Madonna, the Beastie Boys, John Mellencamp and Leonard Cohen lead a wildly disparate class of nominees for 2008 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
They join Afrika Bambaataa, Chic, the Ventures, Donna Summer and the Dave Clark Five on the ballot. Five acts will be inducted March 10, 2008, at New York’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
For eligibility, artists had to release their first single no later than 1982. Last year’s inductees were R.E.M., Van Halen, Patti Smith, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and the Ronettes.
source : billboard
The new “Guinness Book Of World Records”, due out this Friday, lists the Rolling Stones as once again claiming the most successful tour of all time, now with their “A Bigger Bang” tour, which brought in $437.7 million.
Guinness also lists Madonna as the most successful female artist. Her “Confessions” tour grossed nearly $200 million, drawing an astonishing $3 million per show.
Other record holders include Jamiroquai, who played a special Boeing 737 show at 35,000 feet, and British singer Kate Melua, who performed on an oil rig, nearly 1,000 feet below sea level, in Norway.
Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” is still listed as the most successful song of all-time. To date, it has sold over 50 million copies since its 1942 release.
source : music-news.com
Natasha Bedingfield has newfound respect for Madonna after she struggled covering the Queen of Pop’s hit song Ray Of Light.
The pretty British singer tackled the 1998 song for an album celebrating Radio 1′s 40th birthday. She says, “I have so much respect for Madonna after learning how hard it is to sing that song. She has an amazing voice – the range you need to sing the song is incredible.”
source : contactmusic
Actress-comedienne Sandra Bernhard has finally come clean about her alleged love affair with Madonna – it was all made up.
The pair became friends in the late 1980s and their increasing closeness sparked rumours of something more.
But despite being purely platonic, the 52-year-old Roseanne star – who ‘came out’ as a lesbian several years ago – enjoyed every minute of the speculation.
She says, “I don’t mind being asked about Madonna. It was awesome at the time. We had a really funny friendship and kind of played with the press and the media. “It was before the internet and there was still a little bit of allure and excitement and fun to it.”
source : contactmusic
There’s something about the number 50 that does it for Mrs. Guy Ritchie.
Her tour last year was 50 dates. As we speak, let it be known that Her Very Own Self is gearing for yet another concert tour.
The schlep now in the planning stage is to be called “Madonna at 50.”
source : nypost
Akon’s melodic thuggin’ on the airwaves has helped turn records by superstars like Gwen Stefani into harmonic hits.
Now the singer is moving into the realm of three of music’s most iconic legends: Madonna, Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson.
While ‘Kon hasn’t been in the studio with Madonna yet, he said he expects to “shock the world” with her Madge-esty before the end of the year.
source : mtv
Madonna met with Israel’s president Saturday during a visit to attend a conference on Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical sect she has embraced despite criticism from Orthodox Jews.
The pop star was seen entering Shimon Peres’ home in Jerusalem with husband Guy Ritchie after the end of the Jewish New Year at sunset Saturday. The Nobel Peace laureate gave Madonna a copy of the Old Testament that she had requested, Israeli TV reported.
On Friday, Madonna was filmed singing Jewish songs and dancing at a conference on Kabbalah with a crowd of hundreds at a Tel Aviv hotel.
Madonna, who arrived in the Holy Land on Wednesday, has become a follower of Kaballah in recent years despite her background as a Roman Catholic. Orthodox Jews have called her interest in the sect an abomination.
The singer has taken the Hebrew name Esther, and has been seen wearing a red thread on her wrist in a Jewish tradition to ward off the evil eye. During her visit she plans to visit sites sacred to Kabbalists.
source : ap
Pop star Madonna joined with other devotees of Kabbalah, a Jewish form of mysticism, at a Tel Aviv hotel on Thursday on the occasion of the Jewish New Year.
Madonna, who wore a shiny black zipper jacket and a red hat with a plaid brim, is attending a Kabbalah conference during a private visit to the Holy Land. The singer, who arrived in Israel on Wednesday night, did not speak to the media.
Madonna was raised a Roman Catholic, but she has become a follower of Jewish mysticism in recent years, raising the ire of many Orthodox Jews who see the adoption of Kabbalah by non-Jewish pop figures as an abomination.
The singer has taken the Hebrew name Esther, and has been seen wearing a red thread on her wrist to ward off the evil eye. During her visit she plans to visit sites sacred to Kabbalists.
Madonna paid her first visit to Israel three years ago, on another Kabbalah-centered trip.
source : ap
Smirking Madonna heads home with a sex toy – after being called “as perfect as Mary Poppins”.
The Queen of Pop, 49, carried the L30 “Purple Penetrator” in a plastic bag as she left a posh London hotel with Brit husband Guy Ritchie, 39.
Days earlier, Malawian officials had given the star a grilling at her L5.7million Marble Arch pad while she sought to seal the adoption of son David Banda, two.
And an initial report said she was “as perfect as Mary Poppins” as a mum.
A pal said yesterday: “It is the final legal hurdle in adopting David and they are so relieved it went well. No wonder they look so happy and have been buying sex toys.”
Madonna and Guy collected David from poverty-stricken Malawi last year.
The final adoption report will not be out until February but officers have privately confirmed they have passed.
The couple – who have a daughter Lourdes, ten, and son Rocco, seven – are now trying to adopt a Malawian baby girl called Mercy.
source : the sun
US pop diva Madonna and several other top Holywood celebrities who are fellow Kabbalah practitioners will visit Israel this week during the Jewish new year celebrations.
Madonna, who visited Israel in 2004, is due to arrive on Wednesday, said Assaf Levi, a spokesman for a Kabbalah centre in Tel Aviv which is sponsoring the visit said on Tuesday.
On Thursday she will be joined by US actors Ashton Kutcher, his wife Demi Moore, Rosie O’Donnell, and clothing designer Donna Karan, Levi told AFP.
The celebrities will all be staying at an upscale seaside hotel in Tel Aviv, he said, but declined to release details of their visit.
The ancient Jewish mystical tradition of Kabbalah has in recent years attracted a number of celebrities.
Madonna turned to it in 1997 after coming into contact with a Los Angeles-based Kabbalah centre that teaches an eclectic mix of Orthodox Jewish tradition, visualisation and positive thinking aimed at spiritual well-being.
In 2004 she took the Hebrew name Esther and is now reportedly observing the Jewish sabbath, although she has not converted to Judaism.
Madonna made a previous visit to Israel three years ago at the height of the Palestinian intifada, telling reporters at the time that she was more worried about paparazzi than suicide bombers.
source : afp
Pop star Madonna has been visited by a child welfare official from Malawi to assess whether she should be allowed to adopt a child from the African country. Simon Chisale was seen leaving the singer’s home in London, but refused to comment to waiting reporters.
Madonna and her husband, film director Guy Ritchie, were granted an 18-month interim custody order of David Banda, then 13 months old, last October.
Mr Chisale is due to file a report on their suitability as adoptive parents.
The interim custody order could be revoked if officials believed David had been treated differently from the couple’s other children – 10-year-old Lourdes and Rocco, who is six – or if they felt the toddler’s rights were being violated.
The adoption will only receive final approval when Malawi’s authorities are satisfied that the child is being properly cared for.
Mr Chisale’s visit comes after another Malawian official was removed from the case for allegedly taking money from the singer.
On Monday, a top civil servant in the ministry responsible for child welfare, Adrina Mchiela, stated that Madonna had been funding a member of ministry staff.
The singer was said to have paid for tuition and living expenses whilst an employee was studying in Britain.
But Madonna has denied using her celebrity status to evade Malawian laws during the adoption process.
Her spokeswoman stated there had been ‘absolutely no interference’ with government officials and ‘no use of Madonna’s ‘celebrity” to speed up the adoption process.
And Madonna’s lawyer in Malawi said he was co-operating with Mr Chisale.
source : bbc
Rihanna has confessed that she gains much of her fashion prowess from Madonna.
“I take a lot of inspiration from Madonna on stage,” the 19-year-old songstress confided to People.com.
“I love her costumes – they’re so creative. They’re very bold and fearless, and they make her seem like a very powerful and independent woman.”
source: thisissouthwales
It’s taken two years, but Sir Elton John and Madonna have finally ended their high-profile feud.
The pair fell out after Elton, 60, publicly accused Madge of lip-synching after she won a Best Live Act award in 2004.
‘Madonna, best f**king live act? F*** off! Since when has lip-synching been live?’ he declared.
Now they’re put their differences behind them and have kissed and made up at the GQ Men Of The Year Awards in London.
‘[I've] written a grovelling apology and offered to join the Kabbalah,’ Elton joked on stage as he introduced Madonna, 49.
source : now magazine
