Madonna and Al Pacino first worked together in 1990’s Dick Tracy (me and who), but they met years before.
In the biography Madonna: A Rebel Life, Madonna’s former roommate, Whitley Hill, told author Mary Gabriel that her dad, actor Ed Setrakian, introduced the Oscar-winning actor to the Queen of Pop in the late 1970s during a dinner at a New York City restaurant. After Pacino came over to sit with Madonna and company, the singer “unwrapped a stick of gum and ate it in a slow, deliberate manner,” according to Insider. Hill believes the idea was “to call attention to her mouth.” And her tongue.
Setrakian drove everyone, including Pacino and Madonna, home following the dinner. Later, he called his daughter and informed her what Pacino told him. “That friend of your daughter’s stuck her tongue in my ear. When we were driving home, she leaned over and stuck her tongue in my ear!” he claimed. Setrakian didn’t reveal what happened next, but you can probably guess (they shared a Dunkaccino).
Born in Bay City, Michigan, on August 16, 1958, Madonna Louise Ciccone was one of six children in an Italian-French-Canadian household. Her mother’s early demise compelled her to shoulder responsibilities, inadvertently nurturing her resilience. While many saw the American Midwest as a cradle of simplicity, Madonna eyed the world as her stage. She took to dance as a young girl, inspired by disciplined movements and the unspoken language of the body.
She moved to New York City at a young age with just $35 in her pocket. To make ends meet, Madonna took up a myriad of jobs, from Dunkin’ Donuts counter girl to backup dancer. But as we know, destiny had grander plans. After a handful of bands and myriad musical experiments, she signed with Sire Records in 1982. This move opened the floodgates of fame, and thus began her unceasing ascendancy. So, how does this translate to financial figures? Drum roll, please—a jaw-dropping net worth of $900 million in 2023, according to CAknowledge.
The Midas Touch: A Career That Spans Gold & Platinum
American singer Madonna in New York, 1984. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)
Summarizing Madonna’s successes can be a Herculean task for a career with more ups than a roller coaster at Six Flags. Her 1983 self-titled debut album lit the fuse, but her second studio album, Like a Virgin, exploded onto the music scene. By 1985, Madonna was already a global superstar. She didn’t rest on her laurels but continued to evolve her art.
Ray of Light, her 1998 album, brought electronic music into mainstream pop, displaying her capacity to adapt and lead. Confessions on a Dance Floor in 2005 was another milestone, a commercial and critical success. She even tried her hand at acting, receiving critical acclaim for her role in Evita. Let’s not forget her trendsetting music videos, breaking norms, and setting new benchmarks for artists.
A Treasure Trove Of Accolades
Michael Jackson and Madonna (Photo by Barry King/WireImage)
Madonna’s award cabinet is as diverse as her music. She has also claimed nearly two dozen MTV Video Music Awards as a seven-time Grammy winner. Her victories aren’t just Western-centric. She’s garnered accolades from the Brit Awards to Japan’s Gold Disc Awards. In 2008, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in her first year of eligibility. Notably, she’s also the best-selling female recording artist, as acknowledged by the Guinness World Records. Her accolades not only venerate her artistic capabilities but also mark her as a groundbreaking influencer in popular culture.
The Personal Life Of A Pop Star
Britney Spears and Madonna (Photo by Chris Polk/FilmMagic)
Madonna’s personal life has always been as eclectic as her music, replete with relationships that have graced tabloid covers and fueled social conversations. She has been married twice, first to actor Sean Penn and later to British film director Guy Ritchie. However, romantic engagements are only the tip of the iceberg. As a mother of six, Madonna has adopted four children from Malawi, which sparked debates about international adoption and showed her commitment to multiculturalism and humanitarianism.
Business Ventures & Philanthropy
NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 20: Madonna speaks onstage during the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall on August 20, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for MTV)
Transitioning from personal to philanthropic pursuits, Madonna founded Raising Malawi, an organization committed to improving the lives of impoverished children in Malawi. This charitable initiative dovetailed with her personal life, essentially taking the fight to where her heart found a home—among her adopted children’s native communities. She has also been involved in various other philanthropic endeavors, including AIDS research, disaster relief, and advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, making her not just an entertainer but also a global advocate.
Regarding business, the pop diva isn’t content with just the stage’s limelight. She has dipped her fingers into multiple pies, from fashion to fitness. The ventures have solidified her as an influential artist and a savvy businesswoman, each adding another layer of resilience to her already awe-inspiring empire.
Twitter, as you may have heard, is currently in the process of re-branding to X. The social media platform currently refers to itself as X, but its website is still twitter.com. Another part of the process on the in-person side of things is the company’s headquarters. The office is going to need a facelift, so they’re clearing out space by auctioning off some old Twitter stuff.
Another particularly interesting item is a record player that comes with a collection of 24 records dubbed “The Twitter Essential’s.” Included in the exclusive collection are albums by artists like David Bowie, Tom Petty, Marvin Gaye, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, ABBA, Pink Floyd, John Lennon, Nirvana, Elton John, Prince, Bee Gees, Madonna, and Fleetwood Mac. More contemporary releases include My Morning Jacket’s Z, Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour, and the Bohemian Rhapsody soundtrack.
Beyond that, there’s just a bunch of Twitter signs and office stuff. X/Twitter had another auction earlier this year which included similar lots of workplace miscellany.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Only two weeks after being hospitalized, Madonna is back out on the streets of New York City. The pop legend was spotted with one of her friends on the Upper East Side, walking along East 80th Street and Lexington Avenue. According to the news outlet Page Six, she had on giant sunglasses, Nike shoes, and a wide-brimmed hat. She looked cheerful with her friend and seemed to be walking just fine (albeit taking her sweet time with it all).
This comes after Madonna’s June 24th hospitalization stemming from a bacterial infection. She was found unresponsive and rushed to the ICU for immediate treatment. After only a few days in the ICU, she was discharged and recovered at home, most likely with antibiotics and plenty of rest. Now, two weeks later, she’s back to enjoying life before she presumably goes off to do her twelfth solo tour. (Which might be on delay due to this abrupt health crisis.)
Above, podcaster Lauren Conlin snapped pictures of Madonna walking the NYC streets. “Guess who we just saw out and about today, looking great,” Conlin says to the camera. The video pans to two photos of Madonna leaning against a light pole, waiting to cross the street in the Big Apple. And while she’s out walking again, which is terrific news, she has yet to release a statement about the health scare or what this means for her upcoming tour.
Allegedly, Madonna had been feeling a low-grade fever for almost a month but did not alert medical professionals of this. She didn’t see a doctor because she didn’t want to have a reason to delay — or cancel — the Celebration tour. The pop star was going to kick things off on July 15th in Vancouver, BC. There are no updates from her or her manager, Guy Oseary. (Other than an expectation to return to full health via Oseary back in June.) It’s unclear whether she’ll be healthy enough to perform in five days’ time.
Anybody who thought the vinyl resurgence was just a fad was mistaken: The industry has experienced a legitimate revival. As a result, music fans are interested in physical media in ways they may not have if the decades-old medium hasn’t made a comeback. That doesn’t mean everybody is listening to just their parents’ old music, though. That’s part of it, sure, thanks to rereleases that present classic albums in new ways. A vital part of the renewed vinyl wave, though, is new projects being released as records, of which there are plenty.
Whatever you might be into, each month brings a new slew of vinyl releases that has something for everybody. Some stand out above the rest, naturally, so check out some of our favorite vinyl releases of June below.
The Age Of Pleasure was definitely the most-talked-about album of June, due in part to Monáe’s racy rollout and in part to the music just being excellent. In the video above, Monáe shows off the striking vinyl edition, which features warm alternate cover art and a gigantic painting of breasts on the inside.
As part of its Anthology series, Vinyl Me, Please is revisiting an iconic Waylon Jennings run, from 1973 to 1981, with an eight-album box set. It’s a must-have for fans, as it comes alongside 28 pages of listening notes and even a podcast that dives into Jennings’ storied career as one of country’s biggest icons.
Otis Redding — Otis Forever: The Albums & Singles (1968-1970)
Rhino
Redding tragically died in a 1967 plane crash, but the music kept flowing after that. Four posthumous albums were released from 1968 to 1970, including the beloved The Dock Of The Bay. That and more has been compiled in a new box set (limited to only 1,000 copies), which features the four albums and mono versions of 24 singles from the albums.
Willie Nelson is 90 years old and not stopping, as he has Bluegrass, a new album (his 151st!), on the way soon. For now, though, it’s time to look back with a quick series of reissues. First up is 2002’s The Great Divide, which features collaborations with folks like Sheryl Crow, Rob Thomas, Alison Krauss, and others.
At 82 years old, Bob Dylan is showing no signs of slowing. He just dropped Shadow Kingdom, his 40th album, in early June, and it features new recordings of songs from the first half of Dylan’s esteemed career, along with a new instrumental track, “Sierra’s Theme.” The reinterpretations stem from Dylan’s 2021 concert film, Shadow Kingdom: The Early Songs Of Bob Dylan.
Madonna — Finally Enough Love: The Rainbow Edition
Rhino
Last summer, Madonna dropped Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones, a retrospective box set that offers a great overview of her pop dominance. She decided to revive the project here in Pride Month by re-dubbing it Finally Enough Love: The Rainbow Edition. Naturally, the vinyl it’s pressed on comes in a variety of vibrant colors, making it an awesome way to celebrate.
Gossamer was a huge moment for Passion Pit, as the 2012 sophomore album vaulted the group into the mainstream conversation with a No. 4 peak on the Billboard 200 chart and the multi-platinum single “Take A Walk.” They’re a bit late but the new 10th-anniversary reissue is still appreciated, and fans will love this: The reissue features “American Blood” and “Almost There,” both of which were previously only available as bonus tracks on the 2012 Japanese CD release.
Included on Flaming Lips’ 6-CD Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots 20th Anniversary Box Set was a collection of four fan-favorite tracks only officially available as part of that release. Now, they’ve been given their first-ever vinyl release on a new standalone collection, pressed on lovely pink vinyl.
TLC — CrazySexyCool and FanMail (Vinyl Me, Please Reissues)
Vinyl Me, Please
Much has been made about the 50th anniversary of hip-hop in 2023, and part of Sony’s celebrations include teaming up with Vinyl Me, Please for some fresh reissues. For the occasion, TLC’s two biggest albums, FanMail and CrazySexyCool, are getting new releases, and the former even comes with a 7-inch.
Towards the end of 2022, Alex G wrapped up a headlining tour with three sold-out hometown shows at Philadelphia’s Union Transfer. Now he’s sourced a new live album from those performances, but vinyl isn’t just the best way to hear it: It’s the only way, as the 14-track Live From Union Transfer isn’t currently set to be released on any format besides LP.
Earlier this week we got some scary details about a recent hospitalization Madonna had. She was reportedly found unresponsive over the weekend and taken to the hospital. While she has left the hospital since and is recovering reports are still emerging about the situation. Initial reports cited a bacterial infection as the primary cause of her hospitalization. Now new details are emerging.
According to TMZ, Madonna was “kicking and screaming” at the idea she may have to delay her tour. She was allegedly so focused on work for her upcoming Celebration tour that she didn’t go to the doctor. That was despite reportedly having a low fever for over a month before her hospitalization. Her upcoming tour is intended as a celebration of her four-decade musical career. It’s scheduled to start in Vancouver on July 15th. While no update has been made at the moment, it’s unclear if Madonna will be fit to perform.
While Madonna clearly still wants the tour to go on as planned, that seems to be still up in the air. Just a few weeks ago she was part of a new song called “Popular.” The track is for the soundtrack of The Weeknd and Euphoria creator Sam Levinson’s new show The Idol. The Weeknd has been releasing new music in conjunction with the show’s new episodes airing every week. Her song “Popular” also features a short verse from Playboi Carti and is handed predominately by The Weeknd himself.
Earlier this month, Madonna was part of another new song. “VULGAR” saw the pop legend leaning into her controversial side alongside pop star Sam Smith. Just last night the song got the first of what is expected to be a number of official remixes. Much of the new material Madonna has released this year has been remixes of her classic work. Albums like American Life and Ray Of Light have received dozens of new remixes this year alone. What do you think of the new reports coming from Madonna’s hospitalization? Let us know in the comment section below.
Earning the title “Queen of Pop” is no easy feat. That’s why Madonna is a staple in the history of commercial music of the 20th century and beyond. She’s an incredible force with a career spanning four and half decades. Madonna is the best-selling female recording artist of all time. She has sold over 300 million records worldwide and is revered across the globe for her many contributions to music.
Madonna was set to embark on her twelfth concert tour, titled Madonna: The Celebration Tour, in July. However, she was admitted to ICU after a severe bacterial infection left her unresponsive. Thankfully, she’s been discharged and is recovering at home, but the tour has been postponed. The Celebration Tour was meant to kick off on July 15 in Canada and span 84 shows across several major cities. Nonetheless, Madonna has been an incomparable talent over the decades and remains one of the most influential artists of all time.
Early Success
American singer Madonna in New York, 1984. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)
After dropping out of college in 1978, Madonna relocated to the Big Apple to pursue dance professionally. A year later, she became involved with Dan Gilroy, which led to their formation of the band Breakfast Club. Madonna didn’t stay long with Breakfast Club, eventually starting another band, Emmy and the Emmys. Once again, she parted ways with the group, opting for a solo career.
After moderate success with her solo demos, Madonna began to work hard on self-promotion. She frequented nightclubs and gigs to get her music out into the world. This led to a signed deal with Sire Records. Her first two solo singles, “Everybody” and “Burning Up,” garnered significant buzz her way, spurring talks of an album incoming. Her debut album Madonna was released in 1983 and featured the now-timeless single “Holiday.”
Madonna’s Major Breakthrough
Madonna had already cemented herself as a major star by the mid-80s. She was a guitarist, dancer, drummer, singer, and trendsetter. However, by 1984, her second album, Like a Virgin, propelled her to superstardom. The album was a commercial triumph and is one of the most acclaimed and revered musical albums of the 20th century.
In addition to this, she enjoyed a seamless transition into film. Furthermore, Madonna established herself as a phenomenal live performer. Throughout the ’80s and ’90s, she quickly rose to icon status after a series of commercial successes. Albums like Who’s That Girl, Like A Prayer, and Confessions on a Dance Floor further proved her relevance each decade. On the flip side, appearances in the movies Dick Tracy, A League of Their Own, and Evita showed her versatility as an actress.
Since then, and up until the present day, Madonna has remained on the lips of millions. Although predominantly a pop artist, she has accommodated several genres into her sound. Her skills as a musical chameleon are also noteworthy because she continues to work with numerous artists of today. She has also earned widespread acclaim for her music videos, which feature captivating storytelling.
Collaboration With Hip Hop & R&B Artists
It’s been common knowledge for decades that Madonna can blend genres. As a legacy act, she has worked with many older and newer Hip Hop and R&B acts. She recently worked with The Weeknd and Playboi Carti on the single “Popular.” However, her catalog is filled with many more notable collaborations.
Madonna has worked with Babyface, Lil Wayne, Missy Elliott, Quavo, Swae Lee, Nas, Kanye West, and Nicki Minaj, among many others. Her interest in the genre has been long recorded. The Beastie Boys were the opening act on her first-ever global tour and she sampled Public Enemy early in her career.
64-Year Old Pop Singer Madonna was rushed to a New York City Hospital and is now expected to recover.
Page Six reports:
Madonna was found unresponsive and rushed to a New York City hospital Saturday, Page Six can exclusively reveal.
We hear the “Material Girl” singer, 64, was intubated for at least one night before having the tube removed — and she is now alert and recovering.
We’re also told that her daughter Lourdes Leon was by her side throughout the ordeal.
Madonna’s longtime manager, Guy Oseary, shared on Instagram Wednesday that his client had “developed a serious bacterial infection which led to a several day stay in the ICU.”
While a source tells us the Queen of Pop is now “out of the ICU,” Oseary explained in his post, “She is still under medical care. A full recovery is expected.”
Once again, The Weeknd is proving that his creativity knows no bounds. His latest project, The Idol, finds him not only sitting in the producer and writer’s seats but also starring in and creating the soundtrack alongside some other huge artists. The controversial HBO series made its debut at Cannes Film Festival last month, with many reviews condemning the show for over-sexualizing 23-year-old Lily-Rose Depp in virtually every episode. Fans will be able to tap into the show at home this coming weekend, and ahead of that, Abel Tesfaye gave us a taste of the music that’s to come.
This New Music Friday (June 2) he joined forces with Playboi Carti and Madonna for “Popular,” which brings about a seriously nostalgic sound. The Weeknd spoke with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 about the single, as well as his aspirations for future work with the Queen of Pop. “The thing is, I’ve always wanted to work with her. I’ve always wanted to write and produce a Madonna album… Well, co-produce with her, of course,” the Canadian shared.
He specifically praised Madonna for being “such a visionary” and keeping her sights set on a singular outcome. “I just want to come into her world and create a classic Madonna album. That was always my dream. So this can be… hopefully, this is the appetizer for that,” Tesfaye teased. Elsewhere, he spoke about “Popular” and how “proud” he is of how the track came together.
“Me and Carti had this… I mean, we’ve jammed out before. We’ve had a different version of this song prior. So I’ve had these vocals for a while and I’ve kind of just worked around it, and then kind of kept it in the tuck. But now it felt like it was time. It was time,” the genre-bending vocalist reflected. Would you be excited to stream a joint album from Madonna and The Weeknd? Let us know in the comments, and check back later for more music/pop culture news updates.
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