60 Fun Facts About Madonna

Where in Michigan was Madonna born in 1958?

She grew up in the Detroit suburbs of Pontiac and Rochester Hills; her father was an engineer for Chrysler Defense.

Because she shared her mother's first name, what did Madonna's family call her as a child?

Her mother, an X-ray technician, died of breast cancer when Madonna was five.

What confirmation name did Madonna take in the Catholic Church in 1966?

Her father gave her a quarter for every A on her report card, and she was a straight-A student and cheerleader at Rochester Adams High School.

According to Madonna, how much money did she have when she arrived in New York City in 1978?

It was the first time she had ever flown or taken a taxi; she had left a dance scholarship at the University of Michigan.

At which famous New York restaurant did the young Madonna work as a hatcheck girl?

She also ran an elevator at Terrace on the Park and studied under Martha Graham and at the Alvin Ailey school.

For which band, rehearsing in an abandoned Queens synagogue, did Madonna sing and play drums and guitar?

Boyfriend Dan Gilroy and his brother lived there; she later formed Emmy with drummer Stephen Bray, a longtime writing partner.

What was Madonna's debut single, released in October 1982?

Danceteria DJ Mark Kamins produced it after she talked her way into a meeting with Sire Records.

Which Sire Records president signed Madonna to a two-single deal in 1982?

Sire was a Warner Bros. subsidiary; at the time she was living in Jean-Michel Basquiat's SoHo loft.

Which 'Jellybean' Benitez-produced track was Madonna's breakthrough from her 1983 debut?

She had been unhappy with Reggie Lucas's production and brought Benitez in to remix most of the record.

Who wrote 'Like a Virgin'?

Steinberg came up with the lyric while driving a pickup around his father's vineyards; the pair also wrote 'True Colors' and 'Eternal Flame'.

Which Chic guitarist produced the Like a Virgin album?

He brought Chic bandmates Bernard Edwards and Tony Thompson as the rhythm section; the album was the first by a woman to sell five million copies in the US.

At the first MTV VMAs in 1984, Madonna performed 'Like a Virgin' after appearing on top of what?

Wearing a wedding gown and white gloves, she rolled around the stage; MTV News later called it one of pop's most iconic performances.

Whom did Madonna marry on her 27th birthday in 1985?

They met while filming the 'Material Girl' video; True Blue was dedicated to him, and she filed for divorce in January 1989.

Which song from Desperately Seeking Susan gave Madonna her first UK number-one single?

'Crazy for You', from Vision Quest, was her second US number one that same year.

Who played the bored housewife opposite Madonna's bohemian drifter in Desperately Seeking Susan?

Susan Seidelman directed; New York Times critic Vincent Canby named it one of the ten best films of 1985.

How much was Madonna reportedly paid per session for her 1978 nude art-model photos?

The pictures later sold for up to $100,000; she remained unapologetic about them.

In 1988 Madonna made her Broadway debut in which play?

It ran at the Royale Theatre from May to August; her later West End outing, Up for Grabs, was panned in 2002.

'Like a Prayer' premiered in a 1989 commercial for which company, which then dropped her over the video?

The video's burning crosses and stigmata drew Vatican condemnation and boycott calls, so the sponsor pulled the ad and ended the deal.

Which superstar co-wrote and co-produced 'Like a Prayer' with Madonna, Leonard and Bray?

The album spent six weeks at number one, her longest, and Rolling Stone called hers 'one of the most compelling voices of the Eighties'.

Which French designer created the costumes, including the cone bra, for the 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour?

She recruited him with a handwritten letter; Pope John Paul II urged a boycott of the tour and Toronto police threatened to arrest her.

Under what title was the 1991 documentary Truth or Dare released outside North America?

Alek Keshishian's film became the highest-grossing documentary ever, a record it held for eleven years.

What was the name of Madonna's character in Dick Tracy (1990)?

Warren Beatty directed and starred; the accompanying album I'm Breathless produced 'Vogue'.

With whom did Madonna write and produce 'Vogue'?

She saw dancers voguing at the Sound Factory; the song topped charts in more than 30 countries.

Which network banned the 'Justify My Love' video in 1990?

The controversy helped push the song, one of two new tracks on The Immaculate Collection, to number one.

About how many copies has The Immaculate Collection sold, the best-selling compilation by a solo artist?

It arrived in November 1990 with 'Justify My Love' and 'Rescue Me' as new songs.

Which of these acts was signed to Madonna's Maverick label?

Maverick launched in 1992 with a $60 million Time Warner advance; Michelle Branch was another signing.

Which fashion photographer shot Madonna's 1992 coffee-table book Sex?

It topped the New York Times bestseller list despite savage reviews, and its backlash overshadowed the album Erotica.

To which rapper did Madonna propose during the Erotica era?

They split after Sex came out; he said he had been included in the book without consent.

During her notorious 1994 Late Show appearance, what did Madonna hand David Letterman?

She also swore enough to require broadcast censorship, and urged him to smell the item.

How many weeks did 'Take a Bow', Madonna's longest-running Hot 100 number one, spend on top?

It came from Bedtime Stories, the softer 1994 album meant to win back public favor.

For which film did Madonna win the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy?

She wrote to director Alan Parker asking for the role of Eva Perón and filmed in Argentina while pregnant.

Who is the father of Madonna's daughter Lourdes, born in October 1996?

He was her fitness trainer; they split in 1997, with Madonna saying they were 'better off as best friends'.

Which electronic producer collaborated with Madonna on Ray of Light (1998)?

The album won four Grammys and is widely regarded as her magnum opus; her new interest in Kabbalah shaped it.

'Frozen' was Madonna's first song to debut at number one in which country?

It peaked at number two in the US; the title track 'Ray of Light' reached number five.

'Beautiful Stranger', which won Madonna a Grammy, was recorded for which 1999 film?

It won Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.

Which Don McLean classic did Madonna cover for The Next Best Thing, topping the UK chart?

She played a yoga teacher in the poorly reviewed 2000 film.

Where in the Scottish Highlands did Madonna marry Guy Ritchie in December 2000?

Their son Rocco had been christened at nearby Dornoch Cathedral the day before.

At whose dinner party did Madonna meet Guy Ritchie in 1998?

Their 2008 divorce settlement reportedly gave Ritchie £50-60 million, including a London pub and a Wiltshire estate.

Madonna sang the theme and had a cameo in which James Bond film?

The Guardian called her cameo 'incredibly wooden', but the song reached number 8 in the US and earned Golden Globe and Grammy nominations.

At the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, Madonna famously kissed which two singers on stage?

They were performing 'Hollywood' from American Life, her lowest-selling album.

What was the title of Madonna's first children's book, published in 2003?

It became the fastest-selling children's picture book at the time, with all proceeds going to charity.

'Hung Up' samples 'Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)' by which group?

It was only the second time the group had allowed a sample; the single hit number one in a record 41 countries.

Which producer did Madonna turn to for the continuous club-mix sound of Confessions on a Dance Floor?

The album topped charts in a record 40 countries and won the Grammy for Best Electronic/Dance Album.

From which African country did Madonna adopt her son David Banda in 2006?

She later adopted Mercy James and twins Estere and Stella there, and her Raising Malawi foundation built a pediatric hospital.

Before Madonna in 2008, who was the only female solo artist inducted into the Rock Hall in her first eligible year?

Her induction came the same year as her Hard Candy album and the Sticky & Sweet Tour.

'4 Minutes', which broke Elvis's record for Hot 100 top-ten hits, paired Madonna with which singer?

Timbaland co-produced Hard Candy, which debuted at number one in 37 countries.

In which city did Madonna headline the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show in 2012?

With Cirque du Soleil, LMFAO, Nicki Minaj, M.I.A. and CeeLo Green, it drew 114 million viewers, more than the game itself.

The 2012 MDNA Tour made Madonna the first woman to pass which milestone?

It grossed over $305 million from 88 sold-out shows in 2012.

Madonna's move to which European city in 2017 inspired the fado- and morna-influenced album Madame X?

Musician Dino D'Santiago introduced her to local artists' informal 'living room sessions'.

Madonna appeared as the interval act, performing 'Like a Prayer', at which 2019 event?

She followed it with 'Future' alongside rapper Quavo, and launched a theater-only tour that September.

The Celebration Tour ended in May 2024 with a record-setting free concert at which location?

It set records for the largest standalone concert ever and the biggest audience for a female artist.

How many Grammy Awards has Madonna won?

She also has two Golden Globes and twenty MTV Video Music Awards, and was the world's highest-paid female musician for a record eleven years.

Madonna's 2011 film W.E. dramatized the relationship between Wallis Simpson and which king?

The film flopped, but its ballad 'Masterpiece' won her a Golden Globe for Best Original Song.

What was the profession of Madonna's mother, also named Madonna Louise?

Her father Tony was an engineer and physicist for Chrysler Defense; her mother's early death shaped much of her later work.

Which French disco artist hired the young Madonna as a backup singer and dancer in Paris?

She found the audition through trade papers like Variety and Backstage before returning to New York's band scene.

With which drummer, an ex-boyfriend from Michigan, did Madonna form the band Emmy in 1980?

Bray later co-wrote and co-produced hits including 'Into the Groove' and 'Express Yourself'.

Which 1986 film with Sean Penn earned Madonna the Golden Raspberry for Worst Actress?

The following year's Who's That Girl fared little better on screen, though its title song hit number one.

In which 1992 film did Madonna play a member of an all-women's baseball team?

Her Maverick venture the same year came with a $60 million advance and a record 20 percent royalty rate.

Which actress introduced Madonna to Kabbalah after the birth of her daughter?

The interest in Eastern mysticism fed directly into the sound and imagery of Ray of Light.

How many Grammy Awards did Madonna win at the 41st ceremony for the Ray of Light era?

They included Best Pop Album, plus Best Dance Recording and Best Short Form Music Video for the title track.