Madonna | biography

Madonna

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

Madonna turned down $150million deal - Aug 05
Madonna has reportedly turned down a lucrative $150million deal to star in her own Las Vegas show. Sources say the pop queen was offered the chance of a long-running residency at one of the city’s top hotels - similar to Celine Dion and Elton John, who perform at Caesar’s Palace. But when Vegas entrepreneur Jack Wishna tried to set up the deal for her, Madonna declined. If the proposal had gone ahead, the star - who lives in London with British husband Guy Ritchie and her children, Lourdes and Rocco - would have netted a staggering $150million. In 2002, Celine Dion signed an impressive $126million deal to play at the custom built Colosseum Theatre at Caesar’s Palace for three years. A year later, Elton signed a staggering $65million deal to put on over 300 lavish concerts over a two-year period on Celine’s days off.

Meanwhile, Madonna’s proposed tour has been thrown into doubt after her horse riding accident. The star, who fractured her collar bone, hand and three ribs, in the incident, has been told to rest for at least three months. Madonna had been planning a series of concerts promoting her forthcoming album ’Confessions of a Dancefloor’ to be released in November.

Madonna suffered serious injuries - Aug 05
Madonna suffered serious injuries yesterday (16.08.05) after she was thrown from her horse while riding. The sexy singer was left with a broken collar bone, three cracked ribs and a fractured hand in the horrific accident at her ?9million English countryside estate. Madonna, who had earlier been celebrating her 47th birthday with her two children and husband Guy Ritchie, went riding late afternoon with an assistant, when her horse stumbled and violently tossed her to the ground.

The star was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital and was said to be "visibly shaking" when she arrived at the accident and emergency department. A source at the hospital revealed: "Madonna’s voice was shaking when she gave her name. She was wearing her riding outfit and was trembling. She was obviously in a lot of pain, but she was lucid." The ’Material Girl’ singer was referred to a specialist and checked into a private room for treatment, before being released late last night. An insider added : "She could have been paralysed. It cast a huge shadow over her birthday. Thankfully she is now out of hospital and recovering." Madonna’s publicist confirmed the accident, saying she had been thrown from a horse she "wasn’t accustomed to riding." The star will now have to wear a sling on her injured arm and has to give up all physical activity, including Yoga, for at least three months.

Madonna and OutKast - Aug 05
Madonna has teamed up with OutKast star Andre 3000 on her new album ’Confessions of a Dancefloor.’ The unlikely pair are working on a track titled ’Mixdown’, which will be included on the follow-up album to Madonna’s No 1 hit ’American Life’.

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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