Madonna

Without a doubt, one of the most internationally known and recognized stars of contemporary history, Madonna has achieved an unthinkable amount in the past 20 years of her career. She has dominated the music charts, she has hit the silver screen, she has entered the publishing industry, and she is probably one of the most publicized celebrities of the 20th century. To say that she is a celebrity would be an understatement; she is a veritable pop icon. N?e Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone, the Material Girl was born August 16, 1958, in Bay City, Michigan.

The eldest of 8 children, she lost her mother to cancer when she was 6 years old, leaving her engineer father to raise their eight children. Madonna's star quality was evident at an early age, which prompted her to participate in school shows, be a school cheerleader, as well as take piano and ballet lessons. She attended the University of Michigan on a dance scholarship, but she put aside her studies after two years of student life to head for New York City and pursue her dreams of becoming a star. In the Big Apple with hardly any cash, Madonna barely earned a living by working several minimum wage jobs, one of which was at a Dunkin Donuts counter at Times Square. She joined the Alvin Ailey dance troupe, where although she gained experience, she was not gaining much exposure as one of many dancers in the troupe.

Madonna was itching to become famous, and this was not the way to achieve her pursuit of stardom. Madonna's eighth studio album, Music, was released in 2000 and debuted at #1 on the U.S. album charts. In 2001, Madonna began her first world tour since 1993, the Drowned World Tour, visiting cities in North America and Europe. In 2002, Madonna starred in the film Swept Away directed by her husband Guy Ritchie. In January 2005, Madonna performed a cover version of the John Lennon song "Imagine" on the televised U.S. aid concert "Tsunami Aid", which raised money for the tsunami victims in Asia.