Madonna was born on August 16, 1958 in Bay City, Michigan. Her family was very Catholic which influenced many of her artistic decisions later on. Her mother died when she was 5 from breast cancer. From then on she was a very rebellious kid. Her father remarried a woman named Joan Gustafan who was a very strict woman. Madonna looked at herself as the "Cinderella" of the family. In High School she maintained a 4.0 GPA while involved in dance and cheer. Other than that she was not the example of a perfect child. Her clothes got more and more revealing, she rejected her religion and she went to gay night clubs every weekend. She attended the University of Michigan on a Dance Scholarship but soon left to pursue her dreams in New York.
Her music career started in 1981 when she decided that she wanted to have a solo career. By 1982 her song "Everybody" was number 1 on the dance charts. Her albums Madonna and Like a Virgin gained a lot of attention for her. She based a lot of her artistic decisions on pushing the boundaries. Madonna's career is one of a kind and very controversial.
Her music career started in 1981 when she decided that she wanted to have a solo career. By 1982 her song "Everybody" was number 1 on the dance charts. Her albums Madonna and Like a Virgin gained a lot of attention for her. She based a lot of her artistic decisions on pushing the boundaries. Madonna's career is one of a kind and very controversial.
Another name for the Virgin Mary is Madonna. This gives you an idea about how Catholic her family was growing up. She may have used the fact that she shared her name with the mother of Christ as a status symbol. It symbolizes importance and beauty. The Virgin Mary also symbolizes innocence because she bore a child and was a virgin. This is completely opposite Madonna. Madonna is not innocent but she is powerful and influential.
This is the music video for "Like a Prayer" (1989). This video is said to be a turning point in Madonna's career. It shows just how controversial she can be. This music video is about a black girl who is murdered by white supremacists. A black man is blamed for the murder. Madonna witnesses this and goes to a church to find the strength to bear witness. There she has a dream about kissing a black saint. She also stands in front of burning crosses which is something the Ku Klux Klan used to do. She pushes the boundaries but now she has trademarked herself as someone who knows how to make a point. She stands up for what she believes in.