165 Facts About Madonna

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

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

Madonna contributes to various charities, having founded the Ray of Light Foundation in 1998 and Raising Malawi in 2006, and advocates for gender equality and LGBT rights.

Madonna is the most successful solo artist in the history of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and has achieved 44 number-one singles in between major global music markets.

Madonna's accolades include seven Grammy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, 20 MTV Video Music Awards, 17 Japan Gold Disc Awards, and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in her first year of eligibility.

Madonna was listed among Rolling Stones greatest artists and greatest songwriters ever.

Madonna Louise Ciccone was born in Bay City, Michigan, on August 16,1958, to Roman 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's mother died of breast cancer on December 1,1963, when Madonna was five years old.

Madonna adopted Veronica as a confirmation name upon receiving the sacrament in the Catholic Church in 1966.

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'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 took classes at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, eventually performing with Pearl Lang Dance Theater.

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

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.

Together they formed her first band, the Breakfast Club, for which Madonna sang and played drums and guitar.

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.

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, although it had actually been filmed a month prior.

Madonna invited Cortez to be her manager, but he declined.

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.

The publication of the photos caused a media uproar, but Madonna remained "unapologetic and defiant".

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.

The next year, Madonna was featured in the film Who's That Girl.

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.

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 October 1990, Madonna lent her voice to a Public Service Announcement supporting Rock the Vote's efforts in voter registration.

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

Madonna recorded the film's theme song, "This Used to Be My Playground", which became her tenth number-one on the Billboard Hot 100, the most by any female artist at the time.

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

At the time Madonna had been dating rapper Vanilla Ice and she at one point proposed to him.

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 rapper Tupac Shakur and basketball player Dennis Rodman.

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 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.

In February 1996, Madonna began filming the musical Evita in Argentina.

The Evita soundtrack, containing songs mostly performed by Madonna, was released as a double album.

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

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

The adoption raised strong public reaction, because Malawian law requires would-be parents to reside in Malawi for one year before adopting, which Madonna did not do.

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".

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

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 bestselling 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 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 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.

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.

The dispute started when Rocco decided to continue living in England with Ritchie when the tour had visited there, while Madonna wanted him to travel with her.

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

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 mid-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.

The 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 later revealed she had tested positive for coronavirus antibodies.

Madonna started work on a film biopic about her life, which she intended to direct.

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 collaborated on three songs on Christine and the Queens album Paranoia, Angels, True Love and with The Weeknd and Playboi Carti on the single "Popular", which was taken from the soundtrack to the drama series The Idol.

In January 2023, Madonna announced the Celebration Tour, her first greatest hits concert tour, which was set to run from July 2023 to January 2024.

Madonna was admitted for five days and received treatment in the intensive care unit under intubation.

Madonna later stated that she had been in a medically induced coma for 48 hours during her hospitalization for a "serious bacterial infection" following a low-grade fever.

Madonna died just two weeks after the death of their stepmother Joan.

Madonna considered reworking it into a television series as a result.

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.

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.

However, it was not until her third album that Warner allowed Madonna to produce her own album.

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.

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 is one of the classic symbols of Made in USA.

An author said that "by making culture generally available, Madonna becomes the culture of all social classes".

Madonna became Forbess annual highest-paid female musician 11 times across the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s.

Madonna is recognized as the best-selling female music artist of all time by the Guinness World Records, and has a total of 18 albums certified multi-platinum in multiple countries.

In Japan, the world's second largest market, Madonna has received 17 Gold Disc Awards from the Recording Industry Association of Japan, including the most Artist of the Year wins by a solo artist.

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.

From "Like a Virgin" to "Give Me All Your Luvin'", a total of 44 Madonna singles have topped the official chart in at least one of the world's top-ten music markets, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Italy, and Spain.

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

Madonna has achieved 38 top-ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100, the most by any artist in pre-streaming era.