title: Daryl McMahon

texts:
<mask> (born 10 October 1983) is an Irish former football player and manager who is now manager of  club Dagenham & Redbridge. <mask> represented the Republic of Ireland Under-16 team at the 2000 UEFA European Under-16 Football Championship. Starting as a midfielder his career at West Ham United, he switched to Port Vale in 2004 after failing to make a first team appearance for West Ham. Later in the year he moved on to Leyton Orient, where he would remain for three years. He then spent two seasons at Stevenage Borough, moving on to Cambridge United and then Farnborough in 2009. Two years later he moved on to Boreham Wood, and seven months later to Eastleigh. He has also played for Torquay United and Notts County on loan.He switched to Dover Athletic in September 2012, before signing for Ebbsfleet United in June 2013. He rejoined Boreham Wood in January 2015 before returning to Ebbsfleet as manager three months later. He managed Ebbsfleet from April 2015 to November 2018 and won promotion out of the National League South play-offs in 2017. He was appointed as manager of English Football League side Macclesfield Town in August 2019, but tendered his resignation in January 2020 amidst a financial crisis at the club. He then took charge at National League side Dagenham & Redbridge. Playing career

West Ham United
<mask> started his youth career at the age of seven with Neilstown Rangers, before moving on to Cherry Orchard and then Belvedere. <mask> then began his career as a trainee with West Ham United, turning professional in August 2002.In need of first team experience, he joined League Two Torquay United on loan in March 2004, making his debut as a late substitute for Martin Gritton in the 2–2 home draw with Yeovil Town on 3 April 2004. However, that was to be his only game for the "Gulls" as he returned to West Ham two weeks early, seemingly at his own request. Port Vale
He was released by West Ham at the end of the 2003–04 season and joined Martin Foyle's League One Port Vale on non-contract terms in September 2004. He struggled to establish himself at Vale Park and dropped down a division to join Leyton Orient on a free transfer two months later, after rejecting a further short-term deal at Port Vale. Teammate Dean Smith had set up the move to Brisbane Road and would himself join Orient soon after. Leyton Orient
After impressing on a non-contract basis, he signed a six-month deal with Leyton Orient in January 2005. He played 33 games of the "O's" promotion winning campaign of 2005–06 but fell out of favour the following season and joined Notts County, back in League Two, on loan in November 2006.After his loan spell finished the following January, <mask> joined Conference National club Stevenage Borough. Non-league
A fairly regular member of the first team at Broadhall Way, he was a sub in the FA Trophy final at Wembley. In May 2008 he signed a two-year contract with the club. On 26 November 2008, he was transfer listed by Borough, along with teammate John Martin, and in the January 2009 transfer window <mask> agreed to join fellow Conference Premier club Cambridge United. He made his debut in a 4–1 win over Woking at the Abbey Stadium, but struggled to hold down a place in the team. He was an unused substitute in the 2009 Conference Premier play-off Final, as he watched his United teammates lose their second play-off final in as many years. On 16 July 2009, caretaker Cambridge United manager, Paul Carden, announced that <mask> has left the club.He then joined Farnborough for a two-year stay. He enjoyed promotion to the Conference South with the club, as they were crowned champions of the Southern Football League Premier Division in 2009–10. The following year he helped the club to the Conference South play-off final, where they were defeated 4–2 by Ebbsfleet United. In June 2011, he signed for Boreham Wood as a player-coach on a two-year contract. <mask>'s stay at Boreham Wood lasted seven months, as in January 2012 he signed for fellow Conference South club Eastleigh for an undisclosed fee. The "Spitfires" went on to post a mid-table finish in 2011–12. He was sold to league rivals Dover Athletic for an undisclosed fee in September 2012.Eastleigh manager Richard Hill had rejected two bids from the "Whites", before Dover boss Nicky Forster put in a bid that Eastleigh director Stewart Donald felt "matched our valuation" and represented "good value". He played in the 3–2 play-off final defeat to Salisbury City on 12 May 2013. In June 2013, he signed for Ebbsfleet United for a fee of £13,000. He became a key part of the club's passing style, but credited the club's success to manager Steve Brown. The "Fleet" finished fourth in 2013–14 and reached the play-off final, where they were beaten 1–0 by Dover Athletic; this was <mask>'s fourth play-off final defeat in six years. He did though play in the Kent Senior Cup final, which ended in a 4–0 victory over Dover. He re-signed with Boreham Wood in January 2015 on a contract lasting until summer 2017.He was also coaching at Tottenham Hotspur and managing Ebbsfleet United, before he retired as a player at the end of the 2014–15 season. Management career

Ebbsfleet United
McMahon took charge at Conference South club Ebbsfleet United on a caretaker basis for three games in November 2014, winning two games and drawing one game in the period following the departure of Steve Brown and the appointment of Jamie Day. He was given a two-year management contract at the club in April 2015. He led the club to a second-place finish in the 2015–16 season, however his record of play-off disappointment continued into his management career as Ebbfleet went on to lose to Maidstone United on penalties in the play-off final. The "Fleet" again finished second in the 2016–17 season, finishing only two points behind champions Maidenhead United. However they made up for their previous season's defeat and justified their 96-point finish after coming from 1–0 down with ten men to record a 2–1 victory over Chelmsford City in the play-off final at Stonebridge Road. He signed a new five-year contract with the club in May 2017.He was named as National League Manager of the Month for February 2018 after four successive victories took them to the cusp of the play-offs. However after a poor March he admitted that the focus had turned to building a promotion campaign for the following season. A late surge saw the qualify for the play-offs at the end of the 2017–18 season, though they were then beaten 4–2 by Tranmere Rovers at the semi-final stage. He left the club by "mutual consent" on 7 November 2018. Macclesfield Town
On 19 August 2019, <mask> was appointed as manager of EFL League Two club Macclesfield Town, succeeding Sol Campbell. He got off to a good start on the pitch, however the "Silkmen" squad released a statement to say they had gone unpaid for the month of September as HM Revenue and Customs delivered the club a winding up petition. He resigned on 2 January 2020 after financial problems resulted in players striking, which left the club unable to fulfill fixtures and punished with a six point deduction.Dagenham & Redbridge
Within 24 hours of leaving Macclesfield, <mask> was appointed as manager of National League side Dagenham & Redbridge. The season was suspended on 26 March due to the COVID-19 pandemic in England and no further matches were played; Dagenham were 18th in the table at the time. They finished the 2020–21 season in 12th-place, which <mask> saw as evidence the club was building in the right direction. After six wins in the first two months of the season, <mask> was awarded the league's Manager of the Month award for August/September 2021. He won the award for a second time for December 2021 after a 100% record across the month. Personal life
<mask> is married to Alex, a stockbroker, and has two children. Career statistics

Playing statistics

Managerial statistics

Honours

Playing honours
Leyton Orient
League Two 3rd-place promotion: 2005–06

Stevenage Borough
FA Trophy: 2006–07

Farnborough
Southern Football League Premier Division: 2009–10

Ebbsfleet United
Kent Senior Cup: 2014

Managerial honours
Ebbsfleet United
National League South play-offs: 2017

Individual
National League Manager of the Month: February 2018, August/September 2021, December 2021

References

External links

1983 births
Living people
Association footballers from Dublin (city)
Republic of Ireland association footballers
Republic of Ireland youth international footballers
Association football midfielders
Cherry Orchard F.C.players
Belvedere F.C. players
Republic of Ireland expatriate association footballers
West Ham United F.C. players
Torquay United F.C. players
Port Vale F.C. players
Leyton Orient F.C. players
Notts County F.C. players
Stevenage F.C.players
Cambridge United F.C. players
Farnborough F.C. players
Boreham Wood F.C. players
Eastleigh F.C. players
Dover Athletic F.C. players
Ebbsfleet United F.C. players
English Football League players
National League (English football) players
Southern Football League players
Republic of Ireland football managers
Republic of Ireland expatriate football managers
Ebbsfleet United F.C.managers
Macclesfield Town F.C. managers
Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. managers
National League (English football) managers
English Football League managers
Association football coaches
Tottenham Hotspur F.C. non-playing staff

masks:
Daryl McMahon
McMahon
McMahon
McMahon
McMahon
McMahon
McMahon
McMahon
McMahon
McMahon
McMahon
McMahon
McMahon
McMahon


title: Archibald Simson

type: original

texts:
<mask> born 1564, was the son of <mask>. He was educated at University of St Andrews, graduating with an MA in 1585. He became assistant minister to his father at Dalkeith in 1586. <mask> was clerk to the Presbytery on 10 October 1588. He was ordained 3rd June 1591. In 1605 he reached Aberdeen too late to take part in the General Assembly of Aberdeen, which met in defiance of the royal prohibition, but affirmed his adhesion to all its Acts. He was summoned before
the Privy Council, and dismissed on promising more moderate behaviour in future.On 27 June 1617 he signed, in name of fifty-four others, a protest against a proposed Act of Parliament which sought to make the King supreme ruler of the Church. The bill was withdrawn, but Simson was summoned before the Court of High Commission, deprived of his charge, and confined to the town of Aberdeen. On acknowledging his offence he was allowed to return home. He was ordered to "re-compear" before the same Court, on 7 June 1620, but escaped this through the intercession of William, Earl of Morton. He died in December 1628. Life
<mask> (1564?–1628), Scottish divine, probably born at Dunbar in 1564, was son of <mask>, by his wife Violet, sister of Patrick Adamson, archbishop of St. Andrews. <mask> was his brother.<mask> graduated at the university of St. Andrews in 1585, and in the following year became assistant to his father at Dalkeith in Midlothian. On his father's death he succeeded to the charge. He acquired some fame as a poet, and attracted the notice of Sir John Maitland of Thirlestane, chancellor of the kingdom. Through his good offices Dalkeith was definitely erected into a parish in 1592. In the conflict between church and state Simson was found on the side of the theocratic presbyterians. In 1605 he arrived at Aberdeen too late to take part in the famous assembly which met in defiance of the royal wishes. But in company with the other ministers of his presbytery he declared, before departing homewards, his adhesion to all the acts of the late general assembly (Calderwood, Hist.of Scottish Kirk, vi. 444). For this he was summoned before the privy council, but dismissed on promising more moderate behaviour in future (Reg. of Scottish Privy Council, 1604–7, pp. 105–6). Notwithstanding, he was one of those who crowded to support the five ministers who were brought to trial for treason in convening a general assembly in defiance of the king's prohibition (ib. p. 479; Calderwood, vi.457). In 1615 a murderous assault was made on him by one Robert Strachan of Musselburgh, for which the assailant had to do penance by standing on consecutive Sundays, clad in sackcloth and barefoot, in the churchyards of Dalkeith and Musselburgh (Reg. Scottish Privy Council, 1613–16, p. 368). In 1617 Simson again placed himself in opposition to the crown. An act was brought forward in the Scottish parliament to the effect that ‘whatever his majesty should determine in the external government of the church, with the advice of the archbishops, bishops, and a competent number of the ministry, should have the force of law.’ The more independent of the clergy at once took fright, and on 27 June a meeting was hastily held, at which a protest was drawn up and signed by fifty-five of the ministers present, to the effect that the proposed statute was a violation of the fundamental rule of the Scottish church that changes of ecclesiastical law should be by the ‘advice and determination’ of general assemblies of the church. This document they resolved to present to the king; but to render the procedure as mild as possible, Peter Hewat was instructed to give James a copy which contained only the signature of <mask>, who had acted as secretary of the meeting (ib. 1616–1619, pp.xlviii–lvii, 166; Calderwood, vii. 253, 256). In consequence the bill was not proceeded with in parliament, but the weight of James's resentment fell on <mask> and his confederates. On 1 July Simson was summoned before the court of high commission, deprived of his charge, and confined to the town of Aberdeen. On 11 December he acknowledged his offence and obtained restoration to his charge (Reg. of Scottish Privy Council, 1616–19, pp. 183, 280; Calderwood, vii.257, 260, 286). A summons was sent for his ‘recompearance’ before the same court, 7 June 1620, which he avoided through the intercession of William, earl of Morton (ib. vii. 444). He died in December 1628 at Dalkeith. Family
He married:
(1) Katherine Crichton (Edin. Beg., 1st Feb. 1604), who died before 10 Feb. 1607, and had issue —
Christian;
Elizabeth;
Jean
(2) before 26 Sept, 1607, Elizabeth Stewart, who survived him.Works
<mask> may be credited with ‘Ad Comitem Fermolodunensem Carmen,’ 1610, 4to, which has also been ascribed to his father, and he contributed a congratulatory poem in praise of James VI, entitled ‘Philomela Dalkeithiensis,’ to the ‘Muses' Welcome,’ Edinburgh, 1618, fol. He has also been identified with the author of ‘A Commentary or Exposition upon the Divine Second Epistle Generall written by St. Peter, plainely and pithily handled by A. Symson’ (London, 1632, 8vo), which is, however, more generally ascribed to <mask>, the lexicographer, father of <mask> (1638–1712) [q. v.], author of the ‘Large Description of Galloway.’ <mask>'s other works are: 1. ‘Christes Testament unfolded; or seauen godlie and learned Sermons on our Lords seauen last Words spoken on the Cross,’ Edinburgh, 1620, 8vo. 2. ‘Heptameron; the Seven Days; that is, Meditations and Prayers upon the Worke of the Lords Creation,’ St. Andrews, 1621, 8vo. 3. ‘Samsons seaven Lockes of Haire allegorically expounded,’ St. Andrews, 1621, 8vo.4. ‘Hieroglyphica Animalium, Reptilium, Insectorum, &c. quæ in Scripturis Sacris inveniuntur,’ 2 tom. Edinburgh, 1622–4, 4to. 5. ‘A Sacred Septenarie, or a Godly Exposition of the seven Psalmes of Repentance,’ London, 1623, 8vo. 6. ‘Life of <mask>’ [q. v.], printed in ‘Select Biographies,’ ed.W. K. Tweedie for the Wodrow Society, Edinburgh, 1845, 8vo. The following works by him remain in manuscript in the Advocates' Library, Edinburgh: 1. ‘Historia Ecclesiastica Scotorum.’ 2. ‘Annales Ecclesiæ Scoticanæ’ (Sibbald, Repertory of Manuscripts in the Advocates' Library, p. 122). Christ's Seven Words upon the Cross (1620)
Heptameron, the Seven Days (St Andrews, 1621)
Samson's Seaven Lockes of Haire (St Andrews, 1621)
Hieroglyphica Animalium Terrestrium, etc. (Edinburgh, 1622-4)
A Sacred Septenarie (1623)
Inducts Epistolas Petri (1632)
Philomela Dalkeithiensis, a congratulatory poem in praise, of His Majesty [James VI.] (in The Muses' Welcome, Edinburgh, 1618)
Letter to the High Commission, and an Apologetik (Orig.Lett., ii.) A Sermon on John v. 35 {Select Biog., i.) Life of <mask>, ed. W. K. Tweedie, for the Wodrow Society, Edinburgh, 1845. Other works left in MSS., include Annales Ecclesio3 Scoticanoe and Historia Ecclesiastica Scotorum, now in the Advocates' Library (1558-1625)

Bibliography
[Scott's Fasti Eccl. Scot. I. i.262; New Statistical Account, i. 518; Scot's Apologetic Narrative, p. 424.] Act. Beet. Univ. St And.Wodrow's MS. Biog., iv. Edin. Presb. and Test. Beg. Beg.Sec. Sig. and Assig. Lochleven Pap. Booke of the Kirk
Spottiswood's, Row's, and Calderwood's Histories
Scot's Stagg. State
Forbes's Records
Scot's Apol. Bel.M'Crie's Melville, ii. Orig. Lett. New Stat. Account
Colleg. Ch. of Mid-Lothian
Acts Pari., iii.The Simsons

References
Citations

Sources

1564 births
1628 deaths
16th-century Scottish people
17th-century Scottish people

masks:
Archibald Simson
Andrew Simson
Archibald
Archibald Simson
Andrew Simson
Patrick Simson
Archibald
Archibald Simson
Simson
Simson
Andrew Simson
Andrew Simson
Archibald Simson
Patrick Simson
Patrick Simson


title: Thomas Cresap

texts:
Colonel <mask> (17021790) was an English-born settler and trader in the states of Maryland and Pennsylvania. <mask> served Lord Baltimore as an agent in the Maryland–Pennsylvania boundary dispute that became known as <mask>'s War. Later, together with the Native American chief Nemacolin, <mask> improved a Native American path to the Ohio Valley, and ultimately settled and became a large landowner near Cumberland, Maryland, where he was involved in further disputes near Brownsville, Pennsylvania, including in the French and Indian War and Lord Dunmore's War. Early life
<mask> was born in Skipton, Yorkshire, England, and emigrated across the Atlantic Ocean to the Maryland colony when he was 15 years old. In 1723, he gave his occupation as that of a carpenter. He initially settled at the mouth of the Susquehanna River on the Chesapeake, on the lower end of a floodplain called the Conejohela Valley, and built boats. In 1725, <mask> married Hannah Johnson, whose father, <mask>, on 24 March 1725 had surveyed to himself Mount Johnson Island, at Peach Bottom Ferry.Agent for Lord Baltimore in the Susquehanna Valley

<mask> also traveled at least once to Virginia, for Virginia-based trader Claiborne also traded for furs in the lower Susquehanna area of Chesapeake Bay. <mask> fled from Virginia either because of the Native American raids against white settlers in 1722, or because a dozen or more fellow settlers drove him as he cleared timber to make a dwelling and secure his land claim. As <mask> defended himself, he cleft one of his assailants with a broad-ax. Upon returning to Maryland, <mask> secured a patent to operate a ferry over the Susquehanna at the head of tide-water from Lord Baltimore. Although Captain John Smith had traveled up the Chesapeake, possibly this far, in 1608, Virginians had ceded this area to Maryland, but Pennsylvania also claimed the area as covered by land grants to William Penn. <mask> had little formal education, but became a land surveyor, and was of great service to Lord Baltimore in extending the western boundary of Maryland from the source of the south branch of the Potomac due north, thus adding at least one third more territory to Maryland. <mask> came to Conojohela Valley in March 1730, and built a block-house on the banks of the river three and one half miles below today's Wrightsville, near the site of Leber's Mill.That same year, he took out a Maryland patent for several  near the river for "Blue Rock Ferry" at same place. In 1731, <mask> was commissioned a justice of the peace for Baltimore County. While <mask> lived in the lower Susquehanna area, he visited the rich valleys  farther up the right bank of the river, now in Hellam and Lower Windsor Townships. He reported the conditions to Lord Baltimore, who as early as 1721 had contemplated extending the northern boundary of Maryland on the west side of the Susquehanna to the northern limits of the fortieth degree of latitude. (See Maryland–Pennsylvania boundary dispute)

Gradually a few settlers from Maryland moved to the Conojohela Valley. They were aggressive to the Pennsylvanians who settled near them. It was not Lord Baltimore's practice to purchase lands from the Indians; instead the Marylanders drove them away by force.The settlers treated the Indians on the west side of the river with cruelty. However, they had no one capable of holding the ground they had taken either from the Indians nor from the Pennsylvanians, who were determined to prevent Baltimore from gaining a foothold on this disputed area. <mask> became a notorious figure in the Conejohela Flats areathe lower Susquehanna Valley in the area south of Wright's Ferrywhere his actions (and those of his men) as an agent on behalf of Lord Baltimore made him a wanted criminal in Pennsylvania. <mask> and his men several times used force to evict men who had considered themselves legal under Pennsylvania's Colonial Charter, but whom <mask> and Lord Baltimore considered squatters interfering with Maryland's charter. Because of the bloodshed during <mask>'s War, King George II issued an edict forcing a settlement of the Maryland-Pennsylvania boundary dispute against the claims by Lord Baltimore. <mask> was held a villain in Pennsylvania, and something of a hero in Maryland, which has municipalities named after him. In 1735, he took out a Maryland patent for a group of islands at Blue Rock Ferry, called the "Isles of Promise."After many attempts to capture Cresap, Pennsylvania Sheriff Samuel Smith and 24 armed men finally captured him on 25 November 1736, as his wife stood by him and fought at his side. By this time the <mask>s had at least two and perhaps three children, the eldest being about 9 years of age. While Pennsylvanians imprisoned <mask>, his wife and children lived with his cousin Daniel Lowe, who drove one of the German settlers from his home in Grist Valley (Kreutz Creek), near Codorus. Potomac Valley Trader, Explorer and Agent for the Ohio Company

Upon his release circa 1738, <mask> again moved beyond the frontier, this time along the Potomac River watershed. He patented about  of land in Maryland along Antietam Creek, where Cresap established a store and Indian trading post. He accumulated a large quantity of furs and pelts and shipped them to England. However, French privateers captured the vessel and Cresap lost everything.In 1739, he was granted  which he named Long Meadows. <mask> is said to have erected a stone and log fort over a spring near the Marsh Run. <mask> then moved farther west to within two miles (3 km) of present-day Cumberland, Maryland, where he again embarked in the Indian trade. This area, the Cumberland Narrows mountain pass led into the Monongahela River valley. During the 1740s, colonials were petitioning the crown to obtain lands of the so-called Ohio Country across the Allegheny Mountains from the Indians. The Cumberland narrows is one of only five navigable routes over the Appalachian Mountains barrier range. <mask> founded what is now Oldtown, Maryland by building a trading post at the foot of the Amerindian trail over Wills Mountain (renamed Haystack now near Cresaptown).The colonials wanted the crown to open these possessions for settlement, and give them out under charter in the same old way, through the crown's minister. <mask> also sent traders over the pass and explored personally in Amerindian lands along the Monongahela upriver of Redstone Old Forts. Although Maryland's land grant ended at the crest of the Appalachian mountains, both Pennsylvania and Virginia claimed their land grants continued westward, so the land claimed by <mask> and his traders west of the Appalachians ultimately became part of upper West Virginia and western Pennsylvania. Circa 1744, some Amerindians claimed to sell their rights east of the Appalachians to Virginia land speculators, including a stock company, the Ohio Company which received a charter to  in Western Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia around 1748. Cresap received or earned a large land grant from the Ohio Country in what much later became West Virginia. In 1748–1750, an expedition led by Cresap and the Delaware Amerindian Chief Nemacolin began widening the Nemacolin Trail into freight wagon road from Cumberland to Redstone Old Fort. A decade later, George Washington and his troops would further improve the same road prior to Braddock's Military Expedition during the French and Indian War.Redstone, on the Monongahela River became Brownsville, Pennsylvania which dwarfed Pittsburgh in growth and vibrant industrial activities until circa 1840-50s, as a center for construction and outfitting various river craft (keel boats, flat boats, steamboats) settlers used to settle not only the entire Mississippi drainage basin, but the far west and Oregon Country beyond the source waters of the Missouri River. French and Indian War
<mask> fought a number of skirmishes with the Indians and stood his ground, assisted by his wife and later his sons. When <mask>'s stronghold was surrounded by militia from Donegal Hannah knew how to handle a musket. She also superintended the construction of a house and the building of some flatboats, in the absence of her husband, at John Hendricks', now the upper end of Wrightsville, where forcible possession had been taken of Hendricks' plantation by <mask>. While there she saw a flatboat filled with armed men crossing the river. She mounted her horse, sounded a bugle, and rode rapidly to <mask>'s fort, three miles (5 km) and a half down the river. She returned at the head of the militia.<mask> was elected a representative from Frederick County, Maryland to the Maryland legislature. When the French and their allies attempted to seize the territory west of the Allegheny Mountains from the English, <mask> and his sons at their own expense raised two companies of volunteer soldiers. During the French and Indian War, <mask> raised a company of Rangers. Later years
<mask> was a large landholder. He became totally blind a few years before his death. He married a second time, to Margaret Milburn, when he was 80 years of age. He died  1790 at his home in Allegany County, Maryland, aged 88.Descendants
<mask> and Hannah (Johnson) <mask> had five children: three sons and two daughters. The oldest son, <mask>, remained in Washington County, Maryland, and became a large landholder and a celebrated hunter as well as a farmer. He was about fourteen when the family left York County. As an adult, he was colonel of militia . By his first wife he had a son, Michael. By a second wife he had seven sons and three daughters: Daniel, Joseph, Van, Robert, James, <mask>, Elizabeth, Mary and Sarah. Daniel marched in his uncle Michael's company to Boston in 1775.James was for a number of years in the Maryland legislature. <mask>, the second son of Col. <mask>, was killed by an Indian – whom he killed at the same instant. He left a widow and one child. Michael, was born in Frederick County, Maryland, 29 June 1742. He succeeded his father in the Indian trade. <mask> operated a large trading store at "Old Town," a few miles east of Cumberland. He was an Indian fighter from his youth.In 1774 he employed several men and descended the Ohio River and was engaged in the business of erecting houses and clearing lands for the settlers. While thus engaged he received a letter from Dr. Connolly, the commandant at Fort Pitt, that there was danger of an Indian war. The settlers were alarmed. Michael and his party, anticipating an attack by the Indians, struck them first. Some of his men killed several Indians near Wheeling. Another group of frontiersmen, led by Daniel Greathouse, shortly afterwards killed the family of the celebrated Indian Logan and several others. <mask> was mistakenly accused of leading this action as well.Logan reacted swiftly, striking settlers on the frontier. This was followed by "Lord Dunmore's War" and the Battle of Point Pleasant along the Ohio River, which brought about a treaty of peace. <mask> was held in esteem by his neighbors. He was the first person in Maryland to raise a company of volunteer riflemen. He marched at their head to Boston in 1775, where he fought with great bravery. He took sick (tuberculosis is suspected) and was compelled to return to New York, where he died. He lies in Trinity Church Cemetery.<mask> left five children, two sons and three daughters. See also
 Cresaptown, Maryland
 Negro Mountain

Notes
 History of York County, Pennsylvania. John Gibson, historical editor. Chicago: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1886 (Copyright Expired), Page 602–604. Pennsylvania Archives Series 1 Vol 1, By Samuel Hazard, William Henry Egle, Pennsylvania Dept. of Public Instruction, 1852, Pages 311–313, 352–367, 412–421, 462–468, 476, 487, 489–494, 501, 504–535
 Mary Beam Pinkerton. 1932.On the Trail of <mask>:  A Trip to Yorkshire, England. The Cresap Society. Kenneth P. Bailey. 1944. <mask>/Bruce Family.Special Collections, University of Maryland Libraries. References

External links
 The Cresap Society Pages. The Descendants of <mask> (to five generations). The Cresap Society. Cresap/Bruce Family papers

1702 births
1790 deaths
People from Skipton
Kingdom of England emigrants to the Thirteen Colonies
Cumberland, Maryland
People of colonial Maryland
American city founders
People of Maryland in the French and Indian War

masks:
Thomas Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Thomas Johnson
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Cresap
Thomas
Cresap
Daniel Cresap
Thomas
Thomas
Cresap
Michael Cresap
Cresap
Michael Cresap
Michael Cresap
Thomas Cresap
Thomas Cresapap
Thomas Cresap


title: Madonna

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<mask> (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She is considered one of the most influential figures in popular culture and has often been referred to as the "Queen of Pop". <mask> is noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, and visual presentation. She is also known for pushing the boundaries of artistic expression in mainstream music, while maintaining control over every aspect of her career. Her works, which incorporate social, political, sexual, and religious themes, have generated both controversy and critical acclaim. <mask> moved to New York City in 1978 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing as a drummer, guitarist, and vocalist in the rock bands Breakfast Club and Emmy, she rose to solo stardom with her debut studio album, <mask> (1983).She followed it with a series of successful albums, including all-time bestsellers Like a Virgin (1984), True Blue (1986) and The Immaculate Collection (1990) as well as Grammy Award winners Ray of Light (1998) and Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005). <mask> has amassed many number-one singles throughout her career, including "Like a Virgin", "La Isla Bonita", "Like a Prayer", "Vogue", "Take a Bow", "Frozen", "Music", "Hung Up", and "4 Minutes". <mask>'s popularity was enhanced by roles in films such as Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), Dick Tracy (1990), A League of Their Own (1992), and Evita (1996). While Evita won her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, many of her other films received poor reviews. As a businesswoman, <mask> founded the company Maverick in 1992; it included Maverick Records, one of the most successful artist-run labels in history. Her other ventures include fashion brands, children's books, health clubs, and filmmaking. She contributes to various charities, having founded the Ray of Light Foundation in 1998 and Raising Malawi in 2006.With sales of over 300 million records worldwide, <mask> is noted as the best-selling female music artist of all time by Guinness World Records. She is the most successful solo artist in the history of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and holds the record for the most number-one singles by a female artist in Australia, Canada, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. With a revenue of over U.S. $1.5 billion from her concert tickets, she remains the highest-grossing solo touring artist of all time. <mask> was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008, her first year of eligibility. She was ranked as the greatest woman in music by VH1, and as the greatest music video artist of all time by MTV and Billboard. Rolling Stone also listed <mask> among the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time.Life and career

1958–1978: Early life
<mask> Ciccone was born on August 16, 1958, in Bay City, Michigan, to Catholic parents <mask> (née Fortin) and Silvio Anthony "Tony" Ciccone. Her father's parents were Italian emigrants from Pacentro while her mother was of French-Canadian descent. Tony Ciccone worked as an engineer designer for Chrysler and General Motors. Since <mask> had the same name as her mother, family members called her "Little Nonnie". She later adopted Veronica as a confirmation name when she was confirmed in the Catholic Church in 1966. <mask> was raised in the Detroit suburbs of Pontiac and Avon Township (now Rochester Hills), alongside her two older brothers, Anthony and Martin, and three younger siblings, Paula, Christopher, and Melanie. <mask>'s mother died of breast cancer on December 1, 1963.In 1966, Tony married the family's housekeeper Joan Gustafson. They had two children, Jennifer and Mario. <mask> resented her father for getting remarried and began rebelling against him, which strained their relationship for many years afterward. <mask> attended St. Frederick's and St. Andrew's Catholic Elementary Schools, and West Middle School. <mask> was known for her high grade point average and achieved notoriety for her unconventional behavior. She would perform cartwheels and handstands in the hallways between classes, dangle by her knees from the monkey bars during recess, and pull up her skirt during class—all so that the boys could see her underwear. <mask> later told Vanity Fair that she saw herself in her youth as a "lonely girl who was searching for something.I wasn't rebellious in a certain way. I cared about being good at something. I didn't shave my underarms and I didn't wear make-up like normal girls do. But I studied and I got good grades... I wanted to be somebody." <mask>'s father put her in classical piano lessons, but she later convinced him to allow her to take ballet lessons. Christopher Flynn, her ballet teacher persuaded her to pursue a career in dance.She later attended Rochester Adams High School, where she became a straight-A student and a member of the cheerleading squad. After graduating, she received a dance scholarship to the University of Michigan and studied over the summer at the American Dance Festival in Durham, North Carolina. In 1978, <mask> dropped out of college and relocated to New York City. She said of her move to New York, "It was the first time I'd ever taken a plane, the first time I'd ever gotten a taxi cab. I came here with $35 in my pocket. It was the bravest thing I'd ever done." She soon found an apartment in the Alphabet City neighborhood of the East Village.She had little money while working at Dunkin' Donuts and with modern dance troupes, taking classes at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and eventually performing with Pearl Lang Dance Theater. She also studied dance under the tutelage of Martha Graham, the noted American dancer and choreographer. <mask> started to work as a backup dancer for other established artists. One night, while returning from a rehearsal, a pair of men held her at knifepoint and forced her to perform fellatio. She later found the incident to be "a taste of my weakness, it showed me that I still could not save myself in spite of all the strong-girl show. I could never forget it." 1979–1985: Career beginnings, <mask>, Like a Virgin, and first marriage
In 1979, <mask> became romantically involved with musician Dan Gilroy.Shortly after meeting him, she successfully auditioned to perform in Paris with French disco artist Patrick Hernandez as his backup singer and dancer. During her three months with Hernandez's troupe, she also traveled to Tunisia before returning to New York in August 1979. <mask> moved into an abandoned synagogue where Gilroy lived and rehearsed in Corona, Queens. Together they formed her first band, the Breakfast Club, for which <mask> sang and played drums and guitar. While with the band, <mask> briefly worked as a coat-check girl at the Russian Tea Room, and she made her acting debut in the low-budget indie film A Certain Sacrifice, which was not released until 1985. In 1980, <mask> left the Breakfast Club with drummer Stephen Bray, who was her boyfriend in Michigan, and they formed the band Emmy and the Emmys. They rekindled their romance and moved into the Music Building in Manhattan.The two began writing songs together and they recorded a four-song demo tape in November 1980, but soon after, <mask> decided to promote herself as a solo artist. In March 1981, Camille Barbone, who ran Gotham Records in the Music Building, signed <mask> to a contract with Gotham and worked as her manager until February 1982. <mask> frequented nightclubs to get disc jockeys to play her demo. DJ Mark Kamins at Danceteria took an interest in her music and they began dating. Kamins arranged a meeting with <mask> and Seymour Stein, the president of Sire Records, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Records. <mask> signed a deal for a total of three singles, with an option for an album. Kamins produced her debut single, "Everybody", which was released in October 1982.In December 1982, <mask> performed the song live for the first time at Danceteria. She made her first television appearance performing "Everybody" on Dancin' On Air in January 1983. In February 1983, she promoted the single with nightclub performances in the United Kingdom. Her second single, "Burning Up", was released in March 1983. Both singles reached number three on Billboard magazine's Hot Dance Club Songs chart. During this period, <mask> was in a relationship with artist Jean-Michel Basquiat and living at his loft in SoHo. Basquiat introduced her to art curator Diego Cortez, who had managed some punk bands and co-founded the Mudd Club.<mask> invited Cortez to be her manager, but he declined. Following the success of the singles, Warner hired Reggie Lucas to produce her self-titled debut album, <mask>. However, <mask> was dissatisfied with the completed tracks and disagreed with Lucas' production techniques, so she decided to seek additional help. She asked John "Jellybean" Benitez, the resident DJ at Fun House, to help finish the album's production and a romance ensued. Benitez remixed most of the tracks and produced "Holiday", which was her first international top-ten song. The album was released in July 1983, and peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200. It yielded two top-ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100, "Borderline" and "Lucky Star".In the fall of 1983, <mask>'s new manager, Feddy DeMann, secured a meeting for her with film producer Jon Peters, who asked her to play the part of a club singer in the romantic drama Vision Quest. In January 1984, <mask> gained more exposure by performing on American Bandstand and Top of the Pops. Her image, performances, and music videos influenced young girls and women. <mask>'s style became one of the female fashion trends of the 1980s. Created by stylist and jewelry designer Maripol, the look consisted of lace tops, skirts over capri pants, fishnet stockings, jewelry bearing the crucifix, bracelets, and bleached hair. <mask>'s popularity continued to rise globally with the release of her second studio album, Like a Virgin, in November 1984. It became her first number-one album in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, the UK, and the US.Like a Virgin became the first album by a female to sell over five million copies in the U.S. It was later certified diamond in by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and has sold over 21 million copies worldwide. The album's title track served as its first single, and topped the Hot 100 chart for six consecutive weeks. It attracted the attention of conservative organizations who complained that the song and its accompanying video promoted premarital sex and undermined family values, and moralists sought to have the song and video banned. <mask> received huge media coverage for her performance of "Like a Virgin" at the first 1984 MTV Video Music Awards. Wearing a wedding dress and white gloves, <mask> appeared on stage atop a giant wedding cake and then rolled around suggestively on the floor. MTV retrospectively considered it one of the "most iconic" pop performances of all time.The second single, "Material Girl", reached number two on the Hot 100. While filming the single's music video, <mask> started dating actor Sean Penn. They married on her birthday in 1985. <mask> entered mainstream films in February 1985, beginning with her cameo in Vision Quest. The soundtrack contained two new singles, her U.S. number-one single, "Crazy for You", and another track "Gambler". She also played the title role in the 1985 comedy Desperately Seeking Susan, a film which introduced the song "Into the Groove", her first number-one single in the UK. Her popularity caused the film to be perceived as a <mask> vehicle, despite how she was not billed as a lead actress.The New York Times film critic Vincent Canby named it one of the ten best films of 1985. Beginning in April 1985, <mask> embarked on her first concert tour in North America, the Virgin Tour, with the Beastie Boys as her opening act. The tour saw the peak of <mask> wannabe phenomenon, with many female attendees dressing like her. At that time, she released two more hits, "Angel" and "Dress You Up", making all four singles from the album peak inside the top five on the Hot 100 chart. In July, Penthouse and Playboy magazines published a number of nude photos of <mask>, taken when she moonlighted as an art model in 1978. She had posed for the photographs because she needed money at the time, and was paid as little as $25 a session. The publication of the photos caused a media uproar, but <mask> remained "unapologetic and defiant".The photographs were ultimately sold for up to $100,000. She referred to these events at the 1985 outdoor Live Aid charity concert, saying that she would not take her jacket off because "[the media] might hold it against me ten years from now." 1986–1991: True Blue, Who's That Girl, Like a Prayer, and Dick Tracy

In June 1986, <mask> released her third studio album, True Blue, which was inspired by and dedicated to her husband Penn. Rolling Stone was impressed with the effort, writing that the album "sound[s] as if it comes from the heart". Five singles were released—"Live to Tell", "Papa Don't Preach", "True Blue", "Open Your Heart", and "La Isla Bonita"—3 of which reached number one in the U.S. or the UK. The album topped the charts in 28 countries worldwide, an unprecedented achievement at the time, and remains <mask>'s best-selling studio album, with sales of 25 million copies. True Blue was featured in the 1992 edition of Guinness World Records as the best-selling album by a woman of all time.<mask> starred in the critically panned film Shanghai Surprise in 1986, for which she received her first Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress. She made her theatrical debut in a production of David Rabe's Goose and Tom-Tom; the film and play both co-starred Penn. The next year, <mask> was featured in the film Who's That Girl. She contributed four songs to its soundtrack, including the title track and "Causing a Commotion". <mask> embarked on the Who's That Girl World Tour in June 1987, which continued until September. It broke several attendance records, including over 130,000 people in a show near Paris, which was then a record for the highest-attended female concert of all time. Later that year, she released a remix album of past hits, You Can Dance, which reached number 14 on the Billboard 200.After a tumultuous two years of marriage, <mask> filed for divorce from Penn on December 4, 1987, but withdrew the petition a few weeks later. She made her Broadway debut in the production of Speed-the-Plow at the Royale Theatre from May to August 1988. According to the Associated Press, <mask> filed an assault report against Penn after an alleged incident at their Malibu home during the New Year's weekend. <mask> filed for divorce on January 5, 1989, and the following week she reportedly asked that no criminal charges be pressed. In January 1989, <mask> signed an endorsement deal with soft-drink manufacturer Pepsi. In one Pepsi commercial, she debuted "Like a Prayer", the lead single and title track from her fourth studio album. The music video featured Catholic symbols such as stigmata and cross burning, and a dream of making love to a saint,

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 leading the Vatican to condemn the video.Religious groups sought to ban the commercial and boycott Pepsi products. Pepsi revoked the commercial and canceled her sponsorship contract. "Like a Prayer" topped the charts in many countries, becoming her seventh number one on the Hot 100. <mask> co-wrote and co-produced the album Like a Prayer with Patrick Leonard, Stephen Bray, and Prince. Music critic J. D. Considine from Rolling Stone praised it "as close to art as pop music gets ... proof not only that <mask> should be taken seriously as an artist but that hers is one of the most compelling voices of the Eighties." Like a Prayer peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold 15 million copies worldwide. Other successful singles from the album were "Express Yourself" and "Cherish", both peaked at number two in the US, as well as the UK top-five "Dear Jessie" and the U.S. top-ten "Keep It Together".By the end of the 1980s, <mask> was named as the "Artist of the Decade" by MTV, Billboard and Musician magazine. <mask> starred as Breathless Mahoney in the film Dick Tracy (1990), with Warren Beatty playing the title role. The film went to number one on the U.S. box office for two weeks and <mask> received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Actress. To accompany the film, she released the soundtrack album, I'm Breathless, which included songs inspired by the film's 1930s setting. It also featured the U.S. number-one song "Vogue" and "Sooner or Later". While shooting the film, <mask> began a relationship with Beatty, which dissolved shortly after the premiere. In April 1990, <mask> began her Blond Ambition World Tour, which ended in August.Rolling Stone called it an "elaborately choreographed, sexually provocative extravaganza" and proclaimed it "the best tour of 1990". The tour generated strong negative reaction from religious groups for her performance of "Like a Virgin", during which two male dancers caressed her body before she simulated masturbation. In response, <mask> said, "The tour in no way hurts anybody's sentiments. It's for open minds and gets them to see sexuality in a different way. Their own and others". The live recording of the tour won <mask> her first Grammy Award, in the category of Best Long Form Music Video. The Immaculate Collection, <mask>'s first greatest-hits compilation album, was released in November 1990.It included two new songs, "Justify My Love" and "Rescue Me". The album was certified diamond by RIAA and sold over 31 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling compilation album by a solo artist in history. "Justify My Love" reached number one in the U.S. becoming her ninth number-one Her then-boyfriend model Tony Ward co-starred in the music video, which featured scenes of sadomasochism, bondage, same-sex kissing, and brief nudity. The video was deemed too sexually explicit for MTV and was banned from the network. Her first documentary film, Truth or Dare (known as In Bed with <mask> outside North America), was released in May 1991. Chronicling her Blond Ambition World Tour, it became the highest-grossing documentary of all time (surpassed eleven years later by Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine). 1992–1997: Maverick, Erotica, Sex, Bedtime Stories, Evita, and motherhood

In 1992, <mask> starred in A League of Their Own as Mae Mordabito, a baseball player on an all-women's team.It reached number one on the box-office and became the tenth-highest-grossing film of the year in the U.S. She recorded the film's theme song, "This Used to Be My Playground", which became her tenth Hot 100 number-one hit, the most by any female artist at the time. In April 1992, <mask> founded her own entertainment company, Maverick, consisting of a record company (Maverick Records), a film production company (Maverick Films), and associated music publishing, television broadcasting, book publishing and merchandising divisions. The deal was a joint venture with Time Warner and paid <mask> an advance of $60 million. It gave her 20% royalties from the music proceedings, the highest rate in the industry at the time, equaled only by Michael Jackson's royalty rate established a year earlier with Sony. Her company later went on to become one of the most successful artist-run labels in history, producing multi-platinum artists such as Alanis Morissette and Michelle Branch. Later that year, <mask> co-sponsored the first retrospective for her former boyfriend Jean-Michel Basquiat at the Whitney Museum of American Art. In October 1992, <mask> simultaneously released her fifth studio album, Erotica, and her coffee table book, Sex.Consisting of sexually provocative and explicit images, photographed by Steven Meisel, the book received strong negative reaction from the media and the general public, but sold 1.5 million copies at $50 each in a matter of days. The widespread backlash overshadowed Erotica, which ended up as her lowest selling album at the time. Despite positive reviews, it became her first studio album since her debut album not to score any chart-topper in the U.S. The album entered the Billboard 200 at number two and yielded the Hot 100 top-ten hits "Erotica" and "Deeper and Deeper". <mask> continued her provocative imagery in the 1993 erotic thriller, Body of Evidence, a film which contained scenes of sadomasochism and bondage. It was poorly received by critics. She also starred in the film Dangerous Game, which was released straight to video in North America.The New York Times described the film as "angry and painful, and the pain feels real." In September 1993, <mask> embarked on the Girlie Show, in which she dressed as a whip-cracking dominatrix surrounded by topless dancers. In Puerto Rico she rubbed the island's flag between her legs on stage, resulting in outrage among the audience. In March 1994, she appeared as a guest on the Late Show with David Letterman, using profanity that required censorship on television, and handing Letterman a pair of her panties and asking him to smell it. The releases of her sexually explicit book, album and film, and the aggressive appearance on Letterman all made critics question <mask> as a sexual renegade. Critics and fans reacted negatively, who commented that "she had gone too far" and that her career was over. Around this time, <mask> briefly dated basketball player Dennis Rodman and rapper Tupac Shakur.Biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli described her ballad "I'll Remember" (1994) as an attempt to tone down her provocative image. The song was recorded for Alek Keshishian's 1994 film With Honors. She made a subdued appearance with Letterman at an awards show and appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno after realizing that she needed to change her musical direction in order to sustain her popularity. With her sixth studio album, Bedtime Stories (1994), <mask> employed a softer image to try to improve the public perception. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and generated two U.S. top-five hits, "Secret" and "Take a Bow", the latter topping the Hot 100 for seven weeks, the longest period of any <mask> single. Something to Remember, a collection of ballads, was released in November 1995. The album featured three new songs: "You'll See", "One More Chance", and a cover of Marvin Gaye's "I Want You".An enthusiastic collector of modern art, <mask> sponsored the first major retrospective of Tina Modotti's work at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1995. In 1996, she sponsored an exhibition of Basquiat's paintings at the Serpentine Gallery in London. The following year, she sponsored artist Cindy Sherman's retrospective at the MoMA in New York. In February 1996, <mask> began filming the musical Evita in Argentina. For a long time, <mask> had desired to play Argentine political leader Eva Perón and wrote to director Alan Parker to explain why she would be perfect for the part. After securing the title role, she received vocal coaching and learned about the history of Argentina and Perón. During filming <mask> became ill several times, after finding out that she was pregnant, and from the intense emotional effort required with the scenes.Upon Evitas release in December 1996, <mask>'s performance received praise from film critics. Zach Conner of Time magazine remarked, "It's a relief to say that Evita is pretty damn fine, well cast and handsomely visualized. <mask> once again confounds our expectations." For the role, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. The Evita soundtrack, containing songs mostly performed by <mask>, was released as a double album. It included "You Must Love Me" and "Don't Cry for Me Argentina"; the latter reached number one in countries across Europe. <mask> was presented with the Artist Achievement Award by Tony Bennett at the 1996 Billboard Music Awards.On October 14, 1996, she gave birth to Lourdes "Lola" Maria Ciccone Leon, her daughter with fitness trainer Carlos Leon. Biographer Mary Cross writes that although <mask> often worried that her pregnancy would harm Evita, she reached some important personal goals: "Now 38 years old, <mask> had at last triumphed on screen and achieved her dream of having a child, both in the same year. She had reached another turning point in her career, reinventing herself and her image with the public." Her relationship with Carlos Leon ended in May 1997 and she declared that they were "better off as best friends". 1998–2002: Ray of Light, Music, second marriage, and touring comeback
After Lourdes's birth, <mask> became involved in Eastern mysticism and Kabbalah, introduced to her by actress Sandra Bernhard. Her seventh studio album, Ray of Light, (1998) reflected this change in her perception and image. She collaborated with electronica producer William Orbit and wanted to create a sound that could blend dance music with pop and British rock.American music critic Ann Powers explained that what <mask> searched for with Orbit "was a kind of a lushness that she wanted for this record. Techno and rave were happening in the 90s and had a lot of different forms. There was very experimental, more hard stuff like Aphex Twin. There was party stuff like Fatboy Slim. That's not what <mask> wanted for this. She wanted something more like a singer-songwriter, really. And William Orbit provided her with that."The album garnered critical acclaim, with Slant Magazine calling it "one of the great pop masterpieces of the '90s" Ray of Light was honored with four Grammy Awards—including Best Pop Album and Best Dance Recording—and was nominated for both Album of the Year and Record of the Year. Rolling Stone listed it among "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Commercially, the album peaked at number-one in numerous countries and sold more than 16 million copies worldwide. The album's lead single, "Frozen", became <mask>'s first single to debut at number one in the UK, while in the U.S. it became her sixth number-two single, setting another record for <mask> as the artist with the most number-two hits. The second single, "Ray of Light", debuted at number five on the Billboard Hot 100. The 1998 edition of Guinness Book of World Records documented that "no female artist has sold more records than <mask> around the world". <mask> founded Ray of Light Foundation which focused on women, education, global development and humanitarian.She recorded the single "Beautiful Stranger" for the 1999 film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, which earned her a Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media. <mask> starred in the 2000 comedy-drama film The Next Best Thing, directed by John Schlesinger. The film opened at number two on the U.S. box office with $5.9 million grossed in its first week, but this quickly diminished. She also contributed two songs to the film's soundtrack—a cover of Don McLean's 1971 song "American Pie" and an original song "Time Stood Still"—the former became her ninth UK number-one single. <mask> released her eighth studio album, Music, in September 2000. It featured elements from the electronica-inspired Ray of Light era, and like its predecessor, received acclaim from critics. Collaborating with French producer Mirwais Ahmadzaï, <mask> commented: "I love to work with the weirdos that no one knows about—the people who have raw talent and who are making music unlike anyone else out there.Music is the future of sound." Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic felt that "Music blows by in a kaleidoscopic rush of color, technique, style and substance. It has so many depth and layers that it's easily as self-aware and earnest as Ray of Light." The album took the number-one position in more than 20 countries worldwide and sold four million copies in the first ten days. In the U.S., Music debuted at the top, and became her first number-one album in eleven years since Like a Prayer. It produced three singles: the Hot 100 number-one "Music", "Don't Tell Me", and "What It Feels Like for a Girl". The music video of "What It Feels Like for a Girl" depicted <mask> committing acts of crime and vandalism, and was banned by MTV and VH1.<mask> met director Guy Ritchie in the summer of 1998, and gave birth to their son Rocco John Ritchie in Los Angeles on August 11, 2000. Rocco and <mask> suffered complications from the birth due to her experiencing placenta praevia. He was christened at Dornoch Cathedral in Dornoch, Scotland, on December 21, 2000. <mask> married Ritchie the following day at nearby Skibo Castle. After an eight-year absence from touring, <mask> started her Drowned World Tour in June 2001. The tour visited cities in the U.S. and Europe and was the highest-grossing concert tour of the year by a solo artist, earning $75 million from 47 sold-out shows. She also released her second greatest-hits collection, GHV2, which compiled 15 singles during the second decade of her recording career.The album debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200 and sold seven million units worldwide. <mask> starred in the film Swept Away, directed by Ritchie. Released direct-to-video in the UK, the film was a commercial and critical failure. In May 2002 she appeared in London in the West End play Up For Grabs at the Wyndhams Theatre (billed as '<mask>'), to universally bad reviews and was described as "the evening's biggest disappointment" by one. That October, she released "Die Another Day", the title song of the James Bond film Die Another Day, in which she had a cameo role, described by Peter Bradshaw from The Guardian as "incredibly wooden". The song reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for both a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Original Song. 2003–2006: American Life and Confessions on a Dance Floor

In 2003, <mask> collaborated with fashion photographer Steven Klein for an exhibition installation named X-STaTIC Pro=CeSS, which ran from March to May in New York's Deitch Projects gallery and also traveled the world in an edited form.The same year, <mask> released her ninth studio album, American Life, which was based on her observations of American society. She explained that the record was "like a trip down memory lane,

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 looking back at everything I've accomplished and all the things I once valued and all the things that were important to me." Larry Flick from The Advocate felt that "American Life is an album that is among her most adventurous and lyrically intelligent" while condemning it as "a lazy, half-arsed effort to sound and take her seriously." The original music video of its title track caused controversy due to its violence and anti-war imagery, and was withdrawn after the 2003 invasion of Iraq started. <mask> voluntarily censored herself for the first time in her career due to the political climate of the country, saying that "there was a lynch mob mentality that was going on that wasn't pretty and I have children to protect." The song stalled at number 37 on the Hot 100, while the album became her lowest-selling album at that point with four million copies worldwide. <mask> gave another provocative performance later that year at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, when she kissed singers Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera while singing the track "Hollywood".In October 2003, she provided guest vocals on Spears' single "Me Against the Music". It was followed with the release of Remixed & Revisited. The EP contained remixed versions of songs from American Life and included "Your Honesty", a previously unreleased track from the Bedtime Stories recording sessions. <mask> also signed a contract with Callaway Arts & Entertainment to be the author of five children's books. The first of these books, titled The English Roses, was published in September 2003. The story was about four English schoolgirls and their envy and jealousy of each other. The book debuted at the top of The New York Times Best Seller list and became the fastest-selling children's picture book of all time.<mask> donated all of its proceeds to a children's charity. The next year Madonna and Maverick sued Warner Music Group and its former parent company Time Warner, claiming that mismanagement of resources and poor bookkeeping had cost the company millions of dollars. In return, Warner filed a countersuit alleging that Maverick had lost tens of millions of dollars on its own. The dispute was resolved when the Maverick shares, owned by <mask> and Ronnie Dashev, were purchased by Warner. <mask> and Dashev's company became a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Music, but <mask> was still signed to Warner under a separate recording contract. In mid-2004, <mask> embarked on the Re-Invention World Tour in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. It became the highest-grossing tour of 2004, earning around $120 million and became the subject of her documentary I'm Going to Tell You a Secret.In November 2004, she was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame as one of its five founding members, along with the Beatles, Elvis Presley, Bob Marley, and U2. Rolling Stone ranked her at number 36 on its special issue of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, featuring an article about her written by Britney Spears. In January 2005, <mask> performed a cover version of the John Lennon song "Imagine" at Tsunami Aid. She also performed at the Live 8 benefit concert in London in July 2005. Her tenth studio album, Confessions on a Dance Floor, was released in November 2005. Musically the album was structured like a club set composed by a DJ. It was acclaimed by critics, with Keith Caulfield from Billboard commenting that the album was a "welcome return to form for the Queen of Pop."The album won a Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album. Confessions on a Dance Floor and its lead single, "Hung Up", went on to reach number one in 40 and 41 countries respectively, earning a place in Guinness World Records. The song contained a sample of ABBA's "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)", only the second time that ABBA has allowed their work to be used. ABBA songwriter Björn Ulvaeus remarked "It is a wonderful track—100 per cent solid pop music.""Sorry", the second single, became <mask>'s twelfth number-one single in the UK. <mask> embarked on the Confessions Tour in May 2006, which had a global audience of 1.2 million and grossed over $193.7 million, becoming the highest-grossing tour to that date for a female artist. <mask> used religious symbols, such as the crucifix and Crown of Thorns, in the performance of "Live to Tell". It caused the Russian Orthodox Church and the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia to urge all their members to boycott her concert. At the same time, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) announced officially that <mask> had sold over 200 million copies of her albums alone worldwide. While on tour <mask> founded charitable organization Raising Malawi and partially funded an orphanage in and traveling to that country. While there, she decided to adopt a boy named David Banda in October 2006.The adoption raised strong public reaction, because Malawian law requires would-be parents to reside in Malawi for one year before adopting, which <mask> did not do. She addressed this on The Oprah Winfrey Show, saying that there were no written adoption laws in Malawi that regulated foreign adoption. <mask> described how Banda had been suffering from pneumonia after surviving malaria and tuberculosis when they first met. Banda's biological father, Yohane, commented, "These so-called human rights activists are harassing me every day, threatening me that I am not aware of what I am doing ... They want me to support their court case, a thing I cannot do for I know what I agreed with <mask> and her husband." The adoption was finalized in May 2008. 2007–2011: Filmmaking, Hard Candy, and business ventures
<mask> released and performed the song "Hey You" at the London Live Earth concert in July 2007.She announced her departure from Warner Bros. Records, and declared a new $120 million, ten-year 360 deal with Live Nation. In 2008, <mask> produced and wrote I Am Because We Are, a documentary on the problems faced by Malawians; it was directed by Nathan Rissman, who worked as <mask>'s gardener. She also directed her first film, Filth and Wisdom. The plot of the film revolved around three friends and their aspirations. The Times said she had "done herself proud" while The Daily Telegraph described the film as "not an entirely unpromising first effort [but] <mask> would do well to hang on to her day job." On March 10, 2008, <mask> was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in her first year of eligibility. She did not sing at the ceremony but asked fellow Hall of Fame inductees and Michigan natives the Stooges to perform her songs "Burning Up" and "Ray of Light".<mask> released her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy, in April 2008. Containing R&B and urban pop influences, the songs on Hard Candy were autobiographical in nature and saw <mask> collaborating with Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, Pharrell Williams and Nate "Danja" Hills. The album debuted at number one in 37 countries and on the Billboard 200. Caryn Ganz from Rolling Stone complimented it as an "impressive taste of her upcoming tour", while BBC correspondent Mark Savage panned it as "an attempt to harness the urban market". "4 Minutes" was released as the album's lead single and peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. It was <mask>'s 37th top-ten hit on the chart and pushed her past Elvis Presley as the artist with the most top-ten hits. In the UK she retained her record for the most number-one singles for a female artist; "4 Minutes" becoming her thirteenth.At the 23rd Japan Gold Disc Awards, <mask> received her fifth Artist of the Year trophy from Recording Industry Association of Japan, the most for any artist. To further promote the album, she embarked on the Sticky & Sweet Tour, her first major venture with Live Nation. With a total gross of $408 million, it ended up as the second highest-grossing tour of all time, behind the Rolling Stones's A Bigger Bang Tour. It remained the highest-grossing tour by a solo artist until Roger Waters' the Wall Live surpassed it in 2013. In July 2008, Christopher Ciccone released a book titled Life with My Sister <mask>, which caused a rift between <mask> and him, because of unsolicited publication. By fall, <mask> filed for divorce from Ritchie, citing irreconcilable differences. In December 2008, <mask>'s spokesperson announced that <mask> had agreed to a divorce settlement with Ritchie, the terms of which granted him between £50–60 million ($– million), a figure that included the couple's London pub and residence and Wiltshire estate in England.The marriage was dissolved by District Judge Reid by decree nisi at the clinical Principal Registry of the Family Division in High Holborn, London. They entered a compromise agreement for Rocco and David, then aged eight and three respectively, and divided the children's time between Ritchie's London home and <mask>'s in New York, where the two were joined by Lourdes. Soon after, <mask> applied to adopt Chifundo "Mercy" James from Malawi in May 2009, but the country's High Court rejected the application because <mask> was not a resident there. She re-appealed, and on June 12, 2009, the Supreme Court of Malawi granted her the right to adopt Mercy. <mask> concluded her contract with Warner by releasing her third greatest-hits album, Celebration, in September 2009. It contained the new songs "Celebration" and "Revolver" along with 34 hits spanning her musical career with the label. Celebration reached number one in several countries, including Canada, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom.She appeared at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards to speak in tribute to deceased pop singer Michael Jackson. <mask> ended the 2000s as the best-selling single artist of the decade in the U.S. and the most-played artist of the decade in the UK. Billboard also announced her as the third top-touring artist of the decade—behind only the Rolling Stones and U2—with a gross of over $801 million, 6.3 million attendance and 244 sell-outs of 248 shows. <mask> performed at the Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief concert in January 2010. Her third live album, Sticky & Sweet Tour, was released in April, debuting at number ten on the Billboard 200. It also became her 20th top-ten on the Oricon Albums Chart, breaking the Beatles' record for the most top-ten album by an international act in Japan. <mask> granted American television show, Glee, the rights to her entire catalog of music, and the producers created an episode featuring her songs exclusively.She also collaborated with Lourdes and released the Material Girl clothing line, inspired by her punk-girl style when she rose to fame in the 1980s. In October, she opened a series of fitness centers around the world named Hard Candy Fitness, and three months later unveiled a second fashion brand called Truth or Dare which included footwear, perfumes, underclothing, and accessories. <mask> directed her second feature film, W.E., a biographical account about the affair between King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson. Co-written with Alek Keshishian, the film was premiered at the 68th Venice International Film Festival in September 2011. Critical and commercial response to the film was negative. <mask> contributed the ballad "Masterpiece" for the film's soundtrack, which won her a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. 2012–2017: Super Bowl XLVI halftime show, MDNA, and Rebel Heart

In February 2012, <mask> headlined the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.Her performance was visualized by Cirque Du Soleil and Jamie King and featured special guests LMFAO, Nicki Minaj, M.I.A. and CeeLo Green. It became the then most-watched Super Bowl halftime show in history with 114 million viewers, higher than the game itself. During the event, she performed "Give Me All Your Luvin'", the lead single from her twelfth studio album, MDNA. It became her record-extending 38th top-ten single on the Billboard Hot 100. MDNA was released in March 2012 and saw collaboration with various producers, including William Orbit and Martin Solveig. It was her first release under her three-album deal with Interscope Records, which she signed as a part of her 360 deal with Live Nation.She was signed to the record label since Live Nation was unable to distribute music recordings. MDNA became <mask>'s fifth consecutive studio record to debut at the top of the Billboard 200. The album was mostly promoted by the MDNA Tour, which lasted from May to December 2012. The tour featured controversial subjects such as violence, firearms, human rights, nudity and politics. With a gross of $305.2 million from 88 sold-out shows, it became the highest-grossing tour of 2012 and then-tenth highest-grossing tour of all time. <mask> was named the top-earning celebrity of the year by Forbes, earning an estimated $125 million. <mask> collaborated with Steven Klein and directed a 17-minute film, secretprojectrevolution, which was released on BitTorrent in September 2013.With the film she launched the Art for Freedom initiative, which helped to promote "art and free speech as a means to address persecution and injustice across the globe". The website for the project included over 3,000 art related submissions since its inception, with <mask> regularly monitoring and enlisting other artists like David Blaine and Katy Perry as guest curators. By 2013, <mask>'s Raising Malawi had built ten schools to educate 4,000 children in Malawi at a value of $400,000. When <mask> visited the schools in April 2013, President of Malawi Joyce Banda accused her of exaggerating the charity's contribution. <mask> was saddened by Banda's statement, but clarified that she had "no intention of being distracted by these ridiculous allegations". It was later confirmed that Banda had not approved the statement released by her press team. <mask> also visited her hometown Detroit during May 2014 and donated funds to help with the city's bankruptcy.The same year, her business ventures extended to skin care products with the launch of MDNA Skin in Tokyo, Japan. <mask>'s thirteenth studio album, Rebel Heart, was released in March 2015, three months after its thirteen demos leaked onto the Internet. Unlike her previous efforts, which involved only a few people, <mask> worked with a large number of collaborators, including Avicii, Diplo and Kanye West. Introspection was listed as one of the foundational themes prevalent on the record, along with "genuine statements of personal and careerist reflection". <mask> explained to Jon Pareles of The New York Times that although she has never looked back at her past endeavors, reminiscing about it felt right for Rebel Heart. Music critics responded positively towards the album, calling it her best effort in a decade. From September 2015 to March 2016, <mask> embarked on the Rebel Heart Tour to promote the album.The tour traveled throughout North America, Europe and Asia and was <mask>'s first visit to Australia in 23 years, where she also performed a one-off show for her fans. Rebel Heart Tour grossed a total of $169.8 million from the 82 shows, with over 1.045 million ticket sales. While on tour, <mask> became engaged in a legal battle

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title: Madonna

texts:
 with Ritchie, over the custody of their son Rocco. The dispute started when Rocco decided to continue living in England with Ritchie when the tour had visited there, while <mask> wanted him to travel with her. Court hearings took place in both New York and London. After multiple deliberations, <mask> withdrew her application for custody and decided to resolve the matter privately. In October 2016, Billboard named <mask> its Woman of the Year.Her "blunt and brutally honest" speech about ageism and sexism at the ceremony received widespread coverage in the media. The next month <mask>, who actively supported Hillary Clinton during the 2016 U.S. presidential election, performed an impromptu acoustic concert at Washington Square Park in support of Clinton's campaign. Upset that Donald Trump won the election, <mask> spoke out against him at the Women's March on Washington, a day after his inauguration. She sparked controversy when she said that she "thought a lot about blowing up the White House". The following day, <mask> asserted she was "not a violent person" and that her words had been "taken wildly out of context". In February 2017, <mask> adopted four-year-old twin sisters from Malawi named Estere and Stella, and she moved to live in Lisbon, Portugal in summer 2017 with her adoptive children. In July, she opened the Mercy James Institute for Pediatric Surgery and Intensive Care in Malawi, a children's hospital built by her Raising Malawi charity.The live album chronicling the Rebel Heart Tour was released in September 2017, and won Best Music Video for Western Artists at the 32nd Japan Gold Disc Award. That month, <mask> launched MDNA Skin in select stores in the United States. A few months earlier, the auction house Gotta Have Rock and Roll had put up <mask>'s personal items like love letters from Tupac Shakur, cassettes, underwear and a hairbrush for sale. Darlene Lutz, an art dealer who had initiated the auction, was sued by <mask>'s representatives to stop the proceedings. <mask> clarified that her celebrity status "does not obviate my right to maintain my privacy, including with regard to highly personal items". <mask> lost the case and the presiding judge ruled in favor of Lutz who was able to prove that in 2004 <mask> made a legal agreement with her for selling the items. 2018–present: Madame X, catalog reissues, and autobiographical film

While living in Lisbon, <mask> met Dino D'Santiago, who introduced her to many local musicians playing fado, morna, and samba music.They regularly invited her to their "living room sessions", thus she was inspired to make her 14th studio album, Madame X. <mask> produced the album with several musicians, primarily her longtime collaborator Mirwais and Mike Dean. The album was critically well received, with NME deeming it "bold, bizarre, self-referential and unlike anything <mask> has ever done before." Released in June 2019, Madame X debuted atop the Billboard 200, becoming her ninth number-one album there. All four of its singles—"Medellín", "Crave", "I Rise", and "I Don't Search I Find"—topped the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart, extending her record for most number-one entries on the chart. <mask> appeared as the interval act at the Eurovision Song Contest in May 2019; she performed "Like a Prayer", and then "Future" with rapper Quavo. The Madame X Tour, an all-theatre tour in select cities across North America and Europe, began on September 17, 2019. In addition to much smaller venues compared to her previous tours, <mask> implemented a no-phone policy in order to maximize the intimacy of the concert.According to Pollstar, the tour earned $51.4 million in ticket sales. That December, she started dating Ahlamalik Williams, a dancer who began accompanying her on the Rebel Heart Tour in 2015. However, the Madame X Tour faced several cancellations due to her recurring knee injury, and eventually ended abruptly on March 8, 2020, three days before its planned final date, after the French government banned gatherings of more than 1,000 people due to COVID-19 pandemic. <mask> later admitted that she tested positive for coronavirus antibodies, and donated $1 million to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help fund research creating a new vaccine. <mask> and Missy Elliott provided guest vocals on Dua Lipa's single "Levitating", from Lipa's 2020 remix album Club Future Nostalgia. In August 2020, <mask> posted a video on her Instagram where she discusses ideas for a script with writer Diablo Cody. The following month, she confirmed on an Instagram livestream they were writing a film about her life, to be produced by Amy Pascal.In June 2021, <mask> brought screenwriter Erin Wilson on board to help with the script. <mask> released Madame X, a documentary film chronicling the tour of the same name, on Paramount+ in October 2021. On her 63rd birthday, she officially announced her return to Warner in a global partnership which grants the label her entire recorded music catalog, including the last three Interscope albums (which are ultimately controlled by <mask>'s company Boy Toy, Inc. and were only licensed to Interscope through Live Nation). Under the contract, <mask> will launch a series of catalog reissues beginning in 2022, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of her recording career. Artistry

Influences
According to Taraborrelli, the death of her mother had the most influence in shaping <mask> into the woman she would become. He believed that the devastation and abandonment <mask> felt at the loss of her mother taught her "a valuable lesson, that she would have to remain strong for herself because, she feared weakness—particularly her own." Author Lucy O'Brien opines that the impact of the sexual assault <mask> suffered in her young adult years was the motivating factor behind everything she has done, more important than the death of her mother: "It's not so much grief at her mother's death that drives her, as the sense of abandonment that left her unprotected.She encountered her own worst possible scenario, becoming a victim of male violence, and thereafter turned that full-tilt into her work, reversing the equation at every opportunity." <mask> said that the first song to ever make a strong impression on her was "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" by Nancy Sinatra; she said it summed up her own "take-charge attitude". As a young woman, she attempted to broaden her taste in literature, art, and music, and during this time became interested in classical music. She noted that her favorite style was baroque, and loved Mozart and Chopin because she liked their "feminine quality". <mask>'s major influences include Debbie Harry, Chrissie Hynde, Karen Carpenter, the Supremes and Led Zeppelin, as well as dancers Martha Graham and Rudolf Nureyev. She also grew up listening to David Bowie, whose show was the first rock concert she ever attended. During her childhood, <mask> was inspired by actors, later saying, "I loved Carole Lombard and Judy Holliday and Marilyn Monroe.They were all incredibly funny ... and I saw myself in them ... my girlishness, my knowingness and my innocence." Her "Material Girl" music video recreated Monroe's look in the song "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend", from the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953). She studied the screwball comedies of the 1930s, particularly those of Lombard, in preparation for the film Who's That Girl. The video for "Express Yourself" (1989) was inspired by Fritz Lang's silent film Metropolis (1927). The video for "Vogue" recreated the style of Hollywood glamour photographs, in particular those by Horst P. Horst, and imitated the poses of Marlene Dietrich, Carole Lombard, and Rita Hayworth, while the lyrics referred to many of the stars who had inspired her, including Bette Davis, described by <mask> as an idol. Influences also came to her from the art world, such as through the works of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. The music video of the song "Bedtime Story" featured images inspired by the paintings of Kahlo and Remedios Varo.<mask> is also a collector of Tamara de Lempicka's Art Deco paintings and has included them in her music videos and tours. Her video for "Hollywood" (2003) was an homage to the work of photographer Guy Bourdin; Bourdin's son subsequently filed a lawsuit for unauthorized use of his father's work. Pop artist Andy Warhol's use of sadomasochistic imagery in his underground films were reflected in the music videos for "Erotica" and "Deeper and Deeper". <mask>'s Catholic background has been reflected throughout her career, from her fashion use of rosary to her musical outputs, including on Like a Prayer (1989). Her album MDNA (2012) has also drawn many influences from her Catholic upbringing, and since 2011 she has been attending meetings and services at an Opus Dei center, a Catholic institution that encourages spirituality through everyday life. In a 2016 interview, she commented: "I always feel some kind of inexplicable connection with Catholicism. It kind of shows up in all of my work, as you may have noticed."Her study of the Kabbalah was also observed in <mask>'s music, especially albums like Ray of Light and Music. Speaking of religion in a 2019 interview with Harry Smith of Today <mask> stated, "The God that I believe in, created the world [...] He/Her/They [sic] isn't a God to fear, it's a God to give thanks to." In an appearance on Andrew Denton's Interview she added, "The idea that in any church you go, you see a man on a cross and everyone genuflects and prays to him [...] in a way it's paganism/idolatry because people are worshipping a thing." Musical style and composition

<mask>'s music has been the subject of much analysis and scrutiny. Robert M. Grant, author of Contemporary Strategy Analysis (2005), commented that <mask>'s musical career has been a continuous experimentation with new musical ideas and new images and a constant quest for new heights of fame and acclaim. Thomas Harrison in the book Pop Goes the Decade: The Eighties deemed <mask> "an artist who pushed the boundaries" of what a female singer could do, both visually and lyrically. Professor Santiago Fouz-Hernández asserted, "While not gifted with an especially powerful or wide-ranging voice, <mask> has worked to expand her artistic palette to encompass diverse musical, textual and visual styles and various vocal guises, all with the intention of presenting herself as a mature musician."<mask> has remained in charge in every aspect of her career, including as a writer and producer in most of her own music. Her desire for control had already been seen during the making of her debut album, where she fought Reggie Lucas over his production output. However, it was not until her third album that Warner allowed <mask> to produce her own album. Stan Hawkins, author of Settling the Pop Score explained, "it is as musician and producer that <mask> is one of the few female artists to have broken into the male domain of the recording studio. Undoubtedly, <mask> is fully aware that women have been excluded from the musical workplace on most levels, and has set out to change this." Producer Stuart Price stated: "You don't produce <mask>, you collaborate with her... She has her vision and knows how to get it." Despite being labeled a "control freak", <mask> has said that she valued input from her collaborators.She further explained:
I like to have control over most of the things in my career but I'm not a tyrant. I don't have to have it on my album that it's written, arranged, produced, directed and stars <mask>. To me, to have total control means you can lose objectivity. What I like is to be surrounded by really, talented intelligent people that you can trust. And ask them for their advice and get their input. <mask>'s early songwriting skill was developed during her time with the Breakfast Club in 1979. She subsequently became the sole writer of five songs on her debut album, including "Lucky Star" which she composed on synthesizer.As a songwriter, <mask> has registered more than 300 tracks to ASCAP, including 18 songs written entirely by herself. Rolling Stone has named her "an exemplary songwriter with a gift for hooks and indelible lyrics." Despite having worked with producers across many genres, the magazine noted that <mask>'s compositions have been "consistently stamped with her own sensibility and inflected with autobiographical detail." Patrick Leonard, who co-wrote many of her hit songs, called <mask> "a helluva songwriter", explaining: "Her sensibility about melodic line—from the beginning of the verse to the end of the verse and how the verse and the chorus influence each other—is very deep. Many times she's singing notes that no one would've thought of but her." Barry Walters from Spin credited her songwriting as the reason of her musical consistency. <mask> has been nominated for being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame three times.In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked <mask> at number 56 on the "100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time" list. <mask>'s discography is generally categorized as pop, electronica, and dance. Nevertheless, <mask>'s first foray into the music industry was dabbling in rock music with Breakfast Club and Emmy. As the frontwoman of Emmy, <mask> recorded about 12–14 songs that resemble the punk rock of that period. <mask> soon abandoned playing rock songs by the time she signed to Gotham Records, which eventually dropped her since they were unhappy with her new funk direction. According to Erlewine, <mask> began her career as a disco diva, in an era that did not have any such divas to speak of. In the beginning of the 1980s, disco was an anathema to the mainstream pop, and <mask> had a huge role in popularizing dance music as mainstream music.Arie Kaplan in the book American Pop: Hit Makers, Superstars, and Dance Revolutionaries referred to <mask> as "a pioneer" of dance-pop. According to Fouz-Hernández, "<mask>'s frequent use of dance idioms and subsequent association with gay or sexually liberated audiences, is seen as somehow inferior to 'real' rock and roll. But <mask>'s music refuses to be defined by narrow boundaries of gender, sexuality or anything else." The dark ballad "Live to Tell", as well as its parent album True Blue (1986), is noted as <mask>'s first musical reinvention. She continued producing confessional ballads in between her upbeat material, although albums such as <mask> (1983) and Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005) consist of entirely dance tracks. With Ray of Light (1998), critics acknowledged <mask> for bringing electronica from its underground status into a massive popularity in mainstream music scene. Her other sonically drastic ventures include the 1930s big-band jazz on I'm Breathless (1990); lush R&B on Bedtime Stories (1994); operatic show tunes on Evita (1996); guitar-driven folk music on American Life (2003); as well as multilingual world music on Madame X (2019).Voice and instruments

Possessing a mezzo-soprano vocal range, <mask> has always been self-conscious about her voice. Mark Bego, author of Madonna: Blonde Ambition, called her "the perfect vocalist for lighter-than-air songs", despite not being a "heavyweight talent." According to Tony

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