Description
Madonna (August 16, 1958) is an American singer, actress, dancer, and movie star. She has sold over 300 million records worldwide, making her the best-selling female artist of all time. Often referred to as the "Queen of Pop", Madonna has had a profound impact on musical culture. She took an independent approach to her career - writing most of her songs and constantly redefining her image. Pushing the boundaries of taste and behavior, she often pursued controversy for upsetting religious and moral sentiments.
Born Louis Cicconi on August 16, 1958, Madonna was raised in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Her mother died of breast cancer when she was only five years old; she was raised by her grandparents. Madonna was raised Catholic, although she had a rebellious streak from an early age. In 1978, she dropped out of college and moved to New York with very limited resources. She took a job as a waitress at Dunking Donuts and took up modern dance in her spare time. She temporarily joined the rock band The Breakfast Club and then tried to make a solo career. Her early attempts at singing received a favorable impression from Sire Records and she was given her first recording contract.
In 1982 she released her first single "Everybody" and in 1983 she released her first album "Madonna". It sold very well, but it was the next album, Like a Virgin, that turned her into an international superstar. The album sold over 12 million copies, helped by the hit single "Like a Virgin" which stayed at number one for six weeks. Other hit records included "Papa Don't Preach", "Like a Prayer", "Vogue", " Take a Bow”, “Frozen”, “Music”, and “4 Minutes”. Madonna states that Marilyn Monroe was an influence on her career. The music video for the hit single "Material Girl" was a tribute to Monroe in the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.