Madonna

Madonna Louise Ciccone, born 16 August 1958 in Bay City, Michigan, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress, dubbed the "Queen of Pop". She is known for continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting and visual presentation, and her works on social, political, sexual and religious themes have drawn both acclaim and controversy.

Raised in Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1978 to pursue dance. After playing drums, guitar and vocals in the rock bands Breakfast Club and Emmy, she rose to fame with her debut album Madonna (1983). Her eighteen multi-platinum albums include Like a Virgin (1984), True Blue (1986), The Immaculate Collection (1990) and Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005), her best-selling album of the 21st century.

Rolling Stone ranked Like a Prayer (1989), Ray of Light (1998) and Music (2000) among the greatest albums of all time. Her top-charting singles include "Like a Virgin", "Papa Don't Preach", "La Isla Bonita", "Like a Prayer", "Vogue", "Take a Bow", "Frozen", "Music", "Hung Up" and "4 Minutes".

She works in pop, electronica and dance, and has released through Warner, Sire, Maverick and Interscope. Her films include Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), Dick Tracy (1990), A League of Their Own (1992) and Evita (1996), for which she won the Golden Globe for Best Actress. Her business ventures include the entertainment company Maverick, and fashion brands.

The page presents her as a real person throughout, regarded as one of the most influential musicians in history who broke gender barriers in popular music. She was married to Sean Penn from 1985 to 1989 and Guy Ritchie from 2000 to 2008, and has six children.