10 Things You Didn’t Know About Madonna

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9. Tragedy

Her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer during her pregnancy with Madonna’s youngest sister, Melanie, so treatment had to be delayed until the baby had reached full term. Unfortunately, by then the disease had become untreatable. When she was only six years old, her mother passed away. After her mother’s death, her father remarried the family’s housekeeper, Joan Gustafson, and they had two children together, Jennifer and Mario.

A photo posted by Madonna (@madonna) on May 7, 2016 at 11:15pm PDT

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8. Education

During elementary and high school, the “Like a Virgin” singer was known for her high grade point average. After graduating high school with straight As, she received a scholarship to study dance at the University of Michigan; however, after only two years there, she dropped out and moved to New York City with only $35 to further her dancer career.

A photo posted by Madonna (@madonna) on Aug 5, 2016 at 12:15am PDT

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7. Starting The Band

While working a series of odd jobs in New York City, she formed the band, Breakfast Club, with her boyfriend at the time, Dan Gilroy. She sang, played drums and guitar for the band. After that, she launched the band, Emmy, with Stephen Bray, her boyfriend from Michigan. Together, they wrote and produced club tracks. Then she decided to go solo.

A photo posted by Madonna (@madonna) on Feb 12, 2016 at 12:33am PST

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6. Becoming a Star

Her first contract was with Sire Records. Stephen Bray wrote her first hit single “Everybody,” which hit No.1 on the dance charts. Her third single, “Holiday,” was her first international hit and earned her an appearance on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand in 1984 where she told him, without hesitation, that her goal was “to rule the world.”

Rex Feature Ltd.

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5. Catholic

The “Vogue” singer’s parents were pretty strict Catholics. “My mother was a religious zealot,” Madonna once said. “There were always priests and nuns in my house growing up.” She was pretty involved in the faith when she was young. She was confirmed in the Catholic Church in 1966 and took the name Veronica as her confirmation name. Through her music, like the album Like a Prayer, she has explored her catholic upbringing.

A photo posted by Madonna (@madonna) on Jun 4, 2015 at 1:29pm PDT

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4. Endorsement Deal with Pepsi

In 1989, Madonna signed a $5 million multiyear endorsement deal with Pepsi. In one of her first commercials for the company, she debuted her music video for “Like a Prayer,” which featured sexual innuendo blended with religious ideologies. As religious groups sought to ban the commercial and boycott Pepsi products, Pepsi pulled their endorsement deal. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rM-0rmUgOnY

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3. Children’s Book Writer

The “Frozen” singer signed a contract with Callaway Arts & Entertainment to be the author of five children’s books. Her first book, The English Roses, was published in September 2003 and debuted at the top of The New York Times Best Seller list and became the fastest selling children’s picture book of all time by a first time children’s author. She followed that up with Mr. Peabody’s Apples, Yakov and the Seven Thieves, The Adventures of Abdi, Lotsa De Casha and The English Roses – Too Good to be True.

Andre Walker/Everett Collection

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2. LGBT Supporter

She was one of the first celebrities of her time to advocate on behalf of gay people and speak openly about AIDS. One of the first times that she addressed the topic was in her documentary Truth or Dare when she insisted that it was okay to be gay and openly sexual. She also had many gay friends during the AIDS crisis and a number of them died, which really opened her eyes to what was happening with AIDS in the gay community. During her MDNA tour stop in St. Petersburg in 2012, she challenged the city’s decision to ban gay pride, which caused controversy. As a result of her support of the gay community, she is considered the greatest gay icon.

A photo posted by Madonna (@madonna) on Mar 8, 2015 at 5:27pm PDT

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1. A Bad Situation

The “Ray of Light” singer was raped when she was just 19 years old. She had just moved to New York City from the Midwest and was quite naïve. “I was in shock, I didn’t know a soul,” she told Howard Stern. “I was saying, ‘Hi’ to people on the street like a dork.” Sadly, this naiveté got her into a really bad situation. “I was going to a dance class and the door was locked and I needed money for the pay phone. [This guy] gave it to me, he was a very friendly guy. I trusted everybody,” she said before explaining that this same man insisted that she make the call from his home, which she did, and that’s when he raped her. She never reported the crime.

A photo posted by Madonna (@madonna) on Apr 8, 2016 at 8:04am PDT

Cate

Cate has a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature and has been the Managing Editor of Fame10 for more than 6 years. Despite having a love for the works of Thomas Hardy, Leo Tolstoy and Lord Byron, she also has an intense fascination with pop culture. When she isn’t writing for Fame10, she’s planning her next big adventure in Southeast Asia.