Madonna biography, age, net worth, dating history, kids, height 2024

Madonna's Biography

Madonna – the queen of pop music, a writer, director, producer, fashion designer… in short, a multifaceted and creative personality. Her life story embodies the American dream, proving that with incredible diligence, one can make a meteoric rise from the bottom to the very top. Most importantly, Madonna became a symbol of the sexual revolution of the 20th century.

Today, Madonna Louise Ciccone is one of the wealthiest and most influential women in the global entertainment industry. In 2024, her net worth was estimated at $850 million.

Childhood and Family

Madonna Louise Ciccone was born on August 16, 1958, in Bay City, Michigan. Her mother, Madonna Louise Fortin, of French-Canadian descent, worked as an X-ray technician. Her father, Silvio "Tony" Ciccone, of Italian-American heritage, was a design engineer at the Chrysler automobile factory.

Madonna's parents: Silvio and Madonna Ciccone

Madonna was the third child and first daughter in a family that later had two more sons and another daughter. As the first daughter, according to Italian traditions, she was named after her mother.

When Madonna was 5, her mother died from breast cancer. The 30-year-old woman was pregnant with her sixth child, and chemotherapy meant an inevitable miscarriage. Being a religious woman, she couldn't accept that. The child was born, and a few months later, the mother died. Her father remarried their housekeeper, Joan Gustafson, and Madonna gained a half-brother, Mario, and a half-sister, Jennifer.

Madonna (center) with her brothers and sister

Madonna grew up in a devout Catholic family in a Detroit suburb. As she admits, she was not a popular child, seen as a bit of an oddball.

– People treated me harshly, but I didn't let them walk all over me, and I accentuated my difference.

Madonna was an exemplary student, disliked by her classmates but adored by her teachers. She didn't shave her armpits or wear makeup, took piano lessons, and studied jazz choreography.

The house where Madonna spent her childhood

But at 14, her goody-two-shoes reputation was shattered when she showed up to a school talent show in a bikini, her body painted with fluorescent colors. After a provocative dance to The Who's "Baba O'Riley," her father was furious, grounding her, and the school didn't forget her performance for a long time. Yet on stage, she finally felt herself. Since then, the concept of the "virgin/whore" has been a recurring theme in her work.

Madonna's mother loved to dance. Following in her footsteps, Madonna convinced her father to sign her up for ballet lessons. Later, in high school, she was a cheerleader. After graduating early, Madonna pursued a dance education at the University of Michigan. One of her teachers persuaded her to abandon her studies to pursue a career in dance. So, in 1958, Madonna dropped out of college and moved to New York with a few dollars in her pocket.

She barely made ends meet, living in poverty, working at Dunkin' Donuts, and collaborating with various 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'd been on a plane, even the first time I'd hailed a taxi — everything was a first. And I arrived with 35 dollars in my pocket. It was the bravest thing I've ever done in my life.

First Steps to Success

In 1979, Madonna danced for the French disco artist Patrick Hernandez during his world tour and went crazy for musician Dan Gilroy. Later, the pop diva and Gilroy created their first rock band called Breakfast Club. Madonna played drums, guitar, and sang.

At the dawn of her career, Madonna sang in a rock band

That same year, she starred in the film "A Certain Sacrifice" for a hundred-dollar fee, playing a woman forced to submit to a man. Years later, Madonna tried to buy the rights to the film to destroy all reminders of this disgrace, but she failed.

Madonna in the movie 'A Certain Sacrifice'

In 1981, Madonna broke up with Gilroy and started singing in the Emmy band with the drummer and Stephen Bray. Around the same time, she signed a contract with Gotham Records, but the partnership was short-lived – Madonna's manager did not share her views on creativity. Soon, with Bray's support, she recorded a demo tape of four "street" melodies ("Ain't No Big Deal", "Stay", "Burning Up", and "Everybody") and distributed it independently.

Madonna's demo impressed DJ and producer Mark Kamins, who played at the Danceteria club where Madonna often hung out. Kamins introduced the rising star to Sire Records founder Seymour Stein, which led to a contract for the debut single "Everybody". Kamins and Bray both fought for the right to be Madonna's agent while both being her lovers. The choice was difficult, but in the end, the singer chose Mark.

'Everybody', Madonna's very first clip

Due to her vocal timbre and performance style, after the release of "Everybody", listeners thought Madonna was a black singer. The subsequent music video, which only had a $1500 budget, dispelled this misconception.

Before recording and releasing her debut album, Madonna's producers decided to test the waters to see if her success was a fluke or not. For this, a second maxi-single was written. If it became a hit, they would give the green light to record the album, the producers said. A more experienced producer, Reggie Lucas, was chosen to replace Kamins. In collaboration with him, Madonna recorded the single "Burning Up" with the composition "Physical Attraction" on side B. A music video for the first song was released and made it into MTV's rotation.

Madonna's first music video was simply a set number on the dance floor. But "Burning Up", replete with suggestive angles of a liberated blonde writhing in languid ecstasy, was a real breakthrough in the music industry. Before Madonna, no female singer had dared to exploit the sexual theme so openly in music videos. Today, this is absolutely normal in the pop industry.

Madonna – Burning Up

Madonna's debut album, titled "Madonna", hit music store shelves in July 1983. It contained eight synthetic disco compositions. The album started at 190th position on the Billboard 200 chart. It took the record a year to climb to the eighth spot. Critics' reviews were mixed. Many music experts accused Madonna of excessive sexuality and deliberate "girlishness", predicting her "moment of glory" would last no more than six months. But Ciccone just laughed, stating that she perfectly understood the image her creativity had built, but it did not mean that this was the only thing she could offer: "I have everything under control and I'm waiting for them to realize this and get confused."

Global Success

Madonna's second album, "Like a Virgin," dedicated to all the virgins on the planet according to the album cover's insert, was released in 1984. The producer was Nile Rodgers, who had previously worked with David Bowie on the "Let's Dance" album, which won Madonna's favor.

She performed the main single, "Like a Virgin," at the very first MTV Video Music Awards ceremony. The singer came on stage in a wedding dress and a belt with the inscription "Boy Toy", and while performing, she rolled on the floor, showing the audience her stockings with garters and white panties. For that time, the performance was shockingly sexual. Many years later, witnesses recalled: "This moment was a powerful push towards the liberation of women's power. It is one of the most significant musical numbers of the 20th century."

Madonna – Like a Virgin (MTV VMA 1984)

Riding the wave of her first success, Madonna starred in two films in 1985. Her first role was in "Vision Quest," where in a cameo as a club singer, she performed the track "Crazy For You." Next, she appeared in "Desperately Seeking Susan," which introduced the world to "Into The Groove" and revealed Madonna as an actress. Many film critics believe that Susan is the only successful role in Madonna's filmography.

Madonna in the movie 'Desperately Seeking Susan'

That same year, Madonna embarked on her first concert tour, "The Virgin Tour," across America with the Beastie Boys. Later, a music video for the song "Material Girl" was recorded, and Madonna started dating actor Sean Penn. At the same time, Penthouse and Playboy magazines published black and white photos of the naked singer, taken back in 1979. Madonna sued to ban the publication of the photos.

Madonna released her third studio album, "True Blue," in 1986. It was described by Rolling Stone as "sounding from the heart." The album included the ballad "Live to Tell," which the singer wrote for the film "At Close Range," starring her husband Sean Penn. Even the title is a direct reference to Penn; Madonna gave him the nickname true blue, which means "loyal."

A shot from the movie 'Shanghai Surprise'

The album made Madonna a global star and topped the charts in 28 countries. The Guinness Book of World Records called this disc absolutely unprecedented. The singer also participated in the filming of "Shanghai Surprise" and made her theatrical debut in "Goose and Tomtom" alongside Sean Penn.

Queen of Scandal

In 1986, the music video for the song "Papa Don't Preach" was released, in which Madonna addressed the issue of teenage pregnancy. Her young character wants to have a child from the man she loves. Unexpectedly, the song became a reason for conflict between Catholics and pro-lifers (opponents of abortion). Catholics blamed Madonna for promoting extramarital relationships, pro-lifers saw an anti-abortion message in her song. However, Madonna herself claimed that the song was a protest against any patriarchal authority, whether it be a father, the church or society.

Madonna – Papa Don't Preach

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

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

In early 1989, the singer signed a 5 million dollar contract with Pepsi, and her new composition "Like A Prayer" was introduced as part of the soda's advertising campaign. The music video for the song, as well as the advertisement itself, provoked outrage among religious viewers: crosses were burning in the background. The video shocked the Vatican and called for a boycott of Pepsi, leaving the holding company no choice but to terminate its sponsorship contract with the pop diva. Nevertheless, Madonna received her 5 million, and the ensuing scandal kept the public's attention for a long time.

Madonna – Like a Prayer

In 1989, the album named after 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 personal development, the impact of her mother's death on her worldview, her relationship with her father, and, of course, female sexuality – this is the song "Express Yourself", which was directed by David Fincher.

Scene from the “Express Yourself” music video

1990 marked the release of the music video for the song "Justify My Love", co-written with Lenny Kravitz. MTV management banned the video from being aired 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 music video in the format of a "video single".

Madonna – Justify My Love

The following year brought an another scandal. The documentary "Truth or Dare" was released, filmed during the global Blond Ambition World Tour, during which the Toronto police intended to arrest Madonna for simulating masturbation on stage.

In 1992, Madonna founded her own company Maverick, which was involved in entertainment, including film production, music disk release, and book publishing. The first thing the company did was release Madonna's book "Sex" revealing her sexual fantasies, with the singer appearing in the text under the name Dita. Along with the book, the single "Erotica" was sold, accompanied by a photo of Madonna holding a whip. Despite the mixed public reaction, the book became a bestseller. More than 500,000 people bought a copy of "Sex" in the first week, with a total of 1.5 million books sold.

The release of the book was part of a well-thought-out promotion for the fifth album "Erotica", which was entirely dedicated to sex. However, the PR campaign had a downside: the disk was expected to be commercially successful, but listeners perceived it more as an addition to the book, so "Erotica" did not make it to the top of the charts.

On March 31, 1994, Madonna came to the studio of "The Late Show with David Letterman". During the show, she said the word "f***" 14 times, handed the host her panties and suggested he sniff them, and when he refused, she said, "Money made you soft". This episode was the most censored in the history of the show.

That same year, the album "Bedtime Stories" was released, once again turning the concept of Ciccone's work in a different direction. The title track was written by Björk. The theme echoed the previous record, the degree of sexuality fell significantly, while the lyricism of the texts increased. Particularly loved by listeners was the single "Secret", however, overall attention to the album remained average.

Passion for Kabbalah

In around 1997, Madonna became engrossed in studying Kabbalah and Judaism as a whole. This led to more serene tones in her work and style. Before this, she had studied Buddhism, yoga, and the Vedas, but only Kabbalah "turned her life upside down."

Shortly before this, Madonna played the lead role in the musical "Evita," dedicated to the biography of Argentine singer and later wife of dictator Juan Peron - Eva Duarte. The filming took place in South America, and Antonio Banderas was Madonna's filming partner. While preparing for filming, Madonna took vocal lessons, which, incidentally, is evident in the "Ray of Light" album released a year later, the most successful since "Like a Prayer".

November 1997: Madonna is working on new material

The album symbolized the singer's spiritual rebirth, influenced by many factors - from the birth of a daughter (after filming "Evita," Madonna became pregnant and soon gave birth to a daughter, Lourdes, from dancer Carlos Leon) to a romance with screenwriter Andy Bird. Madonna's songs now spoke not of the charms of intimate life, but called attention to the environmental disaster, spoke of the universe and metaphysical categories. The 39-year-old woman gave up provocative outfits and started wearing sarees and covering her face with a veil.

Madonna during the “Ray of Light” album period

The audience warmly received the new image, and in 1999 Madonna won three "Grammy" awards. Before this, she had only one such statue - received in 1991 for "best music video". Overall, the album could even compete with boy bands and young singers like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera that flooded the music market.

Pop Queen of the World

"Ray of Light" set a high bar, but the album titled "Music," which was released in 2000 and kept in an "American" style, broke the records of its predecessor. The main hits became the songs "Music," "Don't Tell Me," and "What It Feels Like for a Girl," the video clip of which was banned on MTV, not for nudity, but for violent scenes.

Madonna – What It Feels Like For A Girl

However, her attempts to establish herself in big cinema were unsuccessful. In 2000, Ciccone starred in the romantic comedy "The Next Best Thing" with Rupert Everett. Her acting was critically panned. A year later, the movie "Swept Away," directed by Guy Ritchie, Madonna's husband at the time, received five Golden Raspberry Awards, including the most offensive nominations for "worst actress," "worst movie," and "worst director." Since then, Ritchie has sworn off directing his wife in his films, and the singer agreed only to minor roles, for example, in "Die Another Day" with Pierce Brosnan and Halle Berry.

However, 2003 brought Madonna her first failures in the music field. The album "American Life," in which the singer touched on a number of pressing political issues and exposed emotional sores, unwilling to tolerate being treated as a "mercenary girl," was not a commercial failure, but still could not compete with its predecessors.

Her tenth studio album, "Confessions on a Dance Floor" (2005), rehabilitated Madonna in her own eyes. Notably, the first song, "Hung Up," became the biggest hit of Madonna's career.

Madonna – Hung Up

On March 26, 2012, Madonna's twelfth album, MDNA, was released. The album topped the charts in the UK and the US on its first day. However, things were not as rosy as they seemed. Critics called the album very dark, linking it to the singer's painful breakup with Jesus Luz. The video clip for the second single, Girl Gone Wild, was censored due to explicit scenes. The album, devoid of promotional support, became the worst-selling of the singer's career, breaking the anti-record of American Life from 2003.

The singer embarked on the MDNA Tour, which started on May 31 and became the most successful tour of 2012. Concerts caused a public uproar in the US due to the use of weapon imitation on stage. Billboard named Madonna the highest earner in the music industry, earning $34.6 million in a year. In 2013, Madonna won 3 Billboard Music Awards. In August 2013, Forbes named the singer the highest-earning celebrity of the year, earning $125 million.

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

In December 2014, 13 demo versions of songs that were recorded during the work on Madonna's thirteenth studio album were leaked on the internet. Furious at what had happened, the artist posted several threatening messages to the pirates. A few days after the leak, on December 20, Madonna officially announced her thirteenth album, named Rebel Heart. The album was released on March 10, 2015.

In early 2018, Madonna shared on Instagram that she was working on her 14th studio album. Soon she presented a new song - Beautiful Game.

As part of promoting her upcoming album, Madonna performed at Eurovision in 2019. Not without a scandal again: the event took place in Tel Aviv, and the singer came on stage with an eyepatch exactly like the father of gods Wotan from Richard Wagner's opera "The Valkyrie." In Israel, the works of this composer, known for his anti-Semitic views, are banned. Madonna was also accused of using autotune.

Rumors are circulating that she will play the lead role - silent movie star Norma Desmond - in the musical "Sunset Boulevard."

Designer and Entrepreneur

In 2010, Madonna participated in an advertising campaign for the fashion house Dolce & Gabbana, which had always dreamed of working with the singer. Together with her daughter, Lourdes, she launched her own youth clothing line, "Material Girl." A live album of the same name was released the same year, closely followed by the greatest hits collection, "Celebration". That same year, Madonna became the screenwriter and director of the film "W.E.," which was scheduled for release in the summer of 2011.

Madonna and her daughter Lourdes present a clothing line

In addition to all of this, Madonna opened a chain of fitness clubs named "Hard Candy" in honor of her 11th album.

Madonna's Personal Life

Madonna's love affairs could fill a separate book, so below we'll touch only on the most scandalous and serious relationships of the singer.

Throughout her life, she often entered relationships with non-public men and was never shy about a large age difference.

Madonna's first serious relationship, which ended with marriage, was connected with actor Sean Penn. At the time of their meeting in 1985, the singer was dating Prince, but easily left him for a young (Sean was two years younger) film genius with a rebellious reputation. They met during the filming of the "Material Girl" music video. The lovers soon announced their engagement and were married on August 16, 1985.

Married life soon disappointed Ciccone. It turned out that both spouses possessed a fiery temperament and an innate penchant for constant rivalry. The situation was exacerbated by Penn's drinking. By 1988, their marriage was practically over. In 1989, the artist demanded a divorce.

Madonna broke up with her first husband with a scandal

One night, Penn broke into her house, tied her to a chair, and beat her for several hours. The clever girl escaped from the house and made it to the police station. Penn denied everything, although the policemen, horrified by the pop idol's bruised and bleeding face, had no doubts. However, the case didn't go to court – Madonna asked not to open a criminal case against her former husband. "He always had problems with anger control," she later said.

For several following months, Madonna was recovering from psychological trauma. In 1990, the singer began a relationship with Warren Beatty, whom she met on the set of "Dick Tracy", and 1991 was marked by a brief fling with model Tony Ward, who appeared in her explicit video for "Justify My Love".

Pictured: Madonna and Warren Beatty (1990)

In 1992, she dated rapper Vanilla Ice. After their breakup, his career declined, and the press revealed a pattern that every man who dated Madonna suffered a professional downfall or personal tragedy after breaking up with her. This applies to rapper Tupac Shakur, and basketball player Dennis Rodman, with whom Madonna had affairs in 1994.

Madonna dated Tupac. In 1996, the rapper was shot

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

Carlos Leon – the father of Madonna's daughter

Madonna's friend, actress Elizabeth Taylor, persuaded her to marry Carlos so that the girl could have a father. However, this time it was Carlos himself who began to lose interest in the relationship. Being a proud man with a fiery temperament, he was infuriated by his lover's public nature. All attention was focused on her, while he remained in the shadow with the prefix "Mr. Madonna".

When Lourdes was a year old, the paparazzi caught Carlos in the company of another woman. Like a true man, he didn't elaborate on the details of the breakup and rejected all multi-million dollar offers from journalists trying to dig into their affair. He didn't disappear from Madonna and Lourdes' life, and always tried to spend his free time with his daughter.

Lourdes Ciccone: as a child and 20 years later

Then the singer had brief relationships with screenwriter Andy Bird, which ended in 1998 after his careless phrase thrown to journalists: "Well, we have a passionate relationship, but we need to work on them". After the breakup, she realized she was pregnant. The woman immediately refused to have an abortion. There was a dilemma: to tell Bird about the pregnancy or not. But fate decided for her - she had a miscarriage.

In the same year, at a party at Sting's, Madonna met British director Guy Ritchie. In just a few days, they got closer. 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, Ritchie was aware that Madonna would be at the party and went there with one goal - 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 evolved rapidly. In 1999, Ritchie, accidentally meeting Madonna's ex-lover, Bird, in a park, punched him in the face.

In 2000, Madonna and Guy Ritchie got married, soon she gave birth to a son, Rocco. In 2005, they adopted a black boy from Malawi, whom they named David Banda Mwale Ciccone Ritchie. Later, after their divorce, she adopted three more girls: first baby Chifundo in 2006, then, in 2012, twins Stella and Esther.

Rocco is the son of Madonna and Guy Ritchie

The exact reason for their disagreement is unknown, but the singer's fans tend to believe that Ritchie was fed up with Madonna's obsession with Kabbalah. In 2008, the singer publicly announced her divorce.

After this, Madonna turned her attention to 22-year-old Brazilian Jesus Luz. Their affair lasted for a year, after which they broke up, "not having agreed in characters". Or, as bad tongues said, the young man was simply tired of being a toy in the hands of the pop diva.

Then the singer dated breakdancer Brahim Zaibat for more than three years, and in 2014 she was spotted in a relationship with dancer Timor Steffens. In 2017, the singer was rumored to be romantically involved with 32-year-old Portuguese model Kevin Sampaio. In the summer of 2018, there were rumors about their upcoming wedding, but by the end of 2019, they had broken up.

In 2020, Madonna didn't change her predilection for toyboys. The 61-year-old diva went on vacation on a private island with 25-year-old dancer Ahlamalik Williams.

Then she was linked to 24-year-old Andrew Darnell and 30-year-old Josh Popper.

Madonna Now

In the summer of 2019, Madonna's new studio album "Madame X" was released, inspired by her life in Portugal, where the singer moved in 2017. When asked about the title, she answered:

Madame X is a secret agent. Traveling around the world. Changing identities. Fighting for freedom. Bringing light to dark places. She is a dancer. A professor. A head of state. A housekeeper. An equestrian. A prisoner. A student. A mother. A child. A teacher. A nun. A singer. A saint. A whore. The spy in the house of love. I’m Madame X.

After releasing the dance remix collection "Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones" in the summer of 2022, Madonna announced a massive tour to commemorate the 40th anniversary of her recording career. It was planned to take place in the summer of 2023, but due to health issues (Madonna was hospitalized in July due to a bacterial infection), the singer had to postpone it to the fall.

Madonna: latest news and articles

Chase Jayden Kelly

Madonna will stay in the history forever. How many years she is making people happy with her creative work and she is not stopping surprise us.

2021-04-22 15:47:38
Teresa Schultz

I`m not really a fan of Madonna but she is making a good music with quality, not to mention her incredibly appearance in that age.

2021-04-10 16:53:21
Melanie Butler

I was listening Madonna even on the cassette :) I remember her scandal with Linda that Madonna stole her idea for the video clip lmao :)

2021-03-07 17:57:15
Ruth Hicks

Madonna is cool, the idol of the generation, I would say even of the whole era! I think every singer is dreaming to have a duo with her.

2021-02-14 08:10:38
Virginia Jones

There is no person who doesn`t know Madonna :) She is recognizable by any generation. But to be honest I don`t like her music but I think she is great and legend anyway.

2021-01-03 18:10:41
Mark Medzorian

Birthday girl happy pre- birthday celebration Your turning 60.

2018-08-16 08:17:57

Madonna

Photos: Madonna

Madonna's Biography

Childhood and Family

First Steps to Success

Global Success

Queen of Scandal

Passion for Kabbalah

Pop Queen of the World

Designer and Entrepreneur

Madonna's Personal Life

Madonna Now

Madonna: latest news and articles

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