Madonna: An Enduring Icon

To this day, most of us still think back to the early-1980’s when a sweet-looking young girl sang “Holiday” and are in awe at how well Madonna still continues to defy age and time. Very few recording artists have managed to last so long and continue to gain recognition for their work like the Material Girl has.

Her feat is not only incredible as a performer but also as female entertainer in show business. While 35 is still roundly considered the mandatory retirement age for women in the entertainment industry, Madonna still continues to pack sell-out crowds and record multi-platinum albums at age 50. She not only still appeals to her fans who have remained faithful to her since her 1982 debut Madonna but she has managed to amassed a new generation of followers. 

Perhaps the main factor that has aided her in staying at the top for so long is that, unlike many entertainers, who stubbornly resist change, Madonna adapted well to each decade and era. While most artists seemingly try to remain at the top without adapting to the new era, and almost always failing, Madonna has changed with the time. In doing so, she has managed to outlast nearly every top fresh-faced newcomer of each decade.

Much of her success hasn’t been completely owed to her ability to change with the times, however. She has also weathered much controversy during her nearly 30 years as a recording artist, most of which actually helped her rise to top while some of which nearly derailed her.

Some of her work, including her 1987 Who’s That Girl Tour and her 1989 release, the seven-million copies selling Like A Prayer, were bitterly denounced by the Vatican. Pope John Paul II himself urged all Catholics to boycott the Who’s That Girl Tour. The video for her hit single Like A Prayer, which contained many Catholic symbols and burning crosses, was also bitterly criticized by the Vatican. She is also routinely blasted for the heavy sexual content of most of her shows.

Her 1992 book, Sex, which consisted of mostly sexual photographs, also garnered much criticism but still ended up selling up more than 500,000 copies. And most her forays into acting have been commercial failures although her portrayal as the late Argentine first lady Eva Peron in the 1996 musical Evita earned her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. Other notable films include 1986’s Dick Tracy with Warren Beatty and 1993’s Body of Evidence, the later which was laced with sex and sadomasochism.

Being in the business for so long, she has also been romantically linked to many male celebrities. She was married to actor Sean Penn for three years, divorcing him in 1989. She was married to British director Guy Ritchie from 2000 to 2008, a marriage that gave her two sons in addition to a daughter she has from a former personal trainer. She also briefly dated Warren Beatty during the filming of Dick Tracy. Other well-known former partners include former NBA stars Dennis Rodman and Charles Barkley, New York Yankee slugger Al Rodriguez, rapper Vanilla Ice and the late rapper Tupac Shakur.

The Material Girl continues to amaze everyone with her staying power in one of the toughest, most competitive businesses. She is recognized as the most successful female vocalist of all time, having sold more than 200 million albums to date. She has had more Top Ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100 than any other artist. She is also recognized as one of the world’s wealthiest women, with assets of nearly $500 million.

On March 10, 2008, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

ActionSammy,

(Feel free to comment, question or criticize me at actionsammy@yahoo.com. And be sure to look for my upcoming first book, First Degree Lust, an action/romance/mystery/thriller, in Spring 2010.)