Madonna's birth year. Madonna is one of the most influential women of the 20th century

Madonna is the queen of pop music and one of the most valuable brands, a famous singer, songwriter and music producer. Madonna's songs and videos set the tone and direction of both the American and global music industries. The performer's work often finds itself at the center of scandals; she is not afraid to touch upon sensitive topics of social injustice, racial and sexual oppression.

Childhood and youth

The singer's real name is Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone. She was born under the zodiac sign Leo on August 16, 1958 in the American state of Michigan. She spent her childhood surrounded by five brothers and sisters. Her mother died when Madonna was 5 years old, and her stepmother cared only about her own children. It was precisely this “competition” from childhood, as the singer would later tell, that gave birth to her dream of becoming famous throughout the world.

Nine years later, Madonna Ciccone performed at a school talent competition, where she shocked all the teachers. For the number where the girl sang from the stage in a top and shorts, decorated with paints, her father put her under house arrest.

After school, Madonna entered the University of Michigan with the hope of becoming an outstanding ballerina; at that time she did not even think about music. She did not become a successful dancer, and soon the girl realized that she needed to leave the province to pursue her dream.

Madonna moved to New York, where for a very long time she worked only for food, living in a crime-ridden area. In 1979, she auditioned to be a backup dancer for a famous touring performer. Professionals noticed good potential in her and decided to make Madonna a dancing singer.

Music

The pop diva’s full-fledged creative biography began in 1983 with the recording of Madonna’s debut album, which reached number 8 on the Billboard 200 chart. The second disc, Like a Virgin, instantly reached the top of the prestigious US charts, which made Madonna famous throughout the world. In 1985, Madonna released her famous video for the hit Material Girl.

Following this, a series of successful releases by the artist began, including the album True Blue, the single Live to Tell, and the video clip for the composition La Isla Bonita, written in the genre of Latin American pop music.

In 1998, “the greatest pop masterpiece of the 90s,” as the music magazine Rolling Stone called the record, was released - the album Ray of Light, the single from which, called Frozen, became a record-breaking leading position in the prestigious charts.

In 2000, Madonna released her next studio album, called Music. In it, the singer used a vocoder for the first time. The album took first place in the top ratings of the USA and Great Britain.

In 2003, Madonna made her debut as a writer with the children's picture book English Roses, which topped The New York Times bestseller list.

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

In 2005, with the release of the single Hung Up, the singer was also awarded the title of queen of the dance floor. This is facilitated by the performer’s incendiary performances and music videos.

The pop diva used her ability to shock the public throughout her entire creative career. The singer appeared at concerts and in videos in Indian attire, in the form of a crucified and even crying clown. In 2017, Madonna allowed herself a provocative speech at the Women's March protest with words of insult directed at her. Each such appearance of a star ended in a scandal or dissatisfied comments from religious, public or political organizations.

Movies

Madonna's acting career was less successful than her singing career. Nevertheless, Madonna's filmography includes about 20 films, many of which, however, were completely destroyed by critics.

The singer first appeared on the big screen in her youth. In 1990, the premiere of the documentary film “In Bed with Madonna” about the behind-the-scenes life of the star took place.

In 1996, Madonna played the leading role of the controversial wife of the Argentine President Eva Peron in the film adaptation of the musical Evita. The film received positive reviews from film critics and the author of the original musical. The film also won an Oscar for the song You Must Love Me, which Madonna performed especially for the film.

In 2004, the second documentary about Madonna appeared, I’m Going to Tell You a Secret. The last project in her career was the film “Swept Away,” which received disastrous criticism, which is why it was not even released into theaters.

Personal life

Madonna's personal life is worthy of attention. Having settled in New York, the 20-year-old dancer entered into a relationship with famous producer John Benitez. Later, Madonna began an affair with the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.

But he, like many favorites, soon turned out to be uninteresting to her. But one of the most famous star marriages - between the famous Madonna and the actor - lasted 4 years. The actor was even nicknamed Mr. Madonna.

After the divorce, the singer began a series of short-term affairs, and none of them were successful. High-profile romances with, and then with lead singer Anthony Kiedis, were also only stories under a bright sign. Madonna's first child was the result of an affair with Latino Carlos Leon, who worked as a fitness trainer: in 1996, Madonna gave birth to a daughter, Lourdes Maria Ciccone-Leon. Soon after the birth of her daughter, the singer broke up with Carlos.

A record-breaking relationship for a celebrity - longer than 8 years - lasted with the British production director. In 2000, the couple had a son, Rocco. After her wedding to Ritchie, the baronet's stepson, Madonna joined the ranks of the British aristocracy. Soon after this, the singer accepted British citizenship.

In addition to raising two natural children, Madonna adopted adopted children - Mercy James and David Banda. In 2008, the singer announced a divorce from her husband. Madonna's latest passion is her own ballet dancer Brahim Zaibat. They say he even proposed to the queen of the pop scene.

Since 2017, the artist has lived permanently in Lisbon. Here her adopted son David Banda attends football school.

In February 2017, Madonna gave birth to 4-year-old twin girls from Malawi named Stella and Esther. Reception " Instagram» singers. She posts photos and videos of girls playing with other children.

A photo of Madonna without makeup caused a stir among fans. Fans were upset to see that the singer was still aging. At the same time, she keeps herself in shape, plays sports and tries to keep her weight within 55 kg, as can be judged by the pictures of the artist in a swimsuit. The singer's figure is close to the popular beauty standard 90-60-90 with a height of 158 cm.

Madonna now

Now the discography of the queen of pop music continues to be replenished with new works, and the tour schedule continues to be replenished with new geographical names.

Often the price of success is so high that on the way to it you have to sacrifice almost everything and lose the most valuable thing. Madonna's biography is an example of how not to deviate from your goals and leave your opponents behind.

Madonna was born on August 16, 1958 in a family where, in addition to her, there were 4 older brothers. Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone - the singer's real name - completely repeats the name of her mother. The girl was raised in a religious family, but she was never an ideal daughter - on the contrary, she was considered strange and uncontrollable.

The future singer lost her mother very early, who died of breast cancer at the age of 30, a couple of months after the birth of another child. This was a big blow for the girl, and for a long time, already as an adult, the singer fell into hypochondria, as she was sure that she had the same disease.

It became difficult for my father to cope with family difficulties, and two years later he married for the second time. Madonna immediately disliked her stepmother, because she could not forgive her father for letting another woman into his heart. In addition, she was jealous of his half-brothers and sisters, believing that they received more attention.

Despite the fact that the girl studied very well, she was unable to build friendly relations with her classmates: they were jealous of her academic performance and considered her an “alien.” After all, the future world star could not hide his shocking character.

To prove her originality, at a school talent competition, 14-year-old Madonna Ciccone shocked everyone: she sang a song, appearing on stage in a revealing top and short shorts, her face painted with bright makeup. This event seriously affected the reputation of the future star and her Catholic family. The schoolgirl was put under house arrest, and insulting inscriptions addressed to Madonna often began to appear on the door.

At the age of 15, the singer begins to seriously engage in ballroom dancing. After graduating from school in 1976, she entered university to continue her dance education. This caused a serious scandal between Madonna and her father and further deteriorated their relationship, because his dreams of seeing his daughter as a lawyer collapsed. After studying for only six months, the girl realizes that she will not achieve world heights in the provinces, and decides to leave for New York.

Music career

A young girl arrived in the city of contrasts with a small budget (only $40), a small suitcase, extraordinary creativity and a great desire to become a dance queen. She lived in a crime-ridden area, often worked only for food, and even posed for photographers as a nude model (later these photographs would “pop up” and end up on the pages of Playboy magazine).

Soon Madonna begins going to auditions for musicals. In one of them, she grabs luck by the tail and ends up in the troupe of artist Patrick Hernandez. While working there, the girl often hums different melodies. One day the directors notice this and ask her to perform a simple song. She sang “Jingle bells” and was right: she was invited to Paris to make her a vocal star. True, Madonna did not like this idea and, after working for only a short time, she returned back to New York.

Soon she meets Seymour Stein, founder of the Sire Records label, who saw great opportunities in Madonna and signed a long-term contract with her. The first album was a success and 30 years later was even recognized as the best debut album in America. The track “Holiday” rose to the top of all US music charts and entered the top 20 best singles in America.

The second album, which was recorded in 1984, was awarded a diamond certificate. The singer becomes the queen of the world stage. Almost all of her tracks take first place in the charts.

In total, Madonna released 13 studio albums, 8 of them occupied the top line in the US charts, namely:

• 1984 – “Like a Virgin” (1st place).
• 1986 – “True Blue” (1st place).
• 1989 – “Like a Player” (1st place).
• 2000 – “Music” (1st place).
• 2003 – “American Life” (1st place).
• 2005 – “Confessions on Dance Floor” (1st place).
• 2008 – “Hard Candy” (1st place).
• 2012 – “MDNA” (1st place).

Over the years of her musical career, the singer tried herself in many styles and directions. She is not afraid to be shocking and unlike anyone else. The artist’s costumes and dresses surprise the viewer with their unusualness and extravagance. Singer Madonna was never afraid to appear to her fans as a being “not of this world”; they loved their idol for this sincerity.

The star's acting career was less successful than her musical one. In total, there are more than 20 films with Madonna, but most of them were not even released. Here are some facts:

• In the early 90s, a documentary film was released about the singer’s life.
• Four years later, she played the main role in the filmed musical “Evita”.
• In 2000, the actress received a role in the film “Best Friend.”
• In 2004, a second documentary about the singer appeared on the screens.
• In 2015, she tried her hand as a director.

Madonna's personal life

Madonna in her youth was not deprived of male attention, and she was not at all embarrassed to demonstrate her intimate life in public. The singer had many affairs, about which there were various rumors.

The first man in the singer's life was actor Sean Penn. This love arose very beautifully: the young man saw his future wife descending the stairs in a beautiful long dress. In 1985, Madonna and Sean Penn exchanged rings and became husband and wife. But their union did not last long.

After that, the singer had affairs with many famous and respectable men from the sphere of show business: among them, for example, Lenny Kravitz, Anthony Kids. All this continued until she fell in love with her fitness trainer Carlos Leon, whom she offered to become a father. Madonna asked her lover to get tested and lead a healthy lifestyle for the birth of a healthy child. Soon their daughter Lourdes Maria Ciccone-Leon was born (at that time the singer was 38 years old).

The next relationship - with director Guy Ritchie - began unusually romantically. At first, Madonna mistook her future husband for an ordinary provincial boy. But soon all the cards were revealed, and the singer could not resist the advances of the young director. Their wedding took place in December 2000.

Madonna and Guy Ritchie lived together for 8 years. The fruit of their love was a son named Rocco, and an adopted boy from an African family also appeared in the family. Soon, Madonna adopted another girl, Mercy Jame, and in 2017, two African twins: Stella and Esther. This became known after the singer shared photos with children on social networks, in which she hugged her daughters.

Madonna's children are the main pride and joy in the singer's life. Thanks to them, the singer even tried herself as a writer and published the children's book “English Roses” in 2004. Madonna's eldest daughter Lourdes decided to follow in her mother's footsteps and, at the age of 19, is already the media face of various advertising companies.

In 2013, the star began an affair with basketball player Denis Rodman. Madonna wanted to give him a son, but this did not happen, and their union soon collapsed.

Today, every person in the world knows the name of Madonna; her image is an icon of pop music, the personification of sexuality, outrageousness and creative originality.

How old is Madonna and how does she manage to look so young? This is the question everyone asks when they see the star’s chiseled figure and her energetic dances during performances. Any girl can envy her external beauty - with a small height of 164 cm, the singer’s parameters are ideal: 90-60-90. The personal account of the queen of pop music on Instagram contains many photographs that give fans the opportunity to see their favorite in different images and settings. Author: Anastasia Kaykova

The show business star Madonna is known all over the world. During her almost 40-year career, she released many hits and became the founder of a special trend in musical culture. Her provocative style is copied, criticized, enthusiastically praised, but not forgotten. She leaves no one indifferent. At the same time, Madonna’s full, real name is known only to her loyal fans. She was able to make her pseudonym a brand that no longer stands for just a person, but an entire social phenomenon.

early years

The future pop star was born on August 16, 1958 in Michigan into a large family; she was the 3rd child out of six. The girl's mother was of French-Canadian origin, her father was Italian. This is probably where Madonna’s fiery temperament originates. After graduating from school, the girl entered the University of Michigan, to the choreography department; she studied dancing and ballet for many years. At that time, Madonna’s real name, inherited from her mother, was completely unknown, and the girl dreamed of fame. In 1978, she moved to New York and enrolled in a dance class with the famous Alvin Ailey. She works part-time as a model, sings in different groups, and her creative potential is bursting to the surface.

The beginning of a musical career

Together with a group of New York musicians, Madonna creates the Emmy group, which writes and performs fashionable music for discos and nightclubs. Producers pay attention to the group and the soloist. And in 1982, Madonna signed a contract with the Sire Records label and released her debut single, Everybody. The singer's first album appears the following year, and the song Holiday enters the American and European charts. From the very beginning of her career, Madonna impressed with her energy, original stage performances and striking appearance.

Nickname

Even after she started dancing, Madonna started thinking about a stage name. From her parents she received a sonorous and complex name - Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone and therefore she had plenty to choose from for a pseudonym. She settled on the first part of her real name, especially since the name Madonna was memorable and, combined with the appearance and behavior of the singer, provocative. And it was precisely on shockingness that the aspiring performer relied. From her first steps on stage, Madonna, whose hits were still ahead, worked under her shortened name and made it famous in a few years.

Creative path

Already the first album made Madonna popular. The singer worked a lot, always thought out the set design and choreography of her performances to the smallest detail, and worked on her appearance. A natural brunette with appetizing curves, she found herself dressed as a blonde with bright makeup and sexy outfits.

From the very beginning of her career, the singer worked very hard, she changed several producers and labels, persistently striving to the top. The first Madonna album, despite the fact that it entered the charts, was still a common occurrence in pop music. But the 1984 album Like a Virgin was a real event. It sold millions of copies.

Madonna's real name no longer mattered; she became a star, and everyone knew her by her stage name. In 1990, the singer made her first world tour, which was accompanied by resounding success. Madonna not only performs fashionable songs, she sets a new standard for shows; her concerts are a whole performance, with a lot of costumes, scenery, and dancers.

At the end of the 90s, a real rain of awards poured down on Madonna, she received all possible music prizes, her records sold millions of copies, tickets for concerts anywhere in the world were sold out in a few hours.

Her stage path was often associated with scandals and provocations; the star always fueled her special image with various antics on stage and off. But she is also constantly in musical search; Madonna’s compositions are always the most advanced edge of pop music.

To date, the singer has released 13 albums, created 10 concert programs, with which she has traveled around the globe several times. Madonna, whose age is increasingly becoming the subject of discussion in the media and gossip, is not going to give up her position, despite the younger generations of competitors.

Outstanding Works

During her life, Madonna, whose hits have repeatedly gone multi-platinum, has released hundreds of songs. Experts and fans argue a lot about her creative heritage and which works are considered the best. Her most famous songs were:

• Material Girl. A real calling card of the singer, which defined her style for many years, this song with a wonderful video a la Marilyn Monroe is a classic of world pop music.
• Cherish. The 1988 song and the black-and-white video for it became a certain milestone for Madonna, in which she appeared in the image of an ordinary American girl.
• Vogue. The perfect 80s dance song, with a wonderful video from David Fincher, was Madonna's first step into the 90s.
• Rain. An elegant and sophisticated song from the provocative album Erotica, it became one of the best “slow” songs of the decade. And Mark Romanek's magnificent video marked the beginning of a new video aesthetic in the 90s.
• Hung Up. The song from the early 2000s was further proof that Madonna is the queen of the dance-pop scene. The fiery melody and bright vocals made the composition a hit in discos all over the world.
• Frozen. The 1998 ballad proved that Madonna, whose biography is connected with dance music, not only knows how to put on a show, but also sings beautifully. The exquisite video for the song from Chris Cunningham received several awards and recognition from fans.

Film work

Throughout her career, Madonna, whose biography is full of creative experiments, has repeatedly made attempts to make a career as a film actress. She has 13 films to her credit, in which she played both episodic and leading roles. Critics do not rate Madonna's talent as a dramatic actress very highly. However, roles in the films “Body as Evidence”, “Evita”, “Best Friend” and “Swept Away” showed that she is still a good actress.

Personal life

Throughout her career, Madonna's personal life has attracted the attention of the public and the press. The singer was officially married twice. Her first husband was actor Sean Penn. The second is the director. In addition, she has a huge number of novels to her credit. For several years, media attention was focused on her relationship with dancer Brahim Zeiba, who is 29 years younger than the singer. The affair ended in separation, and today Madonna is credited with a new relationship.

Scandals

Some journalists jokingly say that Madonna's real name is Lady Scandal. She is ready to create a stir from scratch. At one of the concerts in Istanbul, she decided to please her fans and exposed her breasts. Stripping is generally the pop star's favorite trick. At the 2003 MTV Awards, Madonna passionately kissed Britney Spears, which caused a huge stir. Later she repeated this trick with other girls. More than once, the singer’s songs became the reason for her accusations of anti-Semitism, inciting hatred towards the church, and it got to the point that the Pope was called upon to excommunicate her from the church.

Children

The pop diva also attracts no less attention from the press. She has four children: daughter Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon (father Carlos Leon), son Rocco (father Guy Ritchie), as well as two adopted children from Malawi: daughter Mercy Dane and son David Banda Mwale .

Madonna's children grow up under the supervision of nannies, because their mother is actively involved in her career. The eldest daughter has already grown up and is quite successfully building a modeling career. The singer sued Guy Ritchie for custody of her son for a long time and lost the case. For some time, Rocco lived with his father in London, but then returned to his famous mother.

Today Madonna Louise Ciccone is one of the richest and most influential women in world show business. In 2018, her fortune was estimated at $580 million.

Childhood and family

Madonna became the third child and first daughter in a family that later had two more sons and a daughter. As the first daughter, in accordance with Italian traditions, she received her mother's name.

When Madonna Jr. turned 5, her mother died of breast cancer. The 30-year-old woman was carrying her sixth child, and chemotherapy meant an inevitable miscarriage. Being a religious woman, she could not do this. The child was born, and a few months later the mother died. The father remarried the family's maid, Joan Gustafson. This is how the girl got a half-brother, Mario, and a sister, Jennifer.

Madonna grew up in a devout Catholic family in the suburbs of Detroit. As the singer admits, she was not everyone’s favorite in childhood; everyone considered her a “hello” girl.

“They treated me cruelly, but I did not allow them to wipe their feet on me and only emphasized my foreignness.

But at the age of 14, her good-girl reputation was ruined: she showed up to a school talent competition in a bikini, and her body was painted with fluorescent paints. After a cheeky dance to “Baba O’Riely” by The Who, her father became furious and put Madonna under house arrest, and at school they remembered this performance for a long time, calling her a “whore.” The girl herself, being on stage, finally felt like who she was. And the concept of “virgin/whore” has been a leitmotif through her work ever since.

The mother of the future celebrity loved to dance. Her daughter followed in her footsteps and convinced her father to sign her up for ballet lessons. Later, in high school, she competed on the cheerleading team. After graduating from school as an external student, Madonna received choreographic education at the University of Michigan. One of the teachers convinced her not to waste time studying, but to build a career as a dancer. So in 1958, Madonna dropped out of college and moved to New York with a couple of dozen dollars in her pocket.

She struggled to make ends meet, lived in poverty, worked at Dunkin' Donuts and collaborated with a number of dance groups. Now Madonna recalls that period of her life as the most desperate:

– When I arrived in New York, it was the first time I flew on an airplane, the first time I even called a taxi - everything was for the first time. And I arrived with 35 dollars in my pocket. This was my most courageous act in my life.

First steps to success

That same year, for a fee of one hundred dollars, she starred in the film Specific Victim, playing a sex slave. Years later, Madonna tried to buy the rights to the film in order to destroy all reminders of this shame, but she never succeeded.

Madonna in the movie Specific Victim

In 1981, Madonna broke up with Gilroy and began singing in the Emmy group with drummer and Stephen Bray. At the same time, the girl signed a contract with Gotham Records, but the collaboration was short-lived - the aspiring singer’s manager did not share her views on creativity. Soon, with Bray's support, she recorded a demo tape of four "street" tunes ("Ain't No Big Deal", "Stay", "Burning Up" and "Everybody"), which she distributed independently.

Madonna's demo recording impressed DJ and producer Mark Kamins, who played at the Danceteria club, where Madonna often visited. Kamins introduced the rising star to Sire Records founder Seymour Stein. The result was a contract for the release of the debut single “Everybody”. Kamins and Bray began to fight for the right to be called Madonna's agent, while both were her lovers. The choice was not easy, but in the end the singer settled on Mark.

"Everybody", Madonna's very first video

Before recording and releasing her debut album, Madonna's producers decided to test the waters and understand whether the singer's success was accidental or not. For this purpose the second maxi-single was written. If it becomes a hit, then they will give the go-ahead to record the album, the producers said. A more experienced producer, Reggie Lucas, was selected to replace Cumings. In collaboration with him, Madonna recorded the single “Burning Up” with the composition “Physical Attraction” on side B. A video was released for the first song, which was included in MTV rotation.

Madonna's first music video was simply a choreographed number on the dance floor. But "Burning Up", replete with inviting angles of an uninhibited blonde writhing in languid ecstasy, was a real breakthrough in the music industry. Before Madonna, no singer had dared to exploit sexual themes so openly in music videos. This is the absolute norm in the pop industry today.

Madonna – Burning Up

Madonna's debut album was called "Madonna" and hit the shelves of music stores in July 1983. It included 8 compositions in the synthetic disco genre. The album started on the Billboard 200 chart at position 190. The record took a year to reach number eight. Reviews from critics were mixed. Many music experts accused Madonna of being overly sexy and deliberately “girlish” and gave her her “minute of fame” for at most six months. But Ciccone just chuckled, declaring that she knows perfectly well what image her work has created, but this does not mean that this is the only thing she has to offer: “I keep everything under control and am waiting for people to understand it and be confused.”

Worldwide success

Madonna performed the lead single “Like a Virgin” at the very first MTV Video Music Awards. The singer appeared on stage in a wedding dress and a belt with the inscription “Boy Toy”, and during the performance she rolled on the floor, showing the audience stockings with garters and white panties. For the time, the performance was shockingly sexy. Many years later, eyewitnesses recalled: “It was this moment that became a powerful impetus for the release of female power. This is one of the most significant musical numbers of the 20th century."

Madonna – Like a Virgin (MTV VMA 1984)

In the wake of her first success in 1985, Madonna starred in two films. She got her first role in the film “Visual Search”, where Madonna, in a cameo role as a singer in a club, performed the track “Crazy For You”. Next, the singer appears in the film “Desperate Search for Susan,” which introduced “Into The Groove” to the world and revealed Ciccone as an actress. Many film critics believe that Suzanne is the only successful role in Madonna’s filmography.

That same year, Madonna embarked on her first American tour, “The Virgin Tour,” with the Beastie Boys. Later, a video for the song “Material Girl” is recorded, and Madonna begins a relationship with actor Sean Penn. At the same time, Penthouse and Playboy magazines showed on their pages black and white photographs of the singer’s nudes, which were taken back in 1979. Madonna sued for the rights to ban the publication of the photographs.

Madonna released her third studio album, True Blue, in 1986. It was described by Rolling Stone as "sounding from the heart." The disc contained the ballad “Live to Tell,” which the singer wrote for the film “Point Blank,” where her husband Sean Penn starred. And the name is a direct reference to Penn; Madonna gave him the nickname true blue, which means “devoted.”

The album made Madonna a global star and topped the charts in 28 countries. The Guinness Book of Records called this disc absolutely unprecedented. At the same time, the singer took part in the filming of the film “Shanghai Surprise” and played for the first time in the theatrical production “Goose and Tomtom” along with Sean Penn.

Queen of shocking

Madonna – Papa Don't Preach

In 1987, Madonna appeared on the set of Who's That Girl and recorded four songs for its soundtrack, including "Causing a Commotion."

In 1988, in the city of Pacentro, where the singer’s ancestors lived, a four-meter tall statue of Madonna was erected.

Madonna – Like a Prayer

In 1989, an album of the same name to the scandalous video was released, which the singer dedicated to the memory of her deceased mother and all members of her family. The lyrics touched on Madonna's childhood and personality development, the impact of her mother's death on her worldview, relationship with her father and, of course, female sexuality - this is the song "Express Yourself", for which the video was directed by David Fincher.

1990 was marked by the release of a video for the song “Justify My Love,” co-written with Lenny Kravitz. MTV management banned the broadcast of the video on the channel due to its erotic content, references to homosexuality and sadomasochism. The decision was supported by a number of music channels in other countries. Madonna found a way out - she was the first in the music industry to release a video on the market in the “video single” format.

Madonna – Justify My Love

Next year is another scandal. Truth or Dare is a documentary filmed during the Blond Ambition World Tour, during which Toronto police were intent on arresting Madonna for simulating masturbation on stage.

In 1992, Madonna founded her own company, Maverick, which was engaged in entertainment, in particular, producing films, releasing music discs and books. First of all, the company released a book by Madonna entitled “Sex” with revelations and sexual fantasies of the singer, who appears in the text under the name Dita. Along with the book, the single "Erotica" was sold, accompanied by a photograph of Madonna holding a whip. Despite the mixed reaction from society, the book became a bestseller. In the first week, more than 500 thousand people purchased a copy of Sex, and a total of 1.5 million books were sold.

The book's release was part of a deliberate campaign to promote the fifth album, Erotica, which was entirely dedicated to sex. However, the PR campaign also had a downside: the disc was a commercial success, but listeners perceived it more as an addition to the book, so “Erotika” did not make it to the top of the charts.

On March 31, 1994, Madonna came into the studio of The Tonight Show with David Letterman. During the broadcast, she said the word “fuck” 14 times, handed the presenter her panties and offered to sniff them, and when he refused, she said: “Money has made you weak-willed.” In short, in the entire history of the program, this episode was recognized as the most censored.

Passion for Kabbalah

Shortly before this, Madonna played the main role in the musical “Evita,” dedicated to the biography of the Argentine singer and subsequently the wife of dictator Juan Peron, Eva Duarte. Filming took place in South America, and the woman’s partner on the set was Antonio Banderas. During preparation for filming, Madonna took vocal lessons, which, by the way, is clearly visible in the album “Ray of Light” released a year later, recognized as the most successful since “Like a Prayer”.

The record symbolized the singer's spiritual rebirth, which was influenced by many factors - from the birth of her daughter (after filming Evita, Madonna became pregnant and soon gave birth to a daughter, Lourdes, from dancer Carlos Leon) to an affair with screenwriter Andy Bird. Madonna's songs no longer talked about the delights of intimate life, but called for attention to environmental disaster, talked about the universe and metaphysical categories. The 39-year-old woman gave up provocative outfits and began wearing a sari and covering her face with a veil.

The public favorably accepted the new image, and in 1999 Madonna received three Grammys at once. Before this, there was only one similar figurine in her collection - received in 1991 in the category “best video clip”. Overall, the album was able to compete even with boy bands and young singers like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera that had flooded the music market.

Pop queen of the world

Madonna – What It Feels Like For A Girl

At the same time, her attempts to realize herself in big cinema failed. In 2000, Ciccone starred in the romantic comedy Best Friend alongside Rupert Everett. Reviews for her acting work were devastating. A year later, the film “Swept Away,” directed by Guy Ritchie, Madonna’s husband at the time, received five Golden Raspberry anti-awards, including the most offensive nominations for “worst actress,” “worst film,” and “worst director.” Since then, Richie has sworn off starring his wife in his films, and the singer only agreed to small roles, for example, in “Die Another Day” with Pierce Brosnan and Halle Berry.

But 2003 brought Madonna her first failures in the musical field. The disc “American Life”, in which the singer touched on a number of pressing political issues and opened up emotional abscesses, no longer wanting to tolerate being treated as a “mercantile wench.” The album was not a failure from a commercial point of view, but was still inferior to the previous ones.

The tenth studio album “Confessions on a Dance Floor” (2005) rehabilitated Madonna in her own eyes. It is worth noting that the first song “Hung Up” became Madonna’s main hit throughout her career.

Madonna – Hung Up

On March 26, 2012, Madonna's twelfth album, MDNA, was released. This album topped all the UK and US charts on its first day. But everything turned out to be not so rosy. Critics called the album very dark, linking this with the singer's painful breakup with Jesus Luz. The video for the second album, single Girl Gone Wild, is subject to a censorship ban due to explicit scenes. The album, devoid of a promotional tour in support, becomes the worst-selling album in the singer's career, breaking the American Life anti-record of 2003.

The singer goes on the MDNA Tour, which starts on May 31 and becomes the most successful tour of 2012. Concerts are causing public outcry in the US over the use of imitation weapons on stage. Billboard names Madonna as the record holder for the music industry's earnings - $34.6 million for the year. In 2013, Madonna received 3 Billboard Music Awards. In August 2013, Forbes magazine named the singer the top celebrity earner of the year with earnings of $125 million.

madonna ft. Nicki Minaj – Bitch, I'm Madonna!

In December 2014, 13 demo versions of compositions that were recorded while working on Madonna's thirteenth studio album were leaked onto the Internet. Furious at what happened, the artist recorded several threatening messages addressed to the pirates. A few days after the leak, on December 20, Madonna officially announced her thirteenth album, called Rebel Heart. The album was released on March 10, 2015.

Fashion designer and entrepreneur

Among other things, Madonna opened a chain of fitness clubs called “Hard Candy” - in honor of her 11th album.

Madonna's personal life

During her life, she often started relationships with non-public men and was never embarrassed by the large age difference.

Very soon married life disappointed Ciccone. It turned out that both spouses have a violent temperament and an innate tendency to constant rivalry. The situation was aggravated by Penn's drinking. By 1988, their marriage was practically over. In 1989, the artist demanded a divorce.

One night, Penn broke into her house, tied her to a chair, and beat her for several hours. By cunning, the girl got out of the house and got to the police station. Penn denied everything, although the policemen, horrified by the pop idol disfigured by bruises and bruises, had no doubts. However, the case did not go to court - Madonna asked not to open a criminal case against her ex-husband. “He always had problems controlling his anger,” she later said.

Madonna spent the next few months recovering from the psychological trauma. In 1990, the singer began an affair with Warren Beatty, whom she met on the set of “Dick Tracy,” and in 1991 she remembered a short affair with model Tony Ward, who starred in her explicit video for “Justify My Love.”

In 1992, she dated rapper Vanilla Ice. After their breakup, the man’s career began to decline, and the press revealed a pattern that every man who met Madonna suffered a professional collapse or personal tragedy after breaking up with her. This is also true of rapper Tupac Shakur and basketball player Dennis Rodman, with whom Madonna had affairs in 1994.

Then the singer became interested in her personal trainer Carlos Leon, with whom she gave birth to a daughter, Lourdes, in 1997.

Madonna's friend, actress Elizabeth Taylor, convinced her to marry Carlos so that the girl would have a father. However, this time Carlos himself began to lose interest in the relationship. Being a proud man with an ardent temperament, he was furious at the publicity of his beloved. All attention was focused on her, while he remained in the shadows with the prefix “Mr. Madonna.”

When Lourdes was one year old, the paparazzi caught Carlos in the company of another woman. Like a real man, he did not talk about the details of the breakup and rejected all the multimillion-dollar offers from journalists who inquired about the ins and outs of their romance. He did not disappear from the lives of Madonna and Lourdes, and always tried to spend his free time with his daughter.

The singer then had a short relationship with screenwriter Andy Bird, which ended in 1998 after he carelessly told reporters: “Well, we have a passionate relationship, but we need to work on it.” After the breakup, she realized that she was pregnant. The woman immediately refused an abortion. A dilemma arose: to tell Byrd about the pregnancy or not. But fate decided it itself - a miscarriage occurred.

That same year, at Sting's party, Madonna met British director Guy Ritchie. In a matter of days they became close. The director was 10 years younger than the artist and had just brilliantly presented his debut film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels to the public. As it turned out later, Richie was aware that Madonna would be at the party, and went there with one purpose - to meet her.

At the same time, he always treated the singer not as a star, but as an ordinary person. “He called me Madge and made me wash his car,” she recalled. Their romance developed rapidly. In 1999, Richie, having accidentally met Madonna's ex-lover, Bird, in the park, hit him in the face with all his might.

In 2000, Madonna and Guy Ritchie got married, and soon she gave birth to a son, Rocco. In 2005, they adopted a black boy from Malawi, who was given the name David Banda Malawe and the double surname Ciccone-Ricci. Later, already divorced, she adopted three more girls: first little Chifundo in 2006, then, in 2012, twins Stella and Esther.

The reason for their disagreement is not exactly known, but the singer’s fans are inclined to believe that Richie was fed up with Madonna’s passion for Kabbalah. In 2008, the singer publicly announced a divorce.

After this, Madonna turned her attention to 22-year-old Brazilian Jesus Luz. Their romance lasted a whole year, after which they broke up, “not getting along.” Or, as evil tongues said, the young man was simply tired of being a toy in the hands of a pop diva.

Then for more than three years the singer dated breakdancer Brahim Zeba, and in 2014 she was caught in a relationship with dancer Timor Steffens. In 2017, the singer was romantically involved with 32-year-old Portuguese model Kevin Sampaio. In the summer of 2018, there were rumors about their upcoming wedding.

Madonna now

There are rumors that she will play the lead role of silent film star Norma Desmond in the musical Sunset Boulevard.

Legend of world show business, queen of the stage - these are the epithets that are awarded to this unsurpassed woman, an extraordinary personality. She knows how to attract attention and keep it. Singer Madonna is a star who needs no introduction. Fully gifted with talents, she makes you fall in love at first sight.

Star Trek

How old is Madonna? This question comes to mind when you look at her chiseled body, young face and sparkling eyes. She can be given about thirty years, no more. But facts are stubborn things, and they say that the singer was born on August 16, 1958. Thus, she will celebrate her 56th birthday this year. How old is Madonna now? 55.

The star's full name is Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone. She is originally from Bay City, Michigan. The blood of Canadian French (on the mother's side) and American Italians (on the father's side) flows in his veins. When Madonna was born, the family already had two children, after her three more were born. They lived amicably and piously.

The girl’s relationships with others were difficult. Madonna recalls that she was not a favorite, but she did not allow herself to be offended. The loss of her mother at an early age (she died at thirty) resulted in an expansion of her list of relatives. The father married again, thus adding another brother and sister to the family.

Dancing in the life of a celebrity

How old is Madonna is difficult to answer by looking at her body. And all thanks to fitness and dancing. Very early on, the girl persuaded her father to sign her up for ballet. Then she studied at school, the University of Michigan, but left there because the teacher persuaded her to devote herself to a career. The future stage queen moved to New York. The city of the Big Apple taught her to fight poverty and for her place in the sun. She danced in several groups, took part in Patrick Heronandez's world tour, and met Dan Gilroy. Together with this musician she creates the first rock band, and then the second. The recordings were a success and then fell into the hands of Sire Records founder Seymour Stein.

Madonna's development as a singer

It didn't matter how old Madonna was. She set a goal and confidently walked towards it. She personally distributed her recordings to the right people at Dunsteria in Manhattan. Then she began an affair with the king of disc jockeys, Mark Kamins, who made every effort to get Warner Bros to promote the rising star. The first single, “Everybody,” gained enormous popularity and became a real hit. The success of the song was repeated by the video for it, despite the extremely minimal budget. The second single confirmed that Madonna is popular and has a great future.

Worldwide success

Madonna's perfect figure and her passion for dancing determined the direction in which the girl worked. Dance compositions were close to her, and it was they that brought her to the top of the hit parade. The singer's first album sold 19 million copies, and it is still considered the most successful. After this, the star began to be invited to act in films, she continues to perform songs and goes on her first world tour.

People were interested even then in how old Madonna the singer was, because in 1986 the first nude photos in black and white format appeared in men's glossies. True, the star, who began a serious relationship with Sean Penn, forbade their publication. The celebrity's third album received good criticism from outside and was included in the Guinness Book of Records. Together with her beloved, Madonna plays in cinema and theater, records soundtracks for them, and works on remixes.

Scandalous reputation

You can tell exactly how old Madonna is by looking at her passport. The woman, who had a four-meter statue erected during her lifetime (city of Pacentro), always looks young and seductive. The break in relations with Sean Penn did not stop the singer’s victorious march. And scandals fueled interest in her. The first such case occurred during cooperation with Pepsi. The star with the chaste pseudonym used many Catholic symbols and wore very revealing outfits. An advertisement for a popular drink featuring Madonna was harshly condemned by the Vatican. As a result, the company breaks off cooperation, and the girl receives decent compensation. A year later, the star again shocks the public with a clip of erotic content.

Madonna and her professions

So, the world knows Madonna as an excellent dancer, a successful singer with a charming voice and a brawler. But in 1992, she founded the entertainment company Maverick. Together with her partner Time Warner, Madonna releases a book with a loud title (“Sex”) and the album “Erotica,” but then she changes her style. Her passion for Kabbalah and Judaism bore fruit: the singer’s image became restrained and more chaste. Confirming her unofficial title “Queen of the Stage,” Madonna records diverse albums. And between all this, she stars in Dolce&Gabbana commercials, creates youth clothing collections with her daughter, tries herself as a screenwriter and director, and opens a chain of fitness clubs.

Madonna's personal life

Such an attractive and charming woman has always been the object of adoration of the stronger sex. Madonna had many affairs and relationships, but there was also a place for serious relationships. The singer entered into her first marriage in 1985 with Sean Penn. Their relationship was an example, but soon the couple began to compete with each other. He clearly didn’t like the nickname “Mr. Madonna” given to Penn by journalists. Four years later they separated. Then the star had an affair with Warren Beatty, a famous womanizer, but it did not lead to anything.

There were rumors that Madonna loves women, and actress Sandra Bernhard and model were called her partners. But the stage queen herself refutes this, speaking out for traditional relationships. Her marriage to a British director lasted seven years, and after that she dated Jesus Lusa, a young Brazilian model.

Children of a successful woman

Madonna has four children: two natural and two adopted. The eldest is the daughter of Lourdes, whose father was the singer’s personal sports trainer, but did not become her husband. At what age did Madonna give birth for the first time? The girl was born on October 14, 1996, which means the new mother was 38. In 2000, that is, at the age of 42, the woman gave birth to a son. An adopted daughter (Mercy James) and a son (David Banda) are from Malawi.

Parameters and other interesting facts

Madonna is an icon of beauty and style, the image of a confident and successful woman, a strong and purposeful person. Of course, the parameters of her figure are of interest to both fans of her work and the stronger sex. We will please both of them by revealing several interesting facts about the singer.

The star's virtually unchanged appearance is the subject of controversy among her fans. Some argue that Madonna uses the services of plastic surgeons, while others believe that sports, proper nutrition and anti-aging procedures maintain natural beauty. The singer herself denies rhinoplasty and other medical interventions, claiming that she uses high-quality cosmetics, does hardware lifting and chemical peeling, and loves Thai massage. She also tries to avoid stress and adheres to the correct work and rest regime.

Madonna weighs only 55 kg, and all because she does not have excess fat accumulation, but consists mainly of muscle tissue, which is heavier. Daily fitness, yoga and a special diet, as well as rehearsals for new show programs, help keep fit. In addition, the celebrity practices Pilates, karate, boxing, tennis, and horse riding.

The Queen of Pop's height is small, only 162-164 cm. But, as we see, this did not cause the appearance of complexes. A high heel or platform always accompanies Madonna (with the exception of sports training). The star easily wears heels about twenty centimeters high and looks down on everyone.

Here she is, Madonna, an inimitable symbol of the sexual revolution, emancipation and femininity!