Madonna
Madonna Louise Veronica
Ciccone
August 16, 1958
1958 – 1976 Youth
• Born in Bay City, Michigan
• She was named after her mother
• She is the third of eight children
• Italian & Catholic
• Her mother died of breast cancer when
Madonna was six years old.
• Father remarried his house keeper and
had two additional children.
1977 - Dance
• Madonna received a dance
scholarship to the
University of Michigan
• Here she won a dance
contest
• Also was convinced by a
teacher to pursue dance
professionally
• Left college for New York -
1977
1979 Women in the Spotlight
• Britain elects the
first female prime
minister, Margaret
Thatcher
• Mother Teresa
awarded the Nobel
Peace Prize
• Madonna begins her
music career when
anything seems
possible
1979 - Music
• While dancing she began writing
music with a boyfriend
• The two formed her first band –
the Breakfast Club
• She sang, played drums, played
guitar
• Began producing dance songs for
New York dance clubs
• Caught attention of Sire Records
founder Seymour Stein
1982 -Recordings
• Signed with Sire
Records
• First release
“Everybody” in April,
1982 – instant success
reaching #3
• “Burning Up” released in
March, 1983 – another
success reaching again
#3
• First album Madonna
debuts 1983
1984 – Like a Virgin Album
• “Like a Virgin” reaches
#1, stays for six weeks
• “Material Girl” reaches
#2
• “Angel” reaches #5
• “Dress You Up”
reaches #5
• Album sells 8 million
copies in US
• Album sells another 4
million world wide
Like a Virgin – MTV Video
Music Awards
• Performs the song at
the first ever MTV
Video Music Awards
• Provocatively arrives on
stage
• Wears a
bustier/wedding gown
combo, lacy stockings,
garters, “Boy Toy” belt
• Humps the stage and
makes out alone…
1984 – First Film
• Vision Quest Film
1985- 1987
• Marries actor Sean Penn
• Many films and albums over next few years
– 1985 Popular film Desperately Seeking Susan
– 1986 Album True Blue
• Produces five successful singles
• Rolling Stone declares, “Singing better than ever”
• MTV you make the video contest song- first ever event
– Shanghai Surprise film – costars husband Penn
– 1987 Who’s That Girl film and Album
– You Can Dance Album
1988 – Statue in her honor
• In 1988, city officials in the town of Pacentro, Italy
planned to construct a 13-foot (4 m) statue of
Madonna in a bustier. The statue was intended to
commemorate the fact that some of Madonna's
ancestors had lived in Pacentro (wikipedia).
1989 – Like a Prayer Released
• Her 4th album
• Remains sexual but adds religion – a now
frequent combination of Madonna’s work
• Sold seven million copies world wide
• Had five hit singles (“Express Yourself”,
“Cherish”, “Oh Father”, and “Keep It
Together”)
1989 – Pepsi
• Madonna signed endorsement deal with
Pepsi
• To be similar to Like Prayer song
• Due to controversial video (Catholic
Symbols, a Black Jesus, stigmata, burning
crosses) Pepsi had to drop deal
• Madonna was able to keep her $5Million
fee.
1990 – I’m Breathless
• Starred as “Breathless”
Mahoney in Dick Tracy
film opposite Warren
Beatty
• Released album
containing songs from
1930’s to go along with
movie
• Album has “Vogue” which
becomes Madonna’s 8th
#1 in US
• Sells 7 million copies
worldwide
1990 - Blonde Ambition Tour
• Tours Japan, North
America, Europe
• More like music theater
than concert
• Again contains sexual
and religious themes
intermingled
• Singing “Like a Virgin”
she again simulates
masturbation on stage –
creates much controversy
1990 – Greatest Hits Collection
The Immaculate Collection
• Includes “Justify My Love”
– The video is banned from US televisions
because includes brief nudity, homosexuality,
and scenes with strong sexuality and
bondage
• Includes “Rescue Me”
– The highest-debuting single by a female in US
Chart history
1991- Truth or Dare
• Documentary film
• Chronicles her Blonde Ambition Tour
• Shows footage of her personal life
1991 – A League of Their Own
• Stars in extremely successful film with
Tom Hanks and Rosie O'Donnell
• “This Used to Be My Playground” she
records as film’s theme song
– Becomes her tenth #1 hit single in US
1992 – Maverick
• Madonna creates own entertainment company
titled Maverick
• $60 million dollar recording and business deal
– Royalties of 20%
• Equal to that of Michael Jackson at the time
– Unheard of for a female singer
– First publication – coffee table book titled SEX
• Hugely controversial
• Sells 500,000 copies in US and sells out worldwide
• Nude/explicit images throughout
1992 - Erotica
• Fifth album Erotica released
• Features three sexually explicit songs –
including “Erotica”
– Became highest debuting single in the history of the
US
1993
• Films Body of Evidence and Dangerous
Game
– Neither does well but her roles in each are
praised
1993
• Though first introduced as a policy for the
military, the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” law
came into effect in September.
• Where others were to conceal their
sexuality – Madonna continued to push on
throwing sexuality in the faces of her
audiences, fans, and critics.
1993 – The Girlie Show World Tour
• Again Controversial
– Bondage, risqué attire, dominatrix acts, nudity
– Caused uproar in Puerto Rico where she
rubbed their flag between her legs on stage
– Orthodox Jews protested against her first
show ever in Israel
1994 – More Controversy
• Recorded for film With Honors
– Reached #2 in US
• Controversial appearance on Late Show
with David Letterman
– Swears, takes off underwear
• Releases 6th album Bedtime Stories
1995
• Releases album Something to Remember
– A compilation of her best ballads
• Minor parts in two films- Blue in the Face,
Four Rooms
1996
• Most successful film Evita is released.
– Portrays Eva Peron
• Soundtrack becomes her 12th album
– “Don’t Cry for Me Argentine”, and “You Must Love
Me” make the charts
– “You Must Love Me” written by Andrew Lloyd Weber
wins Academy Award and Golden Globe
• Madonna’s performance wins Golden Globe for
Best Actress in Musical or Comedy
1996
• The Material Girl becomes a mom
– Has daughter Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon
with personal trainer
1998 – Ray of Light
• Madonna wins three
Grammy Awards for
Ray of Light
• On Rolling Stones list
of 500 greatest
albums of all time
1999 – “Beautiful Stranger”
• Wins another
Grammy for her song
“Beautiful Stranger”
– Song was recorded for
the Austin Powers:
The Spy Who
Shagged Me
soundtrack
2000 - The Next Best Thing
• Starring in her first role
since Evita, Madonna
has a part in The Next
Best Thing
• Writes/sings two songs
for the movie
• Announces she is
pregnant with her
second child with
director Guy Ritchie
2001
• Releases single “What It
Feels Like For a Girl”
– Video banned for being too
violent, will not air before 9pm
• Stars in two films with her
now husband Guy Ritchie
• Begins her Drowned World
Tour – her first in eight years
• Releases her second
greatest hits album, GHV2
2002
• Releases title song for 20th James Bond
film titled, “Die Another Day”
– Reaches #8
– Nominated for Golden Globe and Golden
Raspberry
• Stars in Swept Away directed by husband
Guy Ritchie
2003
• Ninth album,
American Life,
released
– Selling only 4 million
albums – becomes
the worst selling
album of her career
• Kisses Brittney
Spears on stage at
MTV Video Music
Awards
2004 – Business Woes
• Suits are filed claiming money is
squandered by both Madonna and Warner
Music Group
– Another company purchases to end dispute
– Madonna no longer has any tie to Maverick
but is still signed with Warner under another
contract
• Madonna begins Reinvention World Tour
– Highest grossing tour of 2004, earning $125
million
• Madonna ranked #36 on Rolling Stones
100 Greatest Artists of All Time list
2005 – Civic Minded
• Sings Lennon’s
“Imagine” at
“Tsunami Aid: A
Concert of Hope” to
raise money for
Tsunami victims in
Asia
• Sings for a Live8
benefit concert in
London
– Includes two songs
on the Live8 album
2005
• Releases Confessions on
a Dance Floor
– Sells over 8 million copies
– “Hung Up” becomes her
36th Top 10 hit which tied
her with Elvis Presley for
most by an artist in the US
– “Sorry” her 12th number
one in UK putting her #1
for ffemale artist in the UK
– “Get Together” and
“Jump” became 31 hits –
she now holds the record
for #1 hits for any US artist
2006
• Confessions Tour
begins
– 1.2 million people in
audience
– Made 260.1 million
– highest grossing
ever by a female
artist
2007
• Release download only song “Hey You”
• Sings with 23 female artist, led by Annie Lennox,
for album Songs of Mass Destruction
• Departs from Warner Bros.
• Signs $120 million ten year contract with Live
Nation
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announces
Madonna is one of the five inductees of 2008
2008
• Madonna Directs her
first film I Am Because
We Are, a documentary
– Focuses on difficulties
for people in Malawi
– Adopted a son from
Malawi
• Recorded her 11th
album, Hard Candy
• Will begin her seventh
world tour