all about Madonna

Madonna's successful marriage to film-maker Guy Ritchie is down to their devotion to studying the Kabbalah - according to close friend Vinnie Jones.
ock, stock and two smoking barrels and Snatch, credits the couple's intense interest in the mystical branch of Judaism as being responsible for the strong four-year marriage.
The former soccer star says, "I think their religion is keeping them together.
"I think the Kabbalah side of it is helping them."
source : contactmusic

Neil Sean of Sky News reports that Madonna recently bought a Fifties-style jukebox to use at her parties from London's fashionable department store Selfridges.
source : popdirt

Madonna and Elvis Presley have been joined by the Red Hot Chili Peppers in a list of the 100 most successful recording artists of all time. The band are the only new entrants in this year's list in The Guinness British Hit Singles and Albums book, which ranks artists according to how many weeks they have spent in the UK singles and albums charts.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers came in at number 97 and Spandau Ballet dropped out but Elvis still tops the list.
British Hit Singles and Albums editor David Roberts said: "It's very rare to get new acts breaking into the Top 100."
TOP10 : 1 Elvis Presley (2463), 2 Cliff Richard (1972), 3 Beatles (1742), 4 Queen (1725), 5 Madonna (1653), 6 Elton John (1615), 7 The Shadows (1578), 8 Michael Jackson (1477), 9 David Bowie (1459), 10 U2 (1402)
source : eveningtimes.co.uk

from Madonna.nu : We have learned that the Versace pictures will be featured in upcoming segments on Entertainment Tonight and Access Hollywood in the next coming week or so. Also, the ads will be featured first in Vanity Fair magazine.

Madonna is the #2 Most Popular Female Celebrity searched on Google in November !
source : google

Christmas 1993 - Record producer Phil Spector thinks Madonna deserves coal in her fishnet stocking: "The only difference between Madonna's videos and porno films is that some porno films contain good music."
Hey, Philly, Madonna's in a better place than you are today.
source : freep.com

Madonna has been voted one of the most influential followers of the Jewish faith in the world today by American Jewish magazine The Forward. The Material Girl, raised as a Catholic, is now a devoted follower of the Kabbalah, a derivative of Judaism. The magazine said of her inclusion: "This year's Forward 50 actually includes 51 entries but the extra one should be seen as more of a cherry-on-top than an afterthought.
"Madonna, who does not consider herself Jewish, has earned her place as one of the 50 most influential people practising some form of Judaism today." The Forward goes on to claim that her music since her conversion has been superior to her previous efforts, perhaps conveniently ignoring American Pie. this, they say, is a direct result of her new religious persuasion. The magazine goes on to say: "Madonna was introduced to Jewish mysticism via the controversial Kabbalah Center founded by Rabbi Berg.
"In a burst of creativity following the birth of her daughter, she produced what many critics believe to be her best album - 'Ray of Light' - which takes its title from the Kabbalistic theory about the origins of the world. "With Kabbalah, Madonna seems to have settled finally into herself - and the world."
source : digitalspy.co.uk

Madonna has praised her Kabbalah faith for helping her marriage to Guy Ritchie remain strong.
The sexy singer insists the religion has improved their relationship considerably by allowing her to accept the British film director - even when he "irks' her.
She said: "I can disagree with him but I don't love him any less."
Since converting to the faith in 1998, Madonna - whose husband is also a follower of the religion - has increasingly allowed her beliefs to influence every aspect of her life.
Earlier this month, Madonna reportedly sacked her long-term manager, Caresse Henry, for having an affair with one of her bodyguards - because it went against Kabbalah teachings.
Sources claim the 46-year-old star consulted her rabbi on the matter and then fired her manager - who had also converted to the mystical Jewish-based faith - ending a working relationship that had spanned 13 years.
A source said at the time: "Madonna and Guy are deeply committed to their Kabbalah faith, which preaches monogamy and faithfulness.
"It's ironic, because Madonna used to eat men for breakfast. But now she's a mother and Kabbalist, she believes cheating is a serious sin."
source : femalefirst

Madonna's often-criticised movie career has landed her a new title - as the Worst Rock-Star Actor of All Time.
While the Michigan native has enjoyed phenomenal success as a pop superstar, Madonna's efforts on the silver screen have been met with an icy response from both critics and fans - most recently with her embarrassing flop Cast Away.
Music magazine Blender, which conducted the poll of 25 stars, says: "Invariably cast as an irresistible femme fatale - Breathless Mahoney in Dick Tracy, Susan in Desperately Seeking Susan - yet cannot 'do' sexy.
"Instead, she adopts the glassy-eyed expression of someone on a cocktail of prescription drugs and delivers her lines as if reading aloud from the letters of a stalker."
The Spice Girls landed in 19th place, Mick Jagger at 17th, Sting at 24th and Ozzy Osbourne at 21st.
The top 10 is as follows:
1. Madonna
2. Bob Dylan
3. Mariah Carey
4. Jon Bon Jovi
5. Elvis Presley
6. Britney
7. Vanilla Ice
8. Neil Diamond
9. Gene Simmons
10. Master P
source : breakingnews.iol.ie

A new book reveals Madonna's bad behaviour during rehearsals for the 1991 Oscars. She performed "Sooner Or Later" from the film "Dick Tracy" at the ceremony. The song, written by Stephen Sondheim, won the Best Music, Original Song award. In his new book "The Big Show: High Times and Dirty Dealings at the Academy Awards" writer Steve Pond details the singer's attack on a technician. The man was supposed to supply her with a microphone before she appeared on stage through a trap door but had fallen asleep.
Pond claims she launched into "an astonishing profane tirade despite the fact that the area below the stage was also occupied by a group of children."
"Furious, she grabbed him around the neck and lifted him bodily off the ground, not relinquishing her grip until the trapdoor opened and she began to rise." Pond adds that when her performance was delayed due to a camera operator being injured falling from the stage into the orchestra pit, Madonna was unsympathetic. He quotes her as saying: "But, she's just lying there. Can't we just do this?" "The Big Show" is published in the UK on January 1.
source : launch

Pop icon Madonna recently had the crew of the Versace shoot that she is modelling for in a tizzy after she handed a huge list of diva demands.
The "Material Girl" singer is the face of Versace's spring summer collection and had teamed up with the designer exactly ten years back for a similar shoot, reports The Sun.
Her demands included large bottles of Kabbalah water, fresh yellow and white flowers and a series of drinks at specific temperatures among other things.
source : ani

For Madonna, being on stage isn't as easy as it might look to her audiences.
In fact, it's anything but.
"Its pretty overwhelming, to tell you the truth," she revealed to The Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith in the second of a two-part interview. "One thing I'm struck with is, when I watch myself performing on the stage, I'm astonished at the difference between what I'm seeing and what I think the audience sees and what I feel.
"What I see is really pulled together and really choreographed and (has) nice costumes and good lighting and good sound. What's going on inside of me is like a war.
"I'm gasping for breath. I'm trying to remember everything I'm supposed to be, the words to the songs, the notes on the guitar, the steps. I'm thinking about the pain in my back. I'm trying to get enough oxygen. I'm looking at people's faces. Some people are desperate, some people are so full of love. It's so extreme, I always think when I go out on stage that I'm going into battle."
The diva told Smith the pressure doesn't stop there.
"I wear 'inner ears' so we don't have monitors all over the stage, so that the sound in my head -- you know, when you plug up your ears, you can hear your heart beat and hear yourself breathing? So I've got that on the stage as well. I don't hear the crowds, so it's a very surreal experience, the whole thing."
Madonna has taken up Kaballah, a form of Jewish mysticism, and she says it's impacting her life "enormously."
"One of the central aspects to the study of Kaballah," she tells Smith, "is the idea that we are responsible for our behavior, we are responsible for everything that happens to us. It's very liberating to not think of yourself as a victim. So I like that aspect. That has freed me enormously.
"I spent a lot of years feeling sorry for myself, when I was a child, the death of my mother, or growing up and feeling like I didn't have what other people had. I find it very empowering, although it seems daunting at first, to go, 'You know what, I deserve that, I own that, I brought that to me. That's a very different way for me to look at life.
"It's very liberating. So that has influenced me enormously. I'm getting better at not being bothered by things. I'm getting better at not taking things personally."
And that, in turn, is helping her marriage, Madonna says. "I'm getting better at being married and living with somebody who, for lack of a better phrase, irks me sometimes. I'm getting better at accepting. I suppose I can disagree with what he says or what he does, but I don't love him less. I'm getting better at loving my husband unconditionally."
Madonna kidded Smith about a few things he admitted to her. "You didn't read my books 'til last week; you didn't go to my concerts. Anything else you want to say that will disappoint me?"
Smith said, "Well, I could be completely sycophantic."
Madonna didn't let him off the hook that easily: "There's somewhere between ignoring me and being a sycophant."
source : cbs

We all know Madonna, the talented and often controversial entertainer.
But how many of us know her other sides? Madonna, the children's book author. Or Madonna, the housewife.
She sat down with The Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith in London last week and gave a rare glimpse into those other parts of her world, in the first of a two-part interview.
"I get up in the morning with my kids, and that's really painful for me; my husband keeps me up late," Madonna reveals. "I'm with the kids, and then they go off to school, and I stay home and I become a sargeant in my house and go into my office and start going through the lists that have been made by my hardworking, diligent staff and start delegating responsibility. (I) spend several hours doing that, being a taskmaster, and then I do some kind of exercise. Is this boring?" she interrupts herself, asking interviewer Smith a question.
"No," answers Smith, "I had this vision of you padding around in housecoat and fuzzy slippers with a cup of tea."
"No," Madonna quips. "I drink very strong coffee, I have Chinese slippers, and I usually wear juicy tracksuits. Are you getting the picture? Hair messed up, grumpy expression on my face until I've had a cup of coffee."
But Madonna has found time to write four highly successful and insightful children's books, with a fifth on the way.
What does it do for her to write these books, Smith wondered. "It's another outlet for me to share my stories," Madonna answered. "I sit in front of the computer and stick my little statue, who's my writing muse, next to my computer and, OK, I'm going to write and it comes. "It's a statue of a kneeling woman, but she has a really thoughtful expression on her face."
"A woman on her knees?" Smith interjects.
"Oh, God, don't read that into it," Madonna shoots back. "You had to go there, Harry."
"That's a Madonna response," Smith pointed out. "I was about to say that's about supplication, someone asking for some maybe even divine guidance."
"Yes," Madonna said. "That's what I do on a regular basis."
Smith told Madonna he felt that, by reading the children's books, he felt like he "had an insight into who's inside you."
"Probably," Madonna observed, "because there's more stillness in writing; with a book, you can hear me probably more clearly."
Madonna's first three children's books launched within one year of each other, and have sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide.
Callaway Books has released a boxed-set of her first three children's titles, "The English Rose," "Mr. Peabody's Apples," and "Yakov and the Seven Thieves."
The first of them, "The English Rose," was released simultaneously in 30 languages and over 100 countries in September, 2003. It became the biggest and fastest-selling book ever by a first time children's author.
It's about four 11-year-old girls who are best friends, but jealous of another girl in the neighborhood. "She's more aloof," as Madonna described her to Smith, "mysterious. "She seems like she has the perfect life. She's prettier, she seems like she's really good, so they decide to not include her in the group because she's too good at everything. A very common thing, I think with girls.
"The idea for the story came from my daughter. There was a clique of girls when she was in first grade, and the teacher called them the English roses. She told me that sometimes girls treated her different at school because I was her mother."
The four wind up getting a surprising lesson from a fairy godmother about the difference between appearance and reality.
"The English Rose" was quickly followed by "Mr. Peabody's Apples" in November, 2003.
It's a story of the power of words and the importance of teachers. The story takes place in 1949 in Happville, USA. Mr. Peabody, a beloved elementary school teacher and baseball coach, one day finds himself ostracized when rumors about him spread through the small town. Mr. Peabody silences the gossip with an unforgettable and poignant lesson about how we must choose our words carefully to avoid causing harm to others." The book is said to have been inspired by a story told to Madonna by her Kabbalah teacher. Kaballah is a form of Jewish mysticism.
"That's another story I think most people can relate to," Madonna said to Smith. "We all love to gossip, even really evolved people like me," she laughed, as did Smith. "The story's about having people stop and think every once in awhile about what they're going to say to someone and what this might do to someone," Madonna continued.

In June, 2004, "Yakov and the Seven Thieves" was released. According to Madonna, I'ts the story of how all of us have the ability to unlock the gates of Heaven, no matter how unworthy we think we are. For when we go against our selfish natures, we make miracles happen, in our lives and in the lives of others."
Last month marked the release of Madonna's fourth children's book, "The Aventures of Abdi." Like her other three, it was written for readers aged six and up.
"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."
Madonna's fifth book, "Lotsa de Casha," is scheduled for release in June. It's the last in the five-book series. She's also coming out with an audio edition of all the books.
Madonna and Smith wrap up the first part of the interview with a discussion of how British newspapers came to call her "Madge," a nickname she dislikes. When it's pointed out to her that "Madge" could be short for, "Her Majesty," Madonna relents and says that might not be such a bad moniker, after all.
Tune in to The Early Show Tuesday for the second part of Smith's interview. They'll discuss Kaballah, and how it's helped her marriage.
Asked by fellow co-anchor Hannah Storm what surprised him about Madonna, Smith said, "So smart. So funny. Amazing sense of humor. And...We were
sitting there looking at the tape late Friday night, and I said, 'I am completely beguiled.' She charmed my socks off."

source : cbs.com

Madonna rushed to help her showbiz pal Julia Roberts when she learned the actress was pregnant, giving her advice on avoiding unwanted media attention.
The Like A Virgin singer warned the Pretty Woman actress to claim her twins would be born in January (05) rather than the due date of 6 December (04) to throw the paparazzi.
A source tells British tabloid newspaper Daily Star, "That way, she could throw off the paparazzi a bit."
Roberts and Madonna met filming of The Next Best Thing, where the singer co-starred with Roberts's then-boyfriend Benjamin Bratt.
source : contactmusic.com

A shot of Madonna and her dancers/singers are on the cover of Billboard this week.

Madonna is the first artist in chart history to have the top three songs of the year on the dance sales recap, Billboard reports. The only acts that have come close are Soul II Soul, which topped the 1989 list with "Keep On Movin"' and "Back to Life," and M People, No. 2 and No. 3 in 1994 with "Moving On Up" and "One Night in Heaven."
The No. 1 song of 2004 in the year-end Hot Dance Club Play chart is "Me Against the Music," followed by "Nothing Fails"/"Nobody Knows Me" at No. 2 and "Love Profusion" at No. 3.
Female artists dominate Billboard's 2004 year-end Dance recaps, Madonna being followed by Janet Jackson, Beyonce, Annie Lennox, Britney Spears and McLachlan.
source: madonnatribe/reuters

Superstar Madonna left Italian fashion designers Dolce E Gabbana speechless when she ask them to fit her for a premiere.
The style gurus claim they are relaxed in front of most of their A-list clients, but found the Material Girl's superstardom intimidating.
Designer Stefano Gabanna explains, "She was the one singer who made me feel nervous. Me and Domenico (Dolce) - both of us. We love her, and we knew her from the beginning. I'd seen all her different faces, as a singer, movie star, mother, lover.
"She was the first pop star to ask us for something, and we loved her from a long time ago. People like that, they can make me anxious sometimes."
source : contactmusic.com

Madonna will be interviewed by Harry Smith (Monday, December 20 - 07:00 AM ET)
source : cbs

In a rare interview, Madonna talks to CBS News' The Early Show anchor Harry Smith about how she really feels when performing on stage, and how Kabala helped her learn to forgive and get better at being married.
Madonna tells Smith that when she's on stage "it's like a war inside me.... What's going on inside me on stage is I'm gasping for breath, I'm trying to remember everything that I'm supposed to... the words to the songs, the notes on the guitar, the steps. I'm thinking about the pain in my back, I'm trying to get enough oxygen, I'm looking at people's faces - some people are desperate, some people are so full of love - it's so extreme, and I always think when I go out on stage that I'm going into battle."
Madonna also talks about her study of Kabala and how it helped her embrace the concept of forgiveness. "I'm getting better at not being bothered by things, I'm getting better at not taking things personally, and I'm getting better at being married and living with somebody who, for lack of a better phrase, irks me sometimes. I can disagree with what he says but I don't love him less. I'm getting better at loving my husband unconditionally."
*UPDATE* Part 1 will air on Monday 20 December at 7:39am, and Part 2 will air on Tuesday 21 December at 7:39am

Pop legend Madonna has won her battle against animal rights activists who accused her of evading tax laws by breeding pheasants on her land in Ashcombe, England, without paying the required rates.
Animal Aid issued a press release yesterday (15 Dec 04) claiming the Material Girl was breaching tax requirements by failing to pay commercial rates on the land where she shoots the birds.
But the pressure group withdrew the claim just two hours later when they realised she buys the pheasants so is not required to pay the non-domestic land tax.
An Animal Aid spokesperson says, "We've now discovered Madonna buys in pheasants rather than breeding them. Since she doesn't manufacture birds, she doesn't have to pay non-domestic rates."
source : contactmusic.com

Madonna's director husband Guy Ritchie plans to talk to British Prime Minister Tony Blair about Kaballah, the mystical offshoot of Judaism. The Snatch film-maker has reportedly contacted Blair to arrange a meeting to discuss the healing properties of Kaballah Water, which he believes would be useful in treating the injured in Iraq, British newspaper the Daily Mail reports.
A close source explains, "Guy wants to tell the Prime Minister about the fantastic healing powers of Kaballah Water, which could instantly cure wounded soldiers in Iraq. "Madonna said it even cured Guy's verrucas."
source : contactmusic.com

Don't look for a group of eighth-grade girls to perform "Santa Baby" at a school program.
Greenbrier Middle School deemed the Christmas song too sexually suggestive.
The song was pulled from the program after a parent complained and Principal Jean Infantino agreed that the song is too risque.
The humorous song, recorded by Eartha Kitt in 1953 and re-recorded by Madonna, features a woman asking for expensive gifts because she's been "an awful good girl."
Instead the kids will perform a skit, rather than sing.
source : wtopnews.com

Seymour Stein - The Chairman of Sire Records, Stein co-founded the label in 1966, and has been one of the most successful and influential executives in the music business. His ability to discover new talent led to signings of many groundbreaking artists such as The Ramones, Madonna, The Pretenders, Talking Heads, Seal, Depeche Mode, Ice-T, The Cure, The Smiths, kd Lang and Barenaked Ladies. The label is still going strong after nearly 40 years and still innovative with recent singings including The Von Bondies, HIM, Regina Spektor, The Fags and The Veronicas.
other inductees this year: U2, the O'Jays, the Pretenders, Buddy Guy,
Percy Sledge, Frank Barsalona
source : madonna.com

Madonna is on the cover of German "Exberliner" Magazine.

source : exberliner.com

On ABC's "Life Of Luxury" which aired on Dec. 13th Madonna was named the richest female artist with a estimated fortune of $613,000,000. Behind Madonna was Celine Dion and Barbra Streisand.
source : popdirt.com

From Madonna.com : We have been quiet on this topic, but for the record, we can now officially confirm that the Madonna has agreed to appear in Versace's 2005 Spring / summer print campaign. Mario Testino, who also took the pictures when the Madonna appeared in ads for Versace in 1995, shot Madonna just outside of London on November 25th.Stay tuned to Madonna.com for pictures from this shoot and scans of the adds this Spring.

Madonna's blockbuster Re-Invention tour took all of the drama out of the top tour of the year race, ringing up a year's best $125 million in total box office gross by the time it wrapped in September. According to Billboard Boxscore, Madonna sold out 55 of 56 performances worldwide, with an average nightly take of $2.23 million.
"My Re-Invention tour was by far the most creatively satisfying experience I have ever had," Madonna tells Billboard. "I was able to put everything I love into one entertaining event: film, music and dance." The tour was produced worldwide by Clear Channel Entertainment.
Prince's Musicology tour, produced by AEG Live, drew nearly 1.5 million people, more than any other artist, and grossed $90.2 million, second only to Madonna.
Shania Twain was third, reporting grosses totaling $62.5 million and playing to nearly 950,000 fans. The rest of the top 10 includes Simon & Garfunkel ($59 million), Metallica ($53.8 million), Bette Midler ($53.3 million), Sting ($52.4 million), Kenny Chesney ($49.3 million), David Bowie ($46 million) and Toby Keith ($44.3 million).
This year, Celine Dion reported more than $77 million from her residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. If Dion's numbers reflected a "tour" per se, she would rank third among all acts. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, with James Brown and Chicks On Speed, headlined the top engagement at the year, three nights at London's Hyde Park that grossed $17,187,324 and drew more than 258,000 June 19, 20 and 25.
For the fifth consecutive year, Madison Square Garden in New York City tops the list of arenas, reporting music-event grosses totaling just under $73 million. For the second consecutive year, Tweeter Center in Mansfield, Mass., is the top amphitheater, reporting more than $23 million from 32 concerts.
source : billboard.com

Madonna is set to star in husband Guy Ritchie's new movie.
The superstar couple - whose last big screen offering 'Swept Away' was universally panned by critics - have teamed up again for forthcoming gangster film 'Revolver'.
Insiders say the 46-year-old singer is a huge fan of her husband's work and begged the 'Snatch' director for a part in his latest box office smash.
A source said: "Guy's very respected and is doing his best to make 'Revolver' as controversy free as possible, But the missus really wanted a walk-on part - and who is he to say no?"
The pop queen - who has two children, eight-year-old Lourdes and Rocco, four - stunned locals when she jetted out to the movie set on the Isle of Man, to shoot her scenes in secret last month.
A source told Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper: "Madonna came to spend a week with her husband while he was over here and she seemed to enjoy it.
"Everyone thought she was here for a holiday so it was a bit surprising to see her filming.
"She was getting really into it so it's clear she's taking it seriously. But it's obviously not a major role as she wasn't on the island very long."
The $20 million movie, which also stars 'Goodfellas' actor Ray Liotta, started shooting in Britain but transferred to the island last month and is also rumoured to feature a guest appearance from heartthrob star Brad Pitt.
source : femalefirst.co.uk

Queen of Pop Madonna has struck up a bizarre friendship with ex-topless model Melinda Messenger thanks to their love of wacky faith kabbalah.
The superstar and her husband Guy Ritchie became best buddies with Melinda, 33, and spouse Wayne during weird prayer sessions at the mystical Jewish sect's London centre.
And the eccentric couple are so taken with their new pals they recently invited them to a private dinner with a handful of honoured kabbalah devotees at the HQ.
The oddball evening began with a bizarre prayer session with Madonna, 46, and Melinda - dressed like her idol in boots, long black coat and hair scraped back into pony tail - sitting on one side of the room. Guy, 36, builder Wayne, 29, and other male followers sat on the other side on plastic seats while the kabbalah bible was read backwards amid lots of chanting and clapping.
Suddenly Madonna (who now wants to be known as Esther) Guy, Melinda and Wayne jumped up and faced east towards a painting of an idyllic scene of roaming hills and started to chant: "Chernobyl, Chernobyl, Chernobyl."
As they chanted they were asked to send positive thoughts towards the town that was the scene of the world's worst-ever nuclear disaster in 1986.
An insider said: "Guy, who was dressed in white, got so carried away that he left his seat, hugged the rabbis and then went and kissed his missus on the cheek before returning to his seat. He then continued chanting 'Chernobyl, Chernobyl'."
Half an hour later the happy foursome and a select few kabbalah followers were ushered upstairs for supper.
Madonna's eight-year-old daughter Lourdes - now being called Lola - joined them in the candle-lit dining room.
They tucked into a four-course meal of green salad and bread, white fish and vegetable stew, kosher beef, ratatouille and chocolate cup cakes.
The food was "blessed" by everyone standing up, hugging each other and swaying side-to-side for 20 minutes while clapping and singing.
While Madonna drank glass after glass of Kabbalah water, other guests sipped Coca-Cola or wine. After their "feast" Melinda and Wayne joined a circle holding hands with the others around a seated Madonna, Guy and a rabbi.
They chanted and jumped up and down as Guy closed his eyes then furiously banged his hands on the table as if he was playing the drums.
Lola quietly watched from the corner with a rabbi as mum and dad chanted for an incredible 30 minutes.
When it was time to call it a night at the centre, in North West London, Melinda hugged Madonna and said: 'Goodnight, my good friend, Esther'.
Lola was dropped off by a rabbi in a black Range Rover as Guy and Madonna walked home hand-in-hand reminiscing about their night out with Melinda and Wayne.
source : sundaymirror.co.uk

Madonna once asked Santa Claus to give her her virginity back!
The pop superstar sat on celebrity Santa Brady White's lap at one Hollywood party and asked for the impossible.
White who charges up to $5,000 (GBP2,630) to dish out the 'Ho, ho hos' at star-studded Christmas parties, admits he begged the Material Girl to come up with something more material.
He recalls, "I begged her, 'Please think of something else. Poor Santa can't work miracles.'"
But White was a lucky charm for pal Cher, who asked him for an Oscar just two months before she was crowned Best Actress for her role in Moonstuck.
The celebrity Santa's magic also rubbed off on Jodie Foster,who asked White for a meaty role just before landing the part of Clarice Starling in Silence Of The Lambs.
source : contactmusic

Hollywood legend James Dean was yesterday voted the coolest icon of all time. The Rebel Without a Cause star was famed for his brooding looks - and his image inspired a generation. Dean was just 24 when he was killed in 1955 in a head-on crash in his Porsche. Elvis Presley was runner-up in the icon poll of 2,000 men by Glenfiddich Whisky. The King of rock died in 1977, aged 42.
Steve McQueen, famous for his role in The Great Escape, was third. Boxing legend Muhammad Ali was fourth and Godfather and Taxi Driver star Robert De Niro was fifth. David Beckham came in eighth place. The only women in the Top 20 were Madonna at number 14 and Breakfast At Tiffany's star Audrey Hepburn at 19. A spokesman for Glenfiddich said: "The top three men have all been dead for years, which shows how young men can still be inspired by icons that weren't even around in their lifetime."
Top 20 icons :
1. James Dean /2. Elvis Presley /3. Steve McQueen /4. Muhammad Ali /5. Robert DeNiro /6. Johnny Depp /7. Bruce Lee /8. David Beckham 9. Al Pacino /
10. Justin Timberlake /11. Clint Eastwood /12. Samuel L. Jackson /13. John Lennon /14. Madonna /15. Brad Pitt /16. Jimi Hendrix /17. Frank Sinatra /18. Kurt Cobain /19. Audrey Hepburn /20. George Clooney
source : thesun.co.uk

Madonna and Guy Ritchie have finally succeeded in banning ramblers from their land over the winter - after warning they might be shot.
The move comes days before right to roam legislation takes effect in central southern England, which could have meant hundreds of ramblers gaining access to their Ashcombe estate in Wiltshire from Tuesday.
This weekend, however, the Countryside Agency revealed it has allowed the couple to declare their land a commercial shoot - delaying any access until at least February.
The estate will open from then until September, when it will close again. Ashcombe is the only estate in the region to be allowed the exemption, though the ruling extends to part of a neighbouring estate.
A spokeswoman for the agency said Madonna and Ritchie had claimed the property was intensively used for shooting between September and February. "We have now agreed that the land should remain closed for nearly six months a year so ramblers don't disturb the pheasants and partridges and aren't put at risk by shooting," she said.
The decision follows a court battle this year in which the singer and her film director husband said they feared for their privacy.
An agency spokesman said: "We will review this to see if the claims about disturbance and risk are justified and we might change this ruling in later years."
Under the act there is a statutory right of access to mountain, moorland, heath, and downland. Its introduction marked the culmination of 120 years of campaigning.
Nick Barrett, chief executive of the Ramblers' Association, said: "I admire Madonna's capacity to keep reinventing herself but turning into a feudal landlord is a step too far.
"She has won this victory through having lots of money for lawyers. (But) her estate is relatively small so it is annoying but not important.
"Madonna may have won for now but this legislation tilts the balance away from centuries of domination by land-owning elitists like her.
"I would predict that in 10 years' time all the landowners will look back and wonder what they were worried about. Walkers and ramblers are a responsible and well-behaved crowd."
source : timesonline.co.uk

Take a break, Curious George. Make way, Madeline. Madonna wants to tell kids a bedtime story.
The pop star is among a growing list of glitterati gobbling up shelf space in the children's section of bookstores as they try their hand at authorship.
"Publishers are looking for a sure thing," said literary agent Tracey Adams. "If they have the right name attached, then they have a guaranteed best seller."
And that sales boost is even more necessary as books increasingly compete with other products as gift ideas for young people. Preschoolers may still love their bedtime stories and crayons, but they also want their DVDs, so publishers are trotting out the big names to try to generate some excitement in the quiet aisles of the bookstore.
Madonna's first effort, "The English Roses," became the fastest-selling book ever for a first-time children's author. She recently released her fourth tale, "The Adventures of Abdi," and the list of stars looking to share that success is growing.
"Five years ago if you got one or two celebrity projects pitched a year, that was a good average. Now it's at least one to two a month," said Kate Morgan Jackson, the editor in chief for children's books with HarperCollins whose roster of celebrity scribes includes Billy Crystal and Jamie Lee Curtis.

source : abc

Click here to vote for Madonna's Like A Prayer.

from MadonnaTribe : Forum member David33, who works for a huge chain of music stores in France informs us that he received an email from Warner France announcing new DVD releases for 2005.
Among new titles from Eagles and Eric Clapton, the ReInvention tour DVD from Madonna was there, scheduled for an April 5 release.

Madonna, the queen of reinvention, once again topped secondary concert ticket sales for 2004, according to the TicketsNow Entertainment Index. Rounding out the top five were these other chart-busting artists: Madonna, Jimmy Buffett, Prince, Kenny Chesney and Sting.
source : marketwire.com

When she learned that he was from Sardinia she had a smile and said that it was just another good reason to become a member of her Team. Maybe because Madonna recalled her youth days and her appearance at the Eurogarden in Assemini on October 26, 1983, or more easily she recalled her days in Ogliastra shooting the remake of Swept Away. Who knows. What's for sure is that Giangi Cappai, 35 y.o., who lives in Oristano, a suitcase always ready to travel the world, is now one of the dee-jays and producers that will remix and tune for the dancefloor what the Queen of Pop presents in her albums. And then it happens that the Easy Ride remix (in the stores soon) signed by Cappai will be the one - maybe one of two - of his mixes to be included in the new project of the American singer.

Cappai, how did the collaboration with Madonna come to life?
"It comes from the strong relationship I have with the Miami-based dj Tracy Young. She has just opened a new lable, called Ferosh Record, and I will be taking care of the most part of the productions there. Tracy has been working with Madonna for years, she remixes her songs, she spun at her wedding, she's somehow part of her entourage. She was asked for a new dancefloor remix if Easy Ride, a song from the American Life album. This should be part of a project called Greatest Remix that focuses on those songs that were not really hits and gives them a new twist, new rhythms and arrangements. Each song has been given to an international reknown dee-jay. Tracy wanted me to be on her side. We met in Italy and we worked on the song together. Madonna listened to the final result and she was very excited.

And now?
Now I am signed to Warner. My cotract includes club remixes for two of the tracks that are going to be included on Madonna's next Cd. I will work on one all by myself, and will work on another with Tracy Young.

How did you move from the local to the international scene?
It's all thanks to one of my first records. It was called Rapido and it has been published under the Alma Matris name. It was a hit in the house music scene, it was sold in several countries and received a remix treatment by several fellow dee-jays, including American dee-jay Ralphi Rosario.
This song was also the inspiration for a bi-monthly party that takes place in Bruxelles. It was indeed called "Rapido" and has seen in the booth artists like Ralphi Rosario himself, Tracy Young and David Morales. And I was asked to spin at the opening and closing events of the season. I felt myself rushed into an international setting and you know how it works: from one contact to another..."

Which steps happened before all of this?
"I started as musician, a short but very intense carreer. I started studing piano and organ at five. Then I was dee-jaying in the clubs of Cagliari. In 1996 I started as a producer. In 1997 I made the fist big jump with Musica Electrica, 10.000 copies sold in Italy only and the first place in the DJ PArade of Radio DeeJay [note: one of Italy's leading music radio stations].

Are you still dee-jaying in clubs?
"Yeah, but a very few in Sardinia. A US based management agency is taking care of my agenda lately, that includes a residece in Bologna, but it makes me travel all over the world for the rest. Now I'm leaving for Tel Aviv, then I'll be back in Bruxelles and the heading to Miami. I'll be in brasil in February."

Why aren't you playing a lot in your homeland?
"I don't know, you should ask this to the local promoters. Maybe it's because they consider me as a "regional" dee-jay and when it comes to spend some money they like to give some space to guests from abroad instead. In some way, I can understand that".

How can you describe your latest trend in music?
"I'm very attracted to those house and electro sounds that are very popular in the international gay community that has been setting the trend on the dancefloor for years. Disco was born in gay clubs and so did garage and house. It's a very trendy market, the place were all the leading trends start and then become popular to the general public. Those gay-friendly parties - open to both gay and straight people are the most popular and that's were the international record industry looks for something new.
The sound I play comes from this setting - even if I'm not gay".

source : madonnatribe

"Me Against The Music" (Britney Spears feat. Madonna) won Billboard Award for Best Selling Dance Single Of The Year.
source : madonnanation

According to The Sun, Madonna's deep belief in Kabbalah (the mystical Jewish faith) was the reason for the firing of Caresse.
The 'Frozen' singer was reportedly very upset when she came to know that her manager of 13 years was having an affair with her personal bouncer.
The pop diva was angry that Caresse, who had also converted to Kabbalah, had failed to act in accordance with the teachings of the religious doctrine.
"Madonna and Guy are deeply committed to their Kabbalah faith which preaches monogamy and faithfulness. When she found out her manager was having an affair with her own bodyguard she was devastated," a source revealed.
source : ANI

Madonna is on the cover of Mojo / Q Special Edition - Icons : The Greatest Music Stars Of All Time.
The stars talk about their all-time heroes, including Freddie Mercury, Morrissey, Madonna, Jimmy Page, Liam Gallagher, David Bowie, Johnny Rotten, Bob Marley, Kurt Cobain...
This magazine is published as a Q Special Edition in the UK and a Mojo Special Edition overseas, including the US.

The corset made by french designer Christian Lacroix and that Madonna wore during the American leg of her Re-Invention Tour will be one of the designer's creations to be exposed in Paris this month. Lacroix, who is also behind the lilac variation of the corset used during the European dates of her tour, is about to inaugurate the "Villa du Marais", a hotel made of 17 rooms showcasing some of his most impressive creations to date.
Villa du Marais
Rue de Poitou
75003 PARIS
source : madonna.com

The Sun reports that Kylie Minogue is determined to outdo Madonna on her upcoming world tour, where the Aussie will include 12 costume changes and a circus theme, with Kylie directing troupes of dancers, acrobats and tightrope walkers. "She wants to blow her fans away," a source said. The tour kicks off in March.

Madonna's advertising campaign for Versace has reportedly earned the pop queen a whopping 5.4 million pounds and free clothes for next two years. According to the US Weekly, Madge would also get to use the Versace mansion in Milan as a part of her pay out for the ad, which was photographed by Mario Testino.
source : ani

New music is on the way from Madonna "” the pop matriarch is back in the studio this week, according to her Web site. No word yet on whether she's recording music for a new album, though she's rumored to be pairing up with William Orbit once again as well as Depeche Mode's Martin Gore.
source : mtv.com

Madonna is living in fear of a stalker who sends her aggressive letters demanding sex, it was reported today.
The singer is so terrified of the obsessive middle-aged American she fears she may be shot - like John Lennon.
The stalker is said to have plagued the star since the start of her Re-Invention tour in May. A huge volume of letters is being hand-delivered to her New York home and he has followed her around the world.
source : thisislondon.co.uk

Madonna is the number one Most Popular Female Celebrity searched on Google this month!
source : madonna.com

Madonna spent Thanksgiving immersed in fashion and flashbulbs instead of turkey and stuffing, shooting a new ad campaign for Versace with famed celebrity photographer Mario Testino in London. The Versace ads, which are slated to appear in February fashion magazines worldwide, have a "modern theme," according to a source involved with the photo shoot. A Versace rep declined to comment about the photo shoot and the ads. Madonna's spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg was unavailable for comment. Madonna spent Thanksgiving immersed in fashion and flashbulbs instead of turkey and stuffing, shooting a new ad campaign for Versace with famed celebrity photographer Mario Testino in London.
The Versace ads, which are slated to appear in February fashion magazines worldwide, have a "modern theme," according to a source involved with the photo shoot. A Versace rep declined to comment about the photo shoot and the ads. Madonna's spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg was unavailable for comment. After the Thursday shoot (held on Thanksgiving Day since the holiday is not celebrated in Britain), Madonna, 46, dined with Donatella Versace, 49, at London's posh Cipriani restaurant. "They had a Thanksgiving dinner together on Thursday night," says a pal. "They wanted to celebrate it together." No word on where Madonna's British director husband Guy Ritchie, 36, or kids Lourdes, 8, and Rocco, 4, were for the holiday.
source : people.com

Backstage after appearing on the Richard and Judy Show, Madonna revealed that she's a big fan of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? She'd love to be asked on the show but fears she's not as brainy as people would expect. She told my mole: "I beat my husband to a lot of the questions!"
source : sky.com