Madonna (entertainer) Madonna (entertainer) Madonna Louise Ciccone (; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and businesswoman. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop" since the 1980s, Madonna is known for pushing the boundaries of songwriting in mainstream popular music, as well as imagery in music videos and on stage. She has also frequently reinvented both her music and image while maintaining autonomy within the recording industry. Besides sparking controversy, her works have been praised by music critics. Madonna is often cited as an influence by other artists. Born and raised in Michigan, Madonna moved to New York City in
Pre-Madonna of which were written solely by Madonna—were released in "Pre-Madonna". Although not authorized by Madonna, Bray decided to release "Pre-Madonna" by remixing some of the tracks, and keeping the others in their original form. Included were the demo versions of "Everybody" and "Burning Up" which Madonna used for her self-titled debut album. Bray chose to coincide the release of the album with the birth of Madonna's daughter Lourdes, to cash-in the publicity. The album received mixed reviews, with some critics deeming the release as unnecessary, while others were delighted to hear Madonna's original recordings. In 1979, Madonna was trying to