Madonna is the true name. Madonna (Madonna) - biography, information, personal life

Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone was born on August 16, 1958 in the small town of Bay City, Michigan. Her mother, Madonna Louise, worked as an X-ray technician. His father, Silvio Ciccone, worked as a design engineer at the Chrysler General Motors plant.

Madonna was born the third child in a large Catholic family, in which, in addition to her, there are five more brothers and sisters. Children were brought up in strict Catholic traditions requiring mandatory attendance at church and diligent studies at school. The Ciccone family was so devout that the children were raised at 6 a.m. daily for an hour in church before being taken to the parish school.

Madonna with her parents and older brothers (left)

December 1, 1963, when Madonna was five years old, her mother dies of breast cancer. For the girl, this was a terrible blow. For two years, Madonna fell into hypochondria, convincing herself that she, like her mother, had cancer. As soon as she left the house, she was immediately terrified and began to vomit.

“After my mother died, I had a terrible feeling that everyone had abandoned me.”

Madonna's parents

It was difficult for my father to cope with his large family. Therefore, various assistants soon began to appear in the house. In 1966, three years after the death of his mother, his father became friends with another housekeeper who helped with the housework, Joan Gustafson.

Madonna could not accept her stepmother and their relationship was strained. Birth stepbrothers and Madonna's sisters further complicated the situation. She could not come to terms with the fact that a strange woman took the place of her mother in her father's heart.

Relations with classmates also did not develop. Peers considered her a girl "with regards." And many disliked her for her brilliant academic performance. The wayward shocking character was already manifested in school years:

“When I was forbidden to put on makeup, put on nylon stockings, I wanted to do the opposite.”

In protest, and in order to attract more attention, Madonna pulled on her teenage legs a pair of provocative often mismatched stockings.

At the age of 14, Madonna Ciccone performs at the evening of school talents. This was the key event of her childhood. But since she only danced in a bikini at this performance, the reputation of their Catholic family suffered greatly. The father was furious, and put his daughter under house arrest, and in the town they discussed the performance for another month.

Madonna starts taking lessons at 15 ballroom dancing with teacher Christopher Flynn. He was everything to her: a teacher, a father, a close friend...

Flynn was 30 years older than Madonna, and adhered to an unconventional orientation, so the student's love remained unrequited. However, he took the student to classical concerts, exhibitions and gay clubs, introducing her to the world of art. The appearance of an excellent student begins to change towards a sloppy bohemian look that scares others.

At the same time, 15-year-old Madonna has her first boyfriend, 17-year-old Russell Long. Madonna made sure that her father, and the whole school, knew about her first lover. And a year later, even the convinced gay Flynn could not resist the beauty of the matured student. 16-year-old Madonna turned her mentor into a bisexual for a while.

In 1976, Madonna Ciccone graduated from high school a few months before her final exams. Thanks to an excellent diploma, a successful IQ test and excellent recommendations from teachers, she continues her dance education on a budgetary basis at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. Professor Christopher Flynn, having received a position at the college, gave patronage to the "beloved student."

The choice of a "frivolous" profession greatly worsened the singer's already difficult relationship with her father. All the years he hoped that his daughter would be a doctor or a lawyer. But by that time, the father had ceased to have influence on the daughter. Madonna knew what she wanted and decided to go to her goal.

Madonna at the University of Ann Arbor

According to the teachers, Madonna had endurance, rare even for a dancer, which was further developed by her ballet skills. After studying at the University of Michigan for only a year and a half, she begins to realize that she has no future in the province. And despite the prohibition of his father, he leaves the university to go to New York with the dream of opening his own dance studio.

In the summer of 1978, a plane delivered Madonna, full of determination and self-confidence, to the New York airport. With her, the girl had only $ 35, a winter coat and a suitcase with a dance uniform. She had neither relatives nor acquaintances in this city, and she did not know where to go. Taking a taxi, Madonna said to take her to the very center. The trip cost $15 - just under half of Madonna's entire fortune.

Madonna had a hard time in New York. She lived in poverty, periodically spending the night in basements and attics, wandering. And sometimes, in search of food, she checked the contents of garbage cans:

“I worked myself half to death before I became who I am. And I literally starved, sometimes getting food from garbage cans, until, finally, I broke through ... "

Already in November 1978, Madonna was invited to view the famous dance troupe of the ballerina Pearl Lang. Working with the Pearl Lang troupe did not allow her to pay rent, and the dancer worked part-time as a donut salesman at Dunkin' Donuts, as well as a model in art studio, and a nude model of photographers (these photos surfaced many years later, appearing in Playboy and Penthouse magazines).

In a word, she had to spin so as not to die of hunger. She made her debut on stage in the production of "I Never Seen Other Butterflies Again" in the role of a boy from the Jewish ghetto.

Soon, Madonna Ciccone began to weaken in class due to malnutrition, and Lang arranged for the dancer to work in the evenings for food as a cloakroom attendant at the Russian Samovar restaurant. Renting a room in a cheap and dangerous area of ​​New York, where Madonna was raped by a maniac armed with a knife. After a mental trauma, she becomes absent-minded in class and ceases to believe in her dancing future.

Due to lack of funds, Madonna begins to go to auditions for Broadway musicals and dancers, although she used to consider it below her dignity, since she danced with Pearl Lange herself, a student of the famous Martha Graham. In 1979, luck smiles at her. At one of the auditions for French disco artist Patrick Hernandez for his 1979 world tour, Madonna's dance really liked the producers and she was asked to sing something.

Madonna sang the simple song "Jingle Bells" and to the complete surprise of Madonna, who sang only in the school choir, was invited to Paris, where they wanted to make her "something like a dancing Edith Piaf." The artist finally left the Lang troupe and spent six months in France, Belgium and Tunisia. She was convinced of the prospects of a career as a singer, but 20-year-old Madonna by that time was passionate about punk rock, rebelled against producers and did not want to sing the proposed disco-pop material. Six months later, Madonna falls ill with pneumonia, and after recovering, she flies back to New York to “visit friends”, never returning to the French producers.

In New York, her boyfriend was waiting for her: by the time she met the producers, she had been in love with musician Dan Gilroy for two weeks. Gilroy had a huge impact on the transformation of Madonna Ciccone from a dancer into a musician: he taught him how to play drums and electric guitar. After daily drumming lessons to an Elvis Costello CD, Madonna becomes a good enough drummer and was accepted into Gilroy's group called the "Breakfast Club".

In 1981, Madonna left the group. Gilroy recalled:

She has a natural talent for playing percussion instruments and we offered her a good deal. One evening she wanted to try herself as a singer, we gave her a chance in one of our numbers, and soon it happened. She couldn't get rid of it anymore. By this time we already had two vocalists and we didn't need a third, so she left us. It was probably one of the smartest decisions she ever made.

And in the same year, Madonna creates the Emmy group in collaboration with her ex-boyfriend Stephen Bray, whom she hired to play drums when she was already a soloist. Together they record several dance compositions.

In 1981, Madonna Ciccone met Camilla Barbon, the owner of the Gotham recording studio. Soon Barbon offered to become the personal manager of the singer. Barbon rents more decent housing for the Madonna, appointing a salary, if necessary, provides material support. Camille Barbon tried to get Madonna a contract with the label.

This work does not bring results. Therefore, Madonna, leaving the company, decides on her own to ensure that the demo recording of her song gets to listen to the “right people”.

The choice of Madonna falls on the company "Dunsteria", which at that time was known for maintaining the traditions of entertainment establishments. "Dunsteria" was opened in 1981 by Rudolf - a famous impresario nightlife that time. The institution very quickly became famous and became fashionable. He was constantly talked about and written about.

Madonna begins to visit this institution, demonstrating excellent dance skills. One of the most fateful acquaintances in Madonna's life took place here.

Mark Kaminsa, the recognized king of DJs and aspiring producer, was the man who first played Madonna's record in Dunsteria. The enthusiasm that the audience came to convinced Mark that Madonna was a future star.

In 1982, with the help of the same Mark Kamins, Madonna recorded the single "Everybody". Cassette with new song Madonna, Mark takes Chris Blackwell, the executive director of Island records, but he refuses the singer.

Frustrated by the failure, Mark Kamins, through his friend Michael Rosenblatt, arranges for Madonna to meet the founder of Sire Records, Seymour Stein. This time the contract was signed immediately. (Madonna Ciccone becomes simply Madonna). Under the terms of the deal, Madonna receives a $5,000 advance, and for each song written, a royalty and a $1,000 publishing fee. President Seymour Stein and Rosenblatt were sure of Madonna's success, but not enough to go for broke and release an album right away. Rosenblatt developed a plan to promote Madonna through the release of dance singles.

Mark Kamins became the producer for Madonna's first single, it was his first experience. The result of their two-week work was a single, which, in their opinion, was supposed to elevate her to the top forty performers in the blink of an eye. But, after listening to what was considered a hit, Rosenblatt became depressed, Ain't No Big Deal didn't seem like that to him.

There was no time to re-record, so they went ahead and put Everybody on both sides of the single. They decided not to put a photo of Madonna on the cover, since many, listening to her songs, thought that she was a black woman. In this way, a wider audience could be attracted. Rosenblatt's extraordinary decision paid off handsomely. In a matter of weeks, Everybody had soared to the top of the dance music charts.

In 1983, the debut album called Madonna was released. The song "Holiday", presented on this disc, is a great success and enters the top twenty American singles, and the next year in top ten in Europe. In 2013, Rolling Stone named it one of the top 100 debut albums of all time. On this moment Madonna's album sold 10 million copies.

In 1984, the second album, Like a Virgin, was released. Which topped the US album chart. The album sold 26 million copies worldwide and eventually received a diamond certification in the United States.

Meanwhile, the singer's career is gaining momentum. The songs recorded by her invariably occupy the highest places in the ratings and charts.

Over the years of her musical activity, Madonna has successfully tried herself in various genres and directions, becoming the winner of many awards. Madonna is also the owner of numerous records, in particular, she surpassed Elvis Presley in the total number of hits in the top ten Billboard, and in this indicator became the second, second only to the Beatles.

Madonna's 2008-2009 Sticky and Sweet Tour is the highest-earning male and female solo artist of all time.

Being one of the most famous media people, Madonna received the nicknames of the material girl (after the title of an early song of the English Material Girl) and the queen of pop music (English Queen of Pop) from the English-language press. She is also known as the author of the English Roses series of children's books, a popularizer of yoga and Kabbalah, and an activist in many charitable and human rights organizations.

After the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, the singer transferred $ 250,000 to the victims' fund.

In addition, she is actively involved in the revival African Republic Malawi, where her adopted children are from. And the personal fortune of the Queen of Pop is estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars.

Madonna is very efficient - the singer practically does not rest. According to her, she begins to suffer from idleness already on the second day of her vacation. As a rule, she gets up at four in the morning, a mandatory run in the park, then a 45-minute yoga session and the traditional call to her guru from the London Kabbalah Center. After that, Madonna is ready to have breakfast with her children. After such a busy morning, an equally busy day follows - business calls, negotiations, meetings. From noon, work begins on texts and arrangements of songs or roles in films.

Personal life

Madonna's first husband was actor Sean Penn, whom she met on the set of the "MaterialGirl" video. It was love at first sight. Sean first saw Madonna when she came down the stairs in a satin flying dress. He was 24 and she was 26.

Madonna and Sean Penn

In the summer of 1985, on her own birthday, Madonna marries Sean Penn. However, the happiness of the newlyweds was short-lived. Soon Sean's pride began to hurt offensive nickname"Mr. Madonna" and the active interest of the press in their couple. Because of the aggressive behavior of "Mr. Madonna" in relation to journalists and his wife, they began to be called "evil Penns" in the press. For the jealous Penn, marriage to Madonna was a real torture. Not only did he have to fight off the annoying press all the time, but his wife also reserved the right to “go to the left”. But for Madonna, the relationship with the ambitious (and even drinking) Penn was a test. Penn wished to lock his wife at home.

Deeply in love, Madonna dutifully abandoned performances and a stage career. Penn fired all her bodyguards and began to accompany everywhere himself. Madonna could not stand this and returned to the stage. Penn resigned himself, and this was the beginning of the era of "Mr. Madonna", as the press dubbed him.

At the peak life together the couple starred in Shanghai Express, the film that was the biggest failure of Penn's career and one of the worst for Madonna.

The scandalous marriage cracked. What happened next shocked everyone: Penn turned into a tyrant. He began to beat his wife, mocked her, tied her up, threatening to disfigure her face with a lit cigarette. He demanded details of adultery - imaginary and real. As a result, Madonna wrote to the police a statement about rape and beating, attaching a divorce statement to it. Penn was threatened with a solid term, but the singer withdrew the lawsuit ...

However, Sean, according to the laws of the state of California, was entitled to half of his wife's fortune. But he did not claim the seventy million dollars earned by Madonna during the years of their life together.

At the end of 1988, after four years of marriage, they divorced.

Madonna with Warren Beatty

Immediately after the divorce from Sean, Madonna had a stormy romance with Warren Beatty, who was also an actor and a famous womanizer. By the way, Madonna began dating him while still married. But this union did not end in anything serious.

Later, Madonna became very close to Sandra Bernard, the famous comedian. The singer was even suspected of unconventional sexual orientation, but she strongly denied these rumors.

Madonna with Sandra Bernard

At 38, Madonna finally became a mother. Madonna made an offer to personal sports coach Carlos Leone to become the father of her child. She also asked him to take all the necessary tests and monitor his health. The result of this obscene proposal is the daughter of Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon. Madonna wanted her daughter to be baptized by the Pope himself, but was refused.

With Carlos Leone (left), daughter - Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon

Later, at Sting's party, she met Guy Ritchie, where Madonna mistook the English director Guy Ritchie for a nice guy from the outskirts of London. When the misunderstanding was resolved, Madonna was very embarrassed. This became the occasion for a closer acquaintance.

The celebration dedicated to the marriage took place on December 22, 2000 in one of the most beautiful castles in Scotland, Skibo.

With Guy Ricci (left), son Rocco (right)

Soon, in the best medical center in Los Angeles, Madonna becomes a mother for the second time - she gave birth to a boy, Rocco. (By the way, godfather of a child became Sting). In addition, the newlyweds also adopted a baby from a poor African family. However, this marriage did not last long. There were rumors that marriage to Madonna prevented Guy Ricci from creating film masterpieces. Be that as it may, it was Guy who insisted on a divorce, and in the fall of 2008 they divorced.

With Jesus Lucas. Daughter - Mercy James

Soon, Madonna begins a new romance - this time with a young fashion model from Brazil, Jesus Lucas. And in the summer of 2009, big family Madonna had a replenishment - the singer adopted a girl from Malawi, Mercy James.

About what role the heirs play for Madonna, her words say:

“The most important thing in life is children. It is in children's eyes that we can see the real world."

Madonna with eldest daughter Lourdes and two adopted children

Let's gossip

Madonna's passion for black men and women can be called truly fatal. In the mid-90s, the singer, as mentioned above, was actively looking for a father candidate for her child. The first of them was shocking basketball player Dennis Rodman. Tall, luxuriously built, Rodman seemed like the perfect father of an unborn child! But the lovers desperately did not match schedules. Madonna performed actively, and Rodman spent all his time on the basketball court. About the "fruitful work" on the offspring and in this case had to be forgotten.

with Dennis Rodman (left), Tupac Shakur (right)

Madonna dated rapper Tupac Shakur in 1996. A year before the murder of the black legend, he and Madonna began a short and stormy romance. But Tupac began to be reproached for dating a white, albeit outstanding, woman. In the end, they had to part.

Madonna with Naomi Campbell

There were rumors that in 1992 Madonna had an affair with ... Naomi Campbell! Girls were often seen together not only at official ceremonies, but also at parties. However, Madonna and Naomi Campbell claim that they are connected exclusively by long-term warm friendship.

Perhaps this is just a myth, but there are many more similar stories behind Madonna's shoulders ...

• Curious facts
• At the age of 10, the future sex revolutionary was going to become a nun. “I wanted to lead a righteous life. But the very idea of ​​the tonsure evoked ambivalent feelings in me. The more this story attracted me externally, the more it repelled me internally.
• Older brothers, Martin (who began living on the street in 2011) and Anthony, constantly beat and mocked Madonna as children. From a young age they took drugs. One of the brothers ran away from home and became a follower of the Moon sect.
• Madonna's mother was descended from Canadian French, and her father was Italian.
• With the advent big money Madonna became interested in acquiring expensive real estate and art objects. She is one of the top 100 art collectors in the United States. Madonna has a home in Miami and recently bought another one in Los Angeles, while also selling her “pink estate” in the Hollywood Hills. She owns a luxury apartment in New York worth over $7 million.
• Studying banking investments, accounts, Madonna always does herself, not trusting anyone. She also participates in all negotiations related to her career.

Madonna quotes:

They say good things don't last forever, and sooner or later it ends. These are the words of people who have achieved nothing in life.
Madonna never regrets anything: "I made mistakes, but I learned from them."
My fear of something usually means I have to do it.
I pulled myself up by the straps of my own bra.
I am my own experiment, and my own masterpiece.

All Quotes >>> Madonnas

• Studio albums
• Madonna (1983)
• Like a Virgin (1984)
• True Blue (1986)
• Like a Prayer (1989)
• Erotica (1992)
• Bedtime Stories (1994)
• Ray of Light (1998)
• Music (2000)
• American Life (2003)
• Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005)
• Hard Candy (2008)
• MDNA (2012)

Madonna (born 1958) is an American superstar, she is rightfully considered the queen of pop music, she has made an invaluable contribution to world culture. She is an eccentric and outrageous, stubborn, hardworking singer and talented actress.

How many children does Madonna have?

The singer Madonna has four children, two relatives are older children, and two younger adoptive ones. The second official ex-husband, the famous director Guy Ritchie, is firmly convinced that she is a very good mother, she loves her children, but brings them up in severity. They were forbidden to watch TV, and much attention is paid to reading, it is worth noting that Madonna herself successfully composed fairy tales. She respects the freedom of her children and gives them independence, for example, the eldest daughter - in creating her own. Despite numerous breaks with men, the children of a very busy Madonna always remained with her, in her family, and she firmly defended this right in court.

Madonna's own children

So at what age did Madonna give birth to her children? Lourdes Madonna gave birth to her first daughter in 1996, when she was 38 years old, from the Cuban athlete Carlos Leon, he was her boyfriend. Lourdes Leon is now an adult. She and her mother still practice the teachings of Kabbalah and are also partners in a common business - they are engaged in the production of their own clothing line.

In 1998, the singer met at a reception at Sting's with a British, talented and famous director Guy Ritchie. It was he who greatly influenced the personal life of Madonna and her future children, becoming her legal second and last spouse. Having moved to her husband, she led a domestic life with pleasure, got acquainted with a new country, its traditions. In 2000, baby Rocco was born. Currently, he is actively interested in breakdancing and even managed to perform as a dancer at a concert by Madona's mother.

In 2006, Madonna and Guy Ritchie had a black boy, David Gang, from African poor family in Malawi, he was only 13 months old. He loved his adoptive parents very much and was very worried about their divorce. Not so long ago, he had a meeting with his biological father, Johan Banda, and they even had a friendly conversation for about 3 hours.

The fourth child in Madonna's family was Mercy James. In 2009, she was taken away, along with David from a Malawi shelter. Her father James Kambeva sometimes reminds of himself. Now he wants to meet Mercy, then he asks for her photo. Madonna, on the other hand, refuses him constantly, since at present his paternity in relation to Mercy has not been proven.

madonna, full name– Madonna Louise Ciccone (born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, actress, director, and philanthropist. Considered the most successful singer, which had a significant impact on contemporary music. Her album sales exceed 300 million copies. Winner of many awards.

Childhood

She was born in Bay City, Michigan, USA. Madonna's mother was her full namesake, and was of Canadian descent. She mainly did housework. Silvio's father had Italian roots, was an outstanding automotive design engineer.

By seniority, the girl was the third of six children. She studied at a Catholic school, with the exception of high school. From an early age she loved to dance.

During her last pregnancy, Madonna's mother was diagnosed with a malignant breast tumor. Being very religious, she decides to bear the child and refuses treatment until the birth. Having given birth, she dies a few months later, at that time she was only 30 years old.

Two years later, my father married a maid. Despite the fact that the family did not live in poverty, the stepmother introduced an austerity regime on everything: she sewed clothes on her own and used only semi-finished products.

In high school, Madonna attended a regular school, where she got the opportunity to participate in amateur performances, school plays and musicals. She also did cheerleading. She was an outstanding student, for which her peers often disliked her, considering her a little strange. The modest girl also did not seek to make friends. In addition, at home she had to endure the antics of her older brothers who were addicted to drugs.

baby photo Madonnas

However, Madonna still had several close people. Among them are the poet W. Cooper, who studied with her at the same school, and her philosophy teacher. From her childhood, the singer took out a sharply negative attitude towards drug addiction and a peculiar one - towards God, who allowed the death of her mother. The turning point of his youth was the shocking dance performance of fourteen-year-old Madonna at a school party, after which her father put her daughter under house arrest. Her reputation as an exemplary excellent student is finally destroyed.

From the age of 15, the girl begins to study ballet. Her mentor, gay K. Flynn, had a great influence on Madonna. Together they attended exhibitions and concerts, as well as gay clubs. The appearance of the Madonna becomes sloppy and eccentric, and her behavior also changes. She made her first sexual experience public throughout the school. After graduating, she goes to the University of Michigan and learns to dance there, despite her father's desire to give her a medical or legal education.

The path to a career

The teachers were surprised by the endurance of Ciccone, she was described as a very capable student. However, after studying for a year and a half, she decides to leave for New York, where she hopes to get into the dance troupe of P. Lang. She succeeds, but her earnings do not allow her to rent a house. From malnutrition begins to weaken, and the dance director gets her a job as a restaurant cloakroom attendant. Later, Madonna becomes a model, and also poses in the nude genre.

Madonna in her youth

She then lived in a cheap criminal area, where she was once sexually assaulted. After that, he experiences depression, leaves the Lang troupe and attends dance auditions. On one of them, the Belgian producers of the singer P. Hernandez were noticed, who were able to appreciate not only the girl's dancing skills, but also her voice. Ciccone spends six months on a European tour of the singer, during which time he manages to endure pneumonia. She does not give in to the producer's persuasion to sing in the style of pop disco, preferring punk rock, and returns to America, where her abandoned boyfriend D. Gilroy is waiting for her.

Gilroy prepared Madonna as a musician: he taught her how to play several instruments and invited her as a drummer to his group. In 1980, she created her own team, which did not last long. Then he collects the rock group "Emmy", in which he acts as a performer own songs and guitarist. The financial situation continues to be disastrous.

A year later, Ciccone meets the owner of the recording studio K. Barbon, leaves the group and signs a contract with her. The new manager saw in her future star, she decides that Madonna should perform without an instrument, but with a dance. Over time, their relationship worsens.

80s

Together with an old friend S. Bray, Ciccone writes several dance compositions, the recording of which he gives to the DJ of one of the clubs, M. Kamins. He arranges for Madonna to negotiate with S. Stein, the owner of Sire Records. Since then, the singer has become just Madonna. At zero cost and no photo of the singer, her first single "Everybody" proved to be quite popular, and she begins work on the album.

Ciccone early in his career, 1983

The first disc is released under the name "Madonna" in 1983 and contains several hits. The former manager of Michael Jackson F. Demann begins to work with the singer. The second album is released in a year and becomes the leader in the American album chart. The composition "Like a Virgin" has become a hit for more than one decade. In 1985, Madonna went on her first domestic tour, after which the number of her fans grew rapidly.

Then the first scandals arise around her. Photos of the naked singer from the past are published, after which the press begins to accuse her of participating in adult films. Madonna coped with the attacks of ill-wishers and continued to work. A new successful album is released in 1986. The appearance of the singer changes to Hollywood style. Acted in films, but unsuccessfully.

In 1989, the next disc was released, already the second, produced by Madonna herself. Her performances turn into real shows, combining concert, theatrical elements, as well as ballet and video accompaniment. Becomes the object of new scandals, accused of plagiarism, anti-Semitism. At the same time, the singer's audience is expanding significantly, and they begin to compare her with Marilyn Monroe.

Blond Ambition World Tour (1990)

90s

In 1992, Madonna opens a company in the entertainment industry and calls it Maverick. A new disc "Erotica" is released. The singer is perceived as the personification of sin, blasphemy and vulgarity. He aggravates the situation with his participation in the D. Letterman show, allowing vulgar behavior on television.

The 1994 album becomes a Grammy nominee. Madonna's performance style is complemented by R'n'B elements. Gradually, the attitude towards the singer softens. Her participation in the 1996 film "Evita" was highly appreciated, for her role in the film she received the "Golden Globe". At the same time, Madonna is fond of Buddhism, Kabbalah and yoga. In 1998, an album was released showing her spiritual transformation. "Ray of light" wins a Grammy.

Madonna in the new century

The beginning of the new millennium is accompanied by the release of the album "Music", a motion picture with the singer in the title role "Best Friend" and her move to the UK. In 2003, the next disc "American life" was released, which became the most unsuccessful in the singer's career because of her pacifist attitude. Madonna is accused of lack of patriotism, and her songs are banned from some American radio stations. The popularity of the singer falls somewhat.

In 2003, she tries herself as a writer for children. Her illustrated book, Roses of England, was received quite warmly, but was immediately followed by new scandal after kissing Britney Spears during a performance. Madonna tried to disown allusions to unconventional orientation.

The 2005 album returns the singer to her former popularity. In 2008, the singer begins to work with young stars, releases the disc "Hard Candy". The same name is given to the network of fitness clubs opened by her in 2010. In addition, a clothing line for young people has been launched. The 2012 disc becomes even less successful than American life. However, the tour following the album is popular. In 2013, Madonna is named the highest paid singer. The release of the new album took place in 2015.

Madonna with her children

Personal life

There were many men in Madonna's life. She had relationships with L. Kravitz, W. Beatty, D. Rodman, E. Kiedis and others. She was married twice. The first husband was actor S. Penn. Family life passed under the vigilant attention of the press, was accompanied by scandals and beatings and lasted four years (1985-1989). In 1996, the singer gave birth to a daughter from her coach of Cuban origin K. Leon. She named the girl Lourdes.

In 1998, while visiting Sting, Madonna met her second husband, British director Guy Ritchie. Having become pregnant, she moved to London. In 2000, their son Rocco was born. After the wedding, the singer receives a new citizenship. The marriage lasted until 2008, the couple managed to adopt a boy from Malawi. In 2009, Madonna independently adopts a Malawian girl. Further, Madonna had affairs with men younger than her: fashion model H. Louis, dancer B. Zaibat. In 2015, information appeared in the press about the resumption of relations with her first husband.

Childhood

Madonna Louise Ciccone was born in 1958 in Michigan, USA. Her family was very pious, sometimes her mother's faith reached fanaticism, which caused many problems for the girl's father. Madonna never considered her name unusual, since her mother had the exact same name in the tradition of their family, so she was not surprised that she was not teased. The upbringing in Madonna's family was strict, despite the wealth that their entire family had, the girl's parents forced her to save literally on everything. Fresh food appeared in the house extremely rarely, the main part of the diet was frozen semi-finished products. Clothes in most cases were made by the stepmother independently.

First attempts to show their identity

The girl's father was a kind man, but because of his work he did not have time to pay due attention to all six children. The frequent struggle for her father's attention led Madonna to hate her brothers. Being drugged, they often mocked their sister in an attempt to attract the attention of their father. At school, Madonna found peace for herself only on the stage of the theater. She was a loner who preferred loneliness to noisy companies. Many considered her too unusual and it was difficult to accept the fact that she was good at everything. The turning point that decided the fate of Madonna was a school performance. Having painted her body with paints, the girl performed a dance to the song "Baba O'Riley". This event turned her whole world upside down, and broke the image of a diligent girl that had entrenched in her. The father, furious at this trick, punished Madonna, and the neighbors will remember this performance for more than one year.

University years

At the age of 15, the girl began attending ballet lessons. The mentor saw in Madonna the potential for something great and began to expand her horizons. Excellent grades and great memory contributed to the completion of school education as an external student. After receiving her diploma, Madonna applied to the University of Michigan for the Arts. Relations with his father deteriorated and communication ceased, he saw a different future for his brilliant daughter. Magnificent abilities were concluded not only in the mind of Madona, but also in her body. Incredible stamina allowed her to train several times longer than her classmates. Despite all her talent, the girl still lacked technicality and experience and she had to look for ways to stand out from the crowd otherwise.

In pursuit of a dream

In 1978, the girl leaves everything and goes to New York to do great things. Her goal was the team with which the famous choreographer Pearl Lang worked. Perseverance and skill allow Madonna to perform in her production in a few months. In order to provide for herself, the girl works as a cloakroom attendant in her spare time. Living on the pennies she receives from various part-time jobs, Madonna has to live in dangerous areas of New York. At the age of 20, when the girl was returning home, she was raped by a gang living nearby. Refusing to report to the police, the dancer continues to stubbornly pursue her dream. However, strong pressure after the stress experienced, leads to the fact that she loses faith in herself. Gradually, she begins to lose concentration in training and attend them less and less.

Discovery of singing talent

During one casting that she passed, the agents of a well-known company noticed her and invited her to sing "Jingle Bells". After much persuasion, she agreed and was quite surprised that she was praised. Madonna was offered to move to Paris where professionals would work on her and make her a star. The girl agreed and soon left the country. However, already in 1981, Madonna returned to the United States and met Camille Barbon. The woman saw the talent in the young lady and began to develop it. Madonna's new manager, Camilla, tried to do everything for her, including providing for her needs. At first, everything went well, but soon Barbon began to drink a lot and this affected her attitude towards the singer. Constant scandals, attacks of jealousy in public and incomprehensible mockery led to frequent quarrels. All this time, the singer is trying to promote her independent songs in secret from the drunkard Barbon.

First contract

She manages to find a DJ who is ready to help her sign a contract with a major record company. However, everything went downhill due to the poor health that Madonna was in due to poor living conditions. But the refusal did not stop the assertive girl, and soon she signed a contract with Sire Records.

In 1983 the first studio album Madonna. The album was received ambiguously by the public and its for a long time did not notice. However, the artist's talent and extraordinary ideas were hard to miss.

In 1984, another collection, Like a Virgin, was released. This material was considered more successful and it brings the first positions in the Billboard Hot 100 charts. The tour on the occasion of the successful release of the album takes place in many cities of the USA. At the beginning of the tour, Madonna was able to gather only 2 thousand spectators, by the end of her tour, the halls for more than 22 thousand people were filled in a few days. It would seem that everything was fine, but the difficult past returned at the most unexpected moment.

A series of failures

Shortly before the wedding with Sean Penn, the singer is at the epicenter of the scandal. The journalists got old photos of the naked singer. All this instantly takes on an incredible scope and the media begin to cover the singer with tons of false rumors.

In 1987, the artist was hospitalized with a head injury. During alcohol intoxication her husband hit the singer on the head with a baseball bat. As expected from the media, there will soon be a lot of articles on this topic. In one of them, there were speculations about sadomasochistic relationships in the family and the participation of the singer in porn shootings. However, the singer ignores all the gossip and soon everything subsides by itself.

In 1989, the singer was excommunicated from the church because of the video "Like a Prayer". If the church took this clip negatively, then the music industry was delighted with the masterpiece created by Madonna, calling it the future of musical art. In the same year, the singer divorced her husband, which led to her depression.

From the beginning of 1991 to 1994, the singer provokes many scandals, changing every day.

Return to the top

The stabilization of her mood occurred in 1994, after the release of the album "Bedtime Stories". The audience received the new compositions well, which raised them to a leading position in the world charts.

In 1996, the singer gave birth to a daughter - Lourdes Maria Ciccone-Leon, despite having a joint child, relations with Carlos Leone soon break up. 1998 gave Madonna's fans a new album, Ray of Light, which became the first in her work to receive only positive reviews from critics. First positions in the Billboard Hot 100 chart and national charts return Madonna to the top of popularity. For this album, the singer was awarded the Grammy Award for the first time, which was an incredible surprise for her.

Bold statements. Censorship in the USA

In 2000, Madonna marries Guy Ritchie, from whom she gave birth to a son.

In 2001, the singer staged a large-scale tour, which had to be interrupted due to the September 11 attacks. During the concert, she gave a speech in which she accused the US government of causing this violence. Such bold speeches led to a negative attitude from the government.

In 2003, the collection "American Life" was released, after the release of this album, the singer was accused of anti-patriotic views and banned from holding concerts. The thing is that in the video of one of the songs of this album, topics were raised that showed the ruling power of the United States from the worst side.

In 2005, the singer released a new album - "Confessions on a Dance Floor". Great shows and a world tour helped this collection to take the top lines of the charts. Released in 2008, "Hard Candy" does not cause a strong reaction from the listeners due to the simplicity of the songs.

Recent appearances

In 2010, the singer agrees to cooperate with the creators of the Glee series and transfers the rights to all her songs to them. In the same year, she opens a network of fitness clubs around the world and visits many of the countries personally. In the winter of 2014, shortly before the release of the Rebel Heart album, information was leaked and many of the songs ended up in open access. However, the singer did not lose her head and released the songs, as planned.

During the tour in 2015, the singer becomes the record holder for the amount of money collected during the tour, most of which she gives to charity. In 2016, the singer appears in the chamber performance Tears of a Clown.

In January 2017, the singer protested against Donald Trump, which caused a harsh reaction and many bans on his part. Now most of it public speaking canceled due to Trump scandal.

• According to the Guinness Book of Records, Madonna is the most commercially successful performer in the history of music, as well as the best-selling rock singer of the 20th century, namely Madonna.
• The singer actively professes Kabbalah. Religiosity, however, does not prevent her from shocking the audience with her appearance at concerts. Nevertheless, Madonna is so superstitious that she never accepts gifts from people she does not know from hand to hand.
• The sports singer is very anxious about her figure, spending many hours in the gym. Even now many young girls can envy her forms! Perhaps that is why she was cast as a fencing teacher in the James Bond film Die Another Day.
• She would like to live in Manhattan and share secrets with Demi Moore, but her reputation played a cruel joke on her. Madonna was unable to purchase the apartment she liked in Manhattan, in famous building San Remo, where Demi Moore lives, as the tenant committee did not approve her application. The residents decided that Madonna's fame would create too much trouble and noise for them.

Awards:

• Grammy Awards Best Long Form Music Video (1992)
• Grammy Awards Best Dance Recording (1999)
• "Guinness World Records" top-charting song in most countries (41) (2005)
• "Guinness World Records" The most successful album-selling singer of the 21st century in the UK. (2011)

Name: Madonna (Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone)

Age: 60 years

Height: 158

Activity: American singer, songwriter, producer, dancer, writer, actress, film director, screenwriter, entrepreneur, and philanthropist

Family status: divorced

Madonna: biography

Madonna is the Queen of Pop and one of the most valuable brands famous singer, songwriter and music producer. Madonna's songs and videos set the tone and direction for both the American and global music industry. Madonna's work is often at the center of scandals, the singer is not afraid to touch on sensitive topics social injustice, racial and sexual oppression.

In the list of awards and prizes, which in different time Madonna received several hundred different regalia. The singer was even included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Madonna has won more than thirty times in different nominations Billboard Music Awards. The singer has two Golden Globes - for the song "Masterpiece" and for the best actress in the musical "Evita". The singer has received all the music awards that you can only dream of. The name of the diva is on the Hollywood Walk of Fame - Madonna has a personal star there.

The full name of the singer is Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone. Madonna was born on August 16, 1958 in US state Michigan. She spent her childhood surrounded by five brothers and sisters. Her mother died when Madonna was only 5 years old, and her stepmother took care only of her own children. It was this “competition” from childhood, as the singer later tells, that gave birth to a dream in her - to become famous all over the world. But the birth of a star from little Veronica happened 9 years later.

Madonna Ciccone performed at the school talent competition, where she shocked all the teachers. For her number, where the girl sang from the stage in a top and shorts, painted with paints, her father put her under house arrest. Because of this bright show the reputation of the whole family in the city deteriorated noticeably, and unflattering inscriptions addressed to the Madonna began to appear on the fence next to the family's house.

After school, Madonna entered the University of Michigan with the hope of becoming an outstanding ballerina. From that moment on, her relationship with her father deteriorated even more. He saw the future of his daughter as a lawyer or a doctor. However, Madonna did not become a successful dancer, and soon the girl realized that she had to leave the provinces for her dream.

Madonna moved to New York, where she worked for a very long time only for food, living in a criminal area. In 1979, she auditioned for a backup dancer for a famous guest performer. Professionals noticed good potential in her and decided to make a dancing singer out of Madonna. Madonna herself did not like this at all. She was a zealous fan of punk rock and absolutely against any producers and showmen. The singer decided to assemble her own rock band, but the idea ended in failure.

Music

A full-fledged creative career of the pop diva began after meeting the founder of the Sire Records label, Seymour Stein, who saw a remarkable potential in the girl and immediately signed a contract with Madonna. After that, in 1983, the singer recorded her debut album "Madonna", which turned out to be a failure.

But the second album of the singer "Like a Virgin" instantly appeared at the top of the prestigious US charts, which glorified Madonna all over the world. Moreover, even today this album of the singer is considered the most successful in her homeland. In 1985, Madonna released her first video for the song "Material Girl".

In 1986, Madonna's third album "True Blue" was released, dedicated to her lover. It becomes the most commercially successful release of the singer, and the song "Live to Tell" becomes the most "gingerbread" single of the pop diva. The singer continues to present clips for songs. In 1986, a video was released for the song "La Isla Bonita" (La Isla Bonita), written in the genre of Latin American pop music.

In 1995, Madonna again thundered all over the world with the new song "You" ll See, after which critics no longer doubted the phenomenal talent of the singer.

In 1998, "the greatest pop masterpiece of the 90s" was released, as the music magazine "Rolling Stone" called the disc - the album "Ray of Light", the single from which called "Frozen" becomes a record leader in the prestigious charts. "Frozen" reached the second line of the main American chart "Billboard Hot 100", making Madonna the record holder for the number of songs that reached the second line of this top list. In the UK, the song finished at number one on the national chart.

After the release of this album, Madonna again won the title of a progressive musician. The album received four Grammys at once, including the award for Best Pop Album. Four tracks from the new disc become indisputable hits: the title track of the disc "Ray of light", as well as the compositions "The Power Of Good-Bye", "Drowned World/Substitute for Love", "Nothing Really Matters".

The video for the song "Ray of light" also did not go unnoticed by fans and music critics. The video won six MTV Video Music Awards. But performances in support of the new album become the cause of the scandal. Madonna performed songs in an Indian outfit with a dot on her forehead. The singer positioned such an appearance as devotion to God, but religious organizations considered the outfit of the Madonna blasphemous.

In 1999, the singer received another Grammy for the song "Beautuful Stranger", the soundtrack to the film "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me".

In 2000, Madonna released her eighth studio album, entitled "Music". This album was the first time the singer used a vocoder. The album took first place in the top ratings in the US and the UK. The video for the single "What It Feels Like for a Girl" was filmed from this album. The video was banned from MTV and VH1 because of its violent scenes.

In 2001, the singer went on her first tour after an eight-year hiatus, the Drowned World Tour. The tour is distinguished by a dark dramaturgy, as well as the fact that the singer for the first time began to independently accompany the songs on the guitar.

In 2003, the singer released a new album "American life", recorded in the concept of minimalism. The album becomes a flop. Critics attribute it to main theme records - debunking american dream- and underlined pacifism.

That same year, Madonna made her debut as a writer with English Roses, a children's picture book that topped The New York Times bestseller list.

The fame of the singer as a children's writer was immediately overshadowed by a scandal. At the MTV ceremony, a famous incident occurred - a kiss with, after which reproaches flew towards Madonna for promoting lesbianism. The singer justified the kiss in a stage way: the artist performed in the suit of the groom, and Britney Spears in the dresses of the brides.

In 2005, with the release of the single "Hung Up", the title of queen of the dance floor was also attached to the singer. This is facilitated by incendiary performances and music videos of the performer. In the same year, the singer released a new album "Confessions on a Dance Floor".

The performances of the singer with the songs of the album again caused a religious scandal. The Madonna sang in image on a mirrored cross, surrounded by images of the suffering children of Africa. During Madonna's world tour, the Russian Orthodox Church called for a boycott of the singer's concert in Moscow.

In 2012, Madonna's song "Masterpiece" from the movie "We. Believe in Love" receives the Golden Globe and immediately hits the top positions of the charts.

In 2014, an Israeli hacker hacked into the singer's computer and leaked to the Web four dozen songs recorded while working on a new album. A couple of days after the leak, the thirteenth album was officially announced. Madonna's 13th studio album, Rebel Heart, was released in 2015. New album received positive reviews from music critics, in the US and the UK, the disc reached second place in the charts.

In 2015-2016, Madonna held a tour in support of the new album. The singer gave 82 concerts and earned $ 170 million. Together with other concerts, this tour made Madonna the record holder for the amount earned from ticket sales - the singer earned $ 1.3 billion from concerts over her entire creative biography.

Movies

Madonna's acting career was less successful than that of a singer. Nevertheless, Madonna's filmography includes about 20 paintings, many of which, however, were completely defeated by critics.

In 1990, the documentary "In Bed with Madonna" was released, which shows the backstage life of the singer.

In 1996, Madonna performed leading role controversial wife of the President of Argentina, Eva Peron, in the film adaptation of the musical Evita by Andrew Lloyd-Webber. For this role, the singer even began to take additional vocal lessons, which had a beneficial effect on musical career Madonnas. On the record, a collection of songs from the musical, the singer for the first time demonstrates mastery of the upper register and singing with the diaphragm.

The film received positive reviews from film critics and original musical author Andrew Lloyd-Webber. The musical also won an Academy Award for the song "You Must Love Me", which Madonna performed especially for the film. In addition, the singer received the Golden Globe in the nomination "Best female role comedy or musical", and the song "Don" t Cry For Me Argentina "became a hit in the UK Singles Chart and Billboard Hot 100 ratings.

In 2000, Madonna plays a major role in the film "Best Friend". Especially for the film, the singer recorded the song "Time Stood Still" and the cover song "American Pie".

In 2004, a second documentary about Madonna, I'm Going to Tell You a Secret, appears.

The sensational press positioned Madonna as a porn star, but all the pictures with the singer were far from pornography, nevertheless, the skeptical attitude of society towards the singer did not soften from this. You can see Madonna in the films "Visual Search", "Desperate Search for Susan", "Dick Tracy", "Their own league". last movie Madonna's career was the picture "Swept Away", which received disastrous criticism, which is why it was not even released to cinemas.

In addition to acting in films, Madonna is actively involved in directing and releases several films that have become quite successful in the world of big cinema. She wrote scripts for the films "Dirt and Wisdom", "We. Believe in Love", etc. In 2014, the singer acquired the rights to the film adaptation of the bestseller "Hell. A Love Story", on which work has already begun.

Personal life

Madonna's personal life is worthy of attention. Great Marge - as her fans called her - did not skimp on the choice of men at all and was not shy about publicity in this intimate matter. The pop icon created a sexual revolution all over the world with her creativity. The sexual revolution in the life of Madonna herself came down to relationships with many men. After settling in New York, the twenty-year-old dancer entered into a relationship with renowned producer John Benitez. It was he who helped the singer to her feet. With his help, Madonna found many profitable acquaintances; Benitez himself, being a DJ, played her songs at discos.

Later, Madonna had an affair with the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. But the artist, like many of her favorites, soon turned out to be uninteresting to her. And here is one of the most famous star marriages- between the famous Madonna and actor Sean Penn - lasted for four whole years. The actor was even nicknamed "Mr. Madonna".

After the divorce, the singer started a whole series of short-term novels, and none of them were successful. Loud romance with, and then with RHCP soloist Anthony Kiedis, too, were just stories under a bright sign. Madonna's first child came from an affair with Latin American Carlos Leon, who worked as a fitness trainer: in 1996, Madonna gave birth to a daughter, Lourdes Maria Ciccone-Leon. Shortly after the birth of her daughter, the singer broke up with Carlos.

The breakup brought Madonna criticism from social associations for protection complete family. In addition, detractors accused the artist of Madonna speculating on the topic of family and childhood and became pregnant only for PR purposes.

During this period, the singer also became interested in yoga, Buddhism and Kabbalah. Madonna considers the last teaching not religious, but scientific, linking science and spirituality.

A record-breaking relationship for the great Marge - longer than eight years - was a success with British director Guy Ritchie. In 2000, the couple had a son, Rocco. After marrying Ritchie, the baronet's stepson, Madonna joined the ranks of the British aristocracy. Shortly thereafter, the singer took and British citizenship.

After that, fans noticed the singer made a British accent. This caused dissatisfaction with the Americans and the irony of the British, and the term "Madonna syndrome" came into use.

The singer began to lead the life of a British aristocrat: drinking ale, going pheasant hunting and horseback riding. In 2005, new habits turned into a tragedy - Madonna was thrown off by a horse. The woman suffered broken ribs and other injuries.

In addition to raising two of her own children, Madonna adopted two adopted children - Mercy James and David Banda. The singer's new children also caused a scandal, which was called the "child sale case", since at that time in Malawi, where Mercy and David are from, it was forbidden to give children up for adoption to foreigners.

In 2008, the singer announced a divorce.

The last "toy" of Madonna is the dancer of her own ballet Brahim Zaibat. They say he even made the queen of the pop scene.

According to media reports, Madonna is currently suing ex-husband Guy Ritchie for their 15-year-old son. It is known that Rocco lives with his father and does not intend to return to his mother at the moment. The last trial took place in March 2016, but the parties did not reach an agreement.

Madonna now

In March 2016, Madonna suddenly changed the format of the concerts for the fans and performed with the chamber program Tears of a Clown in Sydney. The name corresponded to the content of the performance: 40 minutes of Madonna in a clown costume interspersed the performance of songs with jokes, anecdotes and classic clown numbers. According to the singer, this performance was still "raw".

The second time Madonna demonstrated the Tears of a Clown program was in December of the same year in Miami. The singer raised $ 7.5 million, which Madonna sent to charity - to build a children's hospital in Malawi.

On January 21, 2017, the singer performed at a mass protest against, called the "Women's March". Madonna with the new president of America since the 90s. In an anti-presidential speech, the singer twice used obscene language, and in the songs "Express Yourself" and "Human Nature" that followed, Madonna replaced the lines with curses in the direction of Trump.

Because of the obscene statements of the singer, American TV channels stopped the broadcast of the protest. Subsequently, critics accused Madonna of anti-American and anti-patriotic remarks. Supporters also disapproved of the singer's words, which discredited the march in the eyes of the audience.

In February 2017, Madonna - four-year-old twin girls from Malawi named Stella and Esther. Adopted daughters became frequent heroines Instagram» singers. Madonna uploads photos and videos of the twins playing with other children, showing new fashionable outfits and just cuddling with the new mom. The singer does not post footage from performances and promo shots so often, making the page more personal than working. Madonna's account has been verified, and 9.7 million people are watching the updates.

The hype among fans was caused by a photo of Madonna without makeup. Fans were upset to see that the singer is still getting old. At the same time, Madonna keeps herself in shape, plays sports and tries to keep her weight within 55 kg. The figure of the singer is close to the popular beauty standard 90-60-90 with a height of 158 cm.

Discography

• Madonna
• "Like a Virgin"
• "True Blue"
• "Like a Prayer"
• Erotica
• "Bedtime Stories"
• Ray of Light
• "Music"
• "American Life"
• "Confessions on a Dance Floor"
• "Hard Candy"
• "MDNA"
• Rebel Heart