Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone was born in Bay City, Michigan, on the 16th of August 1958. Her mother died of breast cancer when Madonna was five years old on the 1st of December 1963. This loss shaped her childhood in the Detroit suburbs of Pontiac and Avon Township. She attended Catholic elementary schools where she earned high grades for every A she received. Her father gave her a quarter for each top mark to encourage her academic success. Madonna performed cartwheels and handstands in school hallways between classes. She hung upside down from monkey bars during recess time. The young girl lifted her skirt in class to amuse boys around her. She described herself as a lonely girl searching for something more than what she had. Her father enrolled her in classical piano lessons initially. She persuaded him to let her study ballet instead. Christopher Flynn became her ballet teacher who inspired her to pursue dance professionally.
In 1978, Madonna left college and moved to New York City with thirty-five dollars in her pocket. She called this decision the bravest thing she ever did. It was the first time she flew on a plane or took a taxi alone. She settled in the Alphabet City area of the East Village neighborhood. Madonna supported herself working various jobs including as a hatcheck girl at the Russian Tea Room. She worked as an elevator operator at Terrace on the Park building. She joined modern dance troupes performing in clubs throughout Manhattan. Madonna took classes at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. She performed with the Pearl Lang Dance Theater group. She studied under dancer and choreographer Martha Graham. One night while returning from rehearsal two men held her at knifepoint. They forced her to perform fellatio against her will. She later found the incident to be a taste of her weakness. It showed her that she still could not save herself despite all the strong-girl show. She could never forget what happened that dark evening.
Madonna gained further exposure with performances on American Bandstand and Top of the Pops in January 1984. Her second studio album Like a Virgin released on the 12th of November 1984 became her first number-one album globally. Within the United States the album remained atop the Billboard 200 for three weeks straight. It is the first album by a woman to sell over five million copies domestically. The title track Like a Virgin topped the chart for six consecutive weeks. Conservative organizations complained that the song promoted premarital sex publicly. Moralists sought to have the song and video banned entirely from radio play. Madonna had already attracted significant media attention for her performance at the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. Dressed in a wedding gown and white gloves she appeared atop a large wedding cake. She moved across the stage in a provocative manner during the live broadcast. MTV News later described this performance as one of the most iconic moments in pop music history. The album sold over twenty-one million copies worldwide making it one of the best-selling records ever created.
In October 1992 Madonna published her coffee table book Sex just one day after releasing Erotica. The book featured sexually provocative images photographed by Steven Meisel. A Washington Post writer called it an oversized overpriced boring coffee table book of hardcore sexual fantasies. The widespread backlash overshadowed Erotica which became her lowest-selling album at that time. It debuted and peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart. Two singles from the record reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. During this period Madonna was in a relationship with rapper Vanilla Ice whom she proposed to marry. The pair separated following the release of Sex with claims he had been included without consent. Madonna extended her provocative themes in the 1993 erotic thriller Body of Evidence featuring sadomasochism scenes. Critics received the film poorly despite its commercial success. In September 1993 she played an abused wife in Dangerous Game though reviewers met her performance negatively. She launched the Girlie Show tour appearing as a whip-cracking dominatrix alongside topless dancers. Her highly publicized appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman in March 1994 required broadcast censorship for profanity used.
After giving birth to Lourdes Madonna developed interest in Eastern mysticism introduced by actress Sandra Bernhard. Her seventh studio album Ray of Light reflected this change in perception and image publicly. She collaborated with electronic music producer William Orbit creating fusion dance pop and British rock styles. Music critic Ann Powers said Madonna sought lushness rather than party-oriented sounds of nineties techno. Ray of Light released on the 22nd of February 1998 to acclaim from critics worldwide. Slant magazine deemed it one of the great pop masterpieces of the 1990s decade. Los Angeles Times Robert Hilburn called it her most satisfying record ever made. The album debuted at number one in seventeen countries globally including the United States. It opened at number two on the Billboard 200 yielding highest first-week sales for a woman at that time. At the forty-first Annual Grammy Awards Madonna won four awards including Best Pop Album for Ray of Light. In 1998 she established the Ray of Light Foundation supporting women education global development and humanitarian aid efforts.
In April 1992 Madonna established the entertainment company Maverick as a joint partnership with Time Warner. The venture provided her with sixty million dollars advance plus twenty percent royalty rate highest in industry. Maverick became one of most successful artist-run labels signing multi-platinum acts like Alanis Morissette. Later in 1992 she co-sponsored first museum retrospective of former partner Jean-Michel Basquiat at Whitney Museum. During production of Evita Madonna experienced illness related to pregnancy demands of filming. Her portrayal earned Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. On the 14th of October 1996 she gave birth to daughter Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon with fitness trainer Carlos Leon. Madonna fulfilled significant personal goals triumphing on screen while achieving dream of having child same year. She launched Hard Candy Fitness chain in October 2010 introducing second lifestyle brand Truth or Dare November 2011. Madonna founded Raising Malawi helping fund orphanage in country adopting boy named David Banda in 2006.
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Common questions
When and where was Madonna born?
Madonna Louise Ciccone was born in Bay City, Michigan on the 16th of August 1958. Her mother died of breast cancer when Madonna was five years old on the 1st of December 1963.
What happened to Madonna during her time in New York City in 1978?
Madonna moved to New York City with thirty-five dollars in her pocket and settled in the Alphabet City area of the East Village neighborhood. She worked various jobs including as a hatcheck girl at the Russian Tea Room and an elevator operator at Terrace on the Park building before joining modern dance troupes performing in clubs throughout Manhattan.
How did Like a Virgin perform commercially and critically upon release?
Like a Virgin released on the 12th of November 1984 became her first number-one album globally and remained atop the Billboard 200 for three weeks straight. The album sold over twenty-one million copies worldwide making it one of the best-selling records ever created while the title track topped the chart for six consecutive weeks.
Why did the Sex book cause controversy in October 1992?
The book featured sexually provocative images photographed by Steven Meisel which led a Washington Post writer to call it an oversized overpriced boring coffee table book of hardcore sexual fantasies. The widespread backlash overshadowed Erotica which became her lowest-selling album at that time despite two singles from the record reaching the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100.
What awards did Ray of Light win and when was it released?
Ray of Light released on the 22nd of February 1998 won four Grammy Awards including Best Pop Album at the forty-first Annual Grammy Awards. The album debuted at number one in seventeen countries globally including the United States and opened at number two on the Billboard 200 yielding highest first-week sales for a woman at that time.