Madonna

Early Life

Singer, performer and actress Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone was born in Bay City, Michigan, on
August 16, 1958, to parents Silvio "Tony" Ciccone and Madonna Fortin. Tony, the son of Italian
immigrants, was the first of his family to go to college, where he earned a degree in engineering.
Madonna's mother, an x-ray technician and former dancer, was of French Canadian descent. After their
marriage in 1955, the couple moved to Pontiac, Michigan, to be close to Tony's job as a defense
engineer. Madonna was born three years later, during a visit with family in Bay City. The third of six
children, Madonna learned early on how to handle her role as the middle child, admitting that she was
"the sissy of the family" who often used her feminine wiles to get her way.

Family Tragedy

Another heavy influence on Madonna's early life was her mother, who was diagnosed with breast cancer
during her pregnancy with Madonna's youngest sister. Treatment had to be delayed until the baby
reached full term, but by then the disease had grown too strong. On December 1, 1963, at the age of 30,
Madonna's mother passed away. Madonna was only 5 years old at the time of her mother's death.

The loss of her mother significantly affected Madonna's adolescence. Haunted by the memories of her
mother's frailty and passive demeanor during her final days, Madonna was determined to make her own
voice heard. "I think the biggest reason I was able to express myself and not be intimidated was by not
having a mother," she says. "For example, mothers teach you manners. And I absolutely did not learn any
of those rules and regulations."

Music and Dance

But Madonna balanced this insubordinate side of her personality with a drive for perfectionism and high
achievement. She was a straight-A student, cheerleader and disciplined dancer who graduated from high
school a semester earlier than her peers. In 1976, her hard work earned her the attentions of the
University of Michigan, which offered her a full scholarship to their dance program.

Once in New York, Madonna paid her rent with a handful of odd jobs, including nude art modeling;
serving at the Russian Tea Room; and performing for the American Dance Center. In 1979, Madonna
began dating Dan Gilroy, one of the founding members of a ska influenced pop-punk band called
Breakfast Club. Gilroy introduced Madonna to the head of a vaudeville review in Paris, and she spent
some time in France working as a showgirl. During this trip she fell in love with the combination of
singing and performing. When she returned to the states in 1980, she joined Gilroy's band as its
drummer and later became its lead singer. Madonna formed several different bands of her own over the
next few years, including Madonna & The Sky, The Millionaires and Emmy.

Rise to Pop Stardom

In 1981, Madonna decided to go solo and hired manager Camille Barbone of Gotham Records to help
her get her singing career on track. Camille showed Madonna how to navigate the male-dominated
world of the music business, and helped put together a studio band that accentuated the budding star's
hip style. Friend Stephen Bray, a musician in her band, wrote her first hit, "Everybody", and Madonna
used her brash business style to get the recordings to New York music producer Mark Kamins. Kamins
then helped Madonna score a record deal with Sire Records. "Everybody" hit No. 1 on the dance charts
in 1982.