Portrait of Madonna from The English Roses, published by Callaway. © 2003 by Madonna. All rights reserved.

Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone Ritchie was born in Bay City, Michigan, and is one of eight children in a large Italian family. She demonstrated an early love for music—particularly that of nearby Motown—and dance, winning a scholarship to the University of Michigan.

She arrived in New York City shortly thereafter to pursue a career in dance, eventually working with Martha Graham and the Alvin Ailey Dance Troop.

With her passion for music, Madonna joined several groups, including The Breakfast Club. She was signed to Sire Records in 1982 and began a recording career that has spanned more than two decades and is recognized as one of the most successful and influential of modern times.

Over the last 20 years, Madonna has sold close to two hundred million albums worldwide with a run of over 25 Top Ten singles, including 'Material Girl,' 'Like A Prayer,' 'Express Yourself,' 'Vogue,' 'Ray of Light,' and 'Music,' and has received three Grammy Awards.

Her most recent album, American Life, was released in April 2003. On August 28, 2003, Madonna’s performance opened MTV’s 2003 Video Music Awards.

Madonna’s film career includes the hits Desperately Seeking Susan, Dick Tracy, A League of Their Own, and the acclaimed documentary Truth or Dare. Her starring role in the film of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s musical Evita won her a Golden Globe Award.

Madonna has also appeared in the highly regarded Broadway production of David Mamet’s Speed-the-Plow, and made her West End stage debut in spring 2002 in a sold-out run of the play Up For Grabs.

She has written five books for children. The first, The English Roses, will be released in 30 languages in more than 100 countries worldwide on September 15, 2003.

Madonna is married to screenwriter/director Guy Ritchie and has two children, Lola and Rocco. They divide their time between the United States and England.

Biography courtesy of Calloway. Last updated September 2003
Copyright © 2003 by Callaway Editions, Inc. All rights reserved. Any reproduction, by any means, in whole or in part, in any form, of text on this Web page is prohibited without the express written consent of Callaway.