Madonna is a singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, record producer and fashion icon. She holds the record for most top ten songs on the Billboard Hot 100 (37) and has sold over 200 million albums worldwide.

Born Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone in Bay City, Michigan, the "Material Girl" grew up in a Catholic household in suburban Detroit. After initially focusing on ballet, Madonna decided to pursue a career in dance - even gaining a dance scholarship to the University of Michigan. After dropping out of school and moving to New York City, Madonna began performing in dance clubs and experimenting with music. Her demo recordings garnered some attention and she eventually signed a deal with Sire Records - with whom she released her self-titled 1983 debut album.

After a string of high-profile romances (including a brief marriage to actor Sean Penn), Madonna settled down with director Guy Ritchie - with whom she gave birth to her first son Rocco. A legal dispute regarding the adoption of a Malawian boy named David Banda has dogged Madonna in the past few years. In October 2008, it was announced that Madonna and Guy Ritchie will be heading to court to finalize their divorce.