Source: GutterUncensored.com
--------------------------------------Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16, 1958), known professionally as Madonna, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, musician, record producer and actress. Regarded as "one of the greatest pop acts of all time", she has been dubbed the "Queen of Pop" by the media. In her youth, Madonna aspired to become a ballet dancer and studied dance under the tutelage of choreographer Alvin Ailey. Following her debut in the entertainment industry as a member of Patrick Hernandez's dance team, Madonna formed a pop duo with Dan Gilroy known as the Breakfast Club. While initially performing as the band's drummer, Madonna also served as lead singer until her departure from the group. She joined a second music group—Emmy—with drummer Stephen Bray, though both performers eventually left the group to focus on the launch of Madonna's solo career as a recording artist. GutterUncensored.com
Beginning with the release of her self-titled debut album in 1983, Madonna rose to stardom producing three consecutive number one studio albums on the Billboard 200: Like a Virgin (1984), True Blue (1986), and Like a Prayer (1989). Though the entertainer faced negative critical publicity and modest sales on subsequent albums Erotica (1992) and Bedtime Stories (1994), she garnered critical acclaim with the release of her seventh studio album Ray of Light (1998), which opened at number two. Madonna continued to remain in the forefront of pop music with four more consecutive number one studio albums; Music (2000) American Life (2003) Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005) and Hard Candy (2008). GutterUncensored.com
Madonna is ranked by the Recording Industry Association of America as the "Best Selling Female Rock Artist of the Twentieth Century" and the second top-selling female artist in the United States with 63 million certified albums. According to Guinness World Records, she is the "World’s most successful female recording artist of all time" and the top earning female singer in the world with an estimated net worth of over $400 million, having sold over 200 million albums worldwide. Billboard reported that her 2006 Confessions Tour holds the record for the highest grossing concert tour by a female artist On March 10, 2008, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. GutterUncensored.com
