Name:Madona
Born:August 16, 1958 - Bay City, Michigan
Quote From Madonna:"Poor is the man whose pleasures depend on the permission of another."
Madonna Trivia Fact:
Pop and Dance Success: Madonna left the Breakfast Club in 1980 to work with drummer Steven Bray. Madonna and Bray soon began shopping their demos to record labels. Sire Records signed Madonna in late 1982. Her first dance single "Everybody" hit #3 on the dance chart. After two more dance hits, her third single, "Holiday," written and produced by Jellybean Benitez, became a pop as well as dance hit.
1985:
The years 1985 and 1986 were years of phenomenal success for Madonna on a number of fronts. Her album Like a Virgin, released at the end of 1984, included the title single, one of the biggest hits of 1985. During 1985 she appeared in her first movie Desperately Seeking Susan, embarked on her first concert tour in support of the Beastie Boys, appeared in the Live Aid concerts to raise money to relieve famine in Africa, and, on her birthday, August 16th, married actor Sean Penn.
1986-1988:
Madonna's next album True Blue continued the string of major pop hits including "Open Your Heart," "Live To Tell," and "La Isla Bonita." Her film career, which had begun in promising fashion, suffered a major setback when her first starring role in Who's That Girl flopped miserably. A remix album You Can Dance appeared in late 1987 but failed to sell well. Without the release of new albums in 1988, some began to see Madonna as a has-been.
'Like a Prayer':
In March, 1989 Madonna released Like a Prayer, one of the most artistically accomplished albums of her career. Released in a hail of controversy over the video for the title song running afoul of both the Roman Catholic Church and Pepsi, the album topped the charts and included "Like a Prayer," and "Express Yourself," two of the biggest hits of Madonna's career. The success was somewhat tarnished by the end of Madonna's marriage to Sean Penn in September 1989.
The 1990's:
Madonna entered the new decade with mixed reviews for her role in the movie Dick Tracy with Warren Beatty. The decade became one of ongoing controversy sparked by Madonna's sense of artistic independence. From her book Sex to notorious tv appearances on The Late Show With David Letterman, Madonna rocked traditional notions of appropriate behavior for a pop star. Among major successes through the period were the songs "Justify My Love" and "Take a Bow," as well as her film role in Evita.
'Ray Of Light' and a New Millenium:
In 1998 Madonna released the album Ray Of Light to the best critical reviews since Like a Prayer. The album embraced the sound of techno in dance music and spawned massive pop hits such as the title track and "Frozen." Madonna eventually won 3 Grammy Awards for the album.
Madonna entered the new mille with Music, another successful album featuring collaborations with French dance music producer Mirwais. The title song and "Don't Tell Me" were major hit singles. Late in the year Madonna married British film director Guy Ritchie.
In 2002 Madonna appeared in the film Swept Away, directed by her husband, and continued the long string of negative reviews for her acting skills. It was followed by 2003's American Music album and rare negative reviews for her music. The album failed to produce major hit singles in the U.S., but Madonna returned to the spotlight late in the year with an uproar over her performance at the MTV Video Music Awards in which she portrayed a "groom" kissing her "brides" Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears.
Iraq Children Like Madona:
A Young Girl's Journey: From Iraq to Jordan
Madona, 11, and her parents have just celebrated the holidays in Jordan, where they were forced to flee from Iraq as a result of violence and repeated threats in their native country.
"We had to leave everything behind in order to save our child's life. We have nothing now. We are old and sick, and we cannot provide our Madona with any sort of future," says her father, Qabeel.
The family's home in Amman consists of two tiny rooms with one small window. One room is filled with a single large bed where they all sleep, and the other room is a small living space that they share with cockroaches, beetles and other insects.
Madona's father and mother married late in life and have only one child. Her father was a well-known painter and taught graphic art and drawing at the Academy of Art in Baghdad. Her mother was a teacher and taught at a primary school.
"Who would have thought that life would turn out like this? We had everything we needed and life was good. And here we are, right in the middle of a slum," sighs Madona's mother, Eman.
She believes education is Madona's only escape route. "We place our trust in the belief that Madona will have an education. School is important, especially for girls. Boys may have a chance to succeed in other ways in our culture. For Madona, education is the only way to achieve a better life for herself."
Save the Children in Jordan
Save the Children's Rewrite the Future program is a frontline responder in Jordan, supporting the protection and education needs of displaced Iraqi and Jordanian children. The agency provides programs that support children as they grow and develop, from early childhood activities to support for youth as they enter adulthood.
