Posted by mennie on 11:25 AM
Madonna is a "natural" filmmaker.
Abbie Cornish - who stars the singer's new directorial effort 'W.E.', about the story of Britain's King Edward VIII and his American wife Wallis Simpson - confesses she was great to work with because she really "loves" learning and was "very well read".
She revealed: "Madonna is natural director. It's in her nature. She's a Leo and she really represents the Leos very well.
"She's a very smart woman, very well read. She really absorbs a lot about whatever she's involved in.
Madonna is natural director. It's in her nature. She's a Leo and she really represents the Leos very well.
"I think she really loves learning. It was interesting to see her evolve throughout the filmmaking process. She's such a cool woman."
Abbie, who plays Wally Winthrop in the two-tier story taking place over separate timelines, also reveals Madonna's 14-year-old daughter Lourdes portrays a younger version of her character in the movie.
She added to MTV.com: "She actually plays a younger version of my character. She's a super-cute, younger version of my character."
Music producer William Orbit - who has provided two songs for the score of the movie - recently claimed the movie was Oscar-worthy and could see Madonna land a nomination for Best Director at the Academy Awards next year.
He said: "It's definitely Oscar-worthy and I'm not just saying that. I wouldn't comment on her past acting abilities so you know by me saying what I have that it's really a great film. I definitely think Madonna could be up for an Oscar for Best Director."
Posted by mennie on 1:02 AM
Fitness fanatic Madonna is preparing to open the doors to her first gym in Mexico City next month (Nov10).
The pop superstar, famed for her toned physique, is making plans to open Hard Candy Fitness global gyms in major cities around the world and will fly to Mexico to officially launch her first centre in Bosques de las Lomas.
Her manager Guy Oseary says, "Madonna's world tours have taken us to many of our favourite cities around the world. We are looking forward to opening Hard Candy Fitness in many of these same places".
Madonna's world tours have taken us to many of our favourite cities around the world. We are looking forward to opening Hard Candy Fitness in many of these same places
The gym will be equipped with dance, bike and yoga studios, saunas and steam rooms, as well as a juice bar.
The Material Girl also hopes to open 10 more locations in Argentina, Russia, Brazil and throughout Europe and Asia.
Posted by mennie on 12:43 PM
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| Madonna prowls around with eye-popping cleavage on show in Dolce&Gabanna advert |
Just in case anyone needed reminding, Madonna has once again set out to prove she's not letting age change her ways.
The 52-year-old has posed for yet another racy Dolce&Gabanna advert, this time while wearing an incredibly low-cut black body suit and hold-up stockings.
Accessorised with sunglasses, a crucifix and a red string Kabbalah bracelet, she prowls around an unmade bed with her cleavage threatening to spill out of her lingerie.
In another frame, she reclines on white sheets accompanied by a black and white cat.
Madonna struck up a friendship with Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana while she was filming Dick Tracy in the early Nineties and they were invited to designer her costumes for The Girlie Show tour in 1993.
The Italian designer duo announced their new collaboration with Madonna last year, which came after she spent her birthday with the pair on-board this yacht in Italy last August.
They said at the time: 'To have Madonna in our campaign is a dream come true.'
Madonna has since launched a fashion label of her own with her teen daughter Lourdes called Material Girl.
Meanwhile, there are mounting rumours Madonna will be performing on the X Factor's first live broadcast on October 9.
The show is already renowned for drawing in some of the biggest names in the music business, with past performers including Beyonce, who dueted with 2008 winner Alexandra Burke on the programme.
A source told the Daily Mirror that she has verbally agreed to appear on the show, saying: 'Madonna would be perfect to kick-off the last stage of the competition.'
Posted by mennie on 11:15 AM
Posted by mennie on 5:01 AM
Madonna travels with her children Lourdes Leon, Mercy James and David Banda, to vist the Mphandu la Orphanage in the Namitete area outside Lilongwe, Malawi on Thursday (October 29).
The 51-year-old entertainer attended the ground breaking ceremony for the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls.
Madonna recently blogged to urge people to join her cause. “I’m writing to urge you to join me in saving the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable children. And I’m asking you to do it right away.
Raising Malawi, the organization I co-founded in 2006, is dedicated to ending the poverty and hardship endured by Malawi’s one million orphans. By donating to Raising Malawi, you can literally transform the future for an entire generation. To encourage your involvement, I’ve pledged $100,000 to match your contributions dollar-for-dollar.”
Posted by mennie on 1:04 AM
Queen of Pop Madonna's Sticky and Sweet world tour is said to have made the highest amount ever earned by a solo artist grossing at 408 million dollars, revealed promoters Live Nation.
Madge, 51, had played her last gig on September 2 in Israel, after performing in 32 countries.
And she is said to have broken her own record, set by her Confessions tour, which was named the all-time top in 2006, after it made 194 million dollars.
"She is absolutely one of the great performers of all time ," the BBC quoted Arthur Fogel, from Live Nation, as saying.
"That this tour will take its place as the second highest grossing tour in the history of our business says it all," he added.
The Rolling Stone s' Bigger Bang tour, which ran from 2005 to 2007, is the highest grossing tour of all time, with an earning of 558 million dollars.
Madonna played 85 shows, and even set an attendance record for the biggest crowds in history in Zurich, Switzerland, where she drew 72,000 fans.
And in Helsinki, Finland, Madonna sold more than 85,000 tickets, making it the biggest single show by an artist in history in Scandinavia.
Posted by mennie on 12:33 AM
Posted by mennie on 2:22 AM
Rock legend Jimi Hendrix's first recording contract worth $1 and erotic audio and video tapes sent by Madonna to her old bodyguard have gone on sale in an online auction.
Other artists and prominent figures featured among the more than 450 items offered in the rock 'n' roll and pop art auction on www.gottahaverockandroll.com include John Lennon, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones and Eminem. The auction will run through August 5.
Hendrix's earliest known contract for $1 dated October 15, 1965, could fetch up to $250,000, auctioneers said. It was signed by Hendrix and music producers PPX Enterprises of New York for Hendrix to play and sing exclusively for three years.
The contract - on which Hendrix's first name is spelled "Jimmy" - also granted him 1 percent of the retail sales from his recordings.
Two cassette tapes holding 17 minutes of messages that Madonna left in 1992 and 1993 on the answering machine of James Albright, the bodyguard who became her lover, are expected to fetch between $30,000 and $40,000.
An intimate home video sent to Albright featuring Madonna in a hotel room with castmates shot during the making of the 1993 film Dangerous Game has an estimate draw of $12,000 to $14,000.
Also up for sale are copies of love letters faxed to Albright by Madonna between 1992 and 1994 using the code name "Lola Montez".
The auction house described the video as "very personal and intimate" but its representatives said they were not allowed to say exactly what was on it. Neither the audio tapes nor the home video are being sold with copyright so the owner will not be able to sell the tapes to a public forum.
Another top lot is a life-size prop of Schwarzenegger's T-800 terminator used in various action sequences in the film Terminator 2: Judgment Day that has an estimated selling price of $150,000 to $200,000.
Also on sale are Dylan's original 1962 working lyrics for his song A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall, jackets worn by Lennon and US rapper Eminem's outfit that parodied Michael Jackson in his Just Lose It music video are also on sale.
Gottahaveit.com's chief executive, Peter Siegel, said he expected the auction to fetch high prices even in tough economic times.
"These items are not really economic-centric," he said. "Pop culture is international, there is still a lot of money out there and these items are relatively still a bargain compared to pieces of art from unknown artists who may become famous."
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Some of the items can be viewed in person at the Gotta Have It store in New York. The bidding will be open until August 5.
Posted by mennie on 12:55 PM
Pop star Madonna, whose concert was cancelled after two people died in a stage collapse, paid respect to the victims during her tour in Marseilles in France.
"Let's all just take a moment to say a prayer for Charles Criscenzo and Charlie Prow. Our hearts go out to their family and loved ones," Dailymail.co.uk quoted Madonna as saying.
The singer appeared in a black dress and embraced a widow. She also visited eight workers who were still hospitalised.
"She (Madonna) wanted to make a positive gesture. She won't be performing but will be showing solidarity with the victims' families. She is moved by what happened and feels very personally involved," a source said.
Explaining the unfortunate incident, a stadium worker said: "Normally four cranes are used to lift temporary roofs but on this occasion only three were being used. It was a recipe for disaster."
Posted by mennie on 2:44 AM
Madonna reportedly set to adopt again
Officials say papers have been filed and pop star is headed to Malawi.
BLANTYRE, Malawi - Madonna is planning to adopt a second child from Malawi, officials said Thursday, but questions have already been raised over whether the newly divorced pop star will face obstacles because of her single mom status.
An official at the Malawi welfare department said Madonna, who is 50 and a mother of three, had filed adoption papers in the southern African country. Another person in Malawi close to the case said Madonna would be there this weekend and a court could hear her adoption case as soon as Monday.
A U.S. government official confirmed that an adoption bid by Madonna, an American, was under way.
Posted by mennie on 10:01 PM
Madonna is reportedly having a fling with a Brazilian male model.
The '4 Minutes' singer met Jesus Luz in Rio de Janeiro while on a shoot for American magazine W, and the pair became so close she invited him to join her on the Sao Paolo leg of her 'Sticky and Sweet' world tour.
A source told the New York Post newspaper: "She was very interested in him. He's there with her now and photographer Steven Klein is helping him get along with everyone."
Madonna and Jesus reportedly struggled to keep their hands off each other when they met, and did little to hide their fledgling relationship from onlookers.
The pair also went to a star-studded Christmas bash over the weekend, where other guests included Stella and Mary McCartney, Lily Allen, Sir Mick Jagger and Kevin Spacey
Another source said: "Everyone knows they are ficando - which is a Portuguese expression that means they are kissing and doing other things but without any obligation of being faithful or getting into a relationship afterwards."
Meanwhile, Madonna is said to be "thrilled" at reports her estranged husband Guy Ritchie is dating Jemima Khan.
Guy and Jemima - who was previously married to Pakistan cricket legend Imran Khan and dated Hugh Grant - attended a dinner party together earlier this month. The pair also went to a star-studded Christmas bash over the weekend, where other guests included Stella and Mary McCartney, Lily Allen, Sir Mick Jagger and Kevin Spacey.
A friend of Madonna said: "It's not like she's asking him for details, but she's thrilled at the prospect of him moving on. It makes things easier for everybody."
Posted by mennie on 10:58 PM
Madonna is planning to adopt - again, according to reports.
The Material Girl - who divorced husband Guy Ritchie in November - controversially adopted David Banda from Malawi in 2006.
And she is now to add 4-year-old Mercy James - whose grandparents are too poor to care for her - to her brood.
The singer, 50, has already signed the adoption papers - and is set to fly to the poverty-stricken country with her rumored lover Alex Rodriguez to pick up the tot.
A source tells Star magazine, "She's hoping to bring the toddler home by early next year."
"It breaks our hearts to know she will leave us, but adoption is best for her," Mercy's grandfather, Saxon Maunde, said.
Until the the star adopted David, Malawi had not permitted foreign adoptions. Madonna has since moved back to New York City with son Rocco, 8, and daughter Lourdes, 12.
Posted by mennie on 8:46 PM
Madonna paid her ex-husband British director Guy Ritchie up to £60 million (NZ$166m) to settle their divorce after eight years of marriage, her spokeswoman has confirmed.
Liz Rosenberg said the singer, 50, had given Ritchie, 40, between £50 and £60 million as part of their divorce, which was granted by a British court on November 21.
She said that sum includes the couple's English country estate, Ashcombe, which is valued at £20 million.
The couple's combined wealth has been estimated at about US$525 million, but Madonna accounts for most of it.
Rosenberg said custody arrangements for the couple's children have not been finalised.
Madonna and Ritchie have an eight-year-old son, Rocco, and three-year-old son David, adopted from Malawi.
The singer also has a daughter Lourdes, born in 1996, from her relationship with fitness trainer Carlos Leon.
Madonna, one of the most successful singers of all time with estimated album sales of more than 200 million, was married once before, to actor Sean Penn, in the 1980s.
Madonna and Ritchie announced their split in October, nearly eight years after their fairytale wedding at Skibo Castle in Scotland.
Ritchie is a British film director who is making Hollywood blockbuster Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey Jr as the Victorian-era super sleuth.
Posted by mennie on 7:25 PM
Guy Ritchie had apparently told his friends that he had almost no sex life with wife Madonna as she was obsessed with her daily four-hour workout regime.
Guy is said to have made repeated pleas claiming that they should spend more time with each other but was turned down by the singer owing to her fixation with her exercising routine.
He got more and more frustrated as she spent nearly half the day working out. Afterwards she’d be too tired to make love, News of the World quoted a close pal of the couple as saying.
And towards the end Guy wouldn’t be there. He’d get fed up waiting for her and go down the pub with his mates, the pal added.
The close friend further revealed that even when the couple did indulge themselves in acts of passion, Guy reportedly felt he lay with a bunch of bones.
The friend said: After a few drinks one evening Guy said it was like cuddling up to a piece of gristle.
All the soft feminine tones have been replaced by the build of an athlete.
Posted by mennie on 6:42 AM
As if reports about an affair with baseball star Alex Rodriguez were not enough, Madonna now has to deal with a cameraman who claims that he has in his possession a sex tape of the pop icon and A-Rod.
The cameraman is willing to sell the tape to the highest bidder, with the selling price starting at a whopping 1 million pounds.
The footage, he claims, was shot with a hidden camera in an apartment Madge and Rodriguez used for clandestine trysts in the afternoon.
But legal experts say that the plan could backfire for the man himself, for he could end up facing prosecution for voyeurism and burglary, reports the Daily Star.
One expert said: “If footage was obtained in this way it would be an outrageous invasion of privacy.”
“But more than that he would not have had his friend’s consent to install the camera and must have entered the apartment without approval to hide it. That is burglary.
“He would be prima facie guilty of voyeurism. Instead of making a million he’d be going to jail for a few years. Even if the video existed it would probably be seized by the courts.”
Madonna’s lawyers in the meantime have said that they are “aware” of the claims but are not commenting.
Posted by mennie on 8:39 AM
Madonna says her sex life with husband Guy Ritchie is "amazing".
The 49-year-old singer denied reports her relationship with 'Snatch' director Guy is going through a rocky patch, but admits their marriage is definitely "a challenge".
She said: "Our sex life is amazing. But I had to marry someone as tough as me. Guy's definitely tough. I had to marry a challenge, otherwise I would just get bored. Whatever else Guy is, he's never boring. He can be intolerant."
Madonna also revealed she is so work-obsessed she takes her BlackBerry - a cell phone with a personal organiser and internet access - to bed with her.
She said: "Guy and I lie right next to each other with our BlackBerrys under our pillows. It's not unromantic, it's practical. I'm sure loads of couples have their BlackBerrys in bed with them.
"I often wake up in the middle of the night and remember that I've forgotten something, so I jump up and make notes!"
Mother-of-three Madonna said despite her toned physique and passion for working out, she will never be able to beat her addiction to chocolate.
She added to Britain's Elle magazine: "It's all about hard work. There is no easy way. If you want to know how I look like I do, it's diet and exercise and constantly being careful. I'm not going to slow down, get off this ride, stay home and get fat!
"But one of the worst things about Britain is that it has such fabulous candy. I love Cadbury's Fruit and Nut, Crunchies and Maltesers. But my absolute favourite is a Cadbury Creme Egg. I bite straight in to it and suck all that good stuff right out!"
Posted by mennie on 7:44 AM
Madonna has shown her unremitting support for Britney Spears, insisting that the media needs to "step off" the troubled singer.
In a recent interview with the “Yo on E!" satellite radio show, Madonna urged everyone to save the fading pop star. "They need to step off. For real...Let's go save her," E! Online quoted her, as telling the radio show.
The ‘Material Girl" singer revealed that Spears remains the favourite artist of her 11-year-old daughter Lourdes. Madonna, who"s married to film director Guy Ritchie, added that Lourdes “gets the drift of what"s going on, and I think she feels very protective of Britney."
She also insisted that like her daughter, she also remains a supporter of the beleaguered star.
Madonna recently revealed that she enjoys listening to Spears' Blackout album while exercising.
Britney and Madonna famously locked lips on the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards and collaborated on the song "Me Against the Music."
Madonna also said that she plans to spend the summer in New York and may go on tour in the fall to promote her new album, Hard Candy, due to be out April 29.
Posted by mennie on 11:41 AM
Pop star Madonna is still the material girl, earning $72 million in a recent 12-month period to top a Forbes list of female singers whom the financial website dubbed "Cash Queens of Music."
Madonna, who rose to recording superstardom in the 1980s as the "Material Girl" after her hit song of that name, beat out Barbra Streisand, who was No 2 with annual earnings of $60 million, and Celine Dion at $45 million.
The website tracked earnings in the period from June 2006 to June 2007 and said it examined concert ticket sales, merchandise revenue, album sales and earnings from ancillary products such as clothing, perfumes and endorsements.
Rounding out the top five on Forbes.com's "Cash Queens of Music" poll were Colombian singing sensation Shakira at No 4 with $38 million and R&B singer Beyonce with $27 million.
Country music stars also did well, with Faith Hill landing in the No 8 slot with $19 million and the Dixie Chicks at No 9 with $18 million.
Then there was Britney Spears. For all her troubles in the past year -- a stint in rehab and a bitter custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline, among them -- the pop star still made No. 14 on the list, earning $8 million from royalties on old songs and sales of her perfume, Curious.
Her latest album, "Blackout," was released late in 2007 after the period covered by the Forbes.com survey.
Late last year, Madonna ended her long relationship with Warner Music Group Corp and reached a recording deal with concert promoter Live Nation Inc.
Posted by mennie on 1:04 PM
Madonna Releases `Hey You' for Charity; Will Sing It at July's Live Earth Concert in London
Madonna performs during her first ever concert in Russia at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow, late Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2006. For tens of thousands of Muscovites, the show is one of the most exciting events of the year's cultural calendar, a sold-out blowout to end the summer.
Madonna, one of the headliners at this summer's "Live Earth" concerts, has released a new digital song for the musical event.
The global concert series, taking place July 7, is designed to raise awareness about climate issues. "Hey You," which Madonna produced with Pharrell Williams, doesn't specifically talk about Earth issues, but the ballad's lyrics refer to loving and saving each other.
Madonna is scheduled to perform the song during the show at Wembley Stadium in London. Other shows will take place in Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.; Tokyo; Shanghai, China; Johannesburg, South Africa; Sydney, Australia; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Hamburg, Germany; and Istanbul, Turkey.
"Hey You" is available on MSN.com. The first million downloads are free, and Microsoft is pledging to donate 25 cents per download to the Alliance for Climate Protection.
Besides Madonna, other headliners slated for the London concert include the Hot Chili Peppers, Genesis and the Beastie Boys.
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Posted by mennie on 5:11 AM
As many of you know Madonna holds a very special place in my heart. She's more than an entertainer to many of us - she's an inspiration. We just want to congratulate Madonna on 25 years of fabulousness - music, fashion, motherhood and more. We can't wait to see what she has in store for us in the future.
It may seem like only yesterday but 25 years ago on April 24, 1982, Sire Records honcho Seymour Stein released a single called "EVERYBODY" on Warner Bros. Records by an unknown singer from Rochester, Michigan by the name of Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone. To say the world would never be the same is an understatement. The song went on to become a huge dancefloor hit and was heard all over the radio in the Summer of 1982. That little girl from Michigan would go on to become one of the most famous entertainers and cultural icons in history - selling close to 200 million records and remaining a star of enormous magnitude and influence for the next 25 years. She's just getting started. Long Live the Queen and Happy Anniversary to Madonna.Source
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