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Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16, 1958), known artistically as Madonna, is an American pop singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Raised in Detroit, Michigan, Madonna moved to New York City to pursue a career in ballet. After performing as a member of the pop musical groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her self-titled debut album in 1983. She rose to success after producing three consecutive number-one studio albums on the Billboard 200 in the 1980s.

She is well-known for her works that explore religious symbolism and sexual themes. In 1992, she founded an entertainment company, Maverick, whose first publication is a book of erotic photographs (Sex). She also released a studio album (Erotica) and starred in a film (Body of Evidence) with erotic themes. These works generated negative critical publicity, opposition from the Roman Catholic Church, and a fall in commercial sales in the early to mid 1990s compared to her success in the 80s. Nevertheless, she continued to enjoy considerable chart success with several albums during this perod, since albums such as The Immaculate Collection, Erotica , Bedtime Stories and Evita all achieved multi-platinum and even diamond success) Nevertheless, Madonna's fortunes were revived in 1998, when the release of her album Ray of Light garnered critical acclaim. She subsequently made four more consecutive number-one studio albums.

Besides her music career, Madonna has acted in 22 films. Although several of them failed critically and commercially, she earned a Golden Globe Award for her role in the 1996 film Evita. Divorced from actor Sean Penn, Madonna is currently married to film director Guy Ritchie. She has two biological children and successfully adopted a Malawian boy, David Banda, in 2008 despite media allegations of violating adoption laws.

Madonna has been critically regarded as "one of the greatest pop acts of all time" and dubbed "The Queen of Pop" by the media. She is ranked by the Recording Industry Association of America as the best-selling female rock artist of the twentieth century and the second top-selling female artist in the United States with 63 million certified albums. Guinness World Records list her as the world's most successful female recording artist of all time and the top-earning female singer in the world with an estimated net worth of over US$400 million, having sold over 200 million albums worldwide. On March 10, 2008, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Career

Early life and career debut

Madonna was born Madonna Louise Ciccone in a Catholic family in Bay City, Michigan. Her mother, Madonna Louise (née 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 in 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, Michigan). 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. "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 of Michigan 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." While performing as a dancer for the French disco artist Patrick Hernandez on his 1979 world tour, Madonna became romantically involved with the musician Dan Gilroy, with whom she later formed her first rock band, the Breakfast Club in New York. In it, she sang and played drums and guitar before forming the band Emmy in 1980 with drummer and former boyfriend Stephen Bray. She and Bray wrote and produced dance songs that brought her local attention in New York dance clubs. Disc jockey and record producer Mark Kamins was impressed by her demo recordings, so he brought her to the attention of Sire Records founder Seymour Stein.

1982–1985: Madonna and Like a Virgin

In 1982, Madonna signed a singles deal with Sire Records, a label belonging to Warner Bros. Records. Her first release was "Everybody" on April 24, 1982. Her debut album, Madonna was primarily produced by Reggie Lucas.

Madonna's look and manner of dress, performances and music videos, became influential among young girls and women. Defined by lace tops, skirts over capri pants, fishnet stockings, jewelry bearing the Christian cross, and bleached hair, it became a female fashion trend in the 1980s. Her follow up album, Like a Virgin, became her first number one album on the U.S. albums chart; its commercial performance was buoyed by the success of its title track, "Like a Virgin", which reached number one in the U.S. with a six week stay at the top. The album sold 12 millions copies worldwide, eight of which in the U.S. She performed the song at the first MTV Video Music Awards, wearing her then-trademark "Boy Toy" belt. Like a Virgin is listed by the National Association of Recording Merchandisers and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the Definitive 200 Albums of All Time.

In 1985, Madonna entered mainstream films, beginning with a brief appearance as a club singer in the film Vision Quest. Its soundtrack contained her second U.S. number-one single "Crazy for You". Later that year, she appeared in Desperately Seeking Susan. The film introduced the song "Into the Groove", which became her first number-one single in the UK. Madonna embarked on her first concert tour in the U.S. in 1985 titled The Virgin Tour, with the Beastie Boys. In July that year, Penthouse and Playboy magazines published a number of black and white nude photos of Madonna taken in the late 1970s. Madonna took legal action to try and block them from being published, but when that failed she became unapologetic and defiant. At the outdoor Live Aid charity concert at the height of the controversy, Madonna made a critical reference to the media and stated she would not take her jacket off because "they might hold it against me ten years from now".

1986–1991: True Blue, Like a Prayer and Blond Ambition

Madonna released her third album, True Blue, in 1986, prompting Rolling Stone to say that "it sounds as if it comes from the heart". The album included the ballad "Live to Tell", which she wrote for the film At Close Range, starring her then-husband Sean Penn. True Blue produced four Top 5 singles on the Billboard charts: "Live to Tell", "Papa Don't Preach", "Open Your Heart" and "True Blue". In the same year, Madonna starred in the film Shanghai Surprise and made her theatrical debut in a production of David Rabe's Goose and Tom-Tom, both co-starring Sean Penn.

In 1987, Madonna starred in Who's That Girl, and contributed four songs to its soundtrack; including the title track and the U.S. number-two single, "Causing a Commotion". In the same year, she embarked on the Who's That Girl World Tour. It marked her first conflict with the Vatican, as Pope John Paul II urged Italian fans not to attend her concerts. Later that year, Madonna released a remix album of past hits, You Can Dance. In 1988, city officials in the town of Pacentro began to construct a 13-foot (4 m) statue of Madonna in a bustier. The statue commemorates the fact that her ancestors had lived in Pacentro. In 1988, Madonna starred as Karen in a play by David Mamet called Speed-the-Plow.

In early 1989, Madonna signed an endorsement deal with soft drink manufacturer Pepsi. She debuted her new song, "Like a Prayer", in a Pepsi commercial and also made a music video for it. The video, which features many Catholic symbols such as stigmata and burning crosses, was condemned by the Vatican. Since the commercial and music video were nearly identical, Pepsi was unable to convince the public that their commercial had nothing that could be deemed inappropriate. They revoked the commercial and cancelled their sponsorship contract with Madonna.

Madonna's fourth album, Like a Prayer, released in 1989, was co-written and co-produced by Patrick Leonard and Stephen Bray. Rolling Stone hailed it as "...as close to art as pop music gets". Like a Prayer peaked at number one on the U.S. album chart and sold seven million copies worldwide, with four million copies sold in the U.S. alone. The album produced three Top 5-charting singles: the title track (her seventh number-one single in the U.S.), "Express Yourself" and "Cherish".

In 1990, Madonna starred as "Breathless" Mahoney in a film adaptation of the comic book series Dick Tracy. To accompany the launching of the film in May 1990, she released I'm Breathless that includes songs inspired by the film's 1930s setting. It features her eighth U.S. number-one single, "Vogue", and her Academy Award-winning song "Sooner or Later". The second single released from I'm Breathless was "Hanky Panky", which peaked in the U.S. at number nine. In April 1990, Madonna began her Blond Ambition World Tour. Featuring religious and sexual themes, the tour drew controversy from her performance of "Like a Virgin" during which two male dancers caressed her body before she simulated masturbation. The Pope again encouraged Italians not to attend to it. A private association of Catholics, called Famiglia Domani, also boycotted the tour for featuring eroticism. In response, Madonna said, "I am Italian American and proud of it" and the Church "completely frowns on sex… except for procreation."

In November 1990, Madonna released her first greatest hits compilation album, The Immaculate Collection, which includes two new songs: "Justify My Love" and "Rescue Me". "Rescue Me" became the highest-debuting single by a female artist in the U.S. chart history, entering at number 15 and peaking at number nine, a record broken by Beyoncé Knowles's "Ring the Alarm" in 2006. "Justify My Love" became a number-one dance hit in the U.S. Its music video featured scenes of sadomasochism, bondage, same-sex kissing and brief nudity. It was deemed too sexually explicit for MTV and banned from the station. In 1991, Madonna starred in her first documentary film, Truth or Dare, which chronicles her Blond Ambition Tour, as well as her personal life. The following year, she appeared in the baseball film A League of Their Own with a portrayal of Italian American Mae Mordabito, and recorded the film's theme song, "This Used to Be My Playground".

1992–1997: Maverick, Sex controversy and Evita

In 1992, Madonna founded her own entertainment company, Maverick, consisting of a record company (Maverick Records), a film production company (Maverick Films), and also music publishing, television, merchandising and book-publishing divisions. It was a joint venture with Time Warner as part of a $60 million recording and business deal. The deal gave her a 20% royalty, equal at the time to Michael Jackson's. The first release from the venture was Madonna's first publication Sex, a book consisting of sexually provocative and explicit images photographed by Steven Meisel. It caused media controversy but sold 500,000 copies in the U.S.. At the same time she released her fifth studio album Erotica, featuring three sexual songs—"Erotica", "Where Life Begins", and "Did You Do It?". The album peaked at number two in the U.S., becoming one of her least successful records. Its title track peaked at #3 in the U.S. Hot 100. The album also produced five further songs; "Deeper and Deeper", "Bad Girl", "Fever", "Rain" and "Bye Bye Baby".

During 1993, she starred in two films. First was the erotic thriller Body of Evidence. The film contained S&M and bondage and was poorly received by critics. The second was the first production for Maverick Films, Dangerous Game. It was released straight-to-video in North America but received some good reviews for Madonna's performance. The New York Times described that "She submits impressively to the emotions raging furiously around her." Madonna was publicly unhappy with the end result saying that "Even though it's a shit movie and I hate it, I am good in it." She also expressed her disappointment regarding the final cut of the film, claiming that the director had cut many of her key scenes and completely changed the ending. Madonna embarked on The Girlie Show World Tour at the end of 1993. It featured her dressed as a whip-cracking dominatrix, surrounded by topless dancers. The controversy continued in Puerto Rico when she rubbed its flag between her legs on stage, while Orthodox Jews protested against her first ever show in Israel.

In the spring of 1994, Madonna released the single "I'll Remember" which she recorded for Alek Keshishian's film With Honors. That year, she also appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, using four-letter words and asking Letterman to smell her underwear. Later that year, she released her sixth studio album Bedtime Stories which was a further commercial disappointment. It produced four singles— "Secret", "Take a Bow", "Bedtime Story" and "Human Nature".

In November 1995, Madonna released Something to Remember, a collection of her ballads which featured her cover of the Marvin Gaye song "I Want You" and the top ten song "You'll See". In 1996, Madonna’s most critically successful film, Evita, was released. She portrayed the main part of Eva Perón, a role first played by Elaine Paige in the West End. The soundtrack album contained three of her singles, of which "You Must Love Me" won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Original Song From a Motion Picture. Madonna also won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy.

1998–2002: Ray of Light, Music and Drowned World

Madonna's 1998 studio album Ray of Light debuted at #2 in the U.S. Allmusic called it her "most adventurous record." The album produced three U.S. top 10 singles; "Frozen", "Ray of Light" and "Nothing Really Matters". It won three Grammy Awards. Its title track won a Grammy for "Best Short Form Music Video." and was used by Microsoft in its advertising campaign to introduce Windows XP. "Frozen" was adjudicated to be a plagiarism of Belgian songwriter Salvatore Acquaviva's 1993 song "Ma Vie Fout L'camp", and the album banned in Belgium. The album has been ranked #363 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In 1998, Madonna was signed to play a violin teacher in the film Music of the Heart but left the project, citing "creative differences" with director Wes Craven. Madonna followed the success of Ray of Light with the single "Beautiful Stranger", recorded for the 1999 Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me soundtrack. It reached #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 with airplay alone.

In 2000, Madonna starred in The Next Best Thing. She contributed two songs to the film's soundtrack, "Time Stood Still" and the international hit "American Pie", a cover version of the 1970s Don McLean single. Madonna's eighth studio album, Music, was released in 2000 and debuted at #1 on the U.S. album charts. It produced three successful singles in the U.S.; "Music", "Don't Tell Me" and "What It Feels Like for a Girl". The latter having a video which depicts murders by car, was banned by MTV and VH1.

In 2001, Madonna began her first world tour since 1993, the Drowned World Tour, visiting cities in North America and Europe. The tour was a success as one of the highest grossing of the year. It grossed $75 million from 47 sold-out shows. She also released her second greatest hits collection, GHV2 to coincide with the home video release of the tour.

In 2002, Madonna starred in the film Swept Away directed by her husband Guy Ritchie. The film was a commercial and critical failure and released straight-to-video in the UK. Later that year, she released the title song "Die Another Day" to the 20th James Bond film, in which she had a cameo role. It reached number eight in the U.S. Hot 100 and was nominated for both a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and a Golden Raspberry for Worst Song. In 2002, Madonna starred in a play by David Williamson entitled Up For Grabs.

2003–2006: American Life and Confessions On A Dance Floor

In April 2003, Madonna released the album American Life, themed on American society. It received mixed reviews. The song peaked at #37 on the Billboard Hot 100. Having sold 4 million copies, American Life became the lowest selling album of her career. Later that year, Madonna performed the song "Hollywood" with Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Missy Elliott at the MTV Video Music Awards. Madonna kissed Spears and Aguilera during the performance, resulting in tabloid press frenzy. That fall, Madonna provided guest vocals on Spears's single "Me Against the Music". During the Christmas season of 2003, Madonna released Remixed & Revisited, a remix EP that included rock versions of songs from American Life, and "Your Honesty", a previously unreleased track from the Bedtime Stories recording sessions.

In March 2004 Madonna and Maverick sued Warner Music Group and its former parent company, Time Warner, claiming that mismanagement of resources and poor bookkeeping had cost the company millions of dollars. In return, WMG filed a countersuit, alleging that Maverick had lost tens of millions of dollars on its own. On June 14, 2004, the dispute was resolved when Maverick shares owned by Madonna and Ronnie Dashev were purchased. The company was now a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Music. but Madonna is still signed to Warner under a separate recording contract. Later that year, Madonna embarked on the Re-Invention World Tour in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. It became the highest-grossing tour of 2004, earning $125 million. She made a documentary about the tour named I'm Going to Tell You a Secret. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked her #36 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".

In January 2005, Madonna performed a cover version of the John Lennon song "Imagine" on the televised U.S. aid concert "Tsunami Aid", which raised money for the tsunami victims in Asia. In July 2005, Madonna performed at the Live 8 benefit concert in London, run in support of the aims of the UK's Make Poverty History campaign and the Global Call for Action Against Poverty. Her performances of "Like a Prayer", "Ray of Light" and "Music" were included in the Live 8 DVD. Her tenth studio album, Confessions on a Dance Floor was released that year and sold more than 8 million copies. The album received positive reviews. It produced four singles — "Hung Up" reached #1 in a record breaking 45 countries. "Sorry" became Madonna's twelfth number one in the UK, making her the female artist with the most #1 singles in the UK charts. It was also a #1 U.S. Dance hit. "Get Together", became her thirty-sixth number one dance hit in the U.S. The fourth single, "Jump", reached number nine in the UK.

In mid-2006, Madonna became the worldwide model for H&M. Included in the deal was a specially designed track suit, created by Madonna. The next year, the clothing line M by Madonna was launched internationally. Madonna's Confessions Tour began in May 2006. It had a global audience of 1.2 million people and, with reported gross sales of $260.1 million. The use of religious symbols such as the crucifix and Crown of Thorns in the performance of "Live to Tell" caused controversy. The Russian Orthodox Church and the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia urged all members to boycott her concert. Prosecutors in Düsseldorf threatened to sue her and a Protestant bishop said, "the only way an aging superstar can attract attention is to offend people's religious sentiments." Vatican officials claimed her mock crucifixion was an open attack on Catholicism, to which Madonna responded: "My performance is neither anti-Christian, sacrilegious or blasphemous. Rather, it is my plea to the audience to encourage mankind to help one another and to see the world as a unified whole." In December 2006, PETA criticized Madonna for wearing a chinchilla fur coat in a London restaurant.

Madonna opposes American President George W. Bush. In her Confessions Tour performance of the song "I Love New York", she replaced the original lyrics "just go to Texas, isn't that where they golf?" with "just go to Texas and suck George Bush's dick!" She endorsed Wesley Clark's Democratic nomination for the 2004 presidential election in a letter to her fans saying, "the future I wish for my children is at risk." In late 2006, she expressed her support for Hillary Rodham Clinton in the 2008 election. Most recently, she stated that she would be behind Al Gore if he decided to run for the 2008 elections after seeing his documentary on global warming, An Inconvenient Truth. She also urged her fans to see Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11.

2007–present: New record deal, directorial debut and Hard Candy

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.

In October 2007, Madonna announced her departure from Warner Bros. Records and a new $120 million, ten year contract with Live Nation. 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.

In November 2007, The New York Post claimed animal enthusiasts were "horrified" by Madonna dyeing her sheep for a photograph, and "vilified" for organising pheasant-hunting parties at her estate. In December 2007, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced Madonna as one of the five inductees of 2008. The ceremony took place on March 10, 2008. Madonna also directed her first film, Filth and Wisdom and produced and wrote I Am Because We Are, a documentary on the problems faced by Malawians directed by her former gardener Nathan Rissman. Filth and Wisdom received mixed reviews. The Times Online said she has "done herself proud" while The Telegraph described the film as "not an entirely unpromising first effort Madonna would do well to hang on to her day job." The Guardian praised I Am Because We Are, saying that she "came, saw and conquered the world's biggest film festival."

In 2008, Madonna promoted her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy, with the Hard Candy Promo Tour. It was lauded by Rolling Stone as an "impressive taste of her upcoming tour." The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, where Madonna achieved ten number one albums. Hard Candy sold 100,000 copies in the United States upon its first day of release. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with over 280,000 copies sold. Despited positive reviews, it was panned as "an attempt to harness the urban market". Its lead single "4 Minutes" reached number 3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the U.S. Radio & Records Pop Chart. Future promotion of the album will include the Sticky & Sweet Tour due to begin in August 2008.

Influences

Madonna's Catholic background and relationship with her parents were reflected in the album Like a Prayer. It is also an evocation of the impact religion had on her career. Her video for the title track contains Catholic symbolism, such as the stigmata. During The Virgin Tour, she wore a rosary and prayed with it in the music video for "La Isla Bonita".

Madonna has also referred to her Italian heritage in her work. The video for "Like a Virgin", features Venetian settings. The "Open Your Heart" video sees her boss scolding her in Italian. In Ciao, Italia! - Live from Italy, the video release of her Who's That Girl Tour, she dedicates the song "Papa Don't Preach" to the Pope ("Papa" is the Italian word for "Pope.")

In 1985, Madonna commented that the first song to ever make a strong impression on her was "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" by Nancy Sinatra and that it summed up her "take-charge attitude." As a young woman, she attempted to broaden her taste in literature, art, and music, and during this time became interested in classical music. She noted that her favorite style was baroque, and loved Mozart and Chopin because she liked their "feminine quality". In 1999, Madonna identified musical influences that impacted her such as Karen Carpenter, the Supremes and Led Zeppelin, and dancers like Martha Graham, Rudolph Nureyev. In an interview with the Observer, Madonna professed her inspirations—Detroit natives The Raconteurs and The White Stripes, as well as New York band "The Jett Set".

During her childhood, Madonna was inspired by actors, later saying, "I loved Carole Lombard and Judy Holliday and Marilyn Monroe. They were all incredibly funny...and I saw myself in them...my girlishness, my knowingness and my innocence". Her "Material Girl" music video recreated Monroe's "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" from the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and she later studied the screwball comedies of the 1930s, particularly those of Lombard, in preparation for her film Who's That Girl. The video for "Express Yourself" (1989) was inspired by Fritz Lang's silent film Metropolis. The video for "Vogue" recreated the style of Hollywood glamour photographers, in particular Horst P. Horst, and imitated the poses of Marlene Dietrich, Carole Lombard and Rita Hayworth, while the lyrics referenced many of the stars who had inspired her. Among them was Bette Davis, described by Madonna as an idol, along with Louise Brooks and Dita Parlo.

Madonna has been influenced by the art world, most notably by Frida Kahlo. Her 1995 music video to "Bedtime Story" featured images inspired by the paintings of Kahlo and Remedios Varo. Her 2003 video to "Hollywood" was a homage to the work of photographer Guy Bourdin which led to a lawsuit by Bourdin's son due to the use of his father's work without permission.

Personal life

Relationships

In the late 1970s, Madonna began dating Dan Gilroy, with whom she formed the band Breakfast Club. In the early 1980s, she also dated her collaborator Stephen Bray, artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, DJ and record producer Mark Kamins, and musician Jellybean Benitez. While filming the music video for "Material Girl" in 1985, Madonna began dating actor Sean Penn and married him later that year. After filing and withdrawing divorce papers in December 1987, they separated on New Year's Eve of 1988 and officially divorced in September 1989. Of her marriage to Penn, Madonna said, "I was completely obsessed with my career and not ready to be generous in any shape or form." Madonna then began a relationship with Warren Beatty while working on the film Dick Tracy early in 1989.

In late 1990, Madonna dated Tony Ward, a young bisexual model and porn star who starred in her music videos for "Cherish" (1989) and "Justify My Love" (1990). Their relationship ended by early 1991, and Madonna later began an eight-month relationship with rapper Vanilla Ice, who appeared later in her Sex book. Madonna dated basketball player Dennis Rodman in the mid 1990s. In September 1994, while walking in Central Park, Madonna met fitness trainer Carlos Leon who became her personal trainer and lover. On October 14, 1996, Madonna gave birth to Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon in Los Angeles, California. Madonna then dated Andy Bird, who sold his story to the newspapers in a tell-all about their eighteen-month relationship in late 2000. Madonna was later romantically involved with Guy Ritchie, whom she had met in 1999 through mutual friends Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler. In August 2000, she bore his son, Rocco in Los Angeles. On December 22, 2000, Madonna and Ritchie were married in Scotland. As of 2008, Madonna resides in Marylebone, London and her country estate in Tollard Royal, Wiltshire, with Ritchie and her two biological children and David Banda (adopted).

David Banda adoption controversy

In October 2006, Madonna flew to Malawi to help build an orphanage, which she also funded as part of the Raising Malawi initiative. On October 10, 2006, she filed adoption papers for a boy named David Banda Mwale, born on September 24, 2005 and renamed David Banda Mwale Ciccone Ritchie. Banda was flown out of Malawi on October 16. The adoption raised public controversy due to the fact that Malawian law requires one year of residence for potential adoptive parents. The effort was highly publicised and culminated into legal disputes.

Madonna refuted the allegations on The Oprah Winfrey Show in October 2006. She said that there are no written adoption laws in Malawi that regulate foreign adoption and that Banda had been suffering from pneumonia after surviving malaria and tuberculosis when she met him. Madonna blamed the media for "doing a great disservice to all the orphans of Africa" by discouraging the adoption. Singer and humanitarian activist, Bono, defended her by saying, "Madonna should be applauded for helping to take a child out of the worst poverty imaginable." Her friend Gwyneth Paltrow also credited her as a inspiration for future adoption plans.

Also, it was reported that Banda's biological father Yohane did not understand what adoption meant and had assumed that the arrangement was fostering. He said, "These so-called human rights activists are harassing me every day, threatening me that I am not aware of what I am doing." He also said, "They want me to support their court case, a thing I cannot do for I know what I agreed with Madonna and her husband." Madonna responded that Banda had rejected her offer of financial support and preferred adoption. The adoption was finalized on May 28, 2008 Yohane Banda expressed satisfaction but said, "I might challenge some aspects of the order."

Work at the Kabbalah Centre

Since the late 1990s, Madonna has been a devotee of the Jewish mysticism Kabbalah Centre and a disciple of its head, Rabbi Philip Berg, and his wife Karen. She also studies personally with her own private-tutor, Rabbi Eitan Yardeni, whose wife Sarah Yardeni runs her favorite charitable project, "Spirituality for Kids", a subsidiary of the Centre. Madonna donated $21 million towards a new Kabbalah school for children. Israeli rabbis condemned the song "Isaac" from Confessions on a Dance Floor because they believed it was a tribute to Rabbi Isaac Luria and claimed that Jewish law forbids commercialising a rabbi's name. Madonna denied the accusations, claiming she named it after an Israeli singer and said, "The album isn't even out, so how could Jewish scholars in Israel know what my song is about?" Madonna has defended her Kabbalah studies by stating it "would be less controversial if I joined the Nazi Party" and that the Kabbalah is "not hurting anybody."

Legacy

Madonna has been lauded as a talented artist by numerous music critics, although others have described her lyrics as simple, and even dull. Her Confessions Tour is the highest grossing concert tour by a female artist. In the United Kingdom, she is the most successful female in the singles chart history and has more UK number one singles than any other female solo artist. In 2008, she surpassed Elvis Presley as the artist with most top ten hits in the history of Billboard Hot 100. In 2007, Madonna was listed by VH1 as eighth in the Greatest Women of Rock & Roll. On March 10, 2008, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

There has been public intrigue and scrutiny concerning her alleged sexual relationships with women, including speculations of affairs with Naomi Campbell and Sandra Bernhard. The book Sex depicts her in several sexual situations with both men and women, and she has been credited for contributing to the social liberation of bisexuality in the United States in the 1990s. Madonna has been criticized by the Roman Catholic Church, particularly during her "Who's That Girl", "Blond Ambition" and "Confessions" tours. New York Times journalist and author Gay Talese relates this to her Italian ancestry – people from Pacentro have been in a long tradition of rebellion against Catholics. Madonna continued her rebellion by having her son Rocco baptized in a Presbyterian Church.

Madonna's persona and star figure have generated academic interest. Interdisciplinary research and publications on topics relating to Madonna include her relationship to and place within commodity culture, the mass-media spectacles she creates, and the iconography relating to minority groups such as gay, lesbian, and Latin American people, which she uses in videos such as Vogue, Like a Prayer, La Isla Bonita and Borderline. These publications were so extensive that in the 1990s, academics would refer to "Madonna Studies" as a sub-field of media studies.

In 2006 a new water bear species (Latin: Tardigrada), Echiniscus madonnae, was named after Madonna. The paper with the description of E. madonnae was published in the international journal of animal taxonomy Zootaxa in March 2006 (Vol. 1154, pages: 1–36). The authors' justification for the name of the new species was: "We take great pleasure in dedicating this species to one of the most significant artists of our times, Madonna Louise Veronica Ritchie." The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) number of the species is 711164.

Discography

• 1983: Madonna
• 1984: Like a Virgin
• 1986: True Blue
• 1989: Like a Prayer
• 1992: Erotica
• 1994: Bedtime Stories
• 1998: Ray of Light
• 2000: Music
• 2003: American Life
• 2005: Confessions on a Dance Floor
• 2008: Hard Candy

See also

• List of best-selling music artists
• List of best-selling music artists in the United States
• UK Best selling singles artists of all time
• List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. dance chart
• List of artists who reached number one in Ireland
• List of artists who reached number one on the Australian singles chart

References

1. Frank, Lisa. Madonnarama: Essays on Sex and Popular Culture. Cleis Press. pp. pg 91. ISBN 0939416727. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
2. "Madonna Biography". Billboard. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
3. Goodwin, Andrew. Dancing in the Distraction Factory: Music, Television and Popular Culture (Hardcover ed.). Routledge. pp. pg 100. ISBN 0415091691. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
4. "Madonna: Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-29.
5. Cross, Mary (2004). Madonna: A Biography. Canongate U.S. ISBN 0313338116.
6. Morton, Andrew (2002). Madonna. Macmillan. ISBN 0312983107.
7. "Top Selling Artists". RIAA. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
8. "The American Recording Industry announces its Artists of the Century". RIAA. 1999-11-10. Retrieved 2008-01-30.
9. Bowman, Edith (2007-05-26). "BBC World Visionaries: Madonna Vs. Mozart". BBC News. Retrieved 2008-05-12. In 2000, Guinness World Records listed Madonna as the most successful female recording artist of all time.
10. "Queen of Pop Madonna crowned highest earning female singer on earth". Daily Mail. Forbes. 2006-09-28. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
11. "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards: July & August 2006". IFPI News. 2006-09-13. Retrieved 2007-12-14.
12. "Madonna leads list of Rock Hall inductees". CNN. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
13. Worrell, Denise. "Now: Madonna on Madonna". Time magazine. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
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21. ^ "Madonna Biography". Music Atlas. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
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23. "Biography - Madonna". Rolling Stone. 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-29.
24. Taraborrelli, J. Randy. Madonna: An Intimate Biography. Simon & Schuster. p. p 72. ISBN 0743228804. {{cite book}}: |page= has extra text (help)
25. "Madonna, Beastie Boys Nominated For Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame". MTV news. 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2008-05-29.
26. ^ Holden, Stephen. "Madonna Makes a $60 Million Deal". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
27. "History of Fashion". American Vintage Blues. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
28. Rettenmund, Matthew. Madonnica: The Woman & The Icon From A To Z. St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0312117825. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |origdate= ignored (|orig-date= suggested) (help)
29. Madonna: The Rolling Stone Files : The Ultimate Compendium of Interviews, Articles, Facts and Opinions from the Files of Rolling Stone. Hyperion Books. ISBN 0786881542.
30. "Madonna - 10 moments that created an icon". MSN Live Earth. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
31. "Definitive 200". The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved 2008-04-08.
32. "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
33. Chart Listing For The Week Of Apr 13 1985 Billboard Hot 100. Retrieved on 2008-05-28
34. "Madonna scores 12th chart topper in the UK". BBC. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
35. -Warren, Holly (2001). (Rev Upd edition ed.). Fireside. p. 596. ISBN 0743201205. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
36. "Madonna Years". Lycos. Retrieved 2008-06-10.
37. "True Blue". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2008-05-29.
38. ^ Madonna singles Billboard chart performance. Allmusic. Retrieved on May 29, 2008. Cite error: The named reference "amgsingles" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
39. "Madonna Biography". Tribute Entertainment Media Group. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
40. "Causing A Commotion: Chart Listing For The Week Of Dec 12 1987". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
41. Smith, Neil. "Show Stealer Madonna on tour". BBC News. Retrieved 2008-02-12. and in Italy the Pope called for a boycott.
42. Cross, Mary (2007). Madonna: A Biography. Greenwood Press. pp. p 43. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
43. Cross p 3
44. "Madonna Biography, Discography, Filmography". Fox News. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
45. "Madonna - 10 moments that created an icon". MSN Live Earth. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
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48. Considine, J.D. (1989-04-6). "Like A Prayer review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2007-01-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
49. O'Brien, Lucy (2007). Madonna: Like an Icon. Bantam Press. pp. pg. 50. ISBN 0593055470. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
50. Faith, Karlene (1997). Madonna: Bawdy & Soul. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0802042082.
51. "Poll: 'Vogue' Is Fave Madonna Chart-Topper". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. 2000-09-15. Retrieved 2007-12-14.
52. Pitts, Michael (2004) . Famous Movie Detectives. Scarecrow Press. p. 107. ISBN 0810836904.
53. "Chart Listing For The Week Of Aug 11 1990". Billboard. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
54. Smith, Neil. "Show Stealer Madonna on tour". BBC News. Retrieved 2008-02-12. This, after all, was the tour that introduced Jean-Paul Gaultier's infamous conical bra outfit and featured the singer simulating masturbation during Like a Virgin.
55. "Madonna's giant cross offensive". BBC News. Retrieved 2006-05-28. In 1990, the Pope called for a boycott of the Blond Ambition Tour, in which Madonna simulated masturbation during Like a Virgin.
56. Sexton, Adam. Desperately Seeking Madonna: In Search of the Meaning of the World's Most Famous Woman. Delta. ISBN 0385306881. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |origdate= ignored (|orig-date= suggested) (help)
57. "True Confessions: The Rolling Stone Interview With Madonna (Part One) by Carrie Fisher". Rolling Stone. August 1991.
58. Ritchie, Madonna. Immaculate Collection. Alfred Publishing Company. ISBN 0769215025. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |origdate= ignored (|orig-date= suggested) (help)
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61. "Madonna - 10 moments that created an icon". Retrieved 2008-01-04. The music video for "Justify My Love," directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino, showed Madonna in suggestive scenes of S & M, bondage, same-sex kissing and brief nudity.
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66. "Body of Evidence". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
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70. Smith, Neil. "Show Stealer Madonna on tour". BBC News. Retrieved 2008-02-12. She caused uproar in Puerto Rico by rubbing the island's flag between her legs, while Orthodox Jews protested against her first ever show in Israel.
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85. "Beautiful Stranger". Madonna.com. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
86. "American Pie". BBC Radio 2. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
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93. "Die Another Day". GreenCine. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
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95. "Madonna shows she's Up For Grabs". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
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102. Brackett, Nathan (year=2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (Rev Upd edition ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 509. ISBN 0743201698. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameters: |origmonth=, |month=, and |origdate= (help); Missing pipe in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
103. ^ "Madonna's label sues record giant". 2004-03-26. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
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115. "Madonna smashes record in UK charts". RTE Entertainment. Retrieved 2008-06-10.
116. "Chart Listing For The Week Of Jul 08 2006". Billboard Global Dance Tracks. Retrieved 2008-06-11.
117. "Westlife score 14th UK number one". BBC News. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
118. "H&M Signs Madonna". Adweek. Retrieved 2006-11-27.
119. Norman, Pete (2007). "Madonna's H&M TV Commercial". Retrieved 2007-03-24.
120. "Top 25 Tours of 2006". Retrieved 2007-12-30.
121. "Boycott of Madonna Moscow concert urged". Jewish News Weekly of Northern California. 2006-08-18. Retrieved 2008-01-21.
122. "Madonna defies prosecution threat". BBC News Channel. 2006-08-20. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
123. Pisa, Nick. "Vatican fury at 'blasphemous' Madonna". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-12-09.
124. Popkin, Helen A.S. (2006-10-11). "Just call Madonna the recycled-Material Girl". MSNBC. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
125. Frith, Maxine. "Madonna's fur coat outrages animal rights groups". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
126. "Madonna criticized over fur coat". BBC News. 2006-12-08. Retrieved 2008-02-02.
127. "Madonna extends UK leg of Confessions world tour". NME News. 2006-05-22. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
128. "Madonna Urges Others to Support Clark". TypePad. 2004-01-07. Retrieved 2006-04-17.
129. "Madonna Touting Hillary for President". Newsmax. 2006-03-12. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
130. "Transcripts". CNN. Retrieved 2008-05-29.
131. "Madonna Urges Her Fans To See Michael Moore's documentary Fahrenheit 9/11". MTV News. 2004-06-17. Retrieved 2006-04-17.
132. "Madonna Writes New Song "Hey You" for Live Earth". 2007-05-17. Retrieved 2007-05-17.
133. "Madonna Joins Forces With Live Nation in Revolutionary Global Music Partnership". PR Newswire. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
134. "Label denies Madonna album title speculation". Reuters. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
135. "Shocking sheep". New York Post. 2007-11-30. Retrieved 2008-02-02. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
136. "Madonna, others named to Rock Hall of Fame". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
137. "Madonna to be inducted into Rock'n'Roll Hall Of Fame". NME News. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
138. "I Am Because We Are". A Documentary Film produced by Madonna. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
139. ^ "I Am Because We Are". The Guardian review. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
140. "Review: Madonna's Filth and Wisdom". The Times Online. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
141. "Filth and Wisdom: Don't give up the day job, Madonna". Telegraph. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
142. Rolling Stone May 1 2008 "Madonna debuts Hard Candy". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
143. "Madonna celebrates chart double". BBC News. BBC. 2008-05-04. Retrieved 2008-05-07.
144. Keith Caulfield (2008-04-30). "First day sales put Madonna on track for 7th No. 1". Billboard. Nielsen Company. Retrieved 2008-05-07.
145. Katie Hasty. "Madonna leads busy Billboard 200 with 7th No.1". Billboard. Nielsen Company. Retrieved 2008-05-07.
146. "Hard Candy". Metacritic. CNET Networks. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
147. Mark Savage (2008-04-08). "Hard Candy". BBC Music. BBC. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
148. "®R&R CHR/Top 40 National Airplay". Radio & Records. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
149. "News". madonna.com. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
150. Considine, J.D. "Like A Prayer review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2008-06-09. Madonna maintains an impressive sense of balance throughout the album, juxtaposing the ecstatic fervor of "Like a Prayer" with the Catholic injoking of Act of Contrition.
151. O'Brien p 131
152. O'Brien p 126
153. Fouz-Hernandez, Santiago. Madonna's Drowned Worlds: New Approaches to Her Cultural Transformations. Ashgate Publishing. ISBN 0754633721. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |origdate= ignored (|orig-date= suggested) (help)
154. "Venice, Italy". BBC. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
155. Huson, Paul. The Devil's Picturebook. Author's Choice Press. pp. p 28. ISBN 0595273335. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |origmonth= ignored (help)
156. ^ Worrell, Denise (1985-05-27). "Madonna, Why She's Hot". Time Magazine. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
157. St. Michael, Mick (2004). "Music". Madonna talking: Madonna in Her Own Words. Omnibus Press. pp. p 35. ISBN 1844494187. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
158. "Interview: Madonna reviews life on Larry King Live". CNN. 1999-01-19. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
159. "Material Girl talks of her pop material". The Observer. 2006-10-29. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
160. Victor, Barbara (2001). Goddess, Inside Madonna. Cliff Street Books. p. 23. ISBN 0-06-019930-X.
161. Rolling Stone, August 1991, "True Confessions: The Rolling Stone Interview With Madonna, Part One" by Carrie Fisher.
162. Voller, Debbi Madonna: The Style Book Pg 89. ISBN 0711975116
163. Guralnick, Peter. Best Music Writing (2000 ed.). Da Capo Press. p. 149. ISBN 0306809990. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |origmonth=, |origdate=, and |month= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
164. Susman, Gary. "Madonna faces copyright suit over video images". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
165. Morton, Andrew. Madonna. St Martin's Press. ISBN 0312287860. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |origdate= ignored (|orig-date= suggested) (help)
166. ^ "Five professional collaborations that carried on in the bedroom". BBC's Top of the Pops 2. Retrieved 2008-01-26.
167. Hoban, Phoebe (2004). Basquiat: A Quick Killing in Art. Penguin USA. ISBN 0143035126.
168. Conner, Randy P. Queering Creole Spiritual Traditions. Haworth Press. pp. pg. 299. ISBN 1560233516. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
169. Taraborrelli, J. Randy. Madonna: An Intimate Biography. Diane Publishers. ISBN 0756779436. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help); Unknown parameter |origmonth= ignored (help)
170. Horton, Rosalind (2007). Sally Simmons (ed.). Women Who Changed the World. Quercus. p. 196. ISBN 1847240267. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |origmonth= and |origdate= (help)
171. "Geordie Greig meets Madonna". The Sunday Times. November 6, 2005. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
172. ^ "Crazy for Madonna's men". USA Today. 2000. Retrieved 2008-01-07. Madonna and model Tony Ward briefly dated in 1990", "Vanilla Ice and Madonna were together for eight months in 1992.
173. Hirschberg, Lynn (April 1991). "The Misfit". Vanity Fair.
174. Voller, Debbi. Madonna: The Style Book. Omnibus Press. p. 114. ISBN 0711975116. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |origdate= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
175. Voller p 117
176. Clerk, Carol. Madonnastyle. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0711988749.
177. "Madonna gives birth to boy". CNN. 2000-08-11. Retrieved 2006-05-05.
178. "Madonna weds her Guy". BBC News. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
179. "It's a £6million Mad pad". The Sun. 2007-06-22. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
180. "Madonna adopts Malawian child, says father". October 2006. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
181. Perry, Simon (October 2006). "Boy Madonna Hopes to Adopt Leaves Africa". People magazine. Retrieved 2006-10-16.
182. "Madonna names baby". boston.com. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
183. "Madonna baby flown out of Malawi". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2006-10-16.
184. "Madonna Adoption Plans Trigger Broad Backlash". Reuters Wire Services. 2006-10-17. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
185. Tenthani, Raphael (2007-09-03). "Upset in Madonna's Malawi Adoption Case". Associated Press. Retrieved 2008-02-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
186. Kapos, Shia. "Madonna: Boy's Father Has Been Manipulated". People. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
187. Heher, Ashley M (2006-10-25). "Madonna Disappointed by Criticism". SFGate. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
188. "Bono defends Madonna's adoption". NME News. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
189. "Gwyneth Paltrow considering family plans". Xinhua News Agency. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
190. "Boy's father worries Madonna may back out". MSNBC. 2006-10-26. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
191. Vieira, Meredith (2006-11-01). "Madonna and child". Dateline NBC. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
192. Tenthani, Raphael (2008-05-28). "Madonna 'Over the Moon' About Finalized Adoption". People. Retrieved 2008-05-28. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
193. "Father of Madonna's Adopted Son May Challenge Custody Ruling". FOX News. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
194. Mim Udovitch. Inside Hollywood's Hottest Cult - Part Three: Madonna’s Magical Mystical Tour. 20 June 2005. Retrieved 26 February 2006.
195. Madonna opens her own school. The Times of India. 5 August 2004. Retrieved 26 February 2006.
196. Elysa Gardner. Madonna at a crossroads. USA Today. 27 October 2005. Retrieved on 26 February 2006.
197. "Madonna defends Kabbalah interest". BBC. 2005-10-31. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
198. Goodman, Christopher. "The Collaborative Madonna". New Media Collaborations. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
199. "Madonna: Love Profusion Track Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2007-12-30.
200. "Madonna, The Confessions Tour". BBC. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
201. "The musical superstars". BBC. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
202. Bronson, Fred (2005-11-24). "Chart Beat". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
203. "100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll (20-1)". VH1. MTV Network. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
204. "Madonna leads list of Rock Hall inductees". CNN. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
205. Rust, P. C. R. Bisexuality in the United States: A social science reader. New York: Columbia University Press. Madonna's relationships with women have been the subject of public intrigue and scrutiny. She has been linked to… relationships with… Naomi Campbell and former friend Saundra Bernhardt… the "Sex" book features her in… sexual situations with both men and women… Madonna's sexual fluidity has been attributed to the social liberation of bisexuality in the United States in the 1990's.
206. Italians in America - Our Contribution, Region 1 (DVD). White Star. ASIN: B0002S643C. {{cite AV media}}: |format= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |date2= ignored (help)
207. "Madonna's Son Baptized". ABC News. December 21. Retrieved 2008-06-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
208. Robertson, P (1996), Guilty Pleasures: Feminist Camp From Mae West to Madonna Duke University Press, London pp. 117
209. "Echiniscus madonnae". Tardigrada Newsletter. Michalczyk & Kaczmarek. 2006. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
210. "Echiniscus madonnae". ITIS. Retrieved 2008-06-03.

External links

• Madonna at IMDb

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