Age, Biography, and Wiki
- Full Name: Madonna Louise Ciccone
- Date of Birth: August 16, 1958
- Age (as of 2025): 66 years old
- Birthplace: Bay City, Michigan, USA
- Wiki: Madonna’s life story is well-documented on Wikipedia and celebrated for her transformation from a small-town girl to a global superstar.
- Early Life: Born into a large Italian-American family, Madonna left college early to pursue her dreams in New York City with little money but boundless ambition.
| Occupation | Rock Singer |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 16 August 1958 |
| Age | 66 Years |
| Birth Place | Bay City, Michigan, US |
| Horoscope | Leo |
| Country |
Height, Weight & Measurements
- Height: Approximately 5’4” (163 cm)
- Weight: Estimated around 120 lbs (54 kg) (reported at various times, subject to change)
- Measurements: Not consistently publicized, but often referenced in media as proportional and fit
| Height | 163 cm |
| Weight | 120 lbs |
| Body Measurements | |
| Eye Color | |
| Hair Color |
Dating & Relationship Status
- Current Relationship Status: Details about Madonna’s current romantic life are kept private, though she is known for high-profile relationships and marriages in the past.
- Previous Partners: Madonna has been married twice (to actors Sean Penn and film director Guy Ritchie), and has had relationships with notable figures across industries.
Her father's parents were Italian emigrants from Pacentro while her mother was of French-Canadian descent. Tony Ciccone worked as an optics engineer for Chrysler Defense and its successor, General Dynamics Land Systems, on military projects. Since Madonna had the same name as her mother, family members called her "Little Nonnie". Her mother died of breast cancer on December 1, 1963, when Madonna was five years old. Madonna grew up in the Detroit suburbs of Pontiac and Avon Township (now Rochester Hills), alongside her two older brothers—Anthony (1956–2023) and Martin (born 1957)—and three younger siblings—Paula (born 1959), Christopher (1960–2024), and Melanie (born 1962). Madonna adopted Veronica as a confirmation name upon receiving the sacrament in the Catholic Church in 1966.
Madonna's father put her in classical piano lessons, but she later convinced him to allow her to take ballet lessons. Christopher Flynn, her ballet teacher, persuaded her to pursue a career in dance. Madonna later attended Rochester Adams High School and became a straight-A student as well as a member of its cheerleading squad. After graduating in January 1976, she received a dance scholarship to the University of Michigan and studied over the summer at the American Dance Festival in Durham, North Carolina.
In 1979, Madonna became romantically involved with musician Dan Gilroy. Shortly after meeting him, she successfully auditioned to perform in Paris with French disco artist Patrick Hernandez as his backup singer and dancer. During her three months with Hernandez's troupe, she also traveled to Tunisia before returning to New York in August 1979. Madonna moved into an abandoned synagogue where Gilroy lived and rehearsed in Corona, Queens. Together they formed her first band, the Breakfast Club, for which Madonna sang and played drums and guitar. While with the band, Madonna briefly worked as a hat-check girl at the Russian Tea Room, and she made her acting debut in the low-budget indie film A Certain Sacrifice, which was not released until 1985. In 1980, Madonna left the Breakfast Club with drummer Stephen Bray, who was her boyfriend in Michigan, and they formed the band Emmy and the Emmys. They rekindled their romance and moved into the Music Building in Manhattan. The two began writing songs together and they recorded a four-song demo tape in November 1980, but soon after, Madonna decided to promote herself as a solo artiste.
In March 1981, Camille Barbone, who ran Gotham Records in the Music Building, signed Madonna to a contract with Gotham and worked as her manager until February 1982. Madonna frequented nightclubs to get disc jockeys to play her demo. DJ Mark Kamins at Danceteria took an interest in her music and they began dating. Kamins arranged a meeting with Madonna and Seymour Stein, the president of Sire Records, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Records. Madonna signed a deal for a total of three singles, with an option for an album.
Kamins produced her debut single, "Everybody", which was released in October 1982. In December 1982, Madonna performed the song live for the first time at Danceteria. She made her first television appearance performing "Everybody" on Dancin' On Air in January 1983, although it had actually been filmed a month prior. In February 1983, she promoted the single with nightclub performances in the United Kingdom. Her second single, the double A-side "Burning Up" / "Physical Attraction", was released in March 1983. Both this single and "Everybody" reached number three on Billboard magazine's Hot Dance Club Songs chart. "Burning Up" / "Physical Attraction" also charted at number 13 in Australia. During this period, Madonna was in a relationship with artist Jean-Michel Basquiat and living at his loft in SoHo. Basquiat introduced her to art curator Diego Cortez, who had managed some punk bands and co-founded the Mudd Club. Madonna invited Cortez to be her manager, but he declined.
The album's title track served as its first single, and topped the Hot 100 chart for six consecutive weeks. It attracted the attention of conservative organizations who complained that the song and its accompanying video promoted premarital sex and undermined family values, and moralists sought to have the song and video banned. Madonna received huge media coverage for her performance of "Like a Virgin" at the first 1984 MTV Video Music Awards. Wearing a wedding dress and white gloves, Madonna appeared on stage atop a giant wedding cake and then rolled around suggestively on the floor. MTV retrospectively considered it one of the "most iconic" pop performances of all time. The second single, "Material Girl", reached number two on the Hot 100. While filming the single's music video, Madonna started dating actor Sean Penn. They married on her birthday in 1985.
In June 1986, Madonna released her third studio album, True Blue, which was inspired by and dedicated to her husband Penn. Rolling Stone was impressed with the effort, writing that the album "sound[s] as if it comes from the heart". Five singles were released—"Live to Tell", "Papa Don't Preach", "True Blue", "Open Your Heart", and "La Isla Bonita"—all of which reached number one in the US or the UK. The album topped the charts in 28 countries worldwide, an unprecedented achievement at the time, and remains Madonna's bestselling studio album, with sales of 25 million copies. True Blue was featured in the 1992 edition of Guinness World Records as the bestselling album by a woman of all time.
Madonna starred as Breathless Mahoney in the film Dick Tracy (1990), with Warren Beatty playing the title role. The film went to number one on the US box office for two weeks and Madonna received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Actress. To accompany the film, she released the soundtrack album, I'm Breathless, which included songs inspired by the film's 1930s setting. It also featured the US number-one song "Vogue" and "Sooner or Later". While shooting the film, Madonna began a relationship with Beatty, which dissolved shortly after the premiere.
Madonna's first greatest-hits compilation album, The Immaculate Collection (1990), was released in November including two new songs, "Justify My Love" and "Rescue Me". The album was certified diamond by RIAA and sold over 30 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling compilation album by a solo artist in history. "Justify My Love" reached number one in the US becoming her ninth number-one on the Hot 100. Her then-boyfriend model Tony Ward co-starred in the music video, which featured scenes of sadomasochism, bondage, same-sex kissing, and brief nudity. The video was deemed too sexually explicit for MTV and was banned from the network. Her first documentary film, Truth or Dare (known as In Bed with Madonna outside North America), was released in May 1991. Chronicling her Blond Ambition World Tour, it became the highest-grossing documentary of all time (surpassed eleven years later by Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine).
| Parents | |
| Husband | Sean Penn (m. 1985-1989) Guy Ritchie (m. 2000-2008) |
| Sibling | |
| Children |
Net Worth and Salary
- Net Worth (2025): Estimated between $850 million and $860 million, making her one of the richest musicians in the world.
- Annual Salary: Reports estimate annual earnings in the range of $270 million, though this figure can fluctuate with tours, releases, and business ventures.
- Income Sources: Record sales, concert tours, film roles, business ventures, real estate, and intellectual property (music catalog royalties).
Career, Business, and Investments
- Music Career: Madonna has sold over 300 million records worldwide, making her the best-selling female artist of all time.
- Tours: Her concert tours have grossed over $1.5 billion, establishing her as the highest-grossing solo touring artist.
- Acting Roles: Notable films include "Evita" and "A League of Their Own," both contributing to her fame and wealth.
- Business Ventures: Madonna is involved in fashion, fragrance, and skincare lines. She co-founded Maverick Entertainment, a record and film production company.
- Real Estate: Owns multiple luxury properties in the U.S. and Europe, significantly boosting her net worth.
- Investments: Savvy investments in art and technology startups.
Her popularity was enhanced by roles in films such as Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), Dick Tracy (1990), A League of Their Own (1992) and Evita (1996). While she won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for the lattermost, many of her other films were not well received. As a businesswoman, Madonna founded the company Maverick in 1992, which included Maverick Records, one of the most successful artist-run labels in history. Her other ventures include fashion brands, written works, health clubs and filmmaking. She contributes to various charities, having founded the Ray of Light Foundation in 1998 and Raising Malawi in 2006, and advocates for gender equality and LGBT rights.
In 1992, Madonna starred in A League of Their Own as Mae Mordabito, a baseball player on an all-women's team. It reached number one on the box-office and became the tenth-highest-grossing film of the year in the US. She recorded the film's theme song, "This Used to Be My Playground", which became her tenth number-one on the Billboard Hot 100, the most by any female artist at the time. In April, Madonna founded her own entertainment company, Maverick, consisting of a record company (Maverick Records), a film production company (Maverick Films), and associated music publishing, television broadcasting, book publishing, and merchandising divisions. The deal was a joint venture with Time Warner and paid Mado
Social Network
- Instagram: @madonna (millions of followers)
- Twitter/X: Rarely active but maintains a presence
- Facebook: Madonna (official, with millions of fans)
Madonna is highly active on Instagram, sharing updates on her music, tours, personal life, and business ventures.
Madonna moved to New York City in 1978 to pursue a career in dance. After performing as a drummer, guitarist, and vocalist in the rock bands Breakfast Club and Emmy & the Emmys, she rose to solo stardom with her 1983 eponymous debut album. Madonna has earned a total of 18 multi-platinum albums, including Like a Virgin (1984), True Blue (1986), and The Immaculate Collection (1990)—which became some of the best-selling albums in history—as well as Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005), her 21st-century bestseller. Her albums Like a Prayer (1989), Ray of Light (1998), and Music (2000) were ranked among Rolling Stone's greatest albums of all time. Madonna's catalog of top-charting songs includes "Like a Virgin", "Material Girl", "La Isla Bonita", "Like a Prayer", "Vogue", "Take a Bow", "Frozen", "Music", "Hung Up" and "4 Minutes".
Madonna attended St. Frederick's and St. Andrew's Catholic Elementary Schools, and West Middle School. She was known for her high grade point average (GPA) and achieved notoriety for her unconventional behavior. Madonna would perform cartwheels and handstands in the hallways between classes, dangle by her knees from the monkey bars during recess, and pull up her skirt during class—all so that the boys could see her underwear. She later admitted to seeing herself in her youth as a "lonely girl who was searching for something. I wasn't rebellious in a certain way. I cared about being good at something. I didn't shave my underarms or legs, and I didn't wear make-up like normal girls do. But I studied and I got good grades... I wanted to be somebody."
In January 1984, Madonna gained more exposure by performing on American Bandstand and Top of the Pops. Her image, performances and music videos influenced many young girls and women. Madonna's style became one of the female fashion trends of the 1980s. Created by stylist and jewelry designer Maripol, the look consisted of lace tops, skirts over capri pants, fishnet stockings, jewelry bearing the crucifix, bracelets and bleached hair. Madonna's popularity continued to rise globally with the release of her second studio album, Like a Virgin, in November 1984. It became her first number-one album in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, the UK and the US. Like a Virgin became the first album by a female to sell over five million copies in the US. It was later certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and has sold over 21 million copies worldwide.
Beginning in April 1985, Madonna embarked on her first concert tour in North America, the Virgin Tour, with the Beastie Boys as her opening act. The tour saw the peak of Madonna wannabe phenomenon, with many female attendees dressing like her. At that time, she released two more songs, "Angel" and "Dress You Up", making all four singles from the album peak inside the top five on the Hot 100 chart. "Angel" also topped the Australian charts. In July, Penthouse and Playboy magazines published a number of nude photos of Madonna, taken when she moonlighted as an art model in 1978. She had posed for the photographs because she needed money at the time, and was paid as little as $25 a session. The publication of the photos caused a media uproar, but Madonna remained "unapologetic and defiant". The photographs were ultimately sold for up to $100,000. She referred to these events at the 1985 outdoor Live Aid charity concert, saying that she would not take her jacket off because "[the media] might hold it against me ten years from now."
In January 1989, Madonna signed an endorsement deal with soft-drink manufacturer Pepsi. In one Pepsi commercial, she debuted "Like a Prayer", the lead single and title track from her fourth studio album. The music video featured Catholic symbols such as stigmata and cross burning, and a dream of making love to a saint, leading the Vatican to condemn the video. Religious groups sought to ban the commercial and boycott Pepsi products. Pepsi revoked the commercial and canceled her sponsorship contract. "Like a Prayer" topped the charts in many countries, becoming her seventh number-one on the Hot 100.
Madonna co-wrote and co-produced the album Like a Prayer with Patrick Leonard, Stephen Bray, and Prince. Music critic J. D. Considine from Rolling Stone praised it "as close to art as pop music gets ... proof not only that Madonna should be taken seriously as an artist but that hers is one of the most compelling voices of the Eighties." Like a Prayer peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold 15 million copies worldwide. Other successful singles from the album were "Express Yourself" and "Cherish", which both peaked at number two in the US, as well as the UK top-five "Dear Jessie" and the US top-ten "Keep It Together". By the end of the 1980s, Madonna was named as the "Artist of the Decade" by MTV, Billboard and Musician magazine.
In April 1990, Madonna began her Blond Ambition World Tour, which ended in August. Rolling Stone called it an "elaborately choreographed, sexually provocative extravaganza" and proclaimed it "the best tour of 1990". The tour generated strong negative reaction from religious groups for her performance of "Like a Virgin", during which two male dancers caressed her body before she simulated masturbation. In response, Madonna said, "The tour in no way hurts anybody's sentiments. It's for open minds and gets them to see sexuality in a different way. Their own and others". The live recording of the tour won Madonna her first Grammy Award, in the category of Best Long Form Music Video. In October 1990, Madonna lent her voice to a Public Service Announcement (PSA) supporting Rock the Vote's efforts in voter registration.
Education
- Early Education: Attended schools in Rochester, Michigan
- Higher Education: Attended the University of Michigan on a dance scholarship but left in 1978 to pursue her career in New York.
- Honorary Degrees: Madonna has received honorary degrees from several institutions in recognition of her contributions to music and culture.
Madonna Louise Ciccone (born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting and visual presentation. Madonna's works, which incorporate social, political, sexual, and religious themes, have generated both controversy and critical acclaim. A cultural icon spanning both the 20th and 21st centuries, Madonna has become the subject of various scholarly, literary and artistic works, as well as a mini academic sub-discipline called Madonna studies.
In 1978, Madonna dropped out of college and relocated to New York City. She said of her move to New York, "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." Madonna soon found an apartment in the Alphabet City neighborhood of the East Village and had little money while working as a hatcheck girl for the Russian Tea Room, an elevator operator at Terrace on the Park, and with modern dance troupes. She took classes at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, eventually performing with Pearl Lang Dance Theater. She also studied dance under the tutelage of the noted American dancer and choreographer Martha Graham. Madonna started to work as a backup dancer for other established artists. One night, while returning from a rehearsal, a pair of men held her at knifepoint and forced her to perform fellatio. She later found the incident to be "a taste of my weakness, it showed me that I still could not save myself in spite of all the strong-girl show. I could never forget it."
