The Queen of Pop has offered one of her favorite pairs of Christian Dior shoes to a charity supporting Gypsy child education. Organizers said Tuesday the skyscraper gold heels, which are autographed by Madonna, will be sold at the Ovidiu Rom annual ball later this month.
Madonna drew international attention by saying during an August concert in Bucharest on her “Sticky & Sweet’” tour that widespread discrimination against East Europe’s Gypsies, also known as Roma, should end.
Thousands of fans responded by booing her.
Guests at the ball will make donations to win raffle tickets for the auction of the donated prizes. This year’s items also will include a gold chain donated by actress Vanessa Redgrave.
1 (4) Madonna – Celebration – Warner Bros. – 323.000 (last week: 189k)
2 (-) Paramore – Brand New Eyes – Fueled By Ramen – 273.000
3 (-) Barbra Streisand – Love Is The Answer – Columbia – 244.000
4 (-) Mariah Carey – Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel – Island – 202.000
5 (-) Alice In Chains – Black Gives Way To Blue – Parlophone / Virgin – 160.000
6 (1) Ayaka – Ayaka’s History 2006-2009 – Warner Music Japan – 142.000
7 (-) Breaking Benjamin – Dear Agony – Hollywood – 138.000
8 (3) Jay-Z – Blueprint 3 – Roc Nation / Live Nation – 135.000
9 (2) Pearl Jam – Backspacer – Monkey Wrench / Island – 119.000
10 (5) Muse – The Resistance – Helium 3 / Warner Bros. – 118.000
Billboard’s pan-European sales chart leaders continue their runs, with Madonna’s “Celebration” (Warner Bros.) starting a second week at No. 1 on Top 100 Albums and “Sexy Chick” (Gum/Positiva/Virgin/EMI) by David Guetta featuring Akon into a fifth week at No. 1 on European Hot 100 Singles.
“Celebration” falls 1-2 in Italy and on the U.K. chart, with weekly sales in the latter market of 52,000, but holds at No. 1 for a second week in Germany. Muse holds at No. 2 overall for a second week with the former chart-topper “The Resistance” (Helium 3/Warner Music), which descends in most markets but is still No. 1 in Switzerland.
Madonna has accepted substantial undisclosed damages for privacy and infringement of copyright over the Mail on Sunday’s publication of “purloined” photos of her wedding to Guy Ritchie.
The singer, who has just completed her Sticky & Sweet world tour, was not at London’s High Court for the settlement of her action against Associated Newspapers.
Her solicitor, John Kelly, told Mr Justice Peter Smith that she would be donating the damages to her Raising Malawi charity.
Mr Kelly said that the star went to great pains to ensure that the December 2000 wedding was wholly private.
But, in 2003, an interior designer, who was working on her home in Beverly Hills, surreptitiously copied at least 27 photos from the wedding album and provided them to Bonnie Robinson who, in June 2008, offered to sell them to the Mail on Sunday.
Mr Kelly said that the newspaper did not purchase them at that time but waited until October 2008, when Madonna had announced that she was divorcing and there was huge media interest about her marriage, to purchase the purloined photos.
Just three days after she had announced her divorce – and without any warning to Madonna – it published 10 of the photos.
Associated Newspapers’ solicitor, Niri Shan, said that it accepted that it was wrong to act in this way and offered its sincere apologies to Madonna and her family for invading her privacy and infringing her copyright.
Madonna’s “Celebration” (Warner Bros.) overtakes Muse’s “The Resistance” (Helium 3/Warner Music) to debut at the top of Billboard’s European Top 100 Albums survey. There’s a fourth week as the European Hot 100 Singles No. 1 for “Sexy Chick” (Gum/Positiva/Virgin/EMI) by David Guetta featuring Akon.
The “Celebration” retrospective is new at No. 1 in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Ireland and Denmark, No. 2 in Spain, Portugal and Finland, No. 3 in Switzerland, No. 4 in Austria and No. 5 in Norway. The compilation’s 77,000 first-week U.K. sales give Madonna her 11th No. 1 album there (including 1996’s “Evita” soundtrack). That draws her level with Elvis Presley with the most U.K. chart-toppers of any solo artist, only behind the Beatles’ best total for any artist of 15.
Madonna - Celebration 
Madonna - Celebration
Madonna - Celebration
Madonna - Celebration
Madonna - Celebration 
I Am Because We Are 
Sticky & Sweet 
Filth and Wisdom 
I Am Because We Are 
Miles Away 
Sticky & Sweet 
Madonna Confessions 
Madonna 2009 
Give It 2 Me 
Give It 2 Me 
Hard Candy 
Hard Candy 
4 Minutes 
4 Minutes