Madonna Time Tunnel: August 16, 1958, Detroit, Michigan

Time Tunnel: August 16, 1958, Detroit, Michigan

Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone is born on August 16, 1958 in Detroit, Michigan. Her parents are of Italian extraction. Her father works for Chrysler as an engineer.

Madonna has two older and two younger brothers as well as three younger sisters. Her father insists that each child learn to play a musical instrument. Madonna is more interested in dancing and gets her way: she is allowed to take ballet lessons.

Madonna attends various Catholic schools [Saint Andrews, Saint Fredericks, Academie Du Sacre Coeur]. Madonna's mother dies when she is six years old because of breast cancer.

As the oldest daughter, Madonna is given a certain amount of responsibility for the household and her younger sisters. Later her father remarries the former housekeeper - but Madonna could never learn to love her like she'd loved her mother.

Madonna about her mother: I remember her being a very forgiving, angelic person. I know she tried to keep her fear inside and not let us know - She never complained.

Naturally, Madonna becomes very interested into boys, though she insists that she wasn't nearly so loose as her extrovert behaviour made her seem.

The first boy I ever slept with, Madonna says, had been my boyfriend for a long time and I was in love with him. On being asked if her Catholic upbringing had caused any worries about losing her virginity, Madonna answered: Oh no, I thought of it as a career move.

Madonna's family moves to Rochester, Michigan where she graduates from Rochester Adams High School in 1976. With a scholarship she goes to the University of Michigan, where she studies dance for three semesters.

In a discotheque she meets Steve Bray, with whom she later will write worldwide hits. Madonna decides that dancing would be her route to stardom and her way out of Rochester. Her first ballet teacher was Christopher Flynn, who says: We would go to gay bars and she and I would go out and dance our asses off. It was Flynn who encourages her to hit the well-worn trail to New York City in pursuit of the big time.

Madonna moves to New York City in 1978 - carrying only one suitcase and thirty dollars in her pockets. She auditions for Alvin Ailey and Pearl Lange, and is accepted by the Alvin Ailey Dance Troupe. Madonna about her time in the dance troupe: I thought I was in a production of Fame - Everyone wanted to be a star. She works as a donut salesgirl at Dunkin' Donuts and waitress on the side. She meets Dan Gilroy and learns to play the guitar and drums. They write some songs together.

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