's bankruptcy.

Unlike her previous efforts, which involved only a few people, Madonna worked with a large number of collaborators, including Avicii, Diplo and Kanye West.

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Madonna explained to Jon Pareles of The New York Times that although she has never looked back at her past endeavors, reminiscing about it felt right for Rebel Heart.

From September 2015 to March 2016, Madonna embarked on the Rebel Heart Tour to promote the album.

The tour traveled throughout North America, Europe and Asia and was Madonna's first visit to Australia in 23 years, where she performed a one-off show for her fans.

Madonna sparked controversy when she said that she "thought a lot about blowing up the White House".

The following day, Madonna asserted she was "not a violent person" and that her words had been "taken wildly out of context".

In February 2017, Madonna adopted four-year-old twin sisters from Malawi named Estere and Stella, and she moved to live in Lisbon, Portugal in summer 2017 with her adoptive children.

That month, Madonna launched MDNA Skin in select stores in the United States.

Madonna clarified that her celebrity status "does not obviate my right to maintain my privacy, including with regard to highly personal items".

Madonna lost the case and the presiding judge ruled in favor of Lutz who was able to prove that in 2004 Madonna made a legal agreement with her for selling the items.

Previous month, Madonna appeared as the interval act at the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 and performed "Like a Prayer", and then "Future" with rapper Quavo.

That December, Madonna started dating Ahlamalik Williams, a dancer who began accompanying her on the Rebel Heart Tour in 2015.

Madonna started work on a film biopic about her life, for which she enlisted screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson to help with the script.

Madonna released Madame X, a documentary film chronicling the tour of the same name, on Paramount+ in October 2021.

Under the contract, Madonna launched a series of catalog reissues beginning in 2022, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of her recording career.

Madonna encountered her own worst possible scenario, becoming a victim of male violence, and thereafter turned that full-tilt into her work, reversing the equation at every opportunity.

Madonna said Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" made a major impression on her.

Madonna noted that her favorite style was baroque, and loved Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Frederic Chopin because she liked their "feminine quality".

Madonna grew up listening to David Bowie, whose show was the first rock concert she ever attended.

Madonna studied the screwball comedies of the 1930s, particularly those of Lombard, in preparation for the film Who's That Girl.

Madonna is a collector of Tamara de Lempicka's Art Deco paintings and has included them in her music videos and tours.

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Madonna's video for "Hollywood" was an homage to the work of photographer Guy Bourdin; Bourdin's son subsequently filed a lawsuit for unauthorized use of his father's work.

Madonna is a wonderful confessional songwriter, as well as being a superb hit chorus pop writer.

Madonna's music has been the subject of much analysis and scrutiny.

Madonna has remained in charge in every aspect of her career, including as a writer and producer in most of her own music.

Undoubtedly, Madonna is fully aware that women have been excluded from the musical workplace on most levels, and has set out to change this.

Madonna subsequently became the sole writer of five songs on her debut album, including "Lucky Star" which she composed on synthesizer.

Madonna has been nominated for being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame three times.

Madonna's discography is generally categorized as pop, electronica, and dance.

Madonna soon abandoned playing rock songs by the time she signed to Gotham Records, which eventually dropped her since they were unhappy with her new funk direction.

Besides singing, Madonna has the ability to play several musical instruments.

Madonna later played guitar with the band Emmy as well as on her own demo recordings.

In 1999, Madonna had studied for three months to play the violin for the role as a violin teacher in the film Music of the Heart, but she eventually left the project before filming began.

Madonna decided to perform with guitar again during the promotion of Music and recruited guitarist Monte Pittman to help improve her skill.

Since then, Madonna has played guitar on every tour, as well as her studio albums.

Madonna received a nomination for Les Paul Horizon Award at the 2002 Orville H Gibson Guitar Awards.

Madonna was able to transmit her avant-garde Downtown Manhattan fashion sense to the American audience.

The video included scenes of an African-American church choir, Madonna being attracted to a black saint statue, and singing in front of burning crosses.

Madonna's acting performances in films have frequently received poor reviews from film critics.

Metz noted that Madonna represents a paradox as she is often perceived as living her whole life as a performance.

Madonna was the first artist to have her concert tours as reenactments of her music videos.

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Madonna believed that "her live performances have become the means by which mediatized representations are naturalized".

Madonna has built a legacy that transcends music and has been studied by sociologists, historians, and other scholars, contributing to the rise of Madonna studies, a subfield of American cultural studies.

Madonna has received acclaim as a role model for businesswomen, "achieving the kind of financial control that women had long fought for within the industry", and generating over $1.

Madonna has the most RIAA multi-platinum albums by a female artist, with 12 releases.

Madonna is the most certified artist of all time in United Kingdom, with 45 awards from the British Phonographic Industry as of April 2013.

Madonna remains the only woman in history to have two solo concerts with 100,000 sold tickets; her Who's That Girl World Tour's concert in Parc de Sceaux, Paris, drew over 130,000 audience, while her Girlie Show's concert in Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, drew over 120,000 audience.

Madonna has won seven Grammy Awards and twenty MTV Video Music Awards, including the 1986 Video Vanguard Award for which she became the first female recipient.

Madonna has scored 38 top-ten singles on the Hot 100, more than any other female artist in history; she held the record among all artists for nearly two decades, before being overtaken by Drake.

Internationally, Madonna holds the record for the most number-one singles by a female artist in Australia, Canada, Italy, Finland, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

At the 40th anniversary of the GfK Media Control Charts, Madonna was ranked as the most successful singles artist in German chart history.