Born Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone, August 16, 1958
Madonna’s impact on the music charts over the last two decades has been phenomenal. The queen of reinvention and self promotion, she is one of the most shrewd and successful businesswomen in the world of pop.
Bursting into the charts in the early 80’s, her first chart hit came when Holiday entered the top US 40 in 1983. Borderline was her next single, a top ten entry. From here she had incredible run of seventeen top ten entries in the US charts. In late ’84 she released the infamous Like a Virgin and her career became a whirlwind of success. Madonna became an international celebrity selling millions of records and securing thousands of devoted fans, dubbed Wannabes. Madonna launched The Virgin Tour to sell out audiences in the US and Canada.
Madonna brought music concerts to a new level. In 1990 she embarked upon the Blonde Ambition tour, one of her most well received and controversial tours. She brought theatre and controversy to the stage, famously ripping her way out of a suit to reveal the famous Gaultier coned bra, Madonna went on to incorporate themes of sex and Catholicism. Despite threats and boycotts, Madonna refused to drop any of the acts including her simulated masturbation. Madonna’s expression of her music through her tours and music videos have continued to shock and enthral ever since.
In all, Madonna has released eighteen albums and numerous singles. Her albums include Like A Prayer (1984), Ray Of Light (1998) often regarded as her most accomplished piece of work and Confessions On A Dance Floor (2005),.
Madonna has also ventured into film, although not attracting rave reviews. These include Desperately Seeking Susan in 1985 alongside Rosanna Arquette and the musical Evita in 1996. In Bed With Madonna (UK title) is a documentary which followed Madonna during her Blonde Ambition Tour. She also released the highly controversial book Sex in 1992, which contained erotic photography of Madonna and other stars such as Naomi Campbell and Isabella Rossellini. Madonna has also gone on to write children’s books. Madonna is divorced from Sean Penn and is married to English director Guy Ritchie. She has two children, a daughter Lourdes from a relationship with former personal trainer Carlos Leon and a son Rocco with Ritchie. Madonna and her family live in London.
In 2006 Madonna started the process of adopting a Malawian boy, David Banda. the adoption met with controversy when the boy's natural father said that he had not understood the original terms of the adoption. It was thought that Madonna and Guy may not be able to adopt David after all, but the process was successful. There are reports in 2007 Madonna wishes to adopt another child from the country. Less reported than the whole controversy is the fact that Madonna funds six orphanages through her Raising Malawi charity and is during the time of the adoption was establishing an orphanage for 4,000 children in a village outside the capital.
In October 2008, Madonna and Guy announced the end of their marriage. Rumours started circualating in the press from December 2008 that Madonna was dating a model named Jesus Luz (he was 22 years old, and Madonna 51 at the time).
In June 2009, Madonna adopted a second child, Mercy, a Malawian girl.
