Madonna

Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16, 1958), known as Madonna, is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in Bay City, Michigan and raised in Rochester Hills, Madonna moved to New York City for a career in modern dance. After performing as member of the pop musical groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her self-titled debut album in 1983, and then produced three consecutive number-one studio albums on the Billboard 200 in the 1980s.

Madonna is known for her works that explore religious symbolism and sexual themes which also drew criticism from the Vatican in the late 1980s. In 1992, she founded an entertainment company, Maverick, which published a book of photographs. She also released a studio album and starred in a film 'Body of Evidence'.

Madonna has acted in 22 films. Although several failed critically and commercially, she earned a Golden Globe Award for her role in the 1996 film 'Evita'.

Madonna has been regarded as 'one of the greatest pop acts of all time' and dubbed the 'Queen of Pop' by various sources.

Madonna was born Madonna Louise Ciccone in Bay City. Her mother, Madonna Louise (nee Fortin), was of French Canadian descent, and her father, Silvio 'Tony' P. Ciccone, was a first-generation Italian American Chrysler/General Motors design engineer whose parents originated from Pacentro, Italy. Madonna is the third of six children; her siblings are Martin, Anthony, Paula Mae, Christopher, and Melanie.

Madonna was raised in the Detroit suburbs of Pontiac, Michigan and Avon Township (now Rochester Hills). Her mother died of breast cancer at age 30 on December 1, 1963. Her father married the family housekeeper, Joan Gustafson, and they had two children; Jennifer and Mario Ciccone. 'I didn't accept my stepmother when I was growing up,' Madonna said, 'in retrospect I think I was really hard on her'.

Madonna convinced her father to allow her to take ballet classes. Madonna attended St. Frederick's Elementary School and St. Andrew's Elementary School (present day Holy Family Regional) and West Middle School. She attended Rochester Adams High School, becoming a straight-A student and a member of the cheerleading squad. Madonna received a dance scholarship to the University of Michigan after graduating from high school.

Madonna's ballet teacher persuaded her to pursue a dance career, so she left the University at the end of 1977 and moved to New York City. Madonna had little money and for some time lived in squalor, working at Dunkin' Donuts and with modern dance troupes. Speaking of her move to New York, Madonna said, 'It was the first time I'd ever taken a plane, the first time I'd ever gotten a taxi cab. I came here with $35 in my pocket. It was the bravest thing I'd ever done'.

In April 2003, Madonna released the album 'American Life', themed on American society. It received mixed reviews. Having sold 4 million copies, 'American Life' became the lowest selling album of her career.

In mid-2006, Madonna became the worldwide model for H&M. Included in the deal was a specially designed track suit, created by Madonna.

In May 2007, Madonna released the download-only song 'Hey You', in anticipation of Live Earth, which was free for its first week. She also performed it at the London Live Earth concert in July 2007.

She will be the founding recording artist for the new music division, 'Live Nation Artists'. The Warner Bros. deal will be completed with a compilation album due at the end of 2008 or early 2009.

Мадонна

Мадонна (полное имя Мадонна Луиза 'Вероника' Чикконе Ричи (англ. Madonna Louise 'Veronica' Ciccone Ritchie) род.: 16 августа 1958, Бэй-Сити, Мичиган, США) — американская певица, автор песен, продюсер, танцовщица, актриса, режиссёр и сценарист, известна большинству благодаря своим новаторским видеоклипам, грандиозным сценическим выступлениям, а также использованию политических, сексуальных и религиозных образов в своих работах. «Мадонна» - настоящее имя артистки. Имя 'Вероника' было выбрано самой певицей в детстве для конфирмации, и оно не является официальным. С 2001 Мадонна является подданной Соединённого Королевства.

Мадонна начала свою музыкальную карьеру в 1979 году как барабанщица в нью-йоркской рок-группе своего приятеля Дэна Гилроя Breakfast Club, вскоре перейдя к гитаре, вокалу и сочинению собственного материала. За годы своей музыкальной деятельности Мадонна пробовала себя в разных жанрах и направлениях, стала лауреатом множества наград, в том числе семи премий «Грэмми». В 2000 Мадонна была включена в «Книгу рекордов Гиннеса» как самая успешная исполнительница всех времен. По сообщению звукозаписывающей компании Мадонны Warner Brothers Records в 2005 мировые продажи её альбомов превысили 200 миллионов копий. В 2008 она была включена в Зал Славы Рок-н-Ролла (Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame). От англоязычной прессы Мадонна получила прозвища «Материалистка» (Material Girl) и «Королева поп-музыки» (Queen of Pop). Она известна также как последовательница и популяризатор Каббалы, активистка многих благотворительных и правозащитных организаций, одной из которых является «Возрождение Малави». Хотя актёрская карьера Мадонны сложилась менее удачно, чем музыкальная, она снялась более чем в двадцати фильмах и удостоилась за свою игру в киномюзикле «Эвита» престижной премии Ассоциации иностранной прессы Голливуда «Золотой глобус».

Мадонна родилась в Bay City, штат Мичиган, США. Её мать, Мадонна Луиза (в девичестве Фортин) вела род от канадских французов; отец, Сильвио «Тони» Чикконе, американский итальянец, работал инженером-дизайнером на заводе Chrysler/General Motors. Мадонна стала третьим ребенком из шести детей в семье. Мадонна выросла в католической семье в пригороде Детройта. Она — дальняя родственница Камиллы, герцогини Корнуольской.

Discography | Дискография
Madonna (1983)
Like a Virgin (1984)
True Blue (1986)
Like a Prayer (1989)
Erotica (1992)
Bedtime Stories (1994)
Ray of Light (1998)
Beautiful Stranger (Single) (1999)
Music (2000)
American Life (2003)
Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005)
Hard Candy (2008)

Мадонна 'Sanctuary'

'You are my sanctuary ...
Surely whoever speaks to me in the right voice...
Who needs the sun, when the rain's so full of life...'