Queen of Pop

MUSC

Professor Larson

11/28/12

The Queen of Pop

If there was a dictionary entry for Queen of pop, the first definition would be Madonna. Not only is she a pop star, but she is also a dancer, fashion icon, and has a lot of experience in the film industry. Like most famous icons, Madonna faced controversy. There were issues regarding her music, performances, and music videos. She dealt with other problems regarding gender differences and the sex appeal she portrayed. Madonna never hesitated to speak what was on her mind because she felt she should be able to express herself anyway she wanted. Madonna’s success and determination was and still is a huge inspiration and influence for many of today’s female musicians. Almost most of today’s female entertainers cite Madonna as their childhood inspiration and had an impact on their careers.

Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie, better known as just Madonna, was born on August 16, 1958 in Bay City, Michigan (Monsters & Critics). Her father, Silvio Tony Ciccone was a successful Italian-American Chrysler engineer and her mother, Madonna Louise Fortin was an x-ray technician and a former dancer (Monsters & Critics). Madonna was one of six siblings but she also had a step-sister and brother when her father later remarried (Monsters & Critics). At a young age, Madonna convinced her father to let her partake in dance classes. She was very successful in school attending St. Andrew’s Elementary School, West Middle School, and Rochester Adams High School where she was a straight-A student (Monsters & Critics). She was also a member of the cheerleading team and later received a scholarship to the University of Michigan for dance (Monsters & Critics). However, her career at Michigan didn’t last too long. Her ballet teacher had convinced her to pursue her dance career so she left Michigan her sophomore year and moved to New York (Monsters & Critics). It was hard for her at first to adjust to the city and live...