Madonna's Biography
Background:
Controversial Madonna has etched her mark in music's history.
She has achieved remarkable fame during the past 20 years of her
career by dominating the music charts, hitting the silver screen
and entering the publishing industry. Madonna established
herself early as a pop icon and loved being the center of
attention.
Being damned and banned by many people and institutions for her shameless self-exposure and naked ambition did little to slow down her album sales. The "Boy Toy" appeared in albums, videos, movies and books with an image of a sex-crazed woman. Often the public preferred discussing her lifestyle and personal life rather than discuss her music. Although Madonna's image today seems to have gone through a metamorphosis, she continues to keep complete control of her music and image.
Childhood and Family:
Madonna Louise Ciccone was born on August 16, 1958, in Michigan, to
Sylvio [a.k.a. Tony] Ciccone and Madonna Fortin. Madonna, the eldest
Ciccone daughter, was named after her mother. Madonna then added
"Veronica" as her confirmation name. Madonna is often referred to as
"Nonnie" in order to distinguish her from her mother.
Madonna's father, Italian Sylvio Ciccone, was an engineer at Chrysler.
He was strict while nurturing his children and insisted they learn how
to play a musical instrument and receive strict Catholic instruction.
However, Madonna was allowed to take ballet lessons, as she was more
interested in dancing. Madonna attended several Catholic schools
including Saint Andrews, Saint Fredericks, and Academie Du Sacre Coeur.
Furthermore, she attended church daily.
Madonna's mother, Madonna Fortin, of French-Canadian decent, died from
breast cancer in 1963. Being close to her mother, Madonna shared. "One
of the hardest thing I've faced in my life was the death of my mother
and that's something I really haven't got over to this day." She also
said, "She tried to keep her fear deep down inside and not let us know.
She never complained."
Madonna learned to be tough and independent early in life. Her father
employed several housekeepers after her mother's death until he married
housekeeper Joan Gustafson. Madonna never learned to really love her
stepmother and was in a constant struggle with Joan for her father's
attention. The death of her mother and the mixed, love/hate relationship
with her father, were determined to be strong drives behind Madonna's
career.
Madonna's often sought attention by her eccentric dress and joining
cheerleading at school. Eventually, her family moved to Rochester in
N.Y. She graduated from Rochester Adams High School in 1976 and decided
to attend an audition for a scholarship. She won the scholarship and
chose to study dance at the University of Michigan. Although use to a
"dancer's discipline" since she had formally studied dance at the
Rochester School of Ballet, she left the University of Michigan after
three semesters and moved to New York City.
In 1985 Madonna married actor Sean Penn in Malibu Beach, California. The
marriage lasted until 1988. In 1996, she gave birth to her daughter,
Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon, with her former private fitness trainer
Carlos Leon. In 2000, Madonna welcomed her second child, Rocco Ritchie
and on December the 22nd, she married Guy Ritchie, a film director in
Scotland.
Career:
After moving to New York, Madonna earned a living by working several
minimum wage jobs such as one at Dunkin Donuts. In 1977, she joined
Alvin Ailey's dance troupe and gained experience as one of many dancers
in the troupe. Madonna also took modeling jobs, which sometimes included
posing in the nude.
Two years later, Madonna traveled to Europe in answer to Patrick
Hernandez's offer that she work as a back-up singer and dancer. In Paris
she met boyfriend Dan Gilroy who taught her how to play the guitar and
drums. When the couple returned to New York, they put together the band,
The Breakfast Club, where she played drums, wrote songs and sang.
However in 1980, she left the band.
In 1980 Madonna teamed up with Detroit-born drummer and former
boyfriend, Steve Bray, to form the band Emmy. Later leaving the group,
Madonna and Bray worked on dance/disco music, which lead Madonna to sign
a record deal with Sire Records. Madonna recorded "Everybody," a US club
hit in 1982, with leading New York disc jockey Mark Kamins as the
producer. With "Holiday," written and produced by Jellybean, Madonna
turned from the disco scene and venturing into mainstream pop. "Holiday"
achieved the US Top 20 in late 1983 and was a Top 10 hit across Europe
the next year.
While her first album was still topping the charts, Madonna released her
second album, Like A Virgin, in 1984, with the title track hitting the
number one spot on the music charts. A year later, in 1985, after
smashing into success in the music industry, she landed her first role
in Vision Quest as a nightclub singer and as the lead in Desperately
Seeking Susan. The singles from both of the films became hits, adding to
Madonna's "hit list."
Madonna caused controversy with her 1986 single "Papa Don't Preach" and
in 1989 the Vatican damned her video for the single "Like A Prayer" as
it was considered to link religion and eroticism. Because of this
Pepsi-Cola backed out of their contract with Madonna, but the publicity
about the album Like a Prayer helped to make it a worldwide bestseller,
spawning 5 Top Twenty hits.
Her appearance in Dick Tracy (1990) created more hit singles such as
"Vogue," "Rescue Me," and "Justify My Love" which was also controversial
and initially banned from the MTV airwaves. Madonna's scandalous
projects such as the documentary of her Blonde Ambition Tour (Truth Or
Dare), the X-rated coffee-table book Sex, her albums and some of her
public appearances were controversial, but also kept the media talking.
In 1996 Madonna was crowned with a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a
Musical or Comedy and earned a newborn respect for her notable portrayal
of Eva Peron in the movie version of the musical Evita. After a brief
break in the music scene to give birth to her daughter Lourdes Maria
Ciccone Leon, Madonna released a much more introspective, meditative
album titled Ray of Light. The album created such hits as "Frozen," "Ray
of Light," and "Nothing Really Matters."
Madonna balances success with her personal life. In 2000, after
baptizing their son Rocco Ritchie, Madonna married Guy Ritchie in
Dornoch, Scotland at the beautiful Skibo Castle. Unlike her previous
style, Madonna kept her wedding and the baptism a personal affair.
Madonna, with her "once upon a time" image of a sexual charged woman, to
the more current one of a spiritual yoga-practicing mother, once stated,
"If you want to change the world, change yourself!"
Awards:
American Music Awards: International Artist of The Year Award,
2003
Billboard Music Awards: Video of the Year, Music, 2001
Grammy: Best Original Song from a Motion Picture, Beautiful Stranger,
2000
ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards: Most Performed Songs from
Motion Pictures, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, 2000
Razzie Awards: Worst Actress of the Century, 2000
Grammy: Best Pop Album, Ray of Light, 1999
MTV Video Music Awards: Video of the Year, Ray of Light, 1998
VH1 Fashion Awards: Most Fashionable Artist, 1998
Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture
Comedy/Musical, Evita, 1997
Billboard Music Awards: Artist Achievement Award, 1996
MTV Video Music Awards: Artist Of The Decade, 1989
American Music Awards: Favorite Female Artist, 1987
MTV Vidoe Music Awards: Video Vanguard Career Achievement Award, 1986