Madonna | biography

Madonna

Profession: Singer
Place/Date of Birth: Michigan USA
Associated with: Guy Ritchie

Earlier this week, it was revealed Madonna is giving up the Kabbalah so her children can celebrate Christmas. Friends of the 47-year-old star claim she is concerned her commitment to the faith has deprived her children, Lourdes and Rocco, from celebrating traditional holidays. It has also been claimed the singer is deciding to give up the Kabbalah because she is tired of the financial burden of the religion.

Madonna is giving up Kabbalah - July 11, 2020
Madonna is giving up the Kabbalah so her children can celebrate Christmas. It has been claimed that the singer has decided to give up the faith, a mystical off-shoot of Judaism, because she is tired of the financial burden of the religion.

The pop superstar is also allegedly concerned about the strain it has been putting on her relationship with husband Guy Ritchie, according to The Independent newspaper. Friends of Madonna insist the 47-year-old star is concerned that her commitment to the Kabbalah has deprived her children - Lourdes and Rocco - from celebrating conventional customs, like Christmas, which they do not currently acknowledge.

However, Madonna’s spokeswoman has denied the claims, saying: "As far as I am aware, it is completely untrue." It could be very embarrassing for Madonna to admit that she is giving up the religion as she has made her belief in it so public. Since joining the Kabbalah, Madonna has encouraged other celebrities to convert to the faith, including Britney Spears, Victoria and David Beckham and most recently actress Lindsay Lohan. Madonna even changed her name to the ancient Hebrew name of Esther and based her children’s book ’The English Roses’ on Kabbalah teachings. She has donated ?12 million towards the building of a Kabbalah Centre in New York and hosted lavish parties for visiting Rabbi’s.

Madonna claims she is too old to be the new face of H&M - June 20, 2020
Madonna has hit back at claims she is too old to be the new face of H&M. The singer recently negotiated a multi-million pound deal to front the popular Scandinavian clothing firm.

However, the announcement was not greeted with excitement in all quarters, with advertising guru Jerry Della Femina claiming most teenagers who shop at H&M stores would not be able to relate to the 47-year-old superstar. Madonna’s spokesperson has now dismissed Femina’s comments, saying: "I defy any 18-year-old to do what Madonna does on stage." The mum-of-two will be the latest in a long line of famous women to front ad campaigns for the high street chain.

Previously, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford and Anna Nicole Smith have all advertised the brand. It is believed Madonna will appear in the upcoming campaign for H&M’s new special collection created by Dutch design duo Viktor + Rolf in November.

Madonna new face of H&M - May 31, 2020
Madonna is reportedly going to be the new face of fashion chain H&M. According to Swedish reports, the singer is negotiating a multi-million pound deal to front the Scandinavian clothing firm.

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Biography

Madonna Louise Ciccone was born in Michigan USA in 1958., the third of eight children. During her school years she was a cheerleader, excelled in dance and drama classes which gave her the love of performing that she is famous for. Moving to New York in 1977 to pursue her dream, (with a rumoured $35 dollars to her name) Madonna worked as a model and studied dance under notorious choreographer Alvin Ailey. Two years later she formed a band, The Breakfast Club and met boyfriend Steve Bray who recognised her talents immediately and helped her to create the solo dance tracks which saw her signed by Sire Records, releasing her first single, Everybody, with DJ Mark Kamins, in 1982.

The following year Madonna broke away from Kamins and recorded Holiday which went straight in to the American top 20 and was a hit across Europe. She cemented her raunchy image with Like A Virgin, her first US number one, and Material Girl with it’s iconic video. By this time Madonna was becoming one of the most emulated and best loved artists in the world and she became even more popular thanks to her part in Live Aid and a high profile marriage to Sean Penn.

The pop diva followed up her success with several singles from the True Blue album and turned her hand to acting for the first time in the poorly received A Certain Sacrifice and of course, Desperately Seeking Susan. Her first real flop was alongside her husband in the laughable Shanghai Surprise. Her failure’s in the film department didn’t stop David Mamet from casting her in a Broadway production of Speed the Plow - by this time talent or no, Madonna’s was name that guaranteed attention.

1989 saw the singer court controversy with the video for Like A Prayer, featuring a black Jesus, which outraged and shocked the Catholic church and caused Pepsi to cancel a sponsorship deal. But far from ruining her career, this stunt saw her become the icon that we know today. The 1990s were the pinnacle of Madonna’s success, her divorce from Sean Penn pushing her further in to the lime light, beginning with a part in Dick Tracy opposite Warren Beatty and a fantastic soundtrack album alongside featuring hit song Vogue. Documentary film Truth or Dare and her Blonde Ambition tour (with that pointy bra) followed with further controversy.

In 1992 she signed a multi million pound deal with Time Warner guaranteeing the release of music, films and books through her own record label, Maverick. She made the most of the deal with picture book Sex, which caused another controversy but rocketed up the bestsellers charts nonetheless. Erotica was her first album for years though not to generate a US number one. People thought that perhaps Madonna had gone too far with her need to shock, and perhaps she had realised it too as her next album was far mellower and a part in Evita in 1996 made her bankable again.

Later that year she fell pregnant with Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon, daughter of her personal trainer. But far from slowing her work, having a child only seemed to spur Madonna on, she released the runaway success, Ray of Light which produced hit after hit and recorded Beautiful Stranger for the second Austin Powers movie. she also starred alongside Rupert Everett in romantic comedy The Next Best Thing.

It was around this time that Madonna met British director Guy Ritchie - the man who would change her life. They had son Rocco in 2000 and they married in 2002 after Madonna moved permanently to England, took to wearing flat caps and drinking tea. The title track of her album Music gave her a transatlantic number one hit. Collaborations with Ritchie, especially their film Swept Away, have generally been unsuccessful but Madonna’s music career continues to go from strength to strength, her latest album American Life has been a worldwide hit and she has even found time to pen a children’s book, The English Roses. Now, an honorary Brit and devout follower of Kaballah, Madonna lives with her family in Marylebone and Wiltshire. She also owns a ?4 million Spanish-style villa in Beverly Hills, a house in Miami and a duplex overlooking Central Park in New York.
(Updated April 04)
December 2007