MADONNA

Madonna was born Madonna Louise Ciccone on August 16, 1958 in Bay City, Michigan. Because of her prolific, boundary-pushing career, she is often cited as one of the most influential artists in popular culture. Madonna's first album, the self-titled Madonna, was released in 1983 and featured singles such as "Everybody," "Holiday," and "Lucky Star." In 1984, she released her second album Like a Virgin which featured the mega-hits "Like a Virgin" and "Material Girl" which solidly secured her spot in popular culture and ensured she was not going to be a one hit wonder. Over the course of her prolific career, Madonna has released 14 studio albums, three soundtrack albums, five live albums, six compilation albums, and 35 other limited releases. Madonna is the best-selling female artist of all time and has won 7 Grammy Awards and 20 MTV Video Music Awards.

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Her massively successful career aside, Madonna has been an incredibly influential figure in the LGBTQIA+ community and has made a name for herself as a gay icon. Madonna was openly outspoken about the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s when other celebrities and public figures were not. She frequently talked about the gay people in her life and defended friends who were battling the disease and threw benefits to contribute to AIDS charities. Add in her boundary-pushing costumes, upbeat music and dance moves, and embrace of and fierce support for the many LGBTQIA+ people in her life, Madonna cemented herself as an ally and influence to the queer community starting in the 1980s and continuing into today. 

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