Madonna Essay, Research Paper

Born August 16, 1958 in Bay City, Michigan to a lower-middle class

Italian-Catholic household, Madonna Louise Ciccone was the third eldest daughter

born. Her father Chrysler engineer Sylvio (Tony) Ciccone and French-Canadienne

Madonna Fortin, for whom the future superstar was named ?Veronica? was added

to her name for confirmation. While at a young age of five, Madonna?s world

fell apart as her mother struggled to a long process of breast cancer on

December 1, 1963. Gathering strength from the tragedious loss of her mother,

Madonna took a role of the head female of the house. She constantly competed

with her other siblings for attention and eventually became her father?s loved

one. Madonna turned her perfect self into a bitter one when Sylvio married Joan

Gustafson, the family?s housekeeper, three years after his wife?s death. The

child resented her father?s betrayal and wouldn?t accept her step-mother

authority. While going through tough times, Ms Ciccone developed a passion for

the arts. Madonna acted in high school productions, but ultimately dance became

her interest in her childhood life. In addition to being a cheerleader, Madonna

took up ballet classes while attending Rochester Adams High School. She found a

mentor in dance instructor Christopher Flynn, who introduced her to the world of

spunkiness and sophistication at Detroit gay clubs. Madonna?s wild sexuality

made her fly sky high! She went on dates with guys, had her first rape encounter

at 14 and toyed with the idea of lesbianism and practiced mutual things with her

female classmate. Having excellent academic performance in addition to her

dancing skills, Madonna graduated early in 1976 with a dance scholarship to the

University of Michigan, where she studied poetry and dance. There, she had her

first acquaintance with Steven Bray. Bray was a black drummer in an R&b band

, and she began to attend his gigs. Finally, after spending just five semesters

at U of M and the encouragement of Flynn, the nineteen-year-old set off to

realize her dream. Despite her fathers dreams, Madonna began her world wide

adventure, looking for roles where she could not only dance but sing also. Later

on back in Queens, the Gilroys started The Breakfast Club in the fall of 1979

with Madonna on drums. That failed when the lead guitarist stopped the band.

Madonna went to write and record dance/disco-oriented tracks with Bray and

performed them at downtown clubs. She was quickly spotted by DJ Mark Kamins at

the latter club. Madonna presented a four-track demo to him, he immediately made

a deal and signed contracts. Madonna?s self titled debut album was a mixture

of sexy attitude, and streetwise sass. Her bare midriff, weird costume jewelry,

and her I-don?t-care attitude helped to make her unique personality that the

world would get to know her as. Her first version of Everybody, released as

Madonna?s first single at the end of 1982. Her second single camde from the

debut album, Physical Attraction also proved to be a club favorite. In June

1983, Madonna had her 3rd club hit with the outstanding, Holiday, which was

produced by her new boyfriend, dance pop mix-master John Benitez. The following

month, Holiday became her first billboard Top 40 hit. After that happened,

Madonna had been certified quadruple-platinum with sales 4.4 million units in

the US and 3.3 million units internationally. By the end of 1884, Madonnas

second studio album, Like A Virgin was ready to be released. This album featured

her songs Material Girl and Dress You Up. The album scored her first #1 hit and

gold single in Dec of ?84". To date, Like A Virgin has achieved 10

platinum certifications for sales exceeding 10 million units in the US. Late in

1984, Madonna began working on her first starring role in a film, Susan

Seidelman?s Desperately Seeking Susan, where she played a naive housewife. It

was success in 1985 and brought out her musical talent to the world. In February

of of 1985, Madonna made a brief appearance in Vision Quest as a nightclub

singer, which scored her the second #1 hit and gold single for her career for

the song Crazy For You, which also topped the charts in May. One of Madonna?s

highlights was meeting Sean Penn in 1985 shooting the video for Material Girl.

After the song hit #2, Madonna kicked off the Virgin Tour in Seattle. It was her

first set of 35 US concert dates, with Patrick Leonard as musical director and

the Beastie Boys as openers. Not only did Madonna have a wonderful voice and

performance but she didn?t stop her trademark of, rubber bracelets crucifixes,

and colorful lacy lingerie. On August 16,1985, Sean Penn gave what Madonna

thought was her best birthday present ever-his mind, body and soul. Seven Months

after there first date, He proposed to her. Almost right after the marriage,

both Playboy, and Penthouse published the nude pictures she posed for in 1977

and sent them to Sean to brake there marriage. Nevertheless, Madonna?s

popularity continued with countless teenage girls adopting her sexy appearance,

being nicknamed ?The Madonna wannabes?. She created the third record True

Blue. The album was released in June of 1986 it was #1 in both the UK and US.

She now wanted to start excelling in the acting limelight. In early 1987, she

got a part in Who?s That Girl. She starred as Nikki Finn (a main character).

Soon after her singles in the movie ran up to spots #1 & #2. At the end of

1987, Madonna shot Bloodhounds of Broadway, a low-budget gangster comedy. She

played a sexy, black haired, chorus girl Hortense Hathaway. The film crashed and

it was doomed. It now seemed that Madonna?s film career was in trouble at the

time, she did not want to perform on stage for a while. She decided now to focus

on her marriage. Madonna?s marriage with Sean was turning into a very bumpy

ride. In the winter of 1987, Madonna filed for divorce from Sean saying it was

all about differences, later the papers were taken back. Thirteen months later

she put in a complaint of assault against her husband after a violent dispute.

After trying to save there marriage after 3 years it failed.. Like a Prayer, had

a lot to do with her life. The death of her mother (Promise to Try), Her

experience with Sean (Till Death Do Us Part), (Oh Father), the mystery of

Catholicism, all of these titles had to do with her life experiences. Express

Yourself and Oh father hit the charts in 1990. She decided to go back to acting

so in 1990 , Madonna began shooting Dick Tracy, a US $$23 million Walt Disney

production released on June 15th, 1990. The movie was based on a newspaper comic

strip, starred her diva self singing Mahoney. Dick Tracey turned out to be

another box-office bomb. Madonna made out good because her album was produced

through Dick Tracy, and later became #1. To end up the decade Madonna released

The Immaculate Collection on November 13, 1990. The album was dedicated to the

Pope, it was a 17-song collection of her greatest hits from Holiday to Vogue and

including the first time release for Crazy For You. Over 2 million copies were

sold. It was her eight top #1 single she had produced. In the beginning of 1992

she signed a multimillion-dollar deal with Time Warner, guaranteeing release of

all albums, films, and books under her Maverick production corporation. The

album Erotica which was #2, and produced the five Top Hits in ?92".

Madonna continued her success throughout her years being a diva till this day.

She had many appearances on Late shows and on talk show host Oprah. She?s

became a Multi Millionaire and is formally Best Friends with talk show host

Roise O?Donnell. From ?93", and on she?s been in various movies such

as Evita and created some of her many Top hit?s listed below, She also gave

birth on October 14th 1996 in Los Angeles to a baby girl Lourdes Maria Ciccone.

Top Hits ?Deeper and Deeper? ?Bad Girl? ?Rain? ?I?ll remember?

?Bedtime Stories? ?Secret? ?Take a Bow? ? A New Argentina?

Madonna has become important in our decade, cause she showed spunk and a new

type a style to many generations. She?s opened up and showed even the unique

and spunky can fly high like her. Madonna has become a role model for many

different age groups around the world. Her amazing voice and sense of style has

shocked the world, and changed music in the 80’s- till now.