Profile: Madonna
Full Name: Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone
Born: August 16, 1958, Bay City, Michigan, USA
Height: 5' 4"
Measurements: 34C-23-33
Husband: Guy Ritchie (December 22, 2000 - present)
Children: Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon (b. 10.14.96) (Father: Carlos Leon) Rocco Ritchie (b. 8.11.00)
Quote: "I'm tough, ambitious and I know exactly what I want... if that makes me a bitch - okay!"
Madonna Biography
Madonna is one of those rare musicians whose music and personal lifestyle are indiscernible. Through an astute manipulation of the media and the public with her music, her videos, her publicity and her sexuality, Madonna has retained complete control of her career.
Madonna began with aspirations to be a ballerina. She moved from Michigan to New York in 1977 and began studying under acclaimed choreographer Alvin Ailey. After performing in a number of pop/dance outfits including the Patrick Hernandez Revue, The Breakfast Club and Emmy, she was signed to Sire in 1982 as a solo performer.
Her first single, "Everybody," became a club and dance hit at the end of 1982; her second single, 1983's "Physical Attraction," was another club hit. In June 1983 she had her third club hit with the bubbly "Holiday," which was written by Jellybean Benitez. Madonna's eponymous debut album was released in the fall of 1983; "Holiday" became her first Top 40 hit the following month. "Borderline" became her first Top 10 hit in March 1984, beginning a remarkable string of 17 consecutive Top 10 hits. While her single "Lucky Star" was climbing to No. 4, Madonna began working on her first starring role in a feature film, Susan Seidelman's Desperately Seeking Susan.
Madonna's second album, Like a Virgin, started a frenzy in the United States, fueled by a slew of sexy videos and scores of young minions aping her style called "Madonna wannabes." Her image exploded, selling millions of records on the back of hits like, "Material Girl" and "Crazy For You." In August 1987 she wed actor Sean Penn, however, the brief, tumultuous marriage ended in 1989.
At the beginning of 1987, she had her fifth No.1 single with "Open Your Heart," her third No.1 song from the album True Blue alone. Like a Prayer, released in the spring of 1989, was her most ambitious album, incorporating elements of pop, rock and dance.
Her work in film also continued to be successful. Madonna landed a co-starring role in Warren Beatty's 1990 remake of Dick Tracy. Truth or Dare, a documentary of the Blonde Ambition tour, was released to positive reviews and strong ticket sales at the end of 1991 and in 1992 Madonna had a feature role in A League of Their Own, the box office blockbuster directed by Penny Marshall.
Later that year, Madonna put out her seventh album, the controversial Erotica, which accompanied her first book, Sex. The album sold more than two million copies. Bedtime Stories, released in 1994, was a more subdued affair than Erotica. The album produced the Babyface collaboration "Take a Bow," which spent seven weeks at No. 1.
In 1995 Madonna began lobbying for the title role in the film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita. She won the coveted role of Evita Peron and received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for her work in the film. The Evita soundtrack featured a dance remix of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" and the newly-written "You Must Love Me," which both became hits.
Something to Remember, a collection of Madonna's hit ballads plus three new tracks, was released in November 1995 to critical raves.
In 1996 Madonna gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Lourdes. But she proved that maternity did not slow her down with the release of Ray of Light in early 1998. The album featured 13-tracks of electronica-influenced dance music mixed by British DJ William Orbit.
2000 turned out to be a banner year for Madonna. In August, she announced the birth of her son, Rocco Ritchie, fathered by her current flame, English film director Guy Ritchie. The next month, "Music," the debut single from her album of the same name (released in late September), became her 12th number one single in the U.S. On December 22, Ritchie and Madonna married at Skibo Castle in Scotland.
Madonna Discography
Music 2000
Ray of Light 1998
Early Years 1995
Something To Remember 1995
Bedtime Stories 1994
Erotica 1992
Like a Prayer 1989
You Can Dance 1987
True Blue 1986
Like A Virgin 1984
Madonna 1983
Madonna Filmography
Hello Sucker! (2005)--Texas Guinan
Die Another Day (2002) (uncredited)--Verity
Swept Away (2002)--Amber Leighton
Hire: Star, The (2001) (uncredited)--Star
The Next Best Thing (2000)--Abbie Reynolds
Evita (1996)--Eva Perón
Girl 6 (1996)--Boss #3
Four Rooms (1995)--Elspeth
Blue in the Face (1995)--Singing Telegram
Dangerous Game (1993)--Sarah Jennings
Body of Evidence (1993)--Rebecca Carlson
A League of Their Own (1992)--Mae 'All-The-Way-Mae' Mordabito
Shadows and Fog (1992)--Marie
Dick Tracy (1990)--Breathless Mahoney
Dick Tracy: Behind the Badge, Behind the Scenes (1990) (TV)
Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989)--Hortense Hathaway
Who's That Girl? (1987)--Nikki Finn
Shanghai Surprise (1986)--Gloria Tatlock
A Certain Sacrifice (1985)--Bruna
Vision Quest (1985)--Cameo appearance
Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)--Susan
Madonna Links
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