all about Madonna

Madonna seems to be a woman of many talents, for after having wielded the pen, she is all set to direct a movie.
According to The Sun, she will sign a lucrative deal to direct a film version of her children's book, English Roses.
She has penned the screenplay with husbandb Guy Ritchie and will start shooting next summer. The movie will be produced by Sony.
source : ANI

Madonna is nominated for best female performer, best tour and best dressed.

from Madonna.com : Madonna.com can confirm that Madonna is back in the studio today to record new music. Can't say what it is for just yet, but stay tuned to Madonna.com for more info.

The house of Versace has called in two favorite superstar pals for its latest advertising campaign.
In a major break with recent seasons, Mario Testino shot Madonna last week in London for the label's next women's ad campaign, which will break in February 2005 issues of major magazines.
The ads, shot in a London studio, represent a major change in style for the house, which for most of this century has used Steven Meisel to shoot its major publicity efforts.
The move also signals a renewed burst of commitment from Donatella Versace, newly revitalized by her trip to substance rehabilitation clinic this summer.
Earlier this month, Donatella was the fashion star in Hamburg at the Bambi awards, Germany's most prestigious fashion prize. Looking super-trim, Versace shared a table at the gala dinner with former Chancellor Helmut Kohl.
A spokesman for the house declined to make any comment on the new shoot. However, a source at the shoot confirmed that Madge and Donatella got on swimmingly in London.
The combination is not unprecedented, as Versace used the duo of Madonna and Testino back in the mind-nineties.
The decision to drop Meisel in favor of Testino is understood to have been inspired, in part, by concern that Meisel has become too much of a ubiquitous presence in fashion advertising. A perennial snapper of US Vogue covers, Meisel regularly shoots oodles of ad campaigns for the major houses.
Versace declined any comment on the fees for the shoot, though word has it that Madonna is primarily interested in nabbing a new wardrobe from Donatella.
source : yahoonews

from : abclocal.go.com
Chicago's 15th Annual Celebrity Charity Chair Auction will be held on Wed., Dec. 1, from 6 to 10 p.m. The event, hosted by ABC 7's Steve Dolinsky, will be held in the Grand Ballroom of the Chicago Hilton and Towers, 720 S. Michigan.
This popular event involves the silent and live auction bidding of over 100 one-of-a-kind chairs -- from ones autographed by celebrities to others that are created by furniture designers and artists. Some of the celebrity chairs were inspired and autographed by Tim McGraw, Madonna, Mike Myers, John Travolta, Bill Cosby, Tom Cruise, Calista Flockhart, Reese Witherspoon, Donald Trump, Sting, and Halle Berry. Robert Duvall is on both a chair and this year's invitation cover. Some chairs up for bid come packaged with special perks - from airfare to dinners to a ride in a NASCAR pace car. Among the furniture designers and artists involved include Matt Bins, Critz Campbell, S. Lloyd Natof , Paul Schulman, and McKinley Wells.
The Celebrity Chair Auction was founded and produced by Mary McCall benefits a number or Chicago area non-profit agencies including the Chicago Abused Women Coalition, the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, and Chicago Communities in Schools. The idea for the event began over 18 years ago, when McCall was working for actor Paul Newman as a location scout. McCall sent Newman to the now-shuttered Florence Restaurant on Taylor Street for lunch. Her late husband, Tom, suggested that she do something with the chair that Newman sat on - and the Celebrity Charity Chair Auction was born!
Chairs featured on ABC 7 News:
# Viggo Mortensen (by James Mesple)
# Robert Redford (by Mary Piper)
# Dusty Baker (by Lisa Riedl)
# Madonna (by Derek Harrington)
# Gene Hackman (by Dan Godsel)
# Marlon Brando - not autographed (by Susan B. Bruno)
# Steve Dolinsky (designed by Steve McDonough of Fire Seating, painted by Ann Haberl)
Well-known Chicago chefs of Chicago will prepare their specialties as well. The celebrity chefs include Jimmy Banos, Heaven on Seven; Kevin Shikami, Kevin; Scott Harris, Mia Francesca; Charlie Brown, WE Ristorante; Ina Pinkney, Ina's; Chef Ted Cizma; Jean Joho, Everest, and Mary McMahon, Tio Altier.
Tickets are $80.00 each. For more information, visit the Chair Auction on the web at www.celebritychairauction.com or call 312-565-4900.

from : celebritychairauction.com
The material girl, Madonna, stakes her signature claim on this Derek Harrington designed chair. Included in this First Lady of Pop package is roundtrip airfare for two provided by American Airlines to a United States destination of your choice. You, too, can jet towards Miami, New York, LA or where blonde ambition all began: Bay City, Michigan.

Pop icon Madonna says that she is so exhausted with handling her kids and family life that she has no energy left to heed her creative instincts.
The 'Frozen' singer, who has two children Lourdes and Rocco and is married to British director Guy Ritchie, said that although she would love to have one more child, managing everything on her own has really taken its toll.
46-year old Madonna also revealed that she likes to play the ideal wife complete with rubbing her husband's feet when he comes back home in the evening and receiving him at the door.
She also makes sure that she helps out with her children's homework everyday.
"I need to calm myself. I don't have a manager anymore, so now I'm my own everything. Then I'm the person who stands at the door when my husband comes home from work, waiting to rub his feet," The Mirror quoted her as saying.
"And I'm the person who helps my kids with their homework and puts them to bed. I'm exhausted. That's my problem now. I no longer have time to be creative," she added.
source : ANI

Madonna has been giving new mum Gwyneth Paltrow advice on bringing up her baby.
The pop queen, who is close friends with the Oscar-winning actress, has admitted she told Gwyneth she didn't have to be 'Supermom' and look after baby Apple all by herself.
Madonna, who has two young children, Lourdes and Rocco, revealed: "I told her to stop trying to be Supermom. She didn't have a nanny for ages. I kept asking her how she did it."
Gwyneth - who is married to Coldplay star Chris Martin - recently revealed she would hire a nanny once she goes back to work.
The stunning actress gave birth in May and, despite previously criticising working mothers for not spending enough time with their children, Gwyneth admits she will have to get help.
She told Britain's Red magazine: "I really love being with Apple. We had a baby nurse for the first few weeks and she showed me how to bath her and get her on a proper schedule.
"I'm sure if I go back to work I'll hire one, so right now I'm just cherishing being with her while I can. But I'm not some superhero. If I want to get a massage, I'll ask her daddy to watch her, or we get a baby-sitter if we want to go out for dinner."
Before Apple's birth, Gwyneth caused controversy when she hit out at working mothers.
She said at the time: "There are certain women in this business who have children and I just think, 'You must never, never see them.' You can't do movies back to back and see your child if they go to school."
source : femalefirst.co.uk

Madonna will be spending her Thanksgiving Day shooting the new ad campaign for Versace. A rep for Donatella Versace confirmed the pop queen is doing the shoot in London today. While he refused to say what Madonna was getting paid, we hear she's being compen sated in trade "” "she actually, really likes the clothes."
source : nypost.com

Life just doesn't seem to stop for pop's iconic queen.
Madonna, three months after finishing her grueling, super-successful Re-Invention Tour, has just published her fourth children's book, The Adventures of Abdi, and now says that she won't mind getting pregnant again.
In an interview with People magazine, the 46-year-old singer said she isn't making any definite plans, but says, 'I'm going to have fun with my husband and see what happens.'
Married to director Guy Ritchie, Madonna also talked fondly of her friends Gwyneth Paltrow and Stella McCartney, who've made her feel welcome in her relatively new English habitat.
She seems to be loving writing for young readers, and is currently focused to continue work with them. 'My focus is to turn The English Roses (her first children's book) into a world of adventure and inspiration for girls,' she says. 'I want to turn it into a film. I want there to be an English Roses column where girls can write in and ask questions. I want to be able to help girls and, in the process, help myself.'
source : rediff.com

Entertainment highlights during the week of Nov. 28-Dec. 4:
1957: Buddy Holly & the Crickets appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show," performing "That'll Be the Day" and "Peggy Sue."
1969: Simon & Garfunkel's first TV special aired.
1973: The Who spent the night in a jail in Montreal, Canada, after causing $6,000 worth of damage to a hotel room.
1980: The surviving members of Led Zeppelin announced they wouldn't re-form after the death of drummer John Bonham.
1982: Pop star Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album was released.
1989: Actress Jane Fonda and California Assemblyman Tom Hayden filed separate petitions for divorce. Both said the split, after 16 years of marriage, was amicable.
1989: IRS agents raided the Las Vegas home of comedian Redd Foxx, who owed an estimated $755,000 in taxes.
1990: Madonna appeared on ABC's "Nightline" to defend her "Justify My Love" video, which MTV had banned. The singer denied the video's explicit content was meant to stir controversy and attract publicity.
1992: Stevie Wonder received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Songwriters.
1996: Actor Burt Reynolds filed for bankruptcy protection to reorganize $10 million in debts.
1997: The last episode of "Beavis and Butt-head" aired on MTV.
2000: The Smashing Pumpkins played their last concert, at a club in Chicago. It was the same club where they had played their first show 13 years earlier.
source : ap

Madonna gives a revealing interview to next week's US People Magazine (December 6 issue) and discusses her new album, musical, not having a manager and more babies...The only pic they use is a photo from Wireimage of her from the Reinvention tour opening night party.
On her new album .... "I have to record a new album....but I really don't like the idea of just making another record. So, Im throwing a lot of balls in the air and will see what happens"
On the musical...."I'm writing for this musical I'm working on, based on the life of Texas Guinan, a woman who was a silent movie star. It's a good story, but I don't know if it's acceptable or not."
On Caresse's departure....."I need to calm myself. I don't have a manager anymore, so now Im my own everything."
On Elton John's comments....."When I read about it, I was surprised because I have always though of Elton as a friend. Ive had tea at his country house.....Ive had dinner at his house in the city....He was obviously having a bad day"
On being inducted into the UK hall of fame....."It was very emotional.....It has taken me a long time to feel comfortable in England, Like it's my home and I am welcome here. And Gweyneth and Stella did a tribute that was hysterical, so I was surrounded by people I love"
On having another baby....."I'm going to have fun with my husband and see what happens!"
The magazine hits stands tomorrow. Madonna is not on the cover.
source : drownedmadonna.com

+ Visit madonnamegacollection.net to download magazine scans

It all seemed to begin, as did so many things, with the Beatles, way back in the sixties. That was when it appeared that anyone who was anyone just had to have their own personal guru, and preferably one who had their own personal ashram in India itself.
The Beatles certainly started a trend because, although people have followed the teachings of assorted holy men over the centuries, it was only with the fabled fab four that celebrities flocked to the call of the various spiritual guides in any great numbers.
And now, in the 21st century, a new generation of celebrities is flocking to Asian gurus for inspiration, as well as for advice on anything from health to fashion.
Recently for example, pop star Madonna asked Sri Lankan yoga master James D'Silva for help and advice in keeping her in the shape to which she, and her fans, have become accustomed.
At the same time, a whole host of Hollywood's finest, including Demi Moore, Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett and Kate Winslet (she of Titanic fame) have been turning to the likes of Daya Vyas and Deepak Chopra.
The latter, who promotes a philosophy which is an amalgam of Ayurvedic medicine and meditation, is a far cry from the likes of the infamous Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, who, whilst swanning around in a white lls Royce motor car, preached sex as a path to enlightenment, thus inspiring a whole generation of hippies. And quite right too you may think.
"The messenger is only trying to be the message" Deepak Chopra has observed. He has also stated that:
"We all have part of Bush and Bin Laden's souls".
And no, I have no idea what he is talking about either, but it sounds pretty scary. Far better to stay with the teachings of the likes of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who promoted traditional meditation techniques as an aid to better health, which didn't seem to do the Beatles any harm whatsoever.
In the end of course, it all comes down to personal wellbeing, both spiritual and physical, so what could be better than what actress (and previous Mrs Jude Law) Sadie Frost is doing? She has just agreed to lend her name to a new range of health foods inspired by her Indian doctor and guru Nish Joshi.
Dr. Joshi's goodies, called, not unreasonably one hopes, Feelgood Foods, include organic soups and breads and sound like an ideal fusion of East and West. Time will surely tell.
source : ani

Dear Insiders...
Your emails are great...I appreciate them and read them all. I enjoy hearing from old high school buddies, too. The South Dakota good old days.
We have some things to catch up on. As you saw...we did the Madonna thing in England. M and I had a great time. Her books are actually really well written and thought out. There will be five in all...and the new one, The Adventures of Abdi, is about how something good comes out of everything. And something good did come out of our trip to London. Madonna and I actually go out on the town. First we went to the UK Hall of Fame Awards. I ran into Ron Wood (did you know he is an excellent artist? I see a lot of his stuff in galleries) and had a nice chat with Priscialla Presley who gave me a pat on the cheek, which means I now have Elvis' DNA on me. Saw sir George Martin and backstage ran into the guys from THE Darkness and what's left of Queen!
Afterwards, Madonna and I went to a local pub and just chilled out for a couple hours. She's fun, smart, beautiful, great and married. Love her.
Then jetted off to New York to hang out with Donald Trump. I went up to his penthouse apartment (some pad, folks) and we discussed his wedding, "The Apprentice" and of course the bagels and lox I brought over for breakfast. Then it was off to Michael J. Fox's Parkinson's Event where we had an exclusive spot backstage. Ran into Heidi Klum, who looks great after giving birth...ran into Katie Couric...who always looks hot and sexy....saw James Taylor, who is one of my heroes -- we talked about the fact that we used to hang out in the same places on the Vineyard and Nantucket back when he was writing "Fire and Rain."
No sooner did I come back and turn on Monday Night Football and watched Nicolette Sheridan disrobe in front of my friend Terrell Owens in the locker room before the game. It was obviously a big promo for the hottest show on TV, "Desperate Housewives," but it set off a national argument again over decency on network TV. It probably didn't play well during the 6 o'clock hour on the West Coast...and we know it didn't play well with ABC viewers and with NFL and the FCC, who are a little skittish about these things since Justin Timberlake ripped off Janet Jackson's shirt in front of a Super Bowl audience. I have two words for you for the next NFL Super Bowl halftime: Barry Manilow.
Big stuff coming up here on "The Insider." All the 'Ocean's Twelve' events are on the horizon. I'm heading to Palm Springs this week to interview George, Matt, Brad and all the guys...then I'm with Julia Roberts on Monday. One of my favorites.
We've got some huge stuff coming up shortly...but we can't tell you right now because our competition reads this before they read the trade papers.
Keep writing....
Best,
Pat



source : insider.tv.yahoo.com

The two main reasons to catch N*E*R*D live are
1: Admiring Pharrell Williams' - talents' and
2: Looking around the room.
The band attract the best-looking audience I've ever seen - with women hoping to impress Pharrell and blokes out to impress the women.
As for the music, N*E*R*D's rare London show wasn't quite what you might have expected.
There was no hint of the production style he sprinkled on Justin Timberlake. Pharrell, Chad Hugo and Shay Haley showcased a new rockier sound.
Highlights were Provider, Tape You, She Wants to Move, Frontin', Fly Or Die, Rock Star and Breakout.
Madonna, Craig David and Damon Albarn watched from the side of the stage.
Pharrell left wearing a superb bling fur coat to head to his aftershow at Sketch.
source : sun.co.uk

Madonna has revealed that Guy Ritchie buys her designer shoes to make up for when they have a row.
The 46-year-old mother-of-two said she was once awarded with a glamorous pair of lavender Jimmy Choo sandals after one bust-up.
Madonna also said she prefers London to the Big Apple because New Yorkers are so rude.
In an interview she said: "London is a much mellower version of New York.
"In New York everyone is in your face, even strangers who aren't interested in celebrities talk to you, make comments about what you're wearing, tell you to get out of their way, steal your taxis.
"There's charm in that but sometimes it can be quite exhausting."
Of Britain she said: "Even the paparazzi have manners. They take a few pictures of you, say thank you then leave. I mean, hello? What paparazzi in America says thanks?"
source : itv.com

Madonna would love to repeat her Live Aid performance next year - 20 years after the first international concert raised millions in aid of the famine in Africa.
The blonde superstar, 46, would "absolutely" perform at LIVE AID II and recalls how overwhelmed she found singing at the seminal gig in Philadelphia, America, on 13 July (85) when she was 25-year-old and unused to such a large audience.
Madonna says, "If I was asked I would absolutely do it. My memories were that it was a very heady experience.
"I had never played to that many people before."
source : contactmusic

"Chess is the game which reflects most honour on human wit" - Voltaire.
Chess has had an image problem. It conjures up thoughts of bespectacled men in anoraks hunched over boards in the upstairs rooms of grotty pubs, or spotty, gangly schoolboys who can't get a girlfriend and make do with the Sicilian Defence (Winawer variation).
"Dysfunctionality" is the word that springs to mind. As former British champion Bill Hartston said: "Chess is not something that drives people mad; it is something that keeps mad people sane." The board's 64 squares are so much less challenging than life.
Chess was not something you could admit a passion for - until now. For Tesco has announced that sales of chess sets are booming and that its new own-brand set is selling at double the rate forecast. It attributes the sales spurt to the fact that celebrities such as Madonna play, and makes a startling claim: chess is trendy.
"Chess, of all the really traditional board games, has undergone an image transformation," said Karen Harris, Tesco's senior buying manager. "Being able to play chess is fast becoming a very cool skill for young people." At last, we chess lovers can out ourselves.

"The celebrity factor is important," said Gerry Walsh, president of the British Chess Federation. "They are role models for the young and encourage them to take up the game. When chess was featured in the first Harry Potter film, we noticed a sudden upsurge in interest."
Madonna and her husband, Guy Ritchie, who have taken chess lessons from former Scottish champion Alan Norris, are the best-known celebrities. But a surprising number of famous names enjoy the game: former world heavyweight boxing champion Lennox Lewis; Andrew Flintoff, the superstar of English cricket, who used to play chess for Lancashire; former snooker world champion Steve Davis; and pop stars Bono, Moby and Sting.
British chess has, however, yet to unearth anyone to rival the Norwegian Simen Agdestein, who is both a chess grandmaster and played football for Norway. If only Wayne Rooney knew the intricacies of the Modern Benoni. "Anything that can get us away from this nerdy image of chess has got to be good," said John Saunders, editor of the British Chess Magazine. "That image has never been true in countries outside the UK and US. In Russia and much of Europe, it's a mainstream sport."
Here, the government has refused to put chess on its list of recognised sports (a move that would have tax advantages). Walsh said his priority was to convince the government to change its mind. The artist and chess obsessive Marcel Duchamp had no doubts. "Chess is a sport, a violent sport," he insisted. "If it's anything at all, it's a fight."
Saunders believes that in the UK the nerdy stereotype dates from the immediate post-war period, when chess was a middle-class, grammar school activity. "If you flick through back copies of the British Chess Magazine from the 1940s and 1950s," he said, "you see an endless succession of elderly men in horn-rimmed spectacles and tweed jackets."
Chess is now played well beyond the confines of grammar schools. According to Walsh, there has been a huge increase in the number of primary-school pupils playing - up to a hundred in every school. Last year's British Land UK Chess Challenge, a nationwide knockout competition for pupils of all ages, attracted 71,000 entries. "The interest in primary schools is enormous," said Walsh, "though there is a big falling off when they go to secondary school, and we don't know why." He added that chess was no longer seen as a boys-only activity. "At primary level it's about 50-50," he said.
It is helping the chess-in-schools cause that the education secretary, Charles Clarke, is a keen player - he lists it as a recreation in Who's Who. Clarke's father, the senior civil servant Sir Richard Clarke, was an excellent player and invented the British chess rating system (every player registered with the British Chess Federation has an official rating for tournaments.)
"Chess is a mind game," Mr Clarke told the Times last year. "It forces you to think. If you tried to prove that playing chess helps you with GCSEs, that would be difficult, but it forces thinking. It's a game which develops logic and strategy."
The growth in the number of sets being bought has been fuelled by the encouragement of chess in primary schools. But Saunders, whose magazine sells 3,000 copies a month, said he had seen no evidence of a boom in top-level chess. There are around 18,000 registered players in the UK - players who have ratings and compete in tournaments - but the figure does not appear to be rising.
The internet has encouraged more people to play. There are many sites, both subscription-only and free, on which it is possible to play one-to-one games against players all round the world. But, said Walsh, that could act as a disincentive to players to join their local club.
Saunders said there was an inevitable lag between an increase in popular interest in the game and the emergence of top players. The boom in the mid-1970s, driven by the world championship match in Reykjavik in 1972 between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky, produced a generation of strong British players 10 years later. But now the UK is lagging again. In the recent chess olympiad in Spain, England had one of their worst ever results, and Scotland, Wales and Ireland also finished well down.
The question now is: can Madonna and Bono have the same effect as Fischer and Spassky did 30 years ago, producing a generation of cool chess players who can challenge the Russians and Ukrainians? Anyone fancy some rook'n'roll?
Queen's gambit
- Madonna plays chess in two of her music videos
- U2 frontman Bono said: "At 12 I studied the grandmasters, and I was fascinated"
- World boxing champion Lennox Lewis was said to play chess as part of his build-up to bouts.
- Sting and his band took on champion Garry Kasparov simultaneously at a charity match in New York in 2000 - they were defeated.
- Jude Law was a keen player at primary school.
source : guardian.co.uk

It was shown simultaneously on BBC One, BBC Two, ITV1, Channel 4 and Five. The figures do not include Sky One or the other digital channels which showed it.
Pop star Madonna, who does not appear on the track, urged fans to "feed the world" before Thursday's screening.
The single is due to be released on Monday 29 November.
BBC One was the most watched terrestrial channel while the video aired, with 3.9m viewers, according to unofficial overnight figures.
ITV1 drew in 3.1m viewers and BBC Two was seen by 2.6m. Just over 1m tuned into Five and Channel 4 incorporated the screening into the end of the Richard and Judy programme, which attracted 2.6m people.
The video began with Coldplay's Chris Martin in the main hall of Air Studios, north London, where the song was recorded at the weekend.
It also featured some stars whose voices did not appear on the song - including Sir Paul McCartney playing bass, Radiohead's Thom Yorke on piano and Blur's Damon Albarn, who served tea.
The video included footage of organiser Bob Geldof in the studio playing the stars a video of an emaciated young girl in the 1984 Ethiopian famine.
The girl, now a young woman, was then introduced to the singers, many of whom were moved to tears.
Madonna's introduction began: "Twenty years ago, I performed at Live Aid and the world watched. You saw me and my generation demanding a change.
"Once again, here we are 20 years later," she said, over images of starving African children. "More people die of hunger in Africa than war and Aids put together.
"In a world of plenty, it is hard to imagine that most African children will go to bed tonight hungry.
"Bob Geldof and his friends are here to remind you that we can never forget. Not ever. Feed the world. I am honoured to introduce Band Aid 20."
The song, a remake of the 1984 original, was recorded on Friday, Saturday and Sunday by more than 50 artists including Joss Stone, Dizzee Rascal and The Darkness.
It is tipped to be the Christmas number one, but bookmakers have shortened the odds on the track's long-term success after it received lukewarm reviews.
The single, which also features Bono, Sugababes and Will Young, was made available to download from the internet on Thursday from a number of music services that will donate proceeds to the cause.
It is also being launched as a charity mobile phone ringtone with proceeds going to the Band Aid Trust, which is supporting food aid to the Sudan's troubled Darfur region.
source : onlypunjab.com

International Queen of Pop and icon Madonna is arguably the most famous woman in modern popular culture. Hot off the heels of her latest world tour, Madonna now launches her fourth children's book and will be talking to Richard & Judy on Monday [ 17:00 CET ].
source : channel4.com

Madonna has admitted that she would dissapprove of her daughter Lourdes following in her raunchy footsteps.
When asked if she would like her eight-year-old "prancing around the stage in her underwear, singing and hollering", the singer replied: "Probably not".
However, Madonna said she wouldn't mind Lourdes making a career out of pop.
Madonna, who has followed the Kabbalah faith for eight years, made her comments during an interview on CNN in America.
She added that she would love George Bush to convert to Kabbalah, a mystical Jewish religion.
source : sky.com

POP queen Madonna took centre stage to entertain children with a reading from her new book.
Pupils from St Winifred's Junior School in Newstead Road, Lee, were invited to the launch of the superstar's book, The Adventures Of Abdi, on Thursday last week.
Madonna read the entire story to them at Selfridges department store in central London, followed by a question and answer session.
She thanked headteacher Mark Corrigan for the youngsters' excellent behaviour.
He said: "The children were excited and nervous before the event but once we arrived Madonna soon made them feel at ease."
He also thanked Penguin Books for allowing them to attend.
source : icnetwork.co.uk

The new Band Aid 20 video is about to be shown for the first time - with pop queen Madonna expected to remind people "none of us can forget".
Do They Know It's Christmas? is tipped to be the seasonal Number One.
The single is now available to download and the tune is also being launched as a charity ringtone with proceeds going to the Band Aid trust.
Mycokemusic.com said it was putting on its website with all profits donated to charity.
Madonna, who performed at the American Live Aid gig in 1985, is expected to say: "I performed at Live Aid. You saw me and my generation demanding a change. Once again, here we are and more people die of hunger in Africa than war and Aids put together.
"Bob Geldof and his friends are here to remind you that none of us can forget. Not ever. Feed the world. I am honoured to introduce Band Aid 20."
U2 frontman Bono won the battle to belt out "And Tonight Thank God it's Them Instead of You" as he did two decades ago. Coldplay's Chris Martin, singers Dido and Robbie Williams have the opening lines of the song.
The Sugababes, Fran Healy from Travis, Justin Hawkins from The Darkness, Will Young, Jamelia and Ms Dynamite are also on board.
source : itv

Madonna has urged American President George W Bush to study the Kabbalah to make him a better leader.
The spiritual Material Girl is convinced the mystical Jewish teachings would give Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair an improved outlook on the world, in light of their handling of the war in Iraq.
When asked by CNN what she would like to change, she replied: "To get George Bush to study Kabbalah. Yes. It would be amazing."
When CNN host Richard Quest suggested: "Maybe Tony Blair could join him?" Madonna enthusiastically responded: "That's a very good idea."
source : breakingnews.iol.ie

Superstar Madonna is adapting her debut children's book The English Roses into a film.
The Material Girl penned the moral tale last year (03), about young bullies Nicole, Amy, Charlotte and Grace tormenting lonely, but beautiful Binah. But, after a visit from a fairy godmother, they soon see the error of their ways and make friends with her.
According to American gossip site The Scoop, Madonna is hoping to start production on the big screen version of the story this year (04).
source : contactmusic

Music fans have voted former Beatle John Lennon the greatest rock and roll icon of all time.
The star, who was assassinated in 1980, saw off competition from Elvis Presley and David Bowie to top the list of 100 voted for by readers of Q magazine.
In a special tribute to him published in the magazine his widow Yoko Ono said he was a "driven man" who "changed people's awareness in an incredible way".
She continued: "He was not afraid to tell the truth and thus give us a clearer picture of what was really going on. Indeed, it is not an exaggeration to say that there was a world before John and the world after."
The top 10 music icons as voted for by readers of Q magazine were:
1. John Lennon 2. Elvis Presley 3. David Bowie 4. Keith Richards 5. Kurt Cobain 6. Madonna 7. Bono 8. Bob Marley 9. Joe Strummer 10. Bob Dylan
source : itv.com

Joni Mitchell, Noam Chomsky, Madonna, Muhammad Ali, Sarah Jessica Parker, The Pixies, Spongebob, Green Day, Robin Williams and Magic Johnson -- these are just some of the celebrities that have donated one-of-a-kind memorabilia to People for the American Way's (PFAW) annual "Auction for the American Way." The auction will take place on eBay from Sunday, November 28 to December 5 and will benefit PFAW's ongoing efforts to promote free speech, civil rights, and religious liberty.
"Artists, authors and entertainers rely on freedom of speech every day," said People For the American Way President Ralph G. Neas. "That's why so many of them are supporting our work to protect freedom of artistic expression and the right to dissent, precious liberties that are in severe danger of being eroded in the current political climate. We are deeply grateful for everyone who is helping us promote and protect the constitutional principles of privacy, equality under the law, and freedom of thought, expression, and religion."

The perfect holiday gift is on this year's eBay Auction for the American Way:
-The drama queen or king in your life can win a walk-on part on TV's WILL & GRACE or JOEY;
-Fashionistas will adore the Chloe dress worn by Sarah Jessica Parker's "Carrie" on Sex in the City;
-For the music fans on your list, bid on autographed items including Madonna's Ray of Light Platinum album customized with the winner's name, Pearl Jam's poster from their 2003 tour, Rod Stewart's Human CD, a poster of Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera from their Rolling Stone cover, lyrics from Lucinda Williams and signed photos of icons Jerry Garcia, George Harrison and others;
-Signed jerseys from sports icons Carmelo Anthony and Yao Ming;
-The budding documentarian will flip for a month long internship with political documentary producer Robert Greenwald, creator of "Unprecedented," "Uncovered," and "Outfoxed";
-Treat yourself to an amazing and unique experience by spending the day with legendary Nirvana Krist Novoselic, flying on his private plane and enjoying lunch before returning back home;
-Teach someone how to play music on a signed instrument from Maroon 5, Simon and Garfunkel, John Mayer, The Eagles, or Blondie;
-Add the renowned political artists Robbie Conal or Shepard Fairey's latest works to your collection or someone else's;
-Add to your best friend's library an autographed book from Guy Oseary, Dennis Weaver, David Brock, James Carville, Bill Maher, Norman Mailer, Gore Vidal, Greg Palast, George Soros and others.
Support freedom of expression in America by participating in the eBay Auction for the American Way. Proceeds will benefit People For the American Way. Go to www.pfaw.org to preview the dozens of items, then start your bidding on November 28.
source : businesswire.com

Material Girl is featured on a new 'Chick Flick Diaries: 50 Classic Themes From The Greatest Chick Flicks' compilation. Release date is November 22.



track listing :
Disc One
1. Material Girl-Madonna [Bridget Jones: Edge Of Reason]
2. Caught In The Moment-Sugababes [Wimbledon]
3. You're My First My Last My Everything-Barry White [Bridget Jones: Edge Of Reason]
4. What A Girl Wants-Christina Aguilera [What Women Want]
5. Something To Talk About-Badly Drawn Boy [About A Boy]
6. Independent Women-Destiny's Child [Charlie's Angels]
7. Jump-Girls Aloud [Love Actually]
8. Finally-CeCe Peniston [Priscilla Queen Of The Desert]
9. Can't Fight The Moonlight-Leann Rimes [Coyote Ugly]
10. Praise You-Fatboy Slim [Cruel Intentions]
11. I'm Coming Out-Amerie [Maid In Manhattan]
12. Don't Need You To Tell Me I'm Pretty-Samantha Mumba [Legally Blonde]
13. It's In His Kiss (Shoop Shoop Song]-Cher [Mermaids]
14. You're So Vain-Carly Simon [How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days]
15. I'm Not In Love-10CC [Bridget Jones: Edge Of Reason]
16. Fernando-Abba [Muriel's Wedding]
17. Up Where We Belong-Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes [An Officer & A Gentleman]

Disc Two

1. Wind Beneath My Wings-Bette Midler [Beaches]
2. When You Say Nothing At All-Ronan Keating [Notting Hill]
3. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow-Amy Winehouse [Bridget Jones Edge Of Reason]
4. Too Lost In You-Sugababes [Love Actually]
5. From The Heart-Another Level [Notting Hill]
6. Out Of Reach-Gabrielle [Bridget Jones's Diary]
7. How Can You Mend A Broken Heart-Al Green [Notting Hill]
8. Unchained Melody-Righteous Brothers [Ghost]
9. Let's Get It On-Marvin Gaye [Bridget Jones Edge Of Reason]
10. All By Myself-Jamie O'Neal [Bridget Jones's Diary]
11. My Girl-The Temptations [My Girl]
12. Wishin' & Hoping-Dusty Springfield [My Best Friend's Wedding]
13. Kiss Kiss-Holly Valance [What Women Want]
14. When Doves Cry-Prince [Purple Rain]
15. Pure Shores-All Saints [The Beach]
16. Kiss Me-Sixpence None The Richer [How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days]
17. Fame-Irene Cara [Fame]

Disc Three

1. I Believe In A Thing Called Love-The Darkness [Bridget Jones Edge Of Reason]
2. Love Is All Around-Wet Wet Wet [Four Weddings And A Funeral]
3. Footloose-Kenny Loggins [Footloose]
4. Disco Inferno-The Trammps [Saturday Night Fever]
5. Gloria-Laura Branigan [Flashdance]
6. Big Girls Don't Cry-Frankie Valli [Dirty Dancing]
7. When The Going Gets Tough-Billy Ocean [The Jewel Of The Nile]
8. Think-Aretha Franklin [Bridget Jones Edge Of Reason]
9. Bad Boy-Miami Sound Machine [3 Men And A Baby]
10. What A Fool Believes-The Doobie Brothers [Frankie & Johnny]
11. Mr Blue Sky-ELO [Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind]
12. Addicted Love-Robert Palmer [Cocktail]
13. I Love To Boogie-T-Rex [Billy Elliot]
14. Let Your Love Flow-The Bellamy Brothers [Along Came Polly]
15. Don't Get Me Wrong-The Pretenders [Bridget Jones's Diary]
16. He's A Dream-Shandi [Flashdance]

French composer Michel Colombier died yesterday after a six month battle with cancer. He was 65. Colombier was one of the most prolific and versatile French musicians of his generation. Besides his career as a film composer, scoring over 100 feature, cable and television films since the early 1960's, Colombier was a prolific song writer and arranger who worked with artists such as Madonna, Prince, The Beach Boys, Paul Anka, Barbra Streisand and Earth Wind and Fire.
As a film composer, Michel Colombier scored a lot of French and American films, including The Golden Child, Ruthless People, New Jack City, How Stella Got Her Groove Back and The Money Pit. His background in jazz was evident in the majority of his film scores, and his ability to compose original score music that merged seamlessly with pop songs made him the perfect composer for 1980's films with song-heavy soundtracks, including White Nights, Against All Odds and Purple Rain (which won a Grammy Award as well as an Academy Award for Best Song Score).
source : musicfromthemovies.com

Madonna has lent her support to the new Band Aid single by recording an introduction to the song's music video.
The pop queen will tell fans to "feed the world" before the video gets its premiere on BBC One on Thursday.
Madonna was not among the stars who assembled to record the song in London at the weekend.
Bono returned from Ireland to record the new rendition and said he took a different approach to his emotional 1984 contribution.
"Rather than that raw, I just tried it more of a whisper tonight," he said.
The Darkness' Justin Hawkins had earlier claimed: "I did it and I did it better than him.
"So his management kicked up a stink and it obviously means a lot to him. "
The single will get its first radio play on stations around the UK at 0800 GMT on Tuesday and will be released on 29 November. It will raise money for food aid in Darfur, Sudan.
The video will be unveiled at 1755 GMT on BBC One on Thursday.
"Twenty years ago I performed at Live Aid," she will tell viewers. "You saw me and my generation demanding a change.
"Once again, here we are 20 years later and more people die of hunger in Africa than war and Aids put together.
"In a world of plenty, it is hard to imagine that there are African children going to bed tonight hungry.
"Bob Geldof and his friends are here to remind you that none of us can forget. Not ever. Feed the world. I am honoured to introduce Band Aid 20."
The video will feature stars including Coldplay's Chris Martin, Will Young, Jamelia, Sugababes and Busted, who took part in the recording sessions at the weekend.
The single will be titled Band Aid 20 to mark the 20th anniversary of the original song, which featured stars such as George Michael, Duran Duran and Phil Collins.
It was organised by Geldof after he saw news footage of the starving in Ethiopia, and sold more than 3.5 million copies in the UK alone.
Sold on CD for GBP3.99 and also available as a download, the new version is hot favourite to be Christmas number one in the UK this year.
Retailers expect to sell about 500,000 copies in its first week.
Woolworths and Virgin Megastores will give their proceeds to the Band Aid Trust charity, while Chancellor Gordon Brown has decided not to charge VAT.
source : bbc.co.uk

The English Roses (Engleske ruze), Mr. Peabody's Apples (Jabuke gospodina Pibodija) and Yakov & Seven Thieves (Jakov i sedam lopova) will be released tomorrow in Serbia and Montenegro.

Following her parting with longtime management client Madonna, Caresse Henry says she is still in discussions with Sanctuary Group to join the diversified music company, and is seeking other artists.
"Management is what I do best," she told Billboard, "and hope in a short time I will be fortunate to find other brilliant people to work with and endeavor to make the music business more profitable and interesting, culminating in success for all."
She declined to comment on Madonna other than "we had a remarkable span" together.
Henry, Madonna's former assistant, began managing the artist after Madonna split with Freddy DeMann in 1997. Henry co-managed Madonna with Q-Prime from 1997 through 1999, and then assumed full-time managerial duties. She has also briefly managed Paulina Rubio and co-managed Jessica Simpson.
London-based Sanctuary's management roster includes Destiny's Child, Mary J. Blige, Nelly, Slipknot and the Von Bondies.
source : billboard/reuters

Princess Diana has been voted the most inspiring female role model of all time.
Diana, who died in 1997 at just 36, used her global fame to champion a string of charities, including Aids awareness.
She also gave strength to millions by revealing her battles with the slimmers' disease bulimia.
Britain's first female PM Baroness Thatcher, 79, came second in the poll of 6,000 women.
I Create hair-care range.
A company spokesman said: "All these women helped shape our world. Women today should be indebted to them."

The top10 are:
1. Princess Diana
2. Margaret Thatcher
3. Madonna
4. Mother Teresa
5. Marilyn Monroe
6. Audrey Hepburn
7. Queen Elizabeth I
8. Florence Nightingale
9. Emmeline Pankhurst
10. Marie Curie
source : thesun.co.uk

Despite rumors to the contrary, Madonna told MTV Europe that she isn't planning to do a cameo in her husband Guy Ritchie's film "Revolver," currently shooting in London. Madge, however, does have other movie plans in the works - for her book "The English Roses." She said it would hopefully go into production this year. "It takes forever to get a movie made," she said. "So fingers crossed." As for her tour documentary that's supposed to hit theaters next year, she doesn't have a name for the project yet, but she hopes it'll be out by May.
source: mtv

Madonna has been inducted into the first UK Music Hall Of Fame - and received a hilarious message from close pals Stella McCartney and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Hollywood actress Gwyneth and designer Stella put together a video tribute to the Material Girl by wearing some of her outlandish outfits.
Madge gasped as they appeared on a big screen at London's Hackney Empire - Stella dressing in a 'Material Girl' dress and Gwyneth donning a conical bra and basque.
Robbie Williams, Michael Jackson and the Rolling Stones were also among those inducted into the hall of fame at a star-studded ceremony.
The public has chosen one act to represent each decade since the Fifties as part of a new Channel 4 show.
Robbie represents the 1990s, Jacko the '80s, Queen the '70s, the Rolling Stones the '60s and Sir Cliff Richard the '50s.
As well as Madonna, other honorary members included Bob Marley, Elvis Presley, U2 and the Beatles.
Madonna, 46, received her honorary award from artists Tracey Emin and Radio One DJ Jo Whiley.
Wearing a Remembrance Day poppy, Madge gushed: "If someone had told me while I was a little girl growing up in mid-west America that one day I'd be married to a Brit, living in England and inducted into the UK Hall Of Fame, I would have said: 'b******s to that'."
source : sky

Once again the British public have proved their inane daftness by inducting some extremely strange choices into the UK Music Hall Of Fame.
In conjunction with a Channel 4 TV series shown each Sunday evening the public were asked to choose their favourite act from a select few to represent a decade of music since the 1950's with over 1.6 million viewers voting.
The Hall Of Fame also inducted honorary members. They were Madonna, Bob Marley, Elvis Presley, U2 and The Beatles.
All the above were honoured in a ceremony at London's Hackney Empire.
Madonna said: "It means a lot to me that so many nice things have been said about me and that I have been voted into the UK Hall Of Fame."
Viewers voted as follows:
1990's - Robbie Williams (This performer beat Nirvana, Blur and Oasis, how?)
1980's - Michael Jackson (Fair Enough)
1970's - Queen (Whatever)
1960's - The Rolling Stones (Damn Right!)
1950's - Cliff Richard (There was no one else alive then)
Chris Blackwell, the man who founded Island Records and introduced reggae to Britain also received an honorary trophy.
The ceremony will be shown on Channel 4 on Sunday.
source : gigwise

Pop queen Madonna showed her emotional side last night (Nov 11) as she accepted her Music Hall of Fame award.
According to the Daily Mirror, Madonna, along with Elvis Presley, Bob Marley, The Beatles and U2, were selected as the founding members of the awards by an industry committee, for their outstanding contribution to music.
Radio 1 DJ Jo Whiley and artist Tracey Emin presented her with the gong.
In her acceptance speech the 46-year-old mother of two said: "If anybody had told me when I was a little girl growing up in the Mid-West that I would be married to a Brit, be living in England and be inducted into the Music Hall of Fame I would have said "b******s to that!""
She added: "I have to thank Tracey Emin who truly is la grande fica [a colourful Italian insult], Jo Whiley, Stella McCartney and Gwyneth Paltrow, who are truly formidable women.
"In spite of the title for this ceremony, I think this award is more to do with my accomplishments than my fame.
"Just because I am famous, doesn't mean I don't have anything to say."
Madge went on: "If I am grateful for anything in my career, it's the long, arduous, painstaking journey that started 20 years ago in the Mid-West.
"It is the voice I have been given, the voice to ask questions with, challenge with, explode with, create with, laugh with and cry with and I am also truly grateful my voice has given other people a voice.
"I am so grateful to the people who have stuck their neck out for me and taken the slaps. I've taken many slaps and I don't regret a thing.
"I'm grateful for those slaps. I'm grateful I had something to provoke them with.
"I'm grateful people were listening and are still listening."
Ok, ok, Madge so you're grateful!
The event, which took place in London's Hackney Empire, saw Madonna's pals, Stella McCartney and Gwyneth Paltrow dress up as the pop queen to do a send-up of one of her songs.
Madge said: "It was really cool. I got pretty emotional up there but it was hysterical to see Stelly and Gwyneth really pull me off."
source : icnetwork.co.uk

Superstar Madonna has been named in America's 2004 Jewish power list in The Forwarder weekly newspaper - despite her protestations.
The Material Girl has been added to the 'Forward 50' - the publication's annual survey to the most powerful and influential Jewish Americans, due to her following of mystical Jewish offshoot The Kabbalah.
But Madonna's spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg told The Forward repeatedly that "Madonna is not Jewish", explaining "it wouldn't be appropriate to include her on such a list".
The paper's editor JJ Goldberg says, "There are a lot of differences of opinion about the nature of the Jewish community - who's Jewish and who isn't.
"She's a practitioner of the Kabbalah, so she's practicing Judaism, for Christ's sake! Well, not really for Christ's sake. But she's probably the world's best-known practitioner of Judaism right now."
Other stars on the list include Israeli-born actress Natalie Portman, comedian Jon Stewart and baseball player Shawn Green.
Madonna has been studying the Kabbalah since 1997 and introduced it to her film maker husband Guy Ritchie.
source : contact music

Humble pop superstar Madonna insisted she is still astonished by her achievements, after being inducted into the UK Music Hall Of Fame last night.
The Material Girl was given an honorary award at the first ever ceremony in London - and launched into an emotional speech about her career
She said, "If anyone had told me when I was a little girl growing up in the Mid-West that I would be married to a Brit, be living in England and be inducted into the Music Hall of Fame I would have said, 'B**locks to that!'
"In spite of the title of this ceremony, I think this award is more to do with my accomplishments than my fame.
"Just because I am famous, doesn't mean I don't have anything to say.
"It is the voice I have been given, the voice to ask questions with, challenge with, explode with, creative with, laugh with and cry with and I am also truly grateful my voice has given other people a voice.
"I am so grateful to the people who have stuck their neck out for me and taken the slaps.
"I've taken many slaps and I don't regret a thing."
source : contactmusic

Gwyneth Paltrow and Stella McCartney will team up tonight to take the mickey out of their mutual friend Madonna. Both best friends of the singer, the pair are set to dress up as her and perform a parody of one of her performances during tonight's launch of the UK Hall Of Fame In Hackney, East London. "Gwyneth and Stella wear outrageous Madonna costumes," a source told The Daily Mirror. "It's a scream." The show is also set to feature a performance by Robbie Williams who will pick up an award for Artist of the Nineties.
source : vogue

Pop star Madonna spent a day reading to schoolchildren and fans as she launched her fourth book The Adventures of Abdi.
The 46-year-old entertained 250 people who queued for tickets for the reading at the Selfridges department store in Oxford Street, London.
She also read a 10-minute extract to 30 pupils from St Winifred's Catholic Junior School in Lee, south London.
The book is based on the Kabbalah faith which Madonna and her husband Guy Ritchie have embraced in recent years.
The latest illustrated story, part of a series of five tales, centres on Italian greyhound Lotsa de Casha, a wealthy dog who is still unhappy.
Madonna has said she wanted her books to have a message as well as inspire young people.
source : bbcnews

Hundreds of Madonna fans lined up for 24 hours outside a central London bookstore where the pop singer signed copies of her new children's book Thursday.
But only the first 250 hopefuls were allowed into Selfridges on Oxford St. to watch Madonna read from "The Adventures of Abdi" before signing copies.
Crowds who gathered on the shopping street for a glimpse of the singer were disappointed when she was smuggled into the store through an underground car park.
Madonna later gave a 10-minute reading to a group of 30 schoolchildren, aged eight to 10, from St. Winifred's Catholic Junior School in south London.
"The Adventures of Abdi," is the fourth book in a five-book children's series Madonna has penned for Callaway Editions. Callaway has already published "The English Roses," "Mr. Peabody's Apples" and "Yakov and the Seven Thieves."
Madonna's fifth book, "Lotsa de Casha," is due for release next summer.
source : portervillerecorder.com

If nothing else, Madonna is never at a loss for opinions, many of which she shared in an exclusive interview with Pat O'Brien of The Insider. He filled in viewers of The Early Show.
Among the topics they discussed: Iraq, her supposed feud with Elton John, Elton's charges she's lip-synched, and the Cameron Diaz flap with photographers.
Madonna has recently embraced her spirituality, authored a successful collection of children's books, and moved her family to London.
She told O'Brien one advantage to celebrity life in Great Britain is a polite paparazzi. O'Brien joked that she may want to pass that information on to Cameron Diaz, who recently had a flap with photographers in the United States.
"All that training in 'Charlie's Angels' finally paid off," Madonna said with a chuckle.
One of the shutterbugs claims Diaz hit him twice, something her lawyer denies.
Would Madonna ever do such a thing? "No. No way. No. As if it's gonna change anything. They're just going to demonize her now."
As for her supposed battle with Elton John: "That was a fictional feud."
What about his charges that she regularly lip-synchs during live shows? Is she angry about them? "Not at all. Please, if I start getting mad at people who criticize or poke at me, I'd be permanently mad."
Madonna told O'Brien there's another subject she does take very seriously, and that's the war in Iraq.
"My point of view is that this war is not founded in anything truthful. (But) we're in it so deep. How do we pull out now? How do we go backwards and right the wrongs? And, you know - I think it's gonna get worse before it gets better.
"I voted for Kerry, and I think everybody assumed that. And I'm sad that he lost, but I'm not paralyzed by it. In a way, it's a blessing in disguise. We need to come together, to unite. It's a call to action."
Madonna says she's philosophical about Iraq and President Bush - something she relates to life in general in her latest children's book, "The Adventures of Abdi."
She notes, "This is my way of trying to effect change in the world, by giving children some kind of tools to deal with adversity in their life in a peaceful way, and they grow up one day and become adults and, hopefully, they've held onto those tools."
O'Brien says Madonna is "a very smart woman, and more of a mother now than an entertainer. These children's books, she loves writing them."
source : cbsnews

Madonna's next children's book will be called Lotsa de Casha, and its moral will be how wealth is overrated.
The pop star and multi-millionaire is to release the new illustrated novel next summer. In the style of Aesop's Fables, it will centre on Lotsa de Casha, the richest creature in the world.
The singer's publisher, Nicholas Callaway, said: "All the characters in the book will be animals and Lotsa de Casha is an Italian greyhound who has all the money in the world but no happiness. He thinks only of himself."
Madonna is currently engaged in a publicity drive for her current children's book - her fourth - called The Adventures of Abdi.
source : thisislondon.com

The moral of Madonna's new children's book is simple and positive: "Everything that happens is for the best." Now the singer who is constantly embroiled in controversy is trying to practice what she preaches to kids.
In an interview with ABC Radio, Madonna said she's doing her best to get over her disappointment at the outcome of the presidential election and focusing on her new book, "The Adventures of Abdi," the story of a little boy who must deliver the world's most precious necklace to the queen.
"In terms of the elections, I don't agree with so many things and the decisions that George Bush has made and I'm not happy with the situation in Iraq," she told ABC Radio's Andrea Dresdale. "I do believe that the American public has been manipulated to a great degree."
Nevertheless, Madonna - who had urged fans at her concerts to see Michael Moore's controversial, anti-Bush documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" - says she's not going to sit around "moaning and groaning."
"In the end, we have to say, 'OK, we didn't win, but there's other ways to fix the problems, so now what else can I do to help?' "

Still Friends With Elton John
Madonna also says there's no need to bury the hatchet with Elton John, who recently accused her of charging concertgoers outrageous prices to see her lip-synch, an allegation she's denied. Madonna says there was never a rift between the two performers.
"There was never a hatchet for me in the first place," she said. "I always thought of him as a friend. I think he was just having a bad day when he said those things and I never really took it personally."
She said the media blew the whole thing out of proportion.
"The press made a bigger deal out of it than I did," she said. "I don't really care. I don't read the press."
Madonna, who's married to British director Guy Ritchie and lives in England these days, says she invited John to induct her into the U.K. Music Hall of Fame on Thursday, but he had a previous commitment.
"I thought, that would be cool if Elton John gave me the award and then we could kiss and make up in front of everybody because everybody seems attached to the idea we're having this feud in the first place," she said.
Now the 46-year-old performer is focusing on her latest book, "The Adventures of Abdi," the story of a little boy who must deliver the world's most precious necklace to the queen.
In the story, Abdi is robbed in the desert, thrown in a dungeon, and has a surprising encounter with a snake. The book, aimed at readers ages 6 and older, aims to teach kids about the power of positive energy, Madonna says.
Her first children's book, "The English Roses," was an international best seller and made publishing history with a simultaneous release in 30 languages, becoming the fastest-selling book ever by a first-time children's author.
It was followed by "Mr. Peabody's Apples," and Madonna says she plans to write a sequel to "Roses."
The singer, famous for reinventing her look and sound so many times, is thrilled by the latest turn in her career. The children's books are bringing her new fans - and even winning over some people who weren't too crazy about her music.
"Oh, I got tons of letters like, 'I never liked her records but I like her books.' I'm like, 'Thanks a lot," she said, laughing.
Her two children - Lourdes, 8, and Rocco, 4 - give her a lot of feedback on her writing, Madonna says. Lourdes is especially involved.
"She comes in when I'm writing and says, 'That's a good idea, that's a stupid idea, that's boring, Mom, Oh, I like that. I want more of that.' And my son likes 'Yakov and the Seven Thieves' because he likes bad guys."
Lourdes has written a short story for a Christmas book that is being published for charity in Britain.
"I'm incredibly proud," Madonna said. "She has an active imagination and she always writes in her journal."
source : abc

Madonna today called on the US to withdraw its troops from Iraq.
The former Material Girl is known for her anti-war views - her recent tour
featured images of children orphaned by war.
Today she told Radio 2's Jeremy Vine Show: "I just don't want American troops to be in Iraq, period.
"My feelings are 'can we just all get out?"'
The 46-year-old pop star said: "Global terror is everywhere. Global terror is down the street, around the block.
"Global terror is in California. There's global terror everywhere and it's absurd to think you can get it by going to one country and dropping tons of bombs on innocent people."
Some critics have attacked the singer, who lives in London with director husband Guy Ritchie, for not speaking out in the run-up to the conflict.
The Kabbalah devotee famously pulled the controversial anti-war video for her American Life single following the outbreak of war.
Today she said: "In the end it's great when anybody gets involved with what is going on in the world, whether it's Republican or Democrat.
"It's just really boring that everybody sits back and lets somebody else take charge.
"You don't have any right to complain when that happens and it's nice to see that people in the entertainment world care about what is happening outside of their careers."
She said American society was "becoming very divided".
"People are becoming very polarised," she said. "We have people who don't want to think, and who just want to guard what is theirs, and they're selfish and limited in their thinking and they're very fearful in their choices."
She also said the idea that Americans voted for George Bush in the presidential election over moral issues was "spin".
source : thisislondon.co.uk

Madonna was @ Radio BBC 2 today...
She was talking about "Adventures Of Abdi", Kabbalah, politics etc.
She also sad that there will be 3 more children's books released in 2005.
Last one will be the sequel of the English Roses.

Madonna and her long time manager Caresse Henry have mutually agreed to go their separate ways, it was announced today by Liz Rosenberg, spokesperson for Madonna.
After 13 extraordinary years culminating in this summer's mega-successful 'Reinvention Tour,' they have decided to part ways.
Henry declined comment as did Madonna who is currently out of the country promoting the release of her new children's book "The Adventures of Abdi."
source : marketwire.com

Pop queen Madonna's daughter has written a story for a fund-raising Christmas book, it was revealed today.
Lourdes Leon's story will feature in Christmas Stories, a book being launched by Selfridges on November 9 in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust.
Lourdes is following in her mother's foosteps, with Madonna having sold more than 500,000 copies worldwide of her first children's book, The English Roses.
Fourteen other celebrities have also contributed stories.
Boxer Audley Harrison writes about a little boy getting his first boxing gloves for Christmas while Tara Palmer-Tomkinson contributes a poem about a girl who lives in a cake.
X-Factor judge Sharon Osbourne writes about her British bulldog, Lola, while other contributors include Sarah, the Duchess of York, as well as David Hasselhoff, Michael Owen and Eamonn Holmes.
source : scotsman

Callaway Arts & Entertainment is pleased to announce today's release of The Adventures of Abdi, the fourth in a series of five books for children by Madonna.
Madonna's first children's book, The English Roses, made publishing history with its simultaneous release in 30 languages and over 100 countries on September 15, 2003. It became the biggest and fastest-selling book ever by a first-time children's author, and is now available in 40 languages and more than 110 countries as diverse as England, France, Germany, Italy, Turkey, China, Brazil, Slovenia, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands. The English Roses was followed in quick succession by Mr. Peabody's Apples, released on November 10, 2003, and Yakov and the Seven Thieves on June 21, 2004.
Not only were Madonna's first three children's books launched within one year, but they also all debuted on The New York Times' best-seller list, and have sold in excess of 1.5 million copies worldwide.
To celebrate Madonna's unprecedented achievement, Callaway is releasing a boxed-set of her first three children's titles, The English Roses, Mr. Peabody's Apples, and Yakov and the Seven Thieves. A $59.85 value for only $39.95, this gift item comes just in time for the holiday season!
Madonna will launch her fourth children's title, The Adventures of Abdi, with a series of print, radio, and television interviews in London, followed by a book signing on November 11 at Selfridges.
The Adventures of Abdi, written for readers aged six and up, is a 32-page jacketed hardcover. The book's lavish and elaborate images were painted by husband-and-wife team Andrej Dugin and Olga Dugina, who also worked on the film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
The Adventures of Abdi is the story of a little boy who has been given a very big task: to deliver the most precious necklace in the world to the queen. Along the way he is robbed in the desert, thrown in a dungeon, and has a surprising encounter with a snake. But no matter what obstacles he faces, Abdi never gives up hope, guided by the words of his teacher, Eli: "Everything that happens is for the best."
Callaway Arts & Entertainment, founded in 1980 by Nicholas Callaway, is best known for its hugely successful Miss Spider book series. The firm specializes in family entertainment across all media-book publishing, 3-D computer animation for film and television, and product design.
source : person.com

Madonna will be appearing on The Jeremy Vine Show on BBC Radio 2 on Tuesday 09 November to promote her new children's book The Adventures of Abdi - the show is on air 12.00 noon to 2.00pm (UK time).
source : madonnalicius

Madonna wants to see her Kabbalah pal Demi Moore married and she doesn't mind playing the wedding planner for her.
According to Star magazine, the duo discussed Moore's nuptials to Ashton Kutcher at a party that Demi Moore threw for one of her spiritual advisors, Rabbi Michael Berg.
"Madonna has been urging Demi to get married for several months now, and Demi seems to be very into the idea as soon as she wraps her new movie, Half Light. Madonna wants to be involved with every aspect of planning the wedding and is pushing for Demi to get married in Europe. Demi has had discussions with Rabbi Berg about it," an insider was quoted as saying.
source : ani

New ReInvention Videos are featured in Steven Klein's exibition 'X-Static Process' ...

Some other pictures from the show ...

source : madonnatribe

Madonna has recorded a guest appearance for Missy Elliott's Tv Show.
Here are some shots from tv promo.


source : madonnatribe

In the desert with Madonna
The star's latest book is an Arabian adventure: here we publish an exclusive extract, learn the story behind the fantastical illustrations and offer a rare glimpse into Mrs Ritchie's private world
Can you tell us something about the inspiration for The Adventures of Abdi?
This book was inspired by a combination of things. I have always loved the backdrop and setting of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and One Thousand and One Arabian Nights so I wanted to write a story in that genre. In this setting I wanted to explain the Kabbalistic principle of "certainty", the idea that we can overcome all obstacles and challenges in our lives if we perceive them as blessings and not curses; if we accept that they have arrived in our lives to teach us something valuable.

What were your favourite books as a child?

Charlotte's Web, The Giving Tree, The Little Prince, Pippi Longstocking, and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

Do you read some of those childhood favourites to your own children?

Yes, all of them.

What are Lola's and Rocco's favourite books at the moment?

Lola's are Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park, Wayside School by Louis Sachar and Tom-Tom & Nana by Jacqueline Cohen.

Rocco's are Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis and Les Schtroumpfs.

What do your children think of the books you have written?

They love them, but The English Roses is Lola's favourite as she was very involved in its creation.

Is there a bedtime story ritual in your house?

Yes, my children go to the Lyc'e so they get French and English books read to them. When I read to my son, my French nanny is reading to my daughter, then we switch. Although my daughter is getting to the point where she likes only to read by herself so she reads aloud to me.

What do you feel is the role of stories and books in children's lives?

Stories and books are everything. They were very important to me as a child and were instrumental in developing my imagination. I feel very fortunate that my children love books as much as they do.

Do you think you will continue to write after this series?

Yes, I have already written a sequel to The English Roses.

Have you any thoughts about writing for adults?

Well I have thought about it, but that is a much tougher crowd. Ask me again in a few years.

How does the process of writing books compare with writing song lyrics?

At this point in my life I have written so many songs and they tell only a part of a story. I find the process of writing books much more rewarding, as there is a beginning, middle and an end.

You live mainly in England with your family; can you describe your perfect day out with your children in London?

A perfect day always includes going to Hyde Park - riding bikes, feeding the ducks, having a treat at the little restaurant on the lake - and a trip to Bramley's Big Adventure. Lola loves ice skating at Somerset House and Rocco loves the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum.

What else would you recommend?

Tate Britain on Sunday afternoon has a children's day to do artwork and they like the Puppet Barge on the Thames.

What is the one best thing you have all enjoyed and why?

Our favourite thing to do together as a family that we all enjoy is going to our country house. My children really come alive there, feeding chickens, taking care of the horse, picking flowers and spending time outside in nature. I realise that this is not "in London" but it is our favourite thing to do.

Where do you shop with them?

The children's sections of Selfridges and Harrods.

Where do you take your children to eat in London?

Guy and I rarely take our children out to dinner as we rarely go out to dinner. But they go to the Blue Kangaroo a lot with their grandfather.

Do you worry about children and safety in London?

Not really. We take the normal precautions. but I would say we feel very safe here.

You also have a home in LA. How child friendly is London by comparison?

Extremely. There is so much to do for children here.

Abdi and the king

Abdi is a young apprentice to a jeweller, Eli. He is sent on a long journey to deliver a precious necklace, commissioned for the Queen's birthday. He hitches a ride with a caravan of Bedouins, but at night, while Abdi sleeps, two men steal the necklace, substituting a snake in its place . . .

Abdi arrived at the palace. Many guards stood in front of the gate. One was very tall and carried many large swords.

Abdi stepped forward to speak to him, and in a timid voice he said, "I am here to see the king."

The guard tipped his head back to face the sky and laughed. And when he looked down he said in a very deep voice, "And why would the king want to see you?"

To this Abdi replied,"I have brought a very special necklace for the Queen."

There was a great murmuring among the guards, and the tall one disappeared for what seemed like an eternity. Abdi hopped from foot to foot, anxious to deliver the gift and even more anxious to find a bathroom. Finally, the guard returned and Abdi was allowed to enter the palace gates.

"They were not expecting a boy," grumbled the guard. "Follow me."

Abdi entered the palace and could not believe his eyes. There was a large courtyard inlaid with gold, and in the centre was a shallow pool where tall pink birds stood on one leg. Children splashed round the edges of the pool, laughing and playing, and no one shouted at them. Servants scurried around carrying large platters of delicious-looking fruit. On a beautifully woven rug in the middle of the room sat a lovely girl playing a lute and singing songs that Abdi had never heard before. He could not take his eyes off her.

"Keep up!" barked the guard.

Everything Abdi saw made his head turn. Finally, they reached a big door. The guard asked him to wait and, once again, he disappeared. Abdi looked up and saw small furry animals with big eyes hanging from the ceiling. Just as he was about to run and find a bathroom, the guard returned and announced, "The king wishes to see you."

Abdi gulped. He had not thought that he was actually going to meet the king. He was very nervous.

"But,"he said to himself, "I am sure it is all for the best."

Abdi entered a large room that looked as if it had been dipped in gold. He approached the throne.

The king looked at the little boy and frowned. "Who might you be? And where is the jeweller? Did he not want to meet the king?"

The king sounded very grumpy, but Abdi spoke up. "My name is Abdi, Your Majesty. It is not what you think. The jeweller is an old man, and he has not slept in weeks because he has been working so hard to make your necklace in time. He was not strong enough to travel the long distance, so I have brought the gift instead."

"Well, bring it forth and be quick about it," commanded the king.

Abdi placed the gift at the foot of the throne, and a servant of the king knelt to hand it to him. The king opened the box and a snake fell out on to his lap.

"What sort of trickery is this?" the king shouted, dropping the snake to floor.

Abdi was in shock. He tried to explain. "I do not know what happened, Your Majesty. When I left my village I was carrying the most beautiful necklace in the world."

"Arrest the boy and throw him in the dungeon. And let him keep his precious gift!" shouted the king as he stormed out of the great hall.

The Russian artist Andrej Dugin had just finished creating artworks for the film version of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban when a call came through from an American publisher inviting him to illustrate a much-anticipated children's picture book.
Dugin said no, he would not be taking on any more work. He was exhausted, his back hurt and he was retiring from illustration. His wife and collaborator, Olga, was under contract to a German publisher; Dugin was sorry but neither of them would be available.
Some time before this, the publisher Nicholas Callaway found himself in the New York home of one of his most valuable authors, Madonna Ritchie. Between them on a table lay several books including one illustrated by the Danish artist Kay Nielsen. The meeting was to decide on the right style for Madonna's latest children's book, The Adventures of Abdi, set in the desert sands and palaces of a distant, exotic land. The singer loved Nielsen's illustrations:
"He is perfect," she said, "let's hire him." Callaway was sorry to disappoint her, but Nielsen was not available; he died in 1937. Thus began the search for a talent that could match Nielsen; when Callaway saw Dugin and Olga's work, he knew he had found it. But how to persuade Dugin to come out of retirement? In the end it took only one word. "When we heard the name of the author, we said yes, after all we will do it," says Dugin. "Madonna is maybe the only name that could bring me out of my cell. Such a worldwide audience; we couldn't resist to show what we could do."
And so began many long hours in the Dugins' studio creating a meticulous, fantastical series of plates, each one taking up to four months to complete - "I am very slow," says Dugin.
The couple research and discuss ideas together, then Dugin does the concept and composition and Olga paints. "Our life is really very boring," says Dugin apologetically. "We start work early, we dine together, we work on into the evening and we drink together. We rarely see other people." Olga says that towards the end of the project they worked around the clock to meet the deadline. "Andrej would do 12 hours while I slept and then I would take over. It was a horrible time."
Callaway says that the Dugins are artists rather than illustrators: "They carry the work further. It is a symbiosis; Yin and Yang." What they do is create a fabulist world for the story to exist in, adding secondary characters and subplots - "As well as illustrating the book, we tell the story that was not told," says Dugin.
As an artist in pre-glasnost Russia, Dugin chose to be a children's illustrator, "because it was the only possibility to be creative; otherwise you could do only social realist propaganda to glorify Lenin". He and Olga left Russia to settle in Germany - "We could be more free there."
He is 49 now, and at the pinnacle of his career. What advice would he give a young artist starting out? "Be curious, like Madonna. Keep changing and be ready for change."

source : timesonline

A huge argument between Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie will air on television next year, as part of a documentary about the couple.
The singer asked friend Jonas Akerlund to film their everyday lives for the documentary.
A friend told The Sun, "There is some really revealing stuff in the film. It shows lovely moments like Rocco's birthday party around the house.
"But Madonna is determined for it to be a warts-and-all so there's some pretty full-on footage as well.
"There's one argument between Guy and Madonna that is really full-on, quite disturbing really. The film shows how they spell out swear words at each other to keep bad language from the kids. That way they don't have to keep putting money in their swear box."
source : digitalspy.co.uk