Madonna Louise Ciccone, better known worldwide as simply Madonna or the Queen of Pop was born in August 1958 in Bay City, Michigan. She moved to New York in the late 1970s and studied with renowned choreographer Alvin Ailey, joined up with the Patrick Hernandez Revue, formed a pop/dance band called Breakfast Club, and began working with then boyfriend Stephen Bray on recording several disco-oriented songs.

New York producer/DJ Mark Kamins passed her demo tapes to Sire Records in early 1982 and the rest, as they say, is history. The 1980s were Madonnas glory decade, as she dominated the music charts and her musical and fashion influences were felt around the globe.

The remarkable, hyper-ambitious Material Girl who never stops re-inventing herself, is the highest earning female singer in history. In 2000, Guinness World Records credited Madonna as the most successful female recording artist of all time, with estimated worldwide sales of 120 million albums. According to Billboard Magazine, Madonna's 2006 Confessions Tour was the most successful concert tour of a female artist in history. She is usually noted for her innovative music videos, elaborately mounted stage performances, and use of political, sexual, and religious themes and imagery in her work.