Madonnapolis Archived News

Just in case you have been away, dont fret, Madonnapolis has created this archive for all Madonna news for one year. Below is the news highlights for each month. Enjoy!
 

If you are looking for one particular month, just click on the desired month.

May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July                                                           
June
 

May,2002
 

Opening Reviews for "Up For Grabs"

Ananova Review
Madonna has made her first stage performance for 13 years.  The 43-year-old singer appeared in a preview performance of Up For Grabs at Wyndhams Theatre in her West End debut.  She last appeared on stage in 1988 in US playwright David Mamet's Speed-The-Plow on Broadway.

Madonna left the theatre by the front entrance shortly after the performance and was driven away in a waiting car.  There were screams from the crowd as she scrambled for the car and the road outside was blocked by photographers and camera crews.

Those who saw the play had mixed views on Madonna's performance, with most saying she improved in the second half once she had got over her nerves.
Victoria Bateman, 32, said she thought the pop star was "fantastic". "I thought she was a lot better than expected, she was excellent." 

Malva Green, 41, said she thought the actress "put on a convincing performance". "She was nervous to start with but got a lot better."  Theatergoers with tickets and others hoping to catch any returned tickets queued down Charring Cross Road in the rain before the show.  In the play Madonna plays Simone, an ambitious art dealer whose attempts to break into the more exclusive buyers' market finds her bending the rules to get the highest bid for a Jackson Pollock picture.  (source: Ananova)

The Sun Online Review
Madonna set pulses racing last night — as she enjoyed a steamy kiss with another woman.
Fans flocked to see the pop superstar on her West End theatre debut, with £38 tickets changing hands for £200.

And there were gasps from the audience as Madonna, 43, played out her lesbian scene. Madonna, whose hits include Who’s That Girl, is a ruthless art dealer in the comedy Up For Grabs. She admits “I’ve never done it with another woman,” before her kiss with leather-clad co-star Megan Dodds. The play opens officially at London’s Wyndham Theatre on May 23 — and is already heavily booked. (source: SunOnline)

The Telegraph Review
Even before she opened her mouth to speak, Madonna's West End theatre debut was a commercial if not a critical hit. As the curtain was raised to reveal her slight frame standing alone on stage at the Wyndhams Theatre, the crowd of crop-topped, trainer-clad fans whooped and cheered.

Moments later Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone, 43, undid the belt of her white raincoat and threw it off to wolf whistles which resounded from the private boxes to the stalls. Starring in Up for Grabs, written by David Williamson, as Loren, a naive but determined art dealer prepared to do anything to sell a Jackson Pollock in a world that equates culture with sex and money, Madonna - whose 20-year pop career has thrived on that confusion - was the star and the vehicle was the play.

Her husband, Guy Ritchie, arrived at the theatre with her two children, Rocco and Lourdes. But for most of the audience - who had paid up to £150 for a ticket and were forced to queue in the pouring rain - the closest they had ever got to the pop diva was the back row of Wembley Stadium. At the Wyndhams, close enough to see the muscles in her famously toned arms, she could do no wrong. "It's a tiny theatre," said one teenage girl down a mobile telephone at the interval. "We are really close to her, it's amazing."

The sign in the foyer warned "this production contains material of an adult nature" - nothing an audience of Madonna fans would not expect. But while she has a proven ability for cavorting semi-naked on stage, this time she was expected to act too. The critics had been banned from the preview night, a testament to the unwelcome gossip that has enmeshed the production of Up for Grabs.

But on the evidence of the four curtain calls that her screaming fans forced Madonna into last night, she has nothing to fear. And as she left the theatre afterwards to screams from the crowd, there were favorable views on her performance. Most said she improved in the second half once she had got over her nerves. (source: arts.telegraph.co)

CBS News Review
Pop superstar Madonna didn't even have to open her mouth before her highly publicized London stage debut brought the house down. The American star merely had to walk on to the stage for the audience at Monday's first night performance of "Up for Grabs" to leap to its feet and begin clapping wildly.

"I have never before witnessed an actress receiving an ovation before she had uttered a word," said reporter Pete Clark of London's Evening Standard on Tuesday. Madonna appeared somewhere around center stage...performed a step or two in the direction of the paying public, smiled and the house came down."

Theater reviewers have been kept away from preview performances of "Up For Grabs," a critically acclaimed Broadway hit, but those who managed to sneak into the first night seemed surprised to find themselves enjoying Madonna's performance. Clark said Madonna, who plays a manipulative art dealer trying to sell a Jackson Pollock painting, was not a stage natural, displayed signs of nervousness and had a "small" voice. "Yet something peculiar happened in the course of 'Up For Grabs', which is that I ended up loving the dame," he added.

At least one audience member said that Madonna appeared nervous early then greatly improved as the play progressed. "I thought she was a lot better than expected, she was excellent," said Victoria Bateman, 32.

Madonna's husband, British film director Guy Ritchie, and children Rocco and Lourdes were at the theatre to cheer her on, as were a long queue of fans prepared to wait in the rain in a bid to secure tickets, which were reportedly changing hands outside at anything up to ten times their face value.

Monday's performance was Madonna's first appearance in a play since 1988, when she appeared in David Mamet's "Speed-The-Plow" on Broadway.

Madonna left the theater by the front entrance shortly after the show and was driven away in a waiting car. There were screams from the crowd as she scrambled to climb in, and the road outside was blocked by photographers and camera crews.

Madonna 'wants £4.5m Scottish castle'
Madonna is reported to be competing with Paul McCartney, Sting and Mohammed Al Fayed to buy a £4.5 million Scottish castle.  The singer and husband Guy Ritchie are said to be planning a special viewing of Amhuinnsuidhe Castle, on the Isle of Harris.  They have wanted to buy a home in the Highlands since their wedding at Skibo Castle, Dornoch, in December 2000.

Sir Paul, Sting and Mr Al Fayed have also reportedly expressed an interest in Amhuinnsuidhe. The residents of Harris also hope to take over the estate in a community buy-out.  The castle and 50,000 acres, famous for deer stalking and fishing, are being sold by cider millionaire Jonathan Bulmer, who once described it as "the loveliest place on Earth".  Selling agents Knight Frank confirmed that a brochure on the estate was being sent to Madonna and Guy.

The couple already own a £6 million six-storey townhouse near London's Marble Arch and a £9 million mansion and estate in Wiltshire. 

Madonna's London Haunts
US Weekly Magazine has a nice layout on the haunts of the American stars in London.  Here is some of what they say that Madonna likes to do.

Residence:  Madonna lives in a six-bedroom townhouse worth $8.8 million.  Her neighbors include Anthony Hopkins and Tracey Ullman.  Stella McCartney lives 2.5 miles from her and the theaters are only 1.9 miles from her house.

Shopping: Lingerie at Agent Provocateur, a racy retailer with multiple locations.
Madonna works out at Home House, a members only club, which costs $4380 to join.  At Linda Meredith, Madonna gets special Crystal Clear Oxygen skin treatments at $95.00 a visit.  Oxfam is a charity shop, where Madonna schleps her used clothing.  (ummm....). Triyoga is M's choice to yogi in the fashionable Primrose Hill.  Waitrose is where M shops for groceries. 

Where She Eats:  Caviar Kaspia is where Madonna buys caviar, discovered by Trudi Styler.  Cecconi's in Mayfair is the place where Madonna loves their rack of lamb.  The Ivy has M's favorite dessert, which is a sticky toffee pudding.  Locanda Locatelli is an Italian restaurant a block from her house.  Mirabelle is a French restaurant owned by a friend of the Ritchies.

Guy Bicycling Around London
Film director Guy Ritchie is worrying his pop star wife Madonna by navigating London on a bicycle as part of a fitness drive.  The film-maker has decided to get fit - so he's hopped on his bike to peddle around the British capital, despite Madonna voicing her concerns over his safety.

A friend of Ritchie reports in The Sun newspaper, "Riding a bike is good exercise and a great way of avoiding traffic jams. Madonna has warned him she thinks it is a bit dangerous but as usual he is doing what he wants."

More Gossip on Madonna Demands
Here is another rumor on Madonna's demands while performing in her show 'Up for Grabs'.  :) You be the judge. 

"Madonna has reportedly demanded that new toilets be installed at the Wyndham's Theatre, where she is making her West End debut, after discovering that the dressing rooms are not en suite. 'She doesn't do public loos,' said one janitorial source. The theatre denies that any such thing has occurred ."

Article on American Stars in London Plays
An interesting article by Lynn Gardner of the Guardian regarding all the American stars who are appearing in shows in London.  Below are some of the highlights of the article.
It is a normal week in London's West End. Normal means that Madonna is about to open in Up For Grabs at Wyndham's, Gwyneth Paltrow will shortly be seen in Proof at the Donmar and Matt Damon has taken over in This Is Our Youth at the Garrick with support from Casey Affleck and Summer Phoenix. Yes, British theatre is awash with American stars, theatre is once more on the front page and it's boom time at the box office. This is clearly a cause for celebration, particularly in an industry so reliant for its summer takings from tourists. But it is also a cause for concern that the presence of a Hollywood name is so quickly becoming the norm rather than the exception. Great writing, good direction and fantastic ensemble playing by well-trained actors with considerable stage experience are things that have given British theatre its worldwide reputation. The pop and movie stars want some of that reputation to rub off on them, but their very presence may be the thing that destroys it.

The commercial theatre is finally cottoning on to what the Almeida and Donmar realized long ago: there is a limitless supply of Hollywood stars eager to fit a few weeks on the London stage around their filming commitments and holiday plans.  A stint on the London stage offers an attractive marriage of convenience: for the theatres, there's the hope of a box office bonanza and, in the case of the subsidized houses, perhaps a longer-term relationship with someone whose connections to the rich and powerful makes them a fundraiser's dream. And as for the stars, they may be paid less than they spend on personal grooming in a week, but a success on the London stage brings kudos back home and can give a boost to a flagging career - witness Kathleen Turner's success in The Graduate. The charitable may argue that the stars' rush for London reflects the strengths of British theatre and the poverty of Broadway. While there is some truth in that, it is also the case that if they fail (and such is the kindness of the British critics, few do), they are far enough away from the prying eyes of the American critics to draw a curtain over the whole affair.

Madonna and her chums are certainly lending a bit of glamour to theatre that in recent years has tended to play the dowdy sister to more high-profile art-forms. It is also a delight to discover that some of them really can act - as the two young casts of This Is Our Youth have triumphantly proved. But while stars may give a short-term boost to theatre, the growing presence of so many has a potentially distorting effect upon both theatre's economy and ecology.

When it was announced that Madonna was to star in David Williamson's Up For Grabs, the box office was be sieged. But how many of those who have booked even know the name of the play or writer? The play is merely a vehicle for the star - in this instance one whose only acting experience is in a handful of miserable movies and one not particularly lauded stage appearance in a sub-standard David Mamet play. If it had been announced that Madonna was planning to read the London telephone directory there would probably have been no less of a rush. The message here is that it is the star who counts, one that is underlined by widespread reports that Madonna demanded changes to the play that have duly been forthcoming. What we are talking about here has almost nothing to do with theatre and everything to do with our celebrity obsessed culture. It is the reason why a great new play such as The York Realist had trouble getting an audience and Sophie Dahl in The Vagina Monologues does not. It also explains why David Hare's The Blue Room, an exceptionally dull play by even his dull standards, became the hottest ticket of the last decade. If it had been performed in Japanese we wouldn't have noticed, we were all too busy lusting over Nicole Kidman. The result could be devastating as audiences either tire of celluloid stars and pop idols with the acting ability and charisma of vacuum cleaners, or decide that if you can get Madonna in the flesh for £30 why pay the same for a play without her? 

Madge versus Gwyn in London Showdown
Hot Tickets magazine (free with the London newspaper, the Evening Standard) features both Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow on the cover.
The article inside, is comparing how London will judge the West End debuts of Madonna and Gwyneth, and the article is highly biased towards Madonna.
The author, Johann Hari, asks this question at the end of the text - Londoners have a clear choice in the next few months. Do we admire the whiny American aristocrat, or the hard girl made good?

Madonna having Woes?
After a golden period of can-do-no-wrong, things are suddenly looking wobbly for Madonna.

Her Guy Ritchie film caused test audiences to gnaw their own arms off with boredom... her London stage debut is beset with cancellation rumors ... and now reports of her latest album suggest that she's going backwards rather than forwards.

Madonna is currently recording in Hampstead. A studio insider who has heard one of the tracks says it is reminiscent of I Got You Under My Skin, only with a Ray Of Light-esque production that makes it sound a bit like an off cut from her last William Orbit album. The only innovation? It has violins on it. 

UK Guinness Poll of Favorite Song
Music bible the Guinness book of British Hit Singles asked 31,000 people for their favorite song.  Madonna made the list multiple times, with Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody finishing first.  Madonna songs finishing in the top 100 list are:

5:  Like a Prayer
24: Vogue
44: Music
83: Into the Groove

Madonna 'Up for Grabs' Rumors
Is all well at Up for Grabs, the play in which Madonna will make her West End Debut? According to backstage tittle-tattle, Madge yesterday afternoon pulled out of the show in a fit of pique. However, those with tickets should not panic – it appears that the show will go on and that rumors of the play's demise were premature. 'She has not pulled out,' insisted the play's spokesman. 'I think that people are just trying to make up the wildest rumor possible.' The box office has assured punters (some of who paid well over face value for tickets for the sold-out show) that there is no question of cancellation. Tremors of backstage problems have already been felt, with the playwright David Williamson being flown in to make changes to the script. All matinees and the play's first three previews have already been cancelled.

Recording of Album Put on Hold Until Play is Over
This tidbit was noted by MTV news:
Madonna will put the recording of her next album on hold while she makes her London theater debut in "Up for Grabs" this summer, her spokesperson said. She will return to the studio in August.
 

Back to top

April, 2002

Madonna Ritchie is the Name
Madonna's name is already up in lights on a theatre in London - but not for her new play Up For Grabs, but for a play she has helped to finance.
Madonna made a significant donation to help stage Jesus Hopped the A Train, which is currently being shown at the Arts Theatre, Leicester Square, London.
For this donation, Madonna gets a Producer's credit featured on the billboard outside the theatre. Note on the billboard, that Madonna is listed as Madonna Ritchie. 

ROL Parody Hits Charts
It looks like the Ray of Light parody "The Wheels on the Bus" is set for a European release. It is already getting airplay on Belgian radio.

Former Director Praises  Madonna
Gregory Mosher, who directed Speed the Plow, which was Madonna's last stage performance, made the following comments about her excellent work ethics and her love of pressure.

"She's a fantastic actress, she'll be loving the pressure. I'd work with her in a second.  She'd turned up for rehearsals word perfect and understood her character. I'd already seen a lot of women at that point.  But she blew me away. She was terrific." 

On the Speed the Plow, he said; " It was a part that took real strength.  The character took enormous abuse in the play.  We needed someone will real fortitude to stand up to that."  He laughed at the media saying that Madonna was having problems coping.  "The truth is she works harder then anyone.  I can remember we were at the end of rehearsals one day twenty minutes before six. I said, 'Great, fantastic, see you all tomorrow'. 

Madonna said; "What, we still have 15 minutes.  Can't we do something else?"

We had already been at it non-stop for over 8 hours. Madonna overwhelmed, I don't think so. 

Britney wants Madonna again on Video
Britney is set to surprise us further with her next video, in which she will dress up in bondage gear. A friend said: 'She's got whips, leather corsets, handcuffs, fishnets and five-inch stilettos.'
And if that weren't naughty enough, Britney wants to get Her Extreme Naughtiness Madonna to appear in the video for her single Obey Me.

Why Madge and Gwyneth are perfect for each other.
Cute article in the Observer about M and Gwyn's friendship. Her are the highlights.
What a cute rumor that Gwyneth Paltrow is staying with Madonna while both divas wait to make their London stage debuts. Madonna is opening in Up For Grabs at Wyndham's Theatre and her old friend Gwyneth's doing Proof at the Donmar Warehouse. It's a lovely image, them sharing house space. Helping each other with scripts. Doing each other's nails. Giggling over hot chocolate. Madonna checking Gwyneth has enough blankets on the bed. Gwyneth really hoping Madonna will get terrible reviews.

Oh come on. It's only fair. Thin, blonde, clever East Coast aristocracy though she may be, Gwyneth is certainly the weaker friend in that relationship. If they were bar-hopping - because one girl of two must always assume this role - Gwyneth would be the 'Don't fancy yours much'.  Madonna is sexier, richer and more famous; Gwyneth always seems unhappy. Madonna glides to rehearsals in a limo; Gwyneth stomps down Kilburn High Road in grubby combats. Worst of all, Madonna's got a cool husband and two gorgeous kiddies. All Gwyneth's got to cuddle is her Oscar. You couldn't blame her for wanting to hang onto that acting lead at least.

I should know, because I've been the 'Don't fancy yours much' to a stream of fantastic women. At school, my best friend was prettier, more popular and simply better at being a schoolgirl.  On reflection, all my female friends are (a) married and (b) more successful than I am. That's the problem with girls; they're high achievers. And that's why I love men: they're slow learners, late developers and invariably miserable. Of the boys I went to school and college with (age range, 27-33) they are to a man still single and not one of them is happy with his job. The creative ones are 'waiting for a big break', the drudgy ones don't get paid enough.

Next time Gwyneth Paltrow is in London, perhaps she can stay at Hugh Grant's house: his love life is a mess. Or Joe Fiennes's: his career seems to have gone quiet since Shakespeare In Love. Failing that, my friend Phil's got a spare room and nothing else to his name.

In the meantime, 'technical reasons' have delayed the opening of Up For Grabs, and some gossips say 'Madonna is not quite ready to appear before an audience'. So chin up, Gwyneth, as you grit your teeth over the emery board and manicure each other in front of East Enders . Disaster could yet lie in store. If not, a drop of hydrochloric acid in the nail polish works a treat.

(Un)Common Objects: Pop Music's Sacred Stuff.
Pop music memorabilia such as a Michael Jackson's glove, a Madonna bustier, and spectacles worn by Buddy Holly and John Lennon, will be displayed for five months in Seattle at the Experience Music Project in an exhibit titled "(Un)Common Objects: Pop Music's Sacred Stuff."

Gwyneth Paltrow denies she's moved in with Madonna
Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow has denied reports she has moved in with Madonna to give the singer acting tips ahead of her West End stage debut this month.

Madonna is appearing in Australian playwright David Williamson's hit play Up For Grabs.
But initial performances have been postponed amid speculation the US superstar's acting is not up to scratch.
Paltrow, a friend of Madonna's, is rumoured to have been giving the singer tips on how to behave on stage and to have moved in with Madonna and her husband Guy Ritchie. But Paltrow, who is in London, said the stories were not true.  "I have no idea where that came from, but I am not living with Madonna at the moment," she told British newspaper the Daily Mail. However, there was no comment on whether she was coaching the singer's acting.

Attempted break-in at Ashcombe
Madonna and Guy Ritchie have enough on their plates at the moment, what with their film Swept Away in post-production and Madge rehearsing for her West End debut, so the last thing they needed was a break-in.
Gamekeepers at Mr and Mrs R's country residence, Ashcombe House, apparently foiled a group of men attempting to gain access to the house's grounds. According to a police spokesman:

A Ford Escort with its lights turned off smashed through a perimeter fence at 9pm on Tuesday.  One gamekeeper at Ashcombe House estate, Wilts, went to investigate while another locked a gate at the end of a track.  Four men were disturbed on foot and jumped back in the car, which they later abandoned. Officers found a man hiding.
Police said: "The gamekeepers brought them to an abrupt halt."

A woman at the gatekeepers' lodge said: "Nothing was taken. Obviously it is very sensitive."  A 26-year-old man from Bournemouth was charged in his absence with criminal damage and motoring offences at Salisbury on Wednesday.  A warrant for arrest without bail was issued.  Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie bought the estate six months ago. 

Why 'M' is OK by David Williamson
Australian playwright David Williamson has dismissed rumours that the first three London previews of his play Up For Grabs have been postponed because the play's star, Madonna, needed more time to rehearse.

Speaking from his Noosa Heads home yesterday, Williamson said the delay was due entirely to technical difficulties with the play's
elaborate set, not with problems related to the star he now calls "M".

"It's a brilliant but very intricate set and they're having trouble getting it working on time," he said.
"I can absolutely verify, when the set design was presented by the designer - it's an absolutely wonderful high-tech design - they had concerns then about whether it could be done in such an old theatre as the Wyndham."
The play, which focuses on a woman's manipulations to artificially inflate the price of a painting up for auction, opens at Wyndham's Theatre on May 23. Tickets for the two-month season sold out in two days.  Previews were scheduled to begin on May 9, but will now begin on May 13.

Williamson travelled to London last month to join the cast and director Laurence Boswell for the first week of rehearsals, "to make sure everything was right".
"It was a terrific working atmosphere," said Williamson. "M is a consummate professional and she's got a top, top cast about her."

Hand-picking Williamson's play in which to make her London theatre debut, Madonna has introduced some changes to Up For Grabs, moving its Sydney setting to New York, changing the painting in question from a Brett Whiteley to a Jackson Pollock and, most recently, changing her character's name from Simone to Loren.
"It's more a New York name," said Williamson. "I think that was M's idea; she is very aware of what the fashions and fads are in New York, so I was very happy for her wisdom."
Other changes, said the playwright, are "minor tonal things". "It's a little tougher, edgier at the end," he said. "I think it's a better play for it."

So has Madonna made Loren into a different character to the Simone played by Sydney actor Helen Dallimore? Williamson said he is as eager to find out as anyone. "I think Helen gave the role a buoyant innocence and sweetness; Helen went against the character in some ways," he said. "I'm as agog as anyone else seeing what M does with the character, because I was only in the rehearsal room for a short time."
Williamson leaves for London on Saturday to rejoin his cast for the play's opening. However, his London success isn't washing with one fellow Australian playwright. Andrew Bovell yesterday accused Williamson of making theatre "a safe and comfortable place".

New trend: Beetle Charms
Show biz folk, a famously superstitious bunch, have all kinds of good luck charms, from lucky sweaters they wear for auditions to that good old faithful, the rabbit's foot. But these days, nothing is trendier --or luckier -- than Los Angeles jeweler Neil Lang's beetle charms made of Tiffany glass.

The leather corded beetle trinkets contain blessings imbued with a meditation. The ancient blessing is one that Jacob gave his son Joseph when he hightailed it to Egypt. The $400 pieces have been snapped up by a slew of stars including Madonna, who sported the trinket on her latest tour for good luck, Sharon Stone and Rob Lowe (the West Wing-er also sprang for one for pal Gwyneth Paltrow). Melanie Griffith owns one as well though some would say her good luck charm is heartthrob husband Antonio Banderas.

MS POUT-TROW
Gwyneth Paltrow was stood up by one of the few people who can look down on her in the superstar stakes.

She was attending a performance of Jesus Hopped The A Train - a play at the West End Arts Theatre, produced by her close friend Madonna.  But the Material Girl didn't turn up until the after show party at One Aldwych.
Later the haughty Gwyneth got tough with photographers when they took snaps of her talking to friends.

Turning to one startled lens man, Gwyn melodramatically declared: "You listen to me. I said photos were fine on the way in and that was cool. But not now."  Actually Ms Paltrow, we like to think of Britain as being a free country.

Madonna's no diva
'ALL MY work is based on trying to free up actors' creativity, to release their story. I'm not interested in imposing a singular
vision," says the boomingly popular British director Laurence Boswell.

Mr. Boswell is the director of choice for American stars who yearn for London's West End stages. He's directing Matt Damon and his pals in "This Is Our Youth," and also Madonna in her coming "Up for Grabs" drama.

He debunks rumors about the latter's demands and being "difficult." "Not much is being said officially, so people are making it up. The stage being raised by five feet to prevent fans mobbing her, that is total, total rubbish. And people not being allowed to look her in the eye is nonsense . . . Whenever any group of people get together, of course there are arguments. But nothing out of the ordinary."

Tickets for the 10-week run of Madonna's starring turn, starting previews May 13, sold out overnight. She plays a scheming art dealer with three sets of clients. Boswell says, "It's a crackling tale with an element of thriller. I liked the play and thought she would be good in the part. She's well known as an art collector. She's a brilliant live performer and she has done plays before."

Sweet Relief Musicians Fund Party to Be Hosted by Warner Bros. Records Chairman Tom Whalley
Warner Bros. Records Chairman Tom Whalley has been named the Honorary Tournament Marshal for a miniature golf tournament fundraising party benefiting the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. This year, celebrities will battle it out on the Astroturf to raise funds for the music industry charity that assists ailing artists with medical expenses and basic support.

In the Sweet Relief tradition, this party deviates from the standard charity testimonial dinner and invites the entertainment community to join in an evening of games, food, fun and musical performances. This special occasion will take place Thursday, June 6 at the Sherman Oaks Castle Park in Sherman Oaks.

Sweet Relief is the non-profit charity organization founded in 1993 by singer-songwriter Victoria Williams to help pay for the medically related expenses of musicians who are unable to do so. Williams, herself diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, envisioned Sweet Relief as "music's most compassionate and humanitarian charity." In just the last three years, the fund has granted more than $500,000 to musicians who faced health and financial crises.

Event supporters include AOL Music, Warner Music Group, MTV, R.E.M., Madonna Ritchie, EMI and Universal.

For further information please contact:

Bill Bentley, Warner Bros. Records at
818-953-3671/bill.bentley@wbr.com

Cara Kleinhaut, Event Producer at
818-953-3203/CK@Caravents.com

Working out with Madonna
The lovely Gwyneth Paltrow has taken on the toughest role of her career: getting her fellow Anglophile Madonna in shape to open on London's West End within the next two weeks.
You may have heard about yesterday's announcement that Madonna's sold-out and heavily scalped opening in the play "Up for Grabs" has been postponed for three days "for technical reasons." (Cockney slang, as in "pork pie" for "a lie.") Madonna, I'm told, has been in a blue funk about facing the London critics and turned to her pal Paltrow for help.
Gwynnie, who is about to open on the West End herself in "Proof," was only too happy to take the Material Mom under her wing, and even is said to have moved in with Madonna and her husband, Guy Ritchie, so that the two gals can rehearse all day.

(Madonna's kids are calling Paltrow "Aunt Gwynnie" - isn't it cute?) Madonna's character in "Up for Grabs" is a hard-driving, unscrupulous businesswoman. Some people think it's modeled on disgraced Sotheby's queen DeDe Brooks, but the play's author, Australian David Williamson, swears he's never heard of her.

Swept Away needs work
Looks like the Oscar will elude Madonna for another year. Her new film - a remake of Lena Wertmuller's 1975 classic "Swept Away" - has been yanked from its planned premiere at Cannes this month after test audiences called it a stinker.
Written and directed by husband Guy Ritchie, the film has been recalled by Sony Pictures for improvements.

New plot twist in Madonna show by Danielle Demetriou
It has been hailed as a theatrical highlight of the year boasting one of the most famous women in the world as its lead actress. But
despite tickets selling out within hours for up to five times the asking price, Madonna's eagerly awaited West End debut in the comedy Up For Grabs has been plagued by a string of problems.

Madonna and Guy: rumor has it they are expecting another child
Firstly there was the delicate issue of the singer's gruelling schedule causing the unprecedented cancellation of all matinee performances. Then there were reports of her reassuringly diva-like behaviour, including requests to raise the stage by up to five feet to create a suitable distance between her and front-row fans as well as major changes to the script.

Thirdly, a question mark was raised over her health as photographs of the actress caressing her tummy fuelled reports of a pregnancy while her exhausting rehearsal schedule left her pale, drawn and nodding off in her car as she was driven home.
Now, however, the rumor mill is working over time following the latest setback. The first three performances of her debut in the art world comedy, due to open next week, have been cancelled at the 11th hour.
The move has prompted inevitable speculation that the star, who has not appeared on stage for more than 13 years, is not prepared and not yet ready to face the critics.
However, the Wyndham Theatre said that the performances were being postponed rather than cancelled and had been caused by production problems.

A spokesman said: "Everybody in the cast has been very accommodating. The production has developed into a complex synchronicity between moving set, sound, music and projection and realising it in an olderstyle theatre like the Wyndham's has increased necessary technical time."

The 44-year-old star, who is receiving about £10,000 a week, has made it clear that she is keen to win recognition as a serious stage actress after a string of film flops including Shanghai Surprise. However, the production has continually been overshadowed by the flood of rumours surrounding her behaviour. As well as reportedly requesting changes to the theatre to accommodate her, the singer has also made changes to the script.
These include "Americanising" her role, moving the setting from Sydney to New York and choosing a different name for her character.
With appropriate understatement, author David Williamson said recently: "It will be a different play by the time Madonna hits the stage." Mr Williamson, who is hoping that the play will eventually transfer from the West End to Broadway, said: "I think she's a very, very good actor."

The singer is also reportedly concerned about roadworks outside the theatre in Charing Cross Road which she fears will make it difficult to make a quick get-away after performances.
There have been tales of diva-esque tantrums, including one occasion in which she flew into a rage when a co-star made the mistake of calling her Madge instead of her preferred "M".
The play tells the tale of Loren, played by Madonna, who is an art dealer prepared to go to any lengths to sell a painting. Loren sleeps with a prospective buyer, a bisexual woman, in front of her husband and offers herself to a married male art collector in a bid to clinch an important deal.
Ticket holders who paid up to £150 for one of next week's performances may be reassured to learn that they will be offered
seats on new dates that will be added to the two-month run of the production.

Madonna is the latest in a string of Hollywood actors to appear on a West End stage. Others include Nicole Kidman, Kevin Spacey, Macaulay Culkin and Kathleen Turner. Matt Damon is previewing in This Is Our Youth at The Garrick.

Madonna poses for West End stage debut
Madonna has given a sneak preview of her new stage role as she rehearsed for her West End stage debut.  The star posed for a series of arty black and white shots as she prepared to open in the sell-out run of the play, Up For Grabs.

In one shot many Madonna fans would have been left wondering "Who's That Girl?" as she stood in silhouette with light flooding through a doorway behind her.  She appeared to be enjoying herself as she ran through the biting satire on the art world which first opened in Sydney, Australia, last year breaking box office records.

Director Laurence Boswell said rehearsals were going well: "Everyone is extremely relaxed. It's a wonderful company."

Previews of the show, which also stars Tom Irwin, begin on May 13 at Wyndham's Theatre and the production has its official opening 10 days later. 

Fashion, Madonna Style
Madonna knows that in show business taking care of yourself is good business: she exercises every day, eats healthy, low-fat, organic food, and takes care of her skin and body with holistic beauty treatments. Forget slobbing in front of the telly with the excuse that you're just too busy and stressed out to take care of yourself - if you want to look as healthy as Madonna you need to invest some time and money. We've found out Madonna's favorite London haunts as she seeks to stay in trim before her new play, Up For Grabs, opens in a few weeks.

Her body - Ashtanga yoga
Madonna is a master of this aerobic form of yoga, and credits it with keeping her fit, healthy and calm. "I began practicing yoga after I had my daughter. It takes about three years of really intensive practice to get that good and to get that flexible, and I practice for an hour and a half every day."  She is so expert at the discipline that she practices daily at home, but occasionally relies on teachers to help out. With rumors rife that she is pregnant, she will have to change from the punishing Ashtanga to the more relaxed Hatha or classical yoga.

Her teachers can be found at Triyoga, in Primrose Hill. Yoga guru Simon Low and health journalist Tina Gaudoin set up the centre, which now counts Geri Halliwell, Rachel Weisz, Sadie Frost and Gaby Roslin as regulars. Together with 105 yoga and Pilates classes a week, there are 30 different holistic beauty treatments including Madonna's favorite, Dr Hauschka.

Her face - Crystal Clear Oxygen
If you have ever scanned pictures of Madonna and marveled at just how clear her skin is, well, here is her secret. She is a fan of Crystal Clear Oxygen, the latest face treat from the United States. She visits the exclusive Linda Meredith salon in Knightsbridge, where, first, her skin is exfoliated with a blast of fine mineral crystals that are pumped on to the skin and then sucked away with a pen-like cannula. The treatment can leave you pink and tender, but abrades dead skin cells, unplugging blocked pores and, over time, softening fine lines and clearing away scar tissue and pigmentation - that's age spots to you and me.

Jets of pure oxygen are then pumped onto the surface of her skin with a patent-pending puncture jet system that can actually penetrate the upper layers of cells to breathe fresh life into city-stressed complexions. Finally, Madonna is pampered with vitamin-rich serums. Other celebrity fans include Kate Moss, Sadie Frost and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Dr Hauschka
Influenced by her friend Stella McCartney, Madonna is now a huge fan of this organic range of skincare products and regularly has a classic Dr Hauschka facial. This holistic treatment takes two hours - it starts at the feet and works upwards. Steps include a sage foot bath, aromatic compress cleansing, lymphatic drainage and homeopathic ampoules, which are applied to the skin with super-fine face brushes. The effect is mesmerizing and very relaxing.

Every product in the Dr Hauschka range is grown on an exclusive organic farm in Wela, Germany, and plants are picked at dawn to capture their life-force energy. Madonna first had this treatment at the Life Centre in Notting Hill, but now has therapist Renate visit her at home to ensure maximum privacy.

Her diet
Madonna is famous for her willpower, and, until the birth of daughter Lourdes, followed a strict low-fat, low carbohydrate, lean-protein diet. Now she is more relaxed and, with the help of Ray Kybartas, a personal health and diet coach, she follows, where possible, an organic whole food, lean-protein diet that ensures maximum energy and a well-balanced vitamin and mineral intake, with minimal processed carbohydrates and animal fats.

A typical day's eating plan includes: Breakfast: French toast, boiled egg, apple, orange or peach. Lunch: slice of wholemeal bread, lean chicken or turkey breast with salad and a little mayonnaise. Dinner: fish, lean red meat or chicken, plenty of steamed or lightly boiled vegetables, with a small portion of pasta, or half a baked potato. Madonna shops at deli Planet Organic in Westbourne Grove and her nearest branch of Waitrose in Marylebone High Street.

Her soul- Judith White Wellbeing Crystal Therapy
Madonna keeps her stress levels under control through yogic breathing, but recently booked in to have a spot of crystal massage and healing with Australian guru Judith White. White is one of Australia's best- known aromatherapists, and has combined the power of essential oils and the healing energies of crystal in her unique Wellbeing Crystal Point Therapy.

The treatments combine a little Harry Potter wizardry with a deep tissue massage as the unique small crystal wand is used to knead tense muscles, clear blocked energy paths and balance chakras. It is also used as a form of crystal acupressure. The 90-minute treatment includes essential oils chosen for your birth sign - in Madonna's case, Leo.

If these beautysecrets are a bit beyond your budget, Madonnapolis offers you some free and inexpensive fasion advise by our own fashion guru: Mini Mo. CHECK IT OUT!

Swept Away a Disaster?
This is from the Daily Star:  Madonna's debut movie with husband Guy Ritchie has hit more trouble, with one insider calling it "a disaster". The couple's remake of Italian seventies flick Swept Away has been withdrawn from the Cannes Film Festival next month. Sources tell me film firm Sony Pictures had concerns after it was met with mixed response at a recent test screening. It is claimed that it has been decided to keep the film behind closed doors until improvements can be made. Sony has refused to confirm a release date for the movie, which Madonna and Guy shot in Malta last year. But a member of the production team was willing to speak out - and said it seemed certain to be a flop.

The source said: "I'm afraid it's a bad remake of a bad film and has disaster written all over it. Guy is riding high, but the British like to knock stars down to size and I fear that's what will happen. Madonna actually puts in quite a good performance. But she really only has to play herself, which is a role she can do". The latest hitches follow an admission from producer Matthew Vaughn that some scenes had to be re-edited.

Test audiences were shocked by scenes showing Madonna being beaten up. Other sex scenes involving the singer were also considered too strong. The title has already changed from Love, Sex, Drugs and Money back to the original film, Swept Away. But no matter, what happens to the movie, superstar Madonna will get a chance to show off her acting skills when she makes her West End debut next month. 

"Gold: The Definitive Hits Collection"
Madonna's 'YOU MUST LOVE ME' is on the up coming release "Gold: The Definitive Hits Collection" [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] Andrew Loyd Webber
This cd will be released on May 7, 2002.

Track Listings
1. Superstar - Murray Head w/ the Trinidad Singers (Jesus Christ Superstar)
2. As If We Never Said Goodbye - Barbra Streisand (The Phantom Of The Opera)
3. The Phantom Of The Opera - Sarah Brightman & Michael Crawford (The Phantom Of The Opera)
4. You Must Love Me - Madonna (Evita)
5. Any Dream Will Do-Donny Osmond (Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat)
6. Memory - Betty Buckley (Cats)
7. Pie Jesus - Charlotte Church (Requiem)
8. The Music Of The Night - Michael Crawford (The Phantom Of The Opera)
9. I Don't Know How To Love Him - Yvonne Elliman (Jesus Christ Superstar)
10. Don't Cry For Me Argentina -Patti Lupone (Evita)
11. Love Changes Everything - Michael Ball (Aspects Of Love)
12. All I Ask Of You - Sarah Brightman (The Phantom Of The Opera)
13. The Perfect Year - Glenn Close & Alan Campbell (Sunset Boulevard)
14. The Vaults Of Heaven - Tom Jones & Sounds Of Blackness (Whistle Down The Wind)
15. No Matter What - Boyzone (Whistle Down The Wind)
16. Oh What A Circus - Mandy Patinkin (Evita)
17. Whistle Down The Wind - Sarah Brightman (Whistle Down The Wind)
18. Amigos Para Siempre (Friends For Life) - Sarah Brightman & Jose Carrerras (1992 Olympics Theme)

American Red Cross Virtual Auction. Madonna items.
We do indeed have an autographed CD. Here is the description from the bid page: Madonna GHV2 CD - Autographed Greatest Hits Volume 2! Autograph is on cover of 8-page booklet with pull-out front and back sections and measures 2-1/2 high written
boldly in black! Songs include: Deeper and Deeper, Erotica, Human Nature, Secret, Don't Cry for Me Argentina, Bedtime Story, Power of Good-Bye, Beautiful Stranger, Frozen, Take a Bow, Ray of Light, Don't Tell Me, What It Feels Like For a Girl, Drowned
World/Substitute for Love, and Music! The booklet includes insight into each of the songs on the CD and it's packed with Madonna pictures! Make this special Madonna CD a treasured part of your collection or bid on it for a Madonna fan that you know and help the American Red Cross at the very same time!

This exciting autographed CD from Madonna came to us directly through Wynonna who lives in our community and helped us with the Virtual Auction this year. She asked her friends in the music industry to join her in supporting the American Red Cross by donating bid items and the response was tremendous! Madonna generously responded to Wynonna's call for help by sending us this autographed GHV2 CD for your bidding enjoyment! Our many thanks to Wynonna and to Madonna for their support of the American Red Cross! Letter of Authenticity included.

This item goes live Monday, April 29 and closes Thursday morning, May 9th. It will be easy to search from within our Red Cross Virtual Auction Homepage www.ebay.com/redcross

Madonna Set to Buy Dream House
Madonna is finally getting the chance to buy her fairytale Scots dream home.  The pop diva fell in love with the pink palace on the banks of Loch Ness when she spotted it during a visit to Scotland.

Now she is set to bid for the £1.2m Aldourie Castle, sitting in 96 acres of rolling lawns, woods and gorgeous gardens on the southern shore of Loch Ness, near Inverness.  It is being sold after being in the same family since 1760.

Aldourie, where Ted Danson and Jolie Richardson danced the night away after the premiere of their film Loch Ness, was top of Madonna's wish list when she was hunting for a stately home of her own.

In the days leading up to her wedding at Skibo Castle, almost 18 months ago, the pop queen was with her husband-to-be Guy Ritchie in a shooting party at Lord Burton's sprawling Dochfour Estate, just across the loch.  When she set eyes on the pink castle on the other side of the water, she declared it "enchanting". Madonna and Guy, who fell in love with the area, have been on the lookout for a Highland hideaway since their marriage.  Aldourie, complete with a friendly grey lady ghost, fits the bill perfectly.

Back in the 1960s James Caan shot his first major film, Submarine X-1, at the castle and on the loch. At the time he said: "It must be the prettiest castle in the world."  And Aldourie, where sika and roe deer abound, is to host Hollywood again soon.  The world-famous monster, Nessie, according to script writers, is a relative of the dragon slain by St George.  The supposed link emerges in the plot of the movie George and the Dragon, starring Women Talking Dirty star James Purefoy, Batman's Val Kilmer and Dirty Dancing hunk Patriick Swayze.  The £30million romp, currently being shot in Luxembourg, will move to the castle for further filming. Aldourie Castle is being sold by Mrs Judy Cameron, widow of World War II hero Lieutenant Colonel Angus Cameron, who died at 87 years of age on February 27 last year.  His son, Ian, 49, now runs the estate. Yesterday, he said: "Yes, it is true - the castle and its policies are up for sale.

"It has not been made public yet, but it will be advertised in mid-May."

And he confirmed that Madonna had been struck by the castle's beauty. He said: "She was with Guy Ritchie and a shooting party at Dochfour and was taken with the castle.A local said: "This is very exciting news." 

Stella on Madonna
Stella McCartney has spoken briefly (but candidly) about Madonna. 
She has revealed that it was she and not Gwyneth Paltrow whom acted as Madonna's Maid Of Honor at Madonna's wedding to Guy Ritchie. Stella also discloses that when Madonna first purchased clothes from Chloe, she did not offer her a discount as she "didn't know if she would ever come back".

Here are some excerpts from the interview :

'Have you always had a lot of celebrity friends?'

'They came with the clothes, actually. They loved the clothes and that's how I met them. I think I charged Madonna extra. She paid for the next collection. Now I'm more lenient towards her.'

'You designed the world's most famous wedding dress and nobody's ever seen it.'

'Exactly. And no one will get to see it. Beautiful, though.' She licks her lips.

'Was that an official secret act?'

'No, I'm just good like that. I didn't tell anyone I was her maid of honor. Everyone thought it was Gwyneth. Oh well, I've just said it to you now, but you've got to keep part of your soul. A wedding dress is special, isn't it?' 

Madonna to Graham's Rescue
Madonna once bailed out Martha Graham when the dance legend was so broke she was about to sell some of her jewelry. Shortly before Graham died in 1991, she directed her heir, Ron Protas, to take three or four pieces of her jewelry to a dealer so she could keep her Martha Graham Dance Center afloat. But Madonna flack Liz Rosenberg told him: "Give it one day." The next morning, Madonna's office called - and Graham soon had a check for $150,000. "It was an extraordinarily generous gesture. Martha cried when she saw the check," Protas said. Rosenberg is squarely behind Protas in his court battle with the Dance Center over rights to Graham's works. "Ron was never anything but a kind, gentle, considerate man who poured his heart into helping Martha," Rosenberg told PAGE SIX. Protas said, "If I had my druthers, I think I would have run away by now, but . . . Martha would come back and haunt me." Graham already haunts the legal battle. A 1989 letter from her states: "I wish to have Ron have complete control and ownership of [my] works . . . I want Ron to have clear title and no problems in the future."

More on Red Cross donation auction
Madonna, Britney Spears, Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, Lonestar, Ray Charles, Stone Temple Pilots, Patti LaBelle, Dolly Parton, Michelle Branch, Tim McGraw, Rosie O'Donnell, and Oprah Winfrey are just a few of the stars who have donated autographed items to the American Red Cross Nationwide Virtual Auction.

The auction, hosted by the auction website Ebay (http://ebay.com), features more than 1,500 unique items donated by articipating Red Cross chapters across the U.S. The auction will raise funds for disaster relief and other Red Cross humanitarian efforts.

Twenty-one of the auction items were personally solicited and donated by country superstar Wynonna Judd. "I thought long and hard how I could make a difference," said Judd. "I was delightfully surprised at the generosity of my fellow artists who committed to this cause.
These are exceptional gifts from artists who opened up their hearts at a time when our neighbors really needed us. As amazed as I am by the talents of Madonna Dolly, Rosie, Garth, and Oprah, and all of the others who donated, I am forever changed by the size of their hearts."

The auction is divided into two separate 10-day auctions. The first auction is currently open and will remain live until May 2, and the second auction starts April 29 and runs through May 9. Participants can bid on everything from exotic vacation getaways and high-tech gadgets to sports and celebrity memorabilia, fine art, and airline tickets. 

Three Shows of Up For Grabs Postponed
The first three performances of Up For Grabs have been postponed due to technical difficulties. This from the Press Association:-

Technical hold-ups have led to the postponement of the first three performances of Madonna's long awaited West End stage debut, it was announced today. The complex staging of her production Up For Grabs has meant the first preview will not take place until May 13, but ticket-holders for the cancelled shows are being offered alternative dates.

Three extra performances have been added to allow fans to see the show and a spokeswoman said: "Everyone in the cast has been very accommodating." The axed shows at Wyndhams Theatre in London on May 9, 10 and 11 will be replaced by performances on May 18, July 6 and July 13. A statement explaining the decision said: "The production has developed into a complex synchronicity between moving set, sound, music and projection and realizing that in an older style theatre like the Wyndhams, it has increased the necessary technical time."

Ticket holders will be offered either tickets for one of the extra shows or a refund. A special hotline has been set up to deal with the changes on 020 7369 1796. 

Madonna to make Appearance in Bond Movie
Madonna will make an appearance in the forthcoming James Bond film, Die Another Day, it has been revealed. The cameo was announced by the movie's director, Lee Tamahori, on  Entertainment Tonight. Although it is not yet known whether the Material One will play a goodie or a baddie, it is known that she will be on set for two days alongside Pierce Brosnan and Halle Berry and will wear a 'specially designed outfit'. It has already been confirmed that Madonna is to sing the theme tune for the 20th Bond movie.

MTV's Top 100 Videos
The Top 100 Videos Of All Time is being broadcast on MTV in three parts, having started on Wednesday, and is just one event organized to celebrate the channel's birthday. Fatboy Slim's Praise You video has been voted the best of all time by viewers of MTV, on the 20th anniversary on the cable music channel's launch. Michael Jackson's groundbreaking 14-minute Thriller video came a close second in the poll carried out through MTV's website. Overall, Michael Jackson had three entries in the top 100 videos list. Madonna - a heroine of the MTV generation - had the most with four entries. They included the videos for Material Girl and Like a Prayer.

Bjork and U2 had three tracks. George Michael had two as a solo artist and a third with Club Tropicana from Wham. Eminem was one of many acts which achieved two entries, one of which, The Real Slim Shady, came in at number three. Queen's classic 1975 hit Bohemian Rhapsody was at number 10 and Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer was in the number 17 slot.
MTV's top 10 videos
1. Fatboy Slim - Praise You
2. Michael Jackson -Thriller
3. Eminem - The Real Slim Shady
4. Madonna - Ray Of Light
5. Beastie Boys - Sabotage
6. Weezer - Buddy Holly
7. Blur - Coffee & TV
8. Chemical Brothers - Let Forever Be
9. Jamiroquai - Virtual Insanity
10. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody

VH1 Top  All Time Videos
Fatboy Slim's Weapon Of Choice has been named the greatest music video ever made.  A panel of music industry experts chose the video in a poll for music channel VH1.  VH1 vice president of programming and production, Christine Boar, said: "Our chart verifies the fact that the music video industry has finally progressed on from Thriller. Thriller was ground-breaking for its time, but the industry prefer ingenuity to big budget extravaganzas."  A poll among VH1 viewers recently awarded Thriller video the top spot, with Madonna's Like A Prayer in second position. Madonna had the highest number of entries in the experts' poll, with seven in the top 100, while Jackson managed six. 

The chart will be counted down by DJ Sara Cox on VH1 from April 29, with 20 tracks each day until May 3. The entire chart will be played on May 4 and 5.

The top 20 in full was as follows:
1 - Fatboy Slim - Weapon Of Choice
2 - Beastie Boys - Sabotage
3 - Jamiroquai - Virtual Insanity
4 - Blur - Coffee And TV
5 - Radiohead - Street Spirit
6 - Michael Jackson - Thriller
7 - Bjork - It's Oh So Quiet
8 - Madonna - Vogue
9 - Robbie Williams - She's The One
10 - Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer
11 - Chemical Brothers - Let Forever Be
12 - Michael and Janet Jackson - Scream
13 - Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
14 - Massive Attack - Teardrop
15 - REM - Everybody Hurts
16 - Fatboy Slim - Praise You
17 - Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
18 - Madonna - Justify My Love
19 - Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication
20 - A-Ha - Take On Me

Sexy Secrets of Madonna Play
Madonna's London stage debut next month in the art-world comedy Up For Grabs has created a storm of media attention, yet the project has been guarded with almost obsessive secrecy.  Madonna and her producer, Sonia Friedman, have declined interviews, the pronouncements of writer David Williamson and director Laurence Boswell have been carefully measured, the script is under wraps and Madonna's fellow actors have allegedly signed confidentiality agreements. But why has Madonna, who reportedly no longer plans to tour as a singer, chosen to risk herself in front of the critics in another live show, her first play since she performed in David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow with Joe Mantegna and Ron Silver on Broadway in 1988? And what on earth is Up For Grabs about?

With few facts to go on, rumor has flourished: Madonna, say some, has asked for the stage to be raised by either three or five feet (accounts differ), and insisted that a "secret entrance" be built at the Wyndham's Theatre. David Williamson, little-known here despite being Australia's leading playwright and the man who scripted Gallipoli and The Year of Living Dangerously, admitted that he was rewriting the play, partly to Americanize it, sometimes at Madonna's request, but has refused to detail the changes or reveal the story.

A reading of the original script shows that Up For Grabs is not just about art but also about sex and money. Madonna's character (now rechristened Loren) is a wannabe art dealer prepared to try, or turn, any trick to sell a painting. At one point, she sleeps with a prospective buyer, a bisexual woman, in front of her husband, who, after a botched penis-enlargement operation, has an erection like a "hoop". Later, Loren offers herself to a married male collector to draw him into a bidding war, only to be handed a large sex aid with which to pleasure him.

These scenes, and the play's themes, may go some way to explaining why Madonna chose it. She loves to shock. She's a passionate collector of art. She's a canny businesswoman, fascinated by the interplay between commerce, culture and sexuality. Above all, she likes to reinvent herself, so returning to the stage in a sharp, funny, unknown play must have seemed all the more appealing.

The sex acts themselves happen offstage, and if the seductions leading up to them, and Loren's anguished analytical monologues afterwards, are among the scenes being changed in rehearsal, it's likely they will become less rather than more explicit. This could be seen as sudden prudishness by the woman who posed starkers for Sapphic tableaux in her book Sex, and who regularly simulated coitus in her stage shows: Madonna is, after all, now 44, with two young children and a husband who doesn't like her to flash her "raspberries". What's more likely is she knows that nudity and on-stage nooky are no longer shocking in our no-holes barred theatre: the only weapon left is surprise, and it's better to tease than to strip.

These scenes will be all the more startling for audiences who, having forked out up to £145 for tickets on the internet on the strength of Madonna's name, will have little or no expectations of the play itself.

The culture of secrecy around Up For Grabs has clear benefits. The absence of officially sanctioned information has given it the best publicity possible, overshadowing the forthcoming Donmar stage debut of Gwyneth Paltrow, and the gossip is rife.

We gasped at Williamson's report that Madonna had tongue-lashed a co-star who had called her "Madge" instead or her preferred "M" (true). We marveled at the rumor that she would not let the other actors look her in the eye (untrue). We swooned at the news that she and Gwyneth were practicing their lines together (who knows?).

The thing is, of course, that the play needs this exposure about as much as Madonna needs the £10,000 a week she's reported to be getting for the play. It's completely sold out and will make money for its producers even without the revenue from matinee performances, cancelled at her insistence because she's recording a new album.

That still leaves the question: what is in it for Madonna? Critical acclaim as an actress is the one thing that has been denied her, so she may see it as the final challenge. Up For Grabs, unlike the previous stage projects to which her name has been attached, also deals in a dagger-sharp way with themes ever-present in her own creative work. Most of all, though, it's likely that the entire project intrigued her. Could she take an unknown play and make it the most discussed event on the artistic calendar? Could she stir up the same frenzy of expectation that greeted each new image, each new tour, the Sex book or her Broadway debut?

Madonna has nothing to prove to us. But maybe she needs to prove to herself that, whether she's called M, Madge or Mrs. Ritchie, she's still Madonna.

Madonna to be Featured in Tribute to Versace
London's Victoria and Albert Museum is to pay tribute to late designer Versace.  The museum is planning an exhibition in autumn.  Exhibits will include creations worn by Princess Diana, Sir Elton John, Madonna and Courtney Love. It will also show the black dress held together with gilt safety pins made famous by Liz Hurley.

Curator Clare Wilcox told The Guardian: "The glamour of the subject will obviously attract people, but this is also an exhibition for the serious costume historian, if they come with an open mind."

The exhibition will be the museum's first devoted to the work of a single designer.

Madonna Donates to Charity
Country singer Wynonna got fellow entertainers such as Madonna, Britney Spears, and Shania Twain to make donations for an Internet charity auction to benefit disaster relief.  Airline tickets and a seat for a taping of "The Oprah Winfrey Show"; a guitar autographed by Twain; and a Seventeen magazine signed by Spears are among the items that became available for bidding on eBay on Monday. The auction continues through May 9.  Proceeds will go to the Red Cross.

 "I was delightfully surprised at the generosity of my fellow artists who committed to this cause," Wynonna said. "As amazed as I am by the talents of Madonna, Dolly (Parton), Rosie (O'Donnell), Garth (Brooks) and Oprah, and all of the others who donated, I am forever changed by the size of their hearts." 

Up for Grabs Director Nixes Madonna Difficulty Rumors
Laurence Boswell, Hollywood's current favorite theatre director, has learnt a great deal about pop culture icons recently. Boswell says all his years of directing on the stage have not prepared him for this kind of media circus.

 "I suppose I was naive when I took this on. I can't understand why the decision of someone like Madonna to do a play leads to so much putting down, picking holes. I suppose I was naive when I took this on. I can't understand why the decision of someone like Madonna to do a play leads to so much putting down, picking holes."  But it's not usual, is it, for an actor to pull all matinees? "No, but I can only say that in her relationship with me as director she has done nothing that any leading actor wouldn't do. David Williamson offered me an American version of his play - Up for Grabs was originally set in Sydney - 18 months ago, long before Madonna was on the scene. Yes, Madonna's character has a different name, but so do two others because some of the original ones didn't sound right for New York. Not much is being said officially, so people are making it up. The stage being raised by five feet to prevent fans mobbing her, that is total, total rubbish. And people not being allowed to look her in the eye is nonsense. Look, I'm having a great time doing this play - really."

And is everyone else? "Well, whenever any group of people get together, of course there are arguments. But nothing out of the ordinary."

It is not easy to imagine the ultimate pop diva fitting into the give-and-take of an ensemble, I observe. "But she is the focus, the leading actor," he counters, reasonably enough. Madonna's name meant that tickets for the 10-week run sold out in days and are changing hands at a heavy mark-up. 

The plot of Up For Grabs is centered on a scheming art dealer and her encounters with three sets of clients, and as Boswell points out, it is "a cracking tale, with an element of thriller", set in a world Madonna recognizes.  "I liked the play and thought she would be good in the part. She's well known as an art collector. She's a brilliant live performer and she has done plays before and a number of films. I'm not an expert on those, but Desperately Seeking Susan was great and I liked Evita."

Madonna Threatens Boy George
Madonna has threatened Boy George with legal action after he mocked her hit song Vogue in his autobiographical musical, Taboo. Her music publishers, Warner Chappell, accused George of 'copyright infringement' on Monday morning. The threats had the desired effect, as by Monday night the performance at The Venue in London went ahead without the offending line, which goes 'Ginger Rogers, Fred Astaire, that Madonna dyes her hair.' Boy George blamed Madonna's 'famous lack of humor'. 'We didn't ask her but, you know, I thought she might laugh,' said George. 'She thinks she's a born-again Brit but she's clearly not. It's a shame because the song was funny but she obviously has no sense of humor. It's quite obscene but funny. It doesn't detract from the song. It just shows that Americans have no sense of humor'. (source:

Tough Guy
Guy Ritchie took matters into his own hands when he heard about a con man posing as his casting agent recently. The hoaxer was falsely promising aspiring actors auditions for Guy's film, for money – asking for £3,000 in the case of one musician, Ali Atkinson, from Barbados . Atkinson grew suspicious and got in touch with Ritchie's office. When Guy got wind of the story, he personally phoned up the con man. Atkinson explains, 'Guy pretended to be my agent. He strung him along for a good five minutes. But then he said, "Do you know who I am?" The guy said no. "I'm Guy Ritchie", he replied.' On a happier note, Ritchie has promised to consider Atkinson for any future projects.

National Portrait Gallery to Show Pop Exhibition
Fresh from being immortalized in oils by a Scottish painter, Madonna is to headline a display of photos of the top 20 women in pop from the 1960s to the 1980s at the National Portrait Gallery. As well as Madge, the show will also feature Marianne Faithfull, Sandie Shaw and Sade. The exhibition is called She Bop and has been put together by Lucy O'Brien, the author of biographies of Annie Lennox and Dusty Springfield, who will also feature in the exhibition. The show will be on from 8 July to 3 November.

Home Shopping, Madonna Style
For a pop superstar, browsing the stores amid a throng of autograph hungry fans is never a realistic option.  Madonna, however, has found the perfect way to go fashion-hunting without being mobbed – the shops simply come to her.

As she continues to rehearse for her West End debut, her London home has been staging its own costume drama.  Racks of clothes by the world top designers have been arriving for the 43-year-old singer’s perusal. On each bag is the letter M – indicating the special client they are destined for.  ‘It was an amazing variety of top names,’ said one onlooker. ‘There were bags from Gucci, Gina, Jimmy Choo and Selfridges. And a number of staff were carrying the items in and out of the house.’

A source close to the star added: ‘She always likes to look good and at the cutting edge and it’s increasingly difficult for her to visit stores in a more conventional fashion.’  Madonna lives in Mayfair with husband Guy Ritchie, daughter Lourdes, five, and 17-month-old son Rocco.  She will make her West End debut next month in a comedy called Up For Grabs. When it opened in Sydney last year the play was described as a ‘brilliantly funny satire on the art world.’

Forty, Love, and a new set of Winners
Are our eyes playing tricks on us or could it be that 40 - the age supposed to symbolize that youth is over - is just not that old any more?

With many big celebrities reaching the big four 0 this year there seems to be a startling re-think of what it means to be middle-aged. We seem to take our lead from America, especially the gorgeous stars who seem to stay sag and wrinkle-free.  And lately it appears that many of the "inevitable" things associated with "middle age" - including middle-aged spread, mid-life crises, hair loss, cellulite and the daunting approach of compulsory comfy slippers, seem to be disappearing, or at least sliding back a few decades.

For women in particular this is a time of renaissance, with stars such as Jodie Foster turning 40 this year, after recently giving birth again. Screen star Michelle Pfeiffer is 42 and still looks great. 
And of course there is adopted Brit and supermum Madonna, raising her family with her younger man Guy Ritchie yet still staying cool, trendy and top of the pops. Who can imagine any of these women donning frumpy cardigans and resigning themselves to a middle-aged life of lost youth?

All these Hollywood stars and the example they set (rumors of plastic surgery and masochistic exercise regimes notwithstanding) are escaping the oldest tyranny - that men mature and women just disintegrate.  Switch on the TV and it is the same story where the saucy Sex and the City girls, and in particular Samantha, played by Liverpool-born actress Kim Cattrall (40 last year) show sisters are still doing it for themselves.  And it is not just the women making 40 fun and fashionable. Heart throb Brad Pitt's popularity seems to show no sign of diminishing as he reaches 40 this year, neither does Tom Cruise's box office appeal.

The Americans have been on to the idea that 40 could be the new 20 (or at least a second chance) for years. The Over 40 and Fabulous Club has existed for more than a decade there. Fronted by fitness guru Margaret Richard, who at 52 looks 10 years younger, it celebrates all after-30s.  We have seen Kathleen Turner, Jerry Hall and even Dallas's Linda Gray happily throwing off clothes in The Graduate in the West End, celebrating middle age as a powerful, sexual, revealing time.  In Britain more women, and men, are delaying marriage or starting a family until their late 30s.

Pregnancy in women over 40 has soared by 40pc in the past 10 years, with Madonna, Sigourney Weaver and our own Cherie Blair showing how it is done. Forty just isn't old any more.

English Customs Rubbing Off on Madonna
It looks living in London has rubbed off on Madonna - the US superstar can't go anywhere without some tea, even if it's in a dodgy flask clutched under her arm.  But she reverted to type later on when top shoe people Gina and designer store Gucci popped round to her luxury Mayfair home to tempt her with their latest styles.

Madonna - who once said shoes weren't better than sex, but lasted longer - was rushed off her feet last week rehearsing for Up For Grabs, a play she hopes will launch her West End career.

What better way to give her tootsies a break from treading the boards than to put her feet up - clad of course in the latest styles worth hundreds of pounds - and settle down with a good old cuppa. 

Unreleased Tracks Information
"Exclusive from Madonnarama"
Madonna Researcher and longtime friend of Madonnarama, Bruce Baron has written exclusively for this site and we can now share the results of his recent delving into the Music Publishing Houses' archives.

I recently found some interesting things in the EMI Music Publishing database that I wanted to share exclusively with you. Some are new revelations and others are second confirmations of my previously published Madonna research.

"Cyberraga" is titled "Cyber Sadhu" for EMI published co-author Talvin Singh. Patrick Leonard and Madonna are credited for an unreleased title called "You'll Stay" in addition to the previously known, but unreleased "Be Careful". These are not to be confused with the songs completed with her other collaborators (David Foster and William Orbit) "You'll See" and "Cuidado Con Mi Corazon". These might be earlier versions.

"Dear Father" is confirmed (yes that old rumor) to exist as an unreleased co-write with Andre Betts (Erotica period). Not to be confused with the Like A Prayer era "Oh Father".  "Gone Gone Gone", "Like A Flower" and "Revenge" are all unreleased confirmed titles co-written with Rick Nowels (Ray Of Light era). The last song has a third co-writer named Gregg Fitzgerald who has also previously worked with former Madonna songwriter Billy Steinberg.

The previously known and unreleased "Keep On" written by Madonna, Colin Wolfe, and Dallas Austin is again confirmed as a separate title from the released song "Don't Stop" (Bedtime Stories era). "Keep On" is also listed as a separate entry in the Warner-Chappell database. EMI also shows another entry by the same writers separate from what might be a variation of "Freedom" called "Your Honesty" (Warner Chappell shows this entry only as "Honesty").

If you explore the EMI database WARNING : Don't confuse "Dancing On The Seven Seas" in the database as a Madonna song. I think it is a track by OMD using a sample of "Lucky Star".  Titles like "Bonita", "Everybody"(not Madonna), "Stay Out Of My Way" and "Spanish Fly" among others also appear to be referencing writing credit for Madonna related samples for her EMI published co-writers like Pat Leonard.

Don't be confused by songs written by Madonna Wayne Gacy that might appear mixed in with Madonna's.  The Warner Chapell database recently listed the previously unknown Shep Pettibone/Madonna collaborations "Goodtime" and "Tongue Tied". These were not on file at the Library Of Congress Copyright Office when I visited back in 2000. Since no other co-writers are listed, I do not suspect these tunes to be songs by other acts that use Madonna composed samples such as "El Paraiso Rico" (La Isla Bonita sample) found in the same database which clearly shows all of the other songwriters involved. These tunes list only Shep Pettibone and Madonna.

The same is true for "Regfresando" which credits only Madonna and Patrick Leonard as songwriters. Speculation: Perhaps this will surface on a release for a new artist on her latin label Maverick Musica for someone like Jorge Moreno? The title might also be a typo for "Regresando".

If the database is accurate, Madonna retains copyright control along with Mirwais for the "Music" album collaborations. No other Madonna collaborator that I have found has done with her this including William Orbit for his collaborations on the same album according to Warner-Chappell. This "control" allows the writer to "approve" how the songs are used by the publisher. From what I understand, Mirwais can now prevent a song he wrote from being used from this album for whatever purpose (TV shows etc..)if he wants to, but Orbit can not even though he also co-wrote. There are usually lower royalty payments involved for a writer to retain copyright control. Madonna's control right is part of her Webo Girl publishing deal with Warner Bros.  We know that Madonna's publishing company for her own compositions is Webo Girl (ASCAP) administered by Warner and that her own record company has a publishing division. Most have heard of Maverick Music's(ASCAP) 109 titles. Many also know of another arm which operates as Nomad-Noman(BMI) and has 19 titles. What many don't know is that another arm operates as Edinburgh Songs (SESAC) with 43 titles. ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC are performance royalty collection agencies which operate independently.

According to the US Copyright Records, Madonna's publishing company Nomad-Noman gave (sold ??) publishing control of 938 songs to Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Publishing back in 1999. Downsized!  Also in the public records: Junior Vasquez's real name is Donald Mattern. Shep Pettibone's real name is Robert Pettibone. Stephen Bray's middle name is Pate. Madonna is documented to have been born in 1957, 1958 and 1960!  Patrick Leonard gave his portion of control to "Act Of Contrition" and 162 other songs to Susan Leonard back in 1998.

Former Madonna manager Freddy Demann got the publishing rights to "Material Girl" and 5 other songs by the same song writers back in 1990.  "Dress You Up" co-writer Peggy Stanziale had something to do with Victoria Shaw getting two songs sold to Maverick Music in 1994. Her exact role in this copyright transfer record is not quite clear to me.

The unreleased Madonna/David Foster collaboration "I Can't Forget" (from the Something To Remember era) can be confirmed to exist at the BMI database. The unreleased Madonna collaborations "Cook And F*ck" (instrumental used on the David Letterman Show) and "Dick Tracy" can be confirmed to exist at the ASCAP online ACE On The Web database.

According to ASCAP, Shep Pettibone also now gets co-publishing credit on Erotica's "Secret Garden" in addition to the long known about among fans "Secret". In fact, both songs until recently were listed in this database under a heading called "Madonna/settlement" along with "Inside Of Me" due to Shep's original demos with Madonna.

Keep in mind that public databases are not 100% correct all the time, but most of what I have found over time has been proven true by eventually hearing it myself or by finding a second credible source confirming the same information. The vault of unreleased Madonna material continues to slowly crack open! Hopefully we will someday see some this material released on a future Warner Bros collection. (hint, hint!)

Bruce Baron is the author of "Unreleased Madonna Songs" (Goldmine 1999), "Madonna Deca-dance 1982-1992" (Goldmine 1992), co-creator of the Madonnathon fan conventions (1992-1993) and was an assistant on the A&E television biographies "Madonna Exposed" and "Madonna: The Name Of The Game". 

Gwyneth Living at Madonna's House
Living in the finest hotels can be a bit wearying, even for thesps of the caliber of Gwyneth Paltrow. So when little Gwyneth came to London for new new play, Proof, she was invited to stay with her pal Madonna. The pair of A-listers are said to be shacked up together chez Ritchie and rehearsing their lines deep into the night. While Madonna's West End antics have been reported ad infinitum, Paltrow has kept a lower profile. She is preparing for her role in Kilburn with John Madden and will tread the London boards for the first time at the Donmar Theatre in Covent Garden next month.

Madonna confesses to insecurities and self-doubt despite the Image of her "Charmed Life".
Madonna, in the opening letter, of her Icon fan magazine, spoke of her insecurities.

 "You may look at my life and think that I live a charmed existence. I am rich and famous. I have a great career. I have a talented and gorgeous husband and two beautiful children. I could go on and on.  But you would not be looking at the whole picture if that was all you could see. I too have my moments of doubt and weakness. My moments where I react before thinking things through.   My moments when I take the easy road. My moments when I gossip and I am envious. My moments of deep insecurity."

She went on: "It's important that you know this because we all suffer from the same thing and if I can share any wisdom with you at all it would be this: the only thing that gets me through these hard times is to give.  Just give for the sake of sharing and not for what you will get from it. When you feel down or trapped in a certain situation, get outside of yourself and do something nice for someone."

She tells fans to give "a kind word or a hug", and to make people happy by paying them a visit or writing them a letter, or by giving to the local community or schools.  "Doing something before you are asked to do it. Pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone. Helping someone in need. Going the extra mile. Going the extra distance.  This is a great cure for sadness, anxiety and self-obsession which, by the way, never solves the problem anyway."

She signed off: "Giving is the best medicine. But what do I know?? Only what I've learned, and I wanted to share it with you."

Madonna also told fans that the past year has been a challenge. "I survived the tour. I survived making a film with my husband on a deserted island.  I survived renovating and moving into a house in London. I guess you could call me a survivor.  But it's been much more than that. I have also thrived and learned and been challenged and tested and inspired. I have been pushed to my limits. I have laughed and I have cried."

She signed the letter `M' - Madonna has reportedly asked people to refer to her by that name from now on. (see post below)

Speculation has been rife that she and husband Guy Ritchie are expecting another child, but her spokeswoman dismissed the rumours as "completely untrue".

Touching moment for Madonna
If some new pictures of Madonna are anything to go by, it looks like the 43-year-old may well be expecting her third child - and that son Rocco is in on the secret. Rumors that the pop icon is again pregnant by film director husband Guy Ritchie have been doing the show business rounds for weeks but photographs, taken during a shopping trip in Beverly Hills, seem to indicate there may be some truth in them.
The photographs appear to show Madonna raising her top and encouraging her son by Guy Ritchie to pat her stomach. The health-conscious yoga fanatic certainly looks more shapely than her usual muscular self, and what would be more natural than to lift her top to show young Rocco where his new brother or sister is growing?

Crucially, speculation has been reported on the celebrity gossip website - which correctly predicted her last pregnancy and even the couple's choice of the name Rocco. It may also explain why she chose to cancel all the matinée performances of Up For Grabs, the play in which she is set to make her West End stage debut next month.

Of course publicists for the stars will be reluctant to confirm if their client is pregnant in the critical early stages up to the three-month scan. However, often months after that - even right up to the birth - a star's pregnancy will still be officially denied.

Madonna's press agent, Moira Bellas, told the Standard today: "We have been inundated with calls over the last 10 days about this. I have personally been in contact with Madonna's camp more than once about it and am reliably informed she's not pregnant."

Publicists also denied Madonna's first two pregnancies with her daughter Lourdes and then Rocco, until it became too obvious.
This time Madonna might feel it is even more important to conceal the pregnancy, given the fact that there are more risks attached to older motherhood.
It was also claimed last year in the unauthorised biography, Goddess, that Madonna had 11 abortions by the time she was 18 years old - a claim which, were it true, would also affect her ability to have children.

Those claims were strenuously denied by the star at the time, though Madonna did not take any legal action against author Barbara Victor.
Rocco was born in August 2000, a few months before Madonna Ciccone married Ritchie at the Highlands castle of Skibo. Lourdes, now five, is her child by personal fitness trainer Carlos Leon.

Ritchie has described fatherhood as one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences of his life, and he has also expressed his desire to have more children with Madonna.
Of course, the pictures, published in Heat magazine today, could simply show an intimate moment where mother and child compare belly-buttons, but it is certainly unusual for the off-stage Madonna to be this demonstrative in public.

West End Girl Madonna Gets Tough
Music legend Madonna has laid down the law to the cast of her first West End play.
Actors have been reminded never to call her Madge - she prefers 'M' - and the play's author has been asked to re-write the ending.
An actor rehearsing with the material girl for her West End debut in Up For Grabs found out about her name the hard way, according to the play's writer David Williamson.

"The English newspapers call her 'Madge' to try to domesticate her, and she hates it," he told The Australian newspaper.
"One of the actors didn't realise and called her that in rehearsals and got a fairly sharp response."

Arguments
The Australian playwright has been working with the US cast on some script changes after Madonna requested the ending be re-written.
"I've had a couple of arguments with her in the rehearsal room (but) I'm not doing everything she tells me by any means.  "She would ask, 'David, are you telling me I have to do it that way?' and I said, 'M, I would never tell you what to do, I'm just suggesting'."   Madonna has agreed to do six shows a week during the 10-week run of the show which opens in May.

Oscar nominee to join Madonna in her West End debut
Michael Lerner will co-star with Madonna in Up For Grabs in the West End.
Lerner earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film Barton Fink.

His other film appearances include The Mummy, My Favourite Martian and Radioland Murders.

The cast of Up For Grabs also includes the British actresses Megan Dodds and Sian Thomas.

The show is at the Wyndhams Theatre from May 23 to July 13.

Madonna's Spokeswoman Denies Rumors she's Pregnant Again.
There has been speculation in America that Madonna may be expecting her third child.  But her spokeswoman says there is no truth to the rumors.  "We have been inundated with calls over the last 10 days about this" the spokeswoman told This is London.  "I have personally been in contact with Madonna's camp more than once about it and am reliably informed she's not pregnant."  (source: Ananova)

M is Madonna's new nickname at West End rehearsals
The writer of Madonna's new play says everyone calls her M because she hates the nickname Madge.  David Williamson has been working with her as she prepares to make her West End debut in Up For Grabs.  He says Madonna hates the nickname British newspapers have given her.

"They call her Madge to try to domesticate her and she hates it," Williamson told news.com.au. "One of the actors didn't realise and called her that in rehearsals and got a fairly sharp response."

He admits the pair have clashed over the play's ending.  "I'm not a pushover, and I've had a couple of arguments with her in the rehearsal room," he says. "I'm not doing everything she tells me by any means.  She would ask 'David, are you telling me I have to do it that way?' and I say 'M, I would never tell you what to do, I'm just suggesting'."

Up For Grabs opens at Wyndhams Theatre on May 23. 

Rumors Begin Again About Madonna Pregnancy
Has Madonna got another bun in the oven? The Ritchie gossip mill has been churning out baby-shaped rumours for a couple of weeks now and while at first these rumourlets were pretty vague, they have started to take on some more credible shapes. The first story to reach our ears was that the baby is due in December; the second was that it is a boy. Now, though, Heat magazine has published piccies of a 'more rounded and softer' than normal Madge baring her little tum for little Rocco to prod. Seems as plausible as wild and baseless speculation can be. As the mag so gallantly points out, it may be now or never for the 43-year-old.

Madonna to Build Panic Room in her HomeMadonna is so anxious about her safety at home, rumor has it that she is ordering builders to make her a special 'panic room' .  She  has tested out the idea in her Hollywood offices, where she is able to lock herself away with the security of a phone line and enough food and water to keep her going for several days!  The secret hideaway is thought to be similar to that seen in the David Fincher film 'Panic Room', which sees Jodie Foster's character lock herself away in a secure room .  Someone close to Madonna says, "If a stalker eludes security and barges in, Madonna can dive into her panic room, shut the door and be safe.  Once inside she can hit a panic button that seals off the room and automatically alerts the police."  This story has already been denied by Madonna's spokespeople. 

Madonna produces a game show.
SPY GAME? In her slowly unfolding plan for world domination, Madonna will produce a game show
TUBE TALK Madonna is finally getting her own game show.
NBC has shot a pilot for her long-in-development ''Truth or Dare,'' based less on her 1991 concert documentary than on the adult parlor game.
From the network that is having the contestants on tonight's ''Fear Factor'' confront their fears of public nudity, a risqué, Madonna-produced game show doesn't seem much of a stretch. NBC is also planning to revive the original contestant-humiliating game show, ''Let's Make a Deal.''
Expect both game shows to premiere this summer...

Miscellaneous Tidbits
*Astonished backstage crew at Wyndam's theatre in London were given their bizarre orders at a special production meeting last week. Madge infuriated the set movers and sound engineers by demanding that they:
-Must not talk to her unless spoken to first or have eye contact
-Provide four extra bodyguards
-Build a secret exit so she can give autograph hunters and photographers the slip.
One worker said: "It's the first time we've ever been given such ridiculous rules. We've all worked with famous people before and we're not star-struck and don't do stupid things like asking for autographs. One of the sound guys will have to attach a radio microphone to Madonna's body every night but he's not even allowed to talk to her. It's bizarre."

*Guy Ritchie had his cell phone stolen from the backseat of his BMW, while out to dinner with the missus. Guy was kicking himself for leaving it there. He had a lot of numbers stored on it, (Madonna, Vinnie Jones, Brad Pitt, Rupert Everett and Gwyneth Paltrow) and and he rang his friends to warn them. He was a bit embarrassed about it. He takes his family's safety really seriously and was worried about this.

*Madonna has a favorite new hang-out - Holland & Holland, the gunsmiths and country wear shop in London's Brunton Street. Rarely a week goes by without a visit from the pop superstar. She transforms herself into a fully fledged Lady of the Manor. The manor in question is Ascombe Park in Wiltshire, the 1,134-acre estate where she lives with husband Guy Ritchie. "She buys all sorts of things, from shotguns to country clothes and wax jackets. Other times she just browses" says my man behind the till. No wonder Versace is downsizing and closing its flagship London Store on Old Bond Street.

*Billboard talks about Madonna's lengthly stay on the yearly charts. Written to Fred Bronson's Chart Beat, a fan wrote:
'My question involves the ever-fascinating Madonna. It occurs to me that Madonna has had a song on the Hot 100 in every calendar year since 1983. I think the only exception could be 1988 -- I'm not sure if "Like a Prayer" debuted in late '88 or early '89. I wonder if you could tell me who the record-holder is for most consecutive calendar years with a song on the Hot 100.'
Bronson's reply: "It depends how you qualify Madonna's achievement. She didn't have any songs debut on the Hot 100 in 1988, but she did have a single on the chart that year -- just barely. "Causing a Commotion" peaked at No. 2 the week of Oct. 24, 1987. The single's final week on the chart was Jan. 9, 1988, when it was No. 98, down from No. 97. That means Madonna has been on the Hot 100 every year from 1983 to 2001 (and seems certain to chart in 2002 with the title song to the next James Bond flick, "Die Another Day"). She's at 19 years and counting. Just considering the Hot 100, Elvis Presley charted every year for 20 consecutive years, from 1958 to 1977. Of course, Presley also charted on the Billboard pop singles chart before the Hot 100 was introduced in August 1958. If we count his entire rock-era career, he had an uninterrupted 22-year run, from 1956 to 1977.

Austin Powers and Bond Producers Settle Disputes
A deal has been struck which will allow New Line Pictures to use the title 'Goldmember' for its Austin Powers movie. New Line Pictures was being sued, because of the titles closeness to Bond's 'Goldfinger". The settlement was agreed that as long as they use screen trailers of MGM productions before the main feature.
One of these trailers will be for Die Another Day! For us Madonna fans, a slim possibility exists that we may hear a snippet of her Bond theme, while the trailer appears watching the previews prior to seeing the Austin Powers movie.

Madonna takes Security Precautions
Madonna isn't taking any chances when she debuts next month in 'Up for Grabs' in London's West End. The security conscious superstar will have two beefy guards standing on either side of the Wyndham Theater's stage, which has been raised three feet to protect Madonna from over-eager fans.
Even during rehearsals, large areas of the stage have been declared off-limits to Wyndham staffers.

Madonna in Private Rehearsals
Madonna is currently rehearsing at Sadlers Wells in secret for her May West End debut. Large areas of the theatre are now off-limits to staff. The stage at Wyndhams Theatre, where she will be appearing in Up For Grabs, has been raised three feet for security reasons.
Madonna is also responsible for another West End first: two security guards are to stand on either side of the stage. Even Nicole Kidman didn't get that in the Blue Room.


Guy's Father Defends Madonna and Condems Painting
Madonna is used to fighting her own battles. And some people predicted one of her famous tantrums over nude paintings of the Queen of Pop. But when Scottish artist Peter Howson unveiled his weird artistic impressions, the Material Girl kept her own counsel.

Not so her furious father-in-law - Guy Ritchie's dad John - who showed all the righteous indignation you'd expect of a British gentleman. Leaping to Madge's defence Mr Ritchie Snr. stormed: "I thought the pictures were disgusting.

"I'm not impressed by them at all and they are so inaccurate as to be absurd. I think Guy would prefer not to see them. I don't think it's the naked thing that would annoy him so much as the fact they are so bloody awful. The extraordinary thing is that although Madonna is incredibly fit, she doesn't have a dramatically muscle-bound body. If you saw the paintings and then saw her you'd find it hard to make a connection."

In a touching addition, 72-year-old John confided to 3am: "When we were all having supper the other night I noticed just how delicate she is." John, a retired advertising executive, believes recovering alcoholic Howson is piggy-backing on Madonna's superstardom to promote his own oddball works of art.
Some believe that if the ever-protective Guy comes across the artist he'll take serious physical action. But in the mean time the film director's dad is waging his own verbal family war. He is particularly incensed over the revealing nature of the anatomical 7ft by 5ft paintings because he says his famous daughter-in-law no longer favours wearing risque clothing.
John, whose son Ritchie married Madonna 16 months ago in Scotland, fumed: "Howson is almost certainly trying to draw attention to himself. I don't like to be critical of someone I don't know but the paintings were dreadfully unattractive. Since I've known Madonna, she has never worn revealing clothes. These pictures are absolute fantasy."
Madonna - who met 44-year-old Howson 13 years ago - refused to enter the angry debate yesterday, but she may not be too impressed by her father-in-law's comments as she is said to remain a huge fan of the artist. Instead she cheered herself up by buying herself a £58,000 top-of-the range BMW.
The man at the centre of the simmering row told 3am: "I'm sorry if the paintings have offended him. That wasn't my intention. They are not meant to be an accurate depiction of Madonna. They are the way I see her. I did not want to make fun of her or offend her."
It's unlikely that the girl herself will buy the two imposing portraits.
But if anyone is interested... they're yours for £120,000 each!

Madonna to interview Britney?
According to the Village Voices' Michael Musto, he hears that Madonna may interview Britney Spears for an upcoming INSTYLE magazine. More info to come.

All's well . . . Up for grabs
MOST playwrights would be over the moon to learn that Madonna is going to star in one of their works in London and, probably, on Broadway. But for Australia's top dramatist, David Williamson, the association with the Material Matron is becoming a bit of a headache.
I understand that Madonna just e-mailed Williamson to the effect that she loves his play "Up for Grabs" and really is looking forward to doing it on the West End this spring, but she "hates the ending."
Williamson has the stature to tell her to get stuffed, but I guess even he likes the idea of having a pop icon expose his work to a
wider audience. So he's retooled the play and diplomatically claims that Madonna's suggested changes made a lot of sense. OK, but is it typecasting? The leading role she's playing is that of a greedy, manipulative art dealer - and we do know that the Big M is into art these days.

Gallery unveils nude Madonna
Artist Peter Howson has unveiled his controversial nudeportraits of pop icon Madonna at a small Scottish gallery.  The acclaimed painter said he thought that the pop starwould be "flattered and pleased" by the paintings.
But he admitted that her husband, British film director Guy Ritchie, might be "a little annoyed" by theportrayal of his wife. "I think he'll probably come and hit me," he said. I believe Madonna would be both flattered and pleased that I had done this.

Peter Howson: "But if he's a man of wisdom and integrity he'll be quite pleased with them, I imagine."   Howson was speaking as he unveiled his latest exhibition for the media on Wednesday. The artist, who was brought up in Ayrshire, was offered substantial sums to open the collection in New York, Paris, Los Angeles or Italy. But he rejected the approaches in favour of the Maclaurin Art Gallery in Ayr. "I had one of my first exhibitions at this very gallery and I'm just thrilled they agreed to stage this here," he said.

International reputation
Howson said Madonna's staff had told him the singer was scared he would make her look ugly. However, he admitted to being disappointed that she had not given him her reaction to the paintings.
The portraits are part of an exhibition entitled New Works, which also includes paintings based on the 11 September terror attacks on the United States.

New collection
Trustees of the gallery, which is located in a converted stable block in the grounds of Rozelle Estate, said they were "delighted" that Howson had insisted on holding the première in Scotland.
The new collection includes 10 portraits of Madonna, some of which portray her naked.
Howson said the two most controversial larger works -called Death and Madonna and Madonna 2002 - were meant to show different aspects of her life and public image.
He said the collection of portraits were designed to show Madonna as a powerful and charismatic person while also touching on her religious upbringing.
The singer is an avid collector of Howson's work and has previously posed fully clothed for the artist.
However, Howson had to paint his latest works from his imagination.
The 44-year-old said he had no qualms about offending the star, who he believed was "fair game" because she was a public figure.
He first met Madonna 13 years ago and has been working on her pictures for the last decade - although he had to keep changing them due to her numerous new images.           

More Rumors on New Album
Latest rumor surrounding the new Madonna album is that she has approached French band Rinôçerose to work on some tracks.  Rinôçerose are a French duo from Montpellier founded by Jean-Philippe and Patou, In 2002 they release their second album, "Music Kills Me"a fresh mix of 70s rock and house music. 

Miscellaneous Tidbits
For UK fans, Amazon.co.uk are currently taking reserve orders for the U.K. DVD release of "In Bed With Madonna" ( "Truth Or Dare"). The movie will be released on DVD in the U.K. on April 22nd.
MTV and Vh1 have been airing a DWT version of "Holiday" this past week. This version is being called Holiday 2001.
The rumor of Rinôçerose on her new album seems to be another of the many false leads. The confusion may have arisen after the established band created a "Music" remix for a Madonnaremix site.

Female Gallery Owners to View Madonna in Play
When Madonna makes her West End stage debut in the art world satire Up For Grabs next month, her opening night audience will include more than a few female gallery owners keen to cast a professional eye over her performance. In the British premiere of this new Australian play, the 41-year-old star is cast as a ruthlessly ambitious dealer who maneuvers her wealthy clients against one another. When a Jackson Pollock painting comes on to the market, she stakes her career on manipulating their greed, lust and competitiveness towards a risky endgame.

Madonna's role as sexy broker has already captured the imagination of theatre-goers: tickets for the three-week run have sold out. What London's female art dealers will make of the portrayal, however, is another matter. For Lottie Bailey, associate director of Historical Portraits in Dover Street, Mayfair, the practice of pitting one client against another would be as unthinkable as doodling on a Leonardo da Vinci cartoon. She believes that the gentler female attributes of empathy and sensitivity can be put to use when dealing with clients. "To employ an artistic metaphor, I think buyers prefer to perceive women much more in terms of the post-classical muse rather than the autocrat when it comes to selling art," she says.

According to insiders, playing an art dealer will be "a dream" for Madonna. Although, as a collector, she is best known in Britain for lending one of her Frida Kahlo paintings to the Tate, her collection is apparently as eclectic as one would expect. "A lot of people in the entertainment industry invest in contemporary art, but Madonna has, more unusually, also ventured into the rather more rarefied realms of Old Masters," says one New York-based female art dealer who has worked with her.

Madonna's collection includes more than 300 European works, among them paintings by Dali, Fernand Leger and Tamara de Lempicka. She also possesses a world-class array of European photographs from the Twenties, Thirties and Forties, and it is rumored that she may have been the "private American buyer" who paid £1.5 million for a Cranach at Sotheby's last December. "She has an art adviser, as do many Americans, but I've spent time at her apartment and I found her to be knowledgeable, intelligent and keen to learn - a little shy, even," says the dealer.

For big-hitters - with equally sizeable budgets - such dilemmas rarely arise. In Up for Grabs, the emphasis is on male ego, and how Madonna's shrewd dealer ratchets up the tension - and testosterone - to get the highest price.  "I've met a few women like the character Madonna plays, in America, and frankly, I find them a bit intimidating, in their beige Armani suits," says Rebecca Hossack, the flamboyant owner of two West End galleries, whose clients include Graham Norton, Peter Gabriel and Paul Smith. 

Madonna & Guy attend Kabbalah meeting
Madonna and hubby Guy Ritchie attended the first night of Passover at a Kabbalah meeting in London.  They were so lovey-dovey, onlookers could hardly believe it.  

Madonna 'nude' to go on show in Scotland
A nude portrait of Madonna is to premiere in Scotland before touring the world.  Artist Peter Howson was offered substantial fees to open an exhibition containing the work in New York, Paris, Los Angeles and Italy.  He insisted, however, on opening it in his homeland instead and the work will go on display at the MacLaurin Art Gallery in Ayr from April 13.  It is believed that Howson had to paint the work from imagination as the Material Girl's husband, British film director Guy Ritchie, did not want her posing nude.

Madonna is an avid collector of Howson's work and has in the past posed, fully clothed, for the painter. The exhibition, entitled New Works, runs until June 4.  A source at the gallery said: "The figure in the painting is not really recognizable as Madonna. You wouldn't know it was her unless someone told you." Howson became established in the 1980s as one of the 'New Glasgow Boys', a clique of painters concerned with portraying social issues.   His bold, gritty and controversial paintings soon brought him to the attention of collectors and his work has been exhibited around the world. 

Madonna and Guy Visit Children's Ward at Hospital
According to the Sun's Bizarre column, Madonna and Guy paid a secret visit to London's Great Ormond Street Hospital (for sick children).  Below was provided by a hospital insider:
"The couple visited five wards over two hours, chatted to sick children and gave out teddy bears. Obviously it was a massive deal as they are one of the most famous couples in the world. It was a lovely gesture and all the kids loved it." 
 

Miscellaneous Tidbits
Madonna and Guy Ritchie came in fourth in the Sunday Times Annual UK Rich list. As a fully fledged Brit, Madonna, was first eligible to join the annual list last year, where she and Guy came sixth - but this year their combined fortune have rocketed to two hundred million pounds. They've still got to go a long way before they catch up with the number one slot, Sir Paul McCartney with an amazing seven hundred and thirteen million pound fortune. The full list is published in the Sunday Times this weekend.  Elton John finished in 6th place(£160m), followed by Mick Jagger(£155m), and Sting(£150m).

Peter Howson's nude sketches of Madonna can be seen on Gareth's great site, 'Where Life Begins'.  The actual portraits will be premiered in Scotland on April 14th.
Link to Howson sketches

US fans, tune in to NBC on Sunday night for a special celebrating '50 years of NBC late night'.   The show will salute late-night television, where anything can happen and usually does. The special will show previous appearances from an array of guest stars and special features, including  Drew Barrymore, Eddie Murphy and Jerry Seinfeld, as well as Madonna, Cher, Richard Pryor, Jennifer Lopez, Tom Hanks, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Will Ferrell.  Don't forget to tune in on Sunday night, April 7, 2002 Time: 9-11PM ET NBC.

Sean Penn in discussing his past, never refers to Madonna by name.  Only as the first wife.  :)   

Guide Picks - Top Ten Women of 80s Music
Women came out in droves in the 80s to write, play and produce their own music, here are ten Guide picks as the most influential, important and downright remarkable artists.

1) Blondie - Debbie Harry
Fronting an all-male band in the mid-70s, Debbie Harry is the patron saint of women of 80s music.
2) Madonna
Blazing a huge territory for woman's place in music was the Material Girl. Like her or hate her, she made an indelible mark on the face of woman and Pop music.
3) Go-Go's - Belinda Carlisle, Jane Weidlin, Kathy Valentine, Charlotte Caffrey, Gina Shock
The first all-girl band to write their own music, play their own instruments and achieve number one chart status.
4) Cyndi Lauper
With a multiple octave range and a very unique style, she created some of the most memorable sounds (and looks!) of the 80s.
5) Siouxsie & The Banshees - Siouxsie Sioux
Fronting a Post-punk band in the late 70s and seeing it through to Pop stardom in the 80s and 90s, Siouxsie Sioux wins my vote as one of the most influential women in musical history.
6) Art of Noise - Anne Dudley
Starting out the early 80s as part of Trevor Horn's in-house studio band, Anne Dudley was the center of Art of Noise, having previously arranged and produced material for Frankie Goes to Hollywood, ABC, and Paul McCartney.
7) Throwing Muses - Kristen Hearsh, Tonya Donnely & Leslie Langston
The first American group to have an album released on the prestigious 4AD label, Throwing Muses quietly inspired a great deal of women to show off their musical talents. The band then spawned solo careers for Kristen Hearsh, Tonya Donnely and two successful bands in the 90s, Belly and The Breeders.
8) Cocteau Twins - Elizabeth Fraser
Elizabeth Fraser's voice is one of the most distinctive and striking in Alternative music. Inspiring a slew of bands throughout the 80s and 90s, she is one of the most overlooked of all the woman of the period.
9) Joan Jett
Kickin' ass and taking names, Joan Jett rocked onto the Pop music scene fronting her Blackhearts and penning some of the most memorable anthems.
10) Janet Jackson
Michael's baby sister proved that she wasn't about to stand in his shadow and displayed her maturity and independence as a solo artist.

Sunday Newspapers Have Negative Backlash on Madonna
The producers of the play 'Up for Grabs' are not very happy with Madonna lately.  She has been making all kinds of demands.  She has threatened to pull out because she doesn't like the title.  She has demanded that her character's name be changed.  She also refused, much to the dismay of fans who bought tickets, to do matinees.  Word has it that she insisted on choosing the rest of the cast herself. A backstage source told said: "Madonna's proving very difficult and wants to take total charge of the whole project" 

The Sunday People says Madonna's dad, Tony Ciccone, was having a hard time of it financially when running the vineyard.  He had to resort to benefits, but Madonna didn't give him a penny. The paper claims he was struggling to survive on £40 a week handouts and was close to losing his home and benefits, but he was too proud to ask Madonna for cash and she gave him none.  It quotes Madonna's stepmother, Joan Ciccone, as saying:- She knew the position we were in because she had come to stay and even brought her children. But we didn't have any help from Madonna even though it would have been useful. Madonna is like him - she is independent and expects other people to be the same.
Her making things easier for us was never going to happen. It has been very difficult to make the vineyard work and it's only breaking even now. It has been a long and hard struggle. The paper also quotes Tony as saying what Madonna does and how she decides to treat people is up to her.

The Herald Sun claims that Madonna is the laughing stock of residents in Wiltshire where she is trying to learn to shoot pheasants.  First, she acquired the country uniform -- a tweed hunting vest by Barbour, moleskin Burberry trousers and the obligatory Green Hunter wellies.  Next she spent $54,000 on two shotguns from Purdey's and had the stocks adjusted to improve her shot. Then she embarked on an intensive course of expensive shooting lessons at which she was not entirely successful. In superstar style, Madonna seems to believe her shooting woes could be solved by replacing her gamekeeper. Tommy Speke refused to comment on his demotion, but a friend said: "The steam was coming out of his ears."

But the paper takes joy in claiming her shot is still lousy.  It would appear, Madonna is not conducting herself in the way in which country folk expect, she's abandoning their tradition and so is rubbing local residents up the wrong way. She and Guy have also hired an agency to double the number of days sold to clients, turning Ashcombe into a commercial estate.

Top 10 Female Role Models: Madonna almost the perfect role model.
When you read the words "role model," it's often a man who comes to mind. But why should this be the case? We've all looked up to someone at one time or another in our lives or careers — whether they be our mothers, our sisters, our teachers, or our friends — and been inspired, guided, and encouraged by another woman's example.  The 20th century has been particularly rich with strong, take-charge, empowered females, any one of whose lives and achievements stand as a wonderful example for the rest of us to emulate and admire. With that in mind, the experts at eHarlequin.com have compiled the following list, in no particular order, of the Top 10 Female Role Models:

1. Eleanor Roosevelt
In many ways the ultimate First Lady, she was not content to simply be "the wife of the president." She made kindness and charity part of the national agenda, setting the definitive example for future First Ladies to follow.

2. Madonna
Whether you admire her in-your-face sexuality or wish she'd tone it down a notch, we can all agree that the Material Girl is one driven, successful career woman who has made her way on her own terms, not on any man's coattails.

3. Amelia Earhart
A woman ahead of her time, this aviator didn't just push the envelope on what women could and couldn't do, she ripped right through it. Her tragic disappearance while attempting a trans-Atlantic flight has turned her legacy into legend.

4. Marie Curie
Part of science's most famous husband-and-wife team, Dr. Curie continued her own work, along with that of her husband, following his death, earning her own place in the pantheon of the world's greatest scientific minds.

5. Rosa Parks
Some women stand up for what they believe in; Mrs. Parks sat down. She wouldn't give up her seat on the bus to a white man, and by refusing to budge in the face of oppression, racism, and prejudice, she inspired countless others to speak out and demonstrate in favor of civil rights.

6. Nora Roberts
An inspiration for countless aspiring romance writers, publishing phenomenon Nora has been a New York Times bestselling author many times over, and was the first author inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame.

7. Oprah Winfrey
This Queen of All Media began her life in poverty, and struggled through adversity to become an incredibly successful businesswoman. Oprah epitomizes inspiration, challenging women to do and be their best every day.

8. Princess Diana
The first royal to truly have the common touch, Princess Di overcame her natural shyness and embraced the public that adored her, and in the process dragged the reclusive British royal family kicking and screaming into the 20th century.

9. Mother Teresa
The embodiment of unselfish charity, this icon of goodness devoted her entire life to nursing the sick and giving a helping hand to the outcasts of society, those whom others shunned and refused to touch.

10. Anne Frank
Although her life was cut tragically short, her diary lives on as a testament to the strength and courage of the human heart. Her own words capture her spirit best: "In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at hear.

Howson Painting Condemned by Madonna's Art Consultant
The nude portraits of Madonna which Glasgow artist Peter Howson unveiled last week have been condemned as voy euristic and self-promoting by the singer's art consultant.  Howson's two paintings, which will be shown to the public for the first time at his exhibition in Ayr this week, depict Madonna variously as a monstrous figure crouching in a graveyard and lying on a bed with symbols of heroines, harlots and the Virgin Mary surrounding her.  Art consultant Darlene Lutz manages the singer's collection of paintings, sculptures and photographs. Speaking from her office in New York on Thursday, Lutz said: 'Famous artists don't paint famous people. We are not in the 18th or 19th century here. None of the artists that Madonna has collected has painted her. It's just not something that's really done. It can be really seen as voyeuristic, or the use of somebody's image in order to promote your work.'

Lutz said on Thursday that neither she nor Madonna had seen the paintings yet. The art adviser had received an e-mail from Howson's dealer, Matthew Flowers, explaining that the paintings had been completed and would go on show on April 13 at the McLaurin Gallery in Ayr.  Madonna has never sat for any painted portrait of herself, and has never commissioned any, according to Lutz. This has not stopped a number of not-so-well-known artists creating work based on her image.  'I have a huge storage facility full of artwork that has been inspired by Madonna,' Lutz claimed. 

Back to Top                               

March, 2002

Madonna Movie Title Changing Back to Old
Rumors have surfaced that LSDM will now revert back to the original title, 'Swept Away'.

George Michael Reprimands Madonna
The Sunday People claim today that George Michael had a huge row with Madonna after he saw her having a go at her assistant. 
The Queen of Pop (Madonna that is) reduced the poor woman to tears - just because she'd bought the wrong type of coffee, I can reveal. And George - at No 3 today with his new single Freek - was so shocked he shrieked: "You shouldn't speak to people like that."

An onlooker who saw the row at a London recording studio said "Madonna was being completely charming to all the engineers and other staff but she exploded at her assistant for a trivial mistake. Everyone was so embarrassed for the girl. When George stepped in he was told to mind his own business."

Madonna was working on her next album at the studio and George had come in to hear some new mixes of his latest work.

Madonna is a nominated for Bulgaria's 4th annual M.M. Music Awards.
The awards are to be held on March 23rd in Sofia. Madonna and Guy Ritchie are nominated in the category of "Best International Video for "What It Feels Like For A Girl".

Up For Grabs Matinees Cancelled
Tickets for Madonna's much-anticipated West End outing in David Williamson's comedy Up for Grabs will be even harder to come by now after confirmation this morning that all 20 matinee performances - on Thursdays and Saturdays throughout the limited season from 23 May to 13 July 2002 (previews from 9 May) at Wyndham's Theatre - have been cancelled because of the superstar's "unforeseen recording commitments".

Those who have already bought matinee tickets are being offered alternative dates for evening performances or a full refund. Prior to the news, the box office was reporting this week that no more tickets were available for the ten-week run, although more were expected to be released.

Producer Sonia Friedman commented: "We completely understand that Madonna has daytime recording commitments that cannot be rescheduled. As a result, we are determined to accommodate all matinee ticket holders."

Madonna’s manager Caresse Henry reiterated the star’s commitment to the stage production, saying: "Madonna is thrilled to do this play, especially to be on stage in the legendary West End."

Love, Sex, Drugs and Money in trouble?
Love, Sex, Drugs and Money - four little words that the the combined power to destroy a marriage. Now movie director Guy Ritchie is wishing he'd never heard these words, or at least never mentioned them to his wife, Madonna.

British wunderkind film maker Guy cast his beloved in his new comedy romance, "Love, Sex, Drugs and Money", as a creative joint venture. The movie, shot in Malta and Sardinia last year was supposed to be printed and delivered to the studio's weeks ago, but when Madonna took a look at the finished product, she launched a furious tirade at Guy which threatened not only the
studio's schedule, but also their marriage.
"She hated the way Guy shot her, and the way he lit her," says a friend of Madonna.

"She looked old and pasty. She went absolutely bonkers when she saw what she looked like on a 40 foot screen in cinemascope, and tore into Guy something fierce.
"And she blames Guy for making her look so bad and so old! She would never consider that she is old!: According to the insider, the films delivery has been delayed because of Madonna's demands for an immediate reshoot of her scenes, and that is a lot of scenes - she plays the lead, Amber, a rich woman who rents a yacht with friends for a spot of summer sailing on the Mediterranean. In a twist of fate, she winds up
shipwrecked with her italian captain and falls for him. It's a remake of Lina Wertmuller's 1974 love story, Swept Away.

"Madge told Guy and the producers that unless scenes got reshot, she wasn't going to promote the film. That threat scared them silly and reshoots were set up the very next day.

"The scuttlebutt is that Madonna is really showing her age on screen and doesn't look very good. She looks tired, her face is drawn, and it's lit so badly that the sunlight seems to wash her out of the frame. She's furious. "She trusted Guy and didn't even look at the dailies," the friend explains. "He said she looked
great and she believed him. Now its causing all sorts of problems between them and everyone around them is worried about the state of their marriage and whether it can withstand the media storm that everyone knows will follow another bad Madonna flick.

"Madonna's marriage may be Swept Away by the time this gets released! It's caused a real rift." Guy is known for his tough, gritty movie making - his best known efforts are the violent Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and the Brad Pitt vehicle, Snatch.
Neither film has a heroine who requires a flattering soft focus treatment.

Says the insider, "Guy did the very best job he could considering Madonna is well over 40 and not ingenue anymore, And Guy really thought he did a decent job of making her look good on screen. But there is only so much he can do for her. He can't erase the lines on her face!

"And if word leaking out about the movie is true - that its another stinker with another awful performance by Madonna - he can't make her a better actress, either."

Madonna - the undisputed Queen of Pop, who's remained remarkably relevant in her music career - has yet to make a box-office smash movie. Although Evita was respected and a minor hit, she's still best known for bombs such as Who's That Girl? and The Next Best Thign.
And she seems to have a knack for saving her worst performances for the movies she makes with her current romantic partner.

Legendary Loser, Shanghai Surprise, co-starring her then husband, Sean Penn, was laughed out of cinema's, and her big budget ticket, Dick Tracy, directed by and starring her lover, Warren Beatty, was another all time disaster. "Unfortunately for Madge and Guy, the word on the street is that the new film stinks, The whispers are that Madonna gives another wooden performance and no-one is buying the love story" her pal claims.

"Just wait till the critics rip into her and her movie, it will be brutal! Guy is pretty tough but even he may crack. He'll be scorned and rejected in the showbiz world and at home, and Guys pals say its a recipe for the beginning of the end of their marriage.
"Madonna's already throwing all the blame at Guys feet for the movie failing - and it hasn't even opened yet!"

Guy Ritchie: Crisis, what crisis?
Movie Title Changing back to Swept Away?
Even as I write, knives are being sharpened in some quarters to carve up Madonna and Guy Ritchie. What is providing the strop is Ritchie's latest film, formerly entitled Love, Sex, Drugs and Money, which observers claim is heading for the dumper.
These same "observers" extrapolate the film's troubles as a symptom of the couple's marriage. Of course, none of these "observers" can lay claim to having actually seen the movie, but when has a little thing like ocular proof ever hindered the merchants of speculation and gossip?

A late-night conversation with Ritchie's producer, Matthew Vaughn, revealed that there are indeed changes being made to the film, not the least of which is the title, which is reverting to the original upon which it is based, Swept Away. "We are reshooting a couple of scenes at the moment," confirmed Vaughn. "They were in the original script, but for various reasons we didn't film them at the time. Guy is still editing and the music still has to be finished."

Contrary to popular reports, it is the music that has proved to be the biggest headache so far. Ritchie and Vaughn are aiming for "an old-fashioned romantic sound like a Maurice Jarre score for a David Lean movie. We are currently on our third composer."

All of which may be a little uncomfortable for those involved, but none of which indicates that the film is "in trouble". Last-minute adjustments, fine-tunings, editing and soundtrack re-recordings are pretty well de rigueur for movies these days, especially given the propensity for previewing early cuts of movies for selected audiences. This is a subject that most exercises Vaughn.  "We made a mistake," he admits, "by showing an unfinished cut. We just used 'found' music from a variety of sources and some of the people at the screening didn't understand that. It also had a lot of brutal stuff, with a lot of beatings on screen that didn't go down at all well. So we've cut back a bit on that."

Whatever the result of all this, would it not be fairer to assess the film on its merits when we have actually seen it? And as for the dubious speculation that the film has caused a rift between Mr Ritchie and his missus, I offer part of a conversation I had with Guy earlier in the year about working with his wife for the first time. "It was a bonding experience, actually," he said. "We are better off as a couple after it than we were before. We were getting along well enough before the film but the experience certainly did us both a lot of good."  Having spent much of last year being beaten up for the cameras, Madonna will doubtless relish the relative peace and quiet of the recording studio, where she is about to record the song she is currently composing for the latest James Bond film, Die Another Day.

Cindy Adams on  Madonna and Guy Rumors
Rumors keep rumoring that Guy Ritchie and the missus, Madonna, are not humming "Embraceable You." That he's a bit of a bad boy. That she's not a happy camper.  In that same article, Ms. Adams had this to say about Sean Penn: "Michelle Pfeiffer about her Oscar-nominated "I Am Sam" co-star: 'Sean Penn was such a joy as a person. He's so incredibly fun-loving.'   "Sean Penn a joy? Fun-loving? Next we'll hear Russell Crowe helps old ladies across the street. (I mean, even if they don't want to go!)"  

Gwyneth Moving to Europe Near Friend Madonna
Gwyneth Paltrow speaking to a German newspaper said, ‘Hollywood is a completely male-dominated world. I want to leave. At the moment, there is definitely a lack of interesting female roles and nothing that I would really like to undertake. I'm going to star in my first London theatre production this spring, but after that I'm not sure what I will do. I'd like to stay in Europe for a while, maybe in London, Berlin or Paris.’ Paltrow also explained that she is considering starting a family. ‘At the moment, I don't have any concrete designs on how that should happen. It all lies in God's hands,’ she said. So who has brought about this new outlook? ‘Madonna is a good friend, and she has given me lots of advice,’ purred Gwyneth, ‘one of the most important pieces she has given me is not to waste time worrying what other people think of me.’ 

Problems with LSDM during Test Screening
From NY Daily News:
Madonna is courting controversy with rough sex again — but some early viewers are already recoiling from the movie violence she and her hubby, director Guy Ritchie, have hatched.  In Ritchie's new film, based on Lina Wertmuller's 1974 classic, "Swept Away," Madge plays a bitchy millionairess who gets beaten up by a sailor she's marooned with on a Mediterranean isle.

The bruising is a prelude to lovemaking, but it's turning off audience members at test screenings.  "It's a pretty challenging movie, as with the original," Ritchie's rep Kris Thykier tells us. "Some people love it. Others are horrified. It's certainly not breeding indifference.  There is violence in the relationship, but it grows out of passion rather than abuse," says Thykier. "People are going to be blown away by Madonna's performance. Guy isn't worried."

Thykier denies talk that the film (whose working title of "Love, Sex, Drugs and Money" may be changed to "Swept Away") needs that much work. He also denies Ritchie and Sony scratched a party planned for the Cannes Film Fest in May and that they postponed the release.  "The film was never going to be at Cannes," says the spokesman.
Madonna's spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg concurs that "some people were uncomfortable with some scenes. But she plays a really dislikable person. Some people might think her character deserves what she gets."  Rosenberg says that, at last word, the movie was due to open in the U.S. in September.

From Soundbuzz:
Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie are up in arms after test audiences slammed their joint film as "misogynistic" and "confusing". Love, Sex, Drugs And Money is directed by the Snatch auteur and stars the pop diva, but a scene where a feisty millionairess - played by the mother of two - is brutally beaten up by a sailor proved particularly unpopular with audiences.  A crew member says, "There were problems with the film right from the start. Working with a loved-one is always tricky, especially when it's Madonna. And while Guy is delighted with the outcome, others are concerned, so it's now down to some clever post-production."

An extravagant party planned for the Cannes Film Festival in May has now been cancelled while the British director goes back to the editing suite to make the film more acceptable to audiences.  Love, Sex, Drugs And Money also stars Jennifer Aniston, but will no longer be released this summer as planned.

Another Madonna Ex Causing Grief
Another of Madonna's ex lover's is trying to grab some cash by auctioning his collection of knickers worn by her.

According to the UK News Of The World, Jim Albright, her ex-bodyguard is making a website to display the underwear along with other intimate goodies the two shared when they dated in the ‘90s, such as Polaroid's and letters.

Albright is quoted as saying: "I'm gonna make a fortune and I have a perfect right to do what I'm doing. She may be acting like a goody-two-shoes wife and mom now, but this is the reality about her horny past. I'm not concerned about what she thinks or feels. If it upsets her, it's too bad. She's posed naked in pictures for profit, so she can't complain if someone else does the same thing. Imagine the talking point of having a pair of Madonna's used panties in a frame on your living room wall."

As expected, Madonna is said to be furious and threatening legal action. Unfortunately, her choice of men have no honor and think nothing of airing out their dirty laundry.

Madonna May Still do Cameo on James Bond Film
Madonna had been in talks with MGM for over a month to contribute a song to the film's soundtrack, and now that negotiations are over, she's heading into the studio next week to record the tune. It won't necessarily carry the same title as the movie, despite it being the "title" song, her spokesperson, Liz Rosenberg, said.

There's still a question of whether or not Madonna might have a cameo in "Die Another Day." Rosenberg said the singer/actress is interested in having a bit part, and since she's committed to the play "Up for Grabs," which opens in London's West End in May, she's trying to figure out a way to do both. Since the spy caper is shooting on location in Hawaii, Hong Kong, Spain, Iceland and London, Madonna might be able to meet up with the production on a European shoot.

Madonna Added to 2002 Encyclopedia
Madonna, the first lady of pop music, was among other names to be added to the 2002 edition of the Encyclopedia. Apart from Madonna, who is described as "the first woman to make a significant splash in rock history", the 350 new entries include President George W Bush, the actor Sean Connery, the tennis player Pete Sampras, Sir Anthony Hopkins, JK Rowling, Dame Judi Dench, Peter Sellers, as well as writers such as Poet Laureate Andrew Motion and novelist Martin Amis were the other names added.  They join the ranks of Einstein and Freud with an entry in the Encyclopedia Britannica.  The encyclopedia was last updated four years ago, but it was only recently decided that film and pop stars should be featured.

Historically, the Britannica has focused more on academic subjects than film stars and so on, but now that serious people - like university professors of rock and pop - are writing about people like Madonna, and celebrities are considered important in our everyday lives, Britannica has decided to make a change.

Historically, the Britannica has focused more on academic subjects than film stars and so on, but now that serious people - like university professors of rock and pop - are writing about people like Madonna, and celebrities are considered important in our everyday lives, Britannica has decided to make a change.  Christine Hodgson, the company's marketing director, said:"We have got oversights in these areas and we need to address them."

Subjects which are given their first entries in the new version of the encyclopedia, include lesbianism, ecstasy and hip-hop.  Sections of the encyclopedia were also revised to take account of the catastrophic events of the September 11 terror attacks.

Bond Theme Official Press Release
Madonna will be composing and performing the main title song for "Die Another Day", the newest James Bond adventure, it was announced today by producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli and Anita Camarata, EVP of MGM Music. "Die Another Day" stars Pierce Brosnan and Halle Berry and will be released on November 22, 2002, in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the Bond films.

Wilson and Broccoli said, "We are thrilled that Madonna, who is recognized as the world's most exciting songwriter and performer, has agreed to compose and sing the song for the first James Bond movie of the new millennium.''

"Madonna is a brilliant artist who continues to have enormous appeal,'' says Camarata. "She has an excellent feel for writing and performing music in films and we are proud she will contribute her talents to Die Another Day.''

Over the years, the James Bond films have spawned an incredible array of hit recordings, including "Goldfinger'' and "Diamonds Are Forever'' sung by Shirley Bassey, "We Have All the Time in the World'' sung by Louis Armstrong, "Live and Let Die'' performed by Paul McCartney and Wings, "Nobody Does It Better'' sung by Carly Simon, "For Your Eyes Only'' sung by Sheena Easton, "A View to a Kill'' by Duran Duran, "Goldeneye'' sung by Tina Turner, and "The World is Not Enough'' by Garbage.

Throughout her extraordinary career, Madonna has recorded and written several hit songs for the big screen, including "Beautiful Stranger'' from Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, which won a Grammy Award and a Golden Globe nomination. She also recorded the Oscar-nominated "You Must Love Me'' from the soundtrack to Evita, and wrote and recorded "I'll Remember'' from With Honors, "This Used To Be My Playground'' from A League of Their Own, "Who's That Girl?'' from the film of the same title, "Live to Tell'' from At Close Range, "Into the Groove'' from Desperately Seeking Susan, and "Crazy for You'' from Vision Quest.

Die Another Day is the 20th film in the James Bond series, and is being directed by Lee Tamahori and produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. With a script by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, the cast also includes Toby Stephens, Rosamund Pike, Rick Yune, John Cleese and Judi Dench.

Madonna to do Bond Theme on Monday
Known as a tough negotiator, Madonna wouldn't agree to sing the title song for "Die Another Day" until MGM execs agreed to give her a part in the new James Bond flick. Yesterday, the deal was signed. "Madonna goes into the recording studio on Monday," her rep, Liz Rosenberg, said. But now it turns out Madonna is too busy to appear in the movie. "MGM has offered Madonna a cameo in the film, but it conflicts with a play she is doing in London." 

VH1 Contest for Testino Print
VH1 is offering Madonna fans the chance to win a signed Mario Testino print of the singer.  The competition will run as part of Top 40 Madonna, in which viewers are invited to vote for their favorite Madonna songs.  It will be shown on the music channel on Monday April 1 at 10am and 5pm.

Madonna and Guy out on the Town
Madonna and Guy left the children home and went out for the evening in London.  The were sighted at the Donmar Theatre in London's Covent Gardens to see the opening night of a play called Jesus Hopped The Train.

More on Bond Theme Song
The Daily Star claims that Madonna is definitely set to record the theme music for the next Bond movie. The paper reckons that Madonna has been in secret discussions with Eon and MGM and they quote an insider as saying:
' Madonna has really wanted to do the soundtrack and the producers have been desperate to sign her up. They have been in discussions for quite a while, but now everything's pretty much been agreed. It's a huge coup for the film makers'.

New Title for James Bond Movie
Movie producers on Tuesday ended months of speculation among 007 devotees about the new film's name. "'Die Another Day' carries on the tradition of the Ian Fleming stories
and reflects the excitement and mystery of our latest script," producers Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli of EON Productions said in a statement.

The film, which began shooting in January, has had fans of the British secret agent series on tenterhooks. One dedicated Web site eagerly reported last year that it had details of the new movie which it claimed would be called "Final Assignment" --
only to discover the "leaked" script had been penned by an
over-imaginative fan. "Die Another Day," which sees Pierce Brosnan as Bond for the fourth time and also stars actress Halle Berry, will be released in Britain and the United States on November 22.

More Award Nominations for Madonna
Madonna is a nominated for Bulgaria's 4th annual M.M. Music Awards. The awards are to be held on March 23rd in Sofia. Madonna and Guy Ritchie are nominated in the category of "Best International Video for "What It Feels Like For A Girl".
More on the DanceStar Awards nomination (noted below):
Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Basement Jaxx, Crystal Method, Deep Dish, Fatboy Slim, Moby, and Daft Punk are among the
nominees for the DanceStar USA Awards, set for March 24 at the Jackie Gleason Theater in Miami. Roger Sanchez and Kelis will host the event, while nominee Christopher Lawrence will spin at the preshowreception party.
Up for Album of the Year are the Crystal Method's
Tweekend, Felix da Housecat's Kittenz and Thee Glitz, Daft Punk's Discovery, Darude's Before the Storm, and Basement Jaxx's Rooty.

Madonna in Special Life Magazine
Have you seen this special Life magazine issue, Rock & Roll at 50 issue.  Madonna appears on two different lists.

Top 15 Rock & Rollers of All Time
1. Elvis Presley
2. The Beatles
3. Bob Dylan
4. James Brown
5. Rolling Stones
6. Madonna
7. Stevie Wonder
8. Chuck Berry
9. Michael Jackson
10. Kurt Cobain
11. Eric Clapton
12. Crosby Stills Nash and Young
13. Smokey Robinson
14. Aretha Franklin
15. Bruce Springsteen

Some highlights of the comments:  Christopher Ciccone once called his sister Madonna "her own masterpiece."  He said that she is, an intricately crafted figure of great varity, who may or may not be a feminist icon, may or may not be much of a singer, may or may not be narcissistic empty vessel, but is a rock star of the highest order. Madonna who is now in the 20th year of a phenomenal career, has savvy, style and legs and has stayed unerringly on the beat while dancing from disco diva to Marilyn Monroe, from Manqué to Electronica queen.  Madonna has long ago perfected the art of creating controversy, which has been a powerful weapon in rock's arsenal since Elvis. She has done it her way.  Madonna can be pondered and questioned, castigated and criticized, but she cannot be denied.

The other list, ' Dozen Discs (singles and albums) That Shook The World', had Madonna finishing in 12th place with 'Like a Virgin'.  Rock Around the Clock, by Bill Haley and the Comets was first.  'Madonna had already notched a couple of club hits when this became her first No. 1, in 1984. Melodically it was just another pop song, but it sent an entirely different message than her earlier music had, and allowed for the rise of women in rock 'n' roll. Madonna's persona, developed here and in 'Material Girl", was now tough and raunchy. By the end of the decade, Madonna was in charge' 

Madonna in Hot Water over Deceptions Play
Never far from controversy, Madonna has landed herself in hot water after pulling out of a West End theatre show. The Queen of Pop told Kim Poster, the producer of Deceptions, that she would star in the lead role as a psychiatrist when it runs at London's Strand Theatre in May.

But Madge has changed her mind, leaving infuriated bosses out of pocket. Insiders say she could face legal action. It was revealed: "The theatre was booked on the provision that Madonna was in the show, and it wasn't cheap to secure it. Some of the producers had to put their hands in their pockets in order to secure the booking. The bill for hiring the theatre, teamed with lost revenue could amount to well over to £250,000." As Madonna's appearance had not been announced, no tickets were actually sold for the show, but bosses were confident it would be a hit. "If you've got someone as big as Madonna in the show, there is no need to sell tickets way in advance because the minute people hear she's in it, they would have sold like hot cakes."

Earlier this month it was revealed Madonna will tread the boards in May when she appears at London's Wyndham Theatre in a play called Up For Grabs. Tickets for the production, which is about double-dealing in the art world, sold out within hours of her performance being confirmed. A spokesperson for the 43-year-old singer said: "Madonna will star in Up For grabs, but nothing else was ever confirmed."

Beatty Article Mentions Madonna
A very nice article about Warren Beaty appeared in 'This is London', with some mention of Madonna.  Here is the Madonna highlights:
He was blessed with idiotically good looks, a top-class brain and an irresistibly seductive pillow-talk, often whispered into a phone very late at night. That winning combination enabled him to bed most of the most beautiful women in the world. Here's just a partial list: Natalie Wood; Cher, when she was just 16; Julie Christie; Elle Macpherson; Faye Dunaway; Jane Fonda; Goldie Hawn; Candace Bergen; Joni Mitchell; Britt Ekland; Michelle Phillips; Diane Keaton; Carly Simon, who is supposed to have written the song You're So Vain about him; Isabelle Adjani and, of course, Madonna. And there are dozens more, some famous, some just beautiful.
It was his difficult relationship with Madonna that convinced Beatty, then in his mid-fifties and always acutely self-aware, that he was in danger of becoming utterly ridiculous.  "Being adolescent never got boring to me," Beatty admits. "But I came to the conclusion, not a moment too soon, that I stood a good chance of reaching the end of my days as a solitary, eccentric fool." 

Madonna Stalker Gets Jail Warning
The Sunday People reported today that a British fan who stalked Madonna for ten years has been warned by police he will be charged and could face jail unless he leaves her alone.  Detectives wrote to the obsessed Jacob Johnson, 32, telling him the superstar had complained he harassed her by visiting her West London home and sending "offensive and alarming" material through the post.

The maximum sentence if convicted is five years. Madge-mad Johnson bragged last night that he had followed the 43-year-old star to America nine times and bombarded her with love letters, flowers and chocolates.  Johnson admitted: "I've been chasing Madonna for years. I've given her nice necklaces and rings. And I posted a few things through the door."  He added: "I've sent her my best gifts and now she has turned on me. I think I'll stay away now."

Madonna in most Beautiful Poll
The Sunday Express has compiled a list of the three hundred most beautiful women in the world. Madonna is featured at number 178 (huh? It's not a typo - number 178!), with the following explanation:  "She's now Mrs. Ritchie and a mother of two,  yet she remains one of the world's most potent sex symbols. Ever since she first stormed the charts with Holiday in 1983, she has flaunted her sexuality, courted controversy and made it very clear she is the boss. Oozing charisma, her every move challenges, provokes and entices". 
Pray tell, who were they looking at as comparison.  Very hard to believe that there are 177 people more beautiful than Madonna. The judging panel included the likes of Boy George, Vanessa Fletz and Peter Stringfellow so perhaps it's no great surprise that Madonna got such a low rating. 

Drowned World" Gets Certified  
Madonna's home video release of "The Drowned World Tour" has been certified platinum in the U.S. (for video sales of over 100,000 copies).

HBO Special Features Madonna Song
For those of you who get HBO, Madonna's song 'Frozen' is featured in the movie debuting on Saturday, March 9 at 8pm/7c.  There is a promotion cd from the movie, which will not be available in the stores.  Warner Bros, Reprise and Maverick Records give special thanks to the artists who have donated these songs in support of promoting social tolerance. 
"The Laramie Project," a powerful true story that explores the effects of the Matthew Shepard murder on Laramie, Wyoming, and how the town struggled to understand and come to terms with the crime.
Tracklisting:
Barenaked Ladies-What a Good Boy
R.E.M.-Beat a Drum
Alanis Morissette-Awakening Americans (non-album track)
Amanda Ghost-Idol
Kasey Chambers-Not Pretty Enough (remix)
Depeche Mode-Freelove (Flood remix)
Madonna-Frozen (edit)
Enya-Fallen Embers
Josh Groban and Charlotte Church-The Prayer
k.d. lang-Simple
Lea Delaria-Lowdown-Down
Meshell Ndegeocello-Earth
the B-52's-Private Idaho
Book of Love-Boy
Waterlillies-I Wanna Be There
The Flaming Lips-Waitin For Superman
Orchestra Of St. Luke's Conducted by Peter Golub

Bathtub Beauty
The director of the new movie "All About the Benjamins", which opened today, found his earliest muse in Madonna.  Kevin Bray, whose brother is songwriter Stephen Bray, walked into Stephen's apartment in the mid-80's to find a diva sitting in the middle of the kitchen in an empty bathtub crooning her head off.  "She was singing 'Into the Groove'......fully clothed," sighed Bray. 

How Madonna met the Ritchies
The public may be used to Madonna portraying herself as cool, rebellious, attractive and hugely successful, but her mother-in-law sees her in a very different light.  In a fascinating insight into life at home with Madonna, Guy Ritchie's stepmother, Shireen, sees the superstar as an example of how a woman can successfully combine motherhood with work, and one who does not mind a supper of supermarket fishcakes.  Like most sons, Ritchie was nervous about taking his new girlfriend to see his mother for the first time, and neglected to say who exactly he would be bringing. So the would-be mother-in-law was completely unprepared for the guest at her Chelsea home.

"Guy rang to ask if he could come over for a bite to eat with a friend," she said. "So I nipped out to the supermarket and got a couple of packets of fishcakes and peas."

When the superstar turned up, she was a bit surprised to say the least. Mrs Ritchie said: "I was rather embarrassed and said something like, 'Tell me dear, how do you get into the music business?"  The meeting with the prospective mother-in-law could have been a bit difficult, especially considering Madonna's extremely liberal views and the fact that Mrs Ritchie is the chairman of the Kensington and Chelsea Conservative Association.

However, the two women found common ground when discussing children. And now Mrs Ritchie and her husband John, who made his name in advertising with the Hamlet cigar campaign, don't mind the odd spot of babysitting for 18-month-old Rocco and Lourdes, five, when the celebrity couple are away on business.  Mrs Ritchie said: "We like taking Rocco to do normal things. He adores those huge activity centres. He's nearly two and a real little boy, and Madonna's daughter, Lola, is very girlie. Rocco's just started to talk. The whole family will be here for a while so maybe he will get an English accent." She says she admires 43-year-old Madonna for the way she has managed to balance her full-time job and still done a "wonderful hands-on" job bringing up the children. "She's quite strict and Rocco is a charmer," she said.

She is not so sure it is her 33-year-old son doing the nappy changing, either, adding: "I couldn't possibly say whether Guy changed a nappy. But he's always been a perfectionist, anything he's into, he'll be totally dedicated about it."

To observers, the couple's wedding at Skibo Castle and Rocco's christening in Dornoch Cathedral was a media circus with dozens of top names turning out for the occasions. Not so for Mrs Ritchie, who told the Daily Telegraph: "For us, it was just a family get- together."  It was the same when the in-laws went to visit Guy and Madonna on the set of Love, Sex, Drugs And Money, a film directed by Ritchie and starring his wife. "It wasn't all sex, drugs and money. It was a very family affair - lots of the film crew had children... there were toys and nappies everywhere," said Mrs Ritchie.

Miscellaneous Tidbits
In an article in the New York Times regarding the recent slew of music stars trying to make it in the movies, such as Mariah, Britney, Nsync, the following is a quote on Madonna.
"Desperately Seeking Susan," "Dick Tracy" and "Evita" had their moments, little else in her 19- film career lingers.  I personally think Madonna gets a very bad rap," said Ms. Rosen of the Recording Industry Association. "To say she doesn't succeed in movies is unfair: it doesn't mean she doesn't have talent or even that it's the wrong move. It's appropriate for people to stretch creatively, and it's admirable for them to take risks.
Besides, she said, a star is not solely responsible for a film's appeal at the box office, unlike a record, which usually bears the unmistakable imprint of the performer.

Kylie Minogue on meeting Madonna: "If I see her," Kylie gushed, "I never want to get into long conversations because she may find out how uncool I really am."

A new award show called 'DanceStarAwards", which is expected to give out their awards in N.Y. on March 24th, has Madonna as one of it's nominees.
Best Chart Act: Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Pink, Kim English, Moby

ICON News
This e mail was sent out by Icon;
We're dropping you a line to let you know that the new ICON Magazine issue is finally at the printer after overcoming a few unexpected delays, and will be on its way in the mail to everyone around the world over the next couple of weeks. We're really excited about this issue and hope you feel it was worth the wait. We also wanted to let you know that there are lots of great plans in the works here at Camp Madonna, but more on this in a moment.
This issue represents our preeminent Drowned World Tour issue with our city-by-city, venue-by-venue, show-by-show coverage of the hottest ticket of 2001. We've got tons of incredible photos and behind-the-scenes reporting from the front row and backstage, not only from Madonna herself, but also from her trusted confidante Liz "The Validator" Rosenberg, along with dozens of fans including ICON VIP ticket winners from each and every show on the road. We've also got the latest scoop on the new studio album Madonna is currently working on, along with some great pix and info from the set of the movie "Love, Sex, Drugs & Money," her husband Guy Ritchie's latest directorial effort starring none other than the Missus.

Guy's Next Movie Continues his Gangster Obsession
Anyone who thought that Madonna's feminine touch might have helped Guy Ritchie grow out of his gangster obsession will be disappointed to hear that the mockney rebel's next film is to tread a familiar criminal path. Mr Madonna's next project is to be a version of Layer Cake, a book written by JJ Connelly that tells the story of a drug dealer who attempts to steal millions of ecstasy tablets from a gang of Dutch Neo-Nazis. According to reports, Ritchie has decided to follow the example of Michael Caine's classic Get Carter and move the action from his old stamping ground of the East End to Newcastle. Ritchie recently finished filming Love, Sex, Drugs and Money with the missus in Malta and plans to return there for a film about the Siege of Malta in Autumn. Whether Madge will be quite as keen to take a part in a film made in Newcastle is unclear.

'Madonna' version of children's song is released as a single
A dance version of the children's song The Wheels On The Bus could be heading for the charts.  The single is credited to Mad Donna and is reminiscent of Madonna's Ray Of Light.  It is the second release from new UK label Star Harbour.

The Wheels On The Bus was released earlier this week but the label is planning to re-release it on April 1 in a chart-friendly format.  The single is take from an American children's educational website called Mothergoose Rocks!  A Star Harbour spokeswoman told Ananova: "We saw it on the website and got in contact with them and they agreed to let us release it. "What else can I say. We saw, it made us laugh, so we released it. That's what Star Harbour is about."  The Wheels On The Bus is available for £3.49 through Ananova's ecommerce partner HMV.

Madonna Acts Nothing Like a Virgin
What is it about awards shows that makes reputable musicians lose their minds and want to tear off their clothes?  Some say it's the greenroom hospitality spread. Some say it's the pressure of a billion eyeballs watching you out there in TV land. We say it's Madonna's fault.

In 1984, a nation of innocents tuned into the first-ever MTV Video
Music Awards. In the tradition of other awards shows, we were
expecting a little song, a little dance, a little bowl of Cheetos
resting on our pants.  Oh, but did those Cheetos go down in lumps that night. See, this Madonna lady--the one who'd sung that cute little "Lucky Star" song the year before--showed up onstage in a wedding dress.

All right, that's not disturbing in and of itself. But then this
Madonna lady got down on all fours and started doing strange
gyrations--to a song called "Like a Virgin."Oh, boy, there went another Cheeto in the windpipe...

By the time the performance was over, we didn't know what to do.
Except, you know, buy a bunch of Madonna albums, expect every other artist to top her act and mark it down as one of the hottest things we'd ever seen on a non-Playboy-affiliated channel.

Madonna to Produce Movie "Like a Virgin"
It looks like Madonna will be producing a film titled Like a Virgin. According to the Hollywood Reporter, her production company, Maverick Films, has hired filmmaker Darren Stein (Jawbreaker) to write and direct the film. The plot centers around a girl who launches a back-to-virginity campaign at her high school and unexpectedly becomes a media star.  Aside from the participation of her production company, it is not known whether Madonna will act in the film. She will presumably supply the title song for the soundtrack.

More Highlights of Madonna West End Play
Madonna sparked a ticket-buying frenzy last night after announcing that she was to make her West End stage debut in May. Madonna’s ten-week run at Wyndham’s Theatre in Charing Cross Road, with an opening night on May 23, marks her first return to the stage for 13 years.  Word of her appearance saw the theatre’s box office and Ticketmaster phone lines deluged with calls.

Madonna has often declared her desire to appear in the West End and Wyndham’s has been told that she will keep to the standard Equity performance agreement of eight performances a week, including Thursday and Saturday matinees.

Madonna will play Simone, an ambitious art dealer determined to make her name by whipping up a bidding war for a Jackson Pollock painting that has slipped on to the market. During a tense private auction she plays her wealthy clients off against each other, manipulating their greed, lust and power as the price of the painting surges.

A spokesman for Madonna said: “She has been searching for the right play and the moment she read this she really liked it. She is very excited about appearing on the London stage.” 
Madonna was said to be seeking a fresh challenge and jumped at a production that would allow her to spend time with her two children in London between performances. Ticket prices for Up For Grabs have been held at standard West End prices, from £20 to £37.50.

Her fee has not been disclosed but it will be significantly less than the $1 million-a-night she can charge for her musical stage show. A spokesman at Wyndham’s Theatre said: “News has already spread and we are manning extra phone lines at the box office after being deluged with requests. “We are expecting Madonna to perform eight shows a week over ten weeks so there will be plenty of opportunity for people to see the show.”

In the Australian production, Madonna’s character was played by a 29-year-old actress praised by one critic for giving Simone “wide eyes and breasts that follow you around the room.”   Up For Grabs will be directed by Laurence Boswell, whose recent credits include A Day In The Life Of Joe Egg and Popcorn, by Ben Elton. 

Madonnarama Exclusives: 
No New Album This Year
Following MTV2's "revelation", we have been told by an official source at Warners that no Madonna album is scheduled this year. She has been working on tracks in London but we cannot expect to hear any new music until much later in 2002. 

New "Like A Virgin" Film Project
The Hollywood Reporter says that "Jawbreaker" writer-director Darren Stein will write and helm "Like a Virgin" with Madonna taking part in the project. Stein is already at work penning the screenplay.  The film is described as a sexy comedy about a girl who launches a back-to-virginity movement in her high school, which unexpectedly makes her a national media figure.
Until there is a finished script, it's too early to tell what role Madonna will take in the project; whether she will produce, act, contribute to the soundtrack or any combination of the three.

Back to Top

February, 2002

Rumors Continue on Madonna & Guy Marriage Problems
Madonna and British director Guy Ritchie are suffering marital problems - because the pop legend is trying to control her husband.  According to American publication US Weekly, the "Material Girl" and her Snatch helming beau, who have been married for only 14 months, are locked in a bitter battle over who wears the trousers.  A source tells the magazine, "There's no talk yet of separation, but big problems are afoot."

Among the difficulties is that Madonna, 43, and 33-year-old Ritchie have very different personalities.The source continues, "He's gregarious, a real free spirit who has a lot of friends and likes going out shooting and hunting. And she likes to have him home because she's controlling.  "He's very depressed about the whole situation."  But Madonna's spokeswoman insists, "They are extremely happy - better than you can imagine."

Official: Madonna to make debut on West End stage
Madonna is to make her West End stage debut in the comedy Up For Grabs. She will play an ambitious art dealer.
It will be Madonna's first stage performance for 13 years.
The star's publicist told American magazine People " It's true. I can confirm that Madonna will be appearing in Up for Grabs from May.  The publicist stated that Madonna wanted a fresh challenge, plus the chance to remain at home in London.  The 41-year-old singer has spent much of the last few months in Malta with husband Guy Ritchie, who is directing her in his latest film, Love, Sex, Drugs And Money.  Her last stage outing was with Broadway veterans Ron Silver and Joe Mantegna in American playwright David Mamet's Speed-The-Plow in 1988.  Up For Grabs, a comedy by Australian playwright David Williamson, will open at Wyndham's Theatre on May 23, with previews from 9 May before in opens officially. The show will continue until July 13th.

Latest on New Album
Madonna has already recorded 12 songs for her new album which is due out in stores this summer!!! She has been recording during the past 2 months in the U.K. Madonna plans to record the final songs once she returns to the U.K. in March. Madonna plays guitar on a majority of the songs recorded. The vibe of this album will be completely different than any
of her past albums. They said her new music is mostly rock with a touch of electronica, and they said that Madonna's traditional pop sound will not be a part of this new album. 

Madonna Loses Gibson Award
Madonna lost the Horizon Award for Most Promising Up and Coming Guitarist to Pete Yorn. 

Anti Hunt Protesters Haunt Madonna
Madonna has been bombarded by anti-hunt protesters with graphic videos of foxes being killed, in an effort to stop her allowing her land to be used for hunts. The 1,000-acre grounds of Ashcombe House, which Madonna and her husband Guy Ritchie bought last year, have been used in the past by the Portman Hunt. Protesters are angered by Madge's tolerance of the sport. 'They will have no excuse,' says Neil Buckoke, organizer of the Dorset Anti-Blood Sport and Animal Action Group. 'They will know the truth. So if they don't stop the hunt, they can't say they don't know.' If their videos do not have the required effect, the protesters plan a demonstration. 

Madonna in L.A.
Madonna must not be a "Scooby Doo" fan. It was Carlos Leon who brought their daughter, Lourdes, 5, and her half-brother, Rocco, 18 months, to the children's extravaganza at Radio City Music Hall on Saturday morning. Leon and Lourdes then had an emotional goodbye outside Madonna's building as aides loaded a van with suitcases. Madonna is off to L.A., where, among other things, she'll give a shower with manager Caresse Henry for good friend Debi Mazar. As we reported last month, the "That's Life" funny lady is expecting a child with fiancé Gabriel Corcos

Madonna not on Queen's Golden Jubilee List
Queen signs younger acts.  Will Young, Atomic Kitten and SClub7 have been added to the list of performers at the Buckingham Palace Golden Jubilee concert on 3 June, dragging down the average age by decades. The Party at the Palace was lining up to be a roll-call of rock’s most respected relics, with Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney, Tom Jones, Aretha Franklin, Brian Wilson, Phil Collins and Eric Clapton all onboard. Now, with the news that Princes William and Harry will be attending the event, some under-50s have been added to give that little something for everyone. The latest to sign, Will Young, is on course to have the best-selling single of all time with his Anything is Possible/Evergreen debut. The event is under the creative guidance of Sir George Martin, the former manager of the Beatles, and will be hosted by Lenny Henry and Ben Elton. (source: PeopleNews)
According to independent.co.uk, the list is not finalized and Mick Jagger, David Bowie and Madonna may be added.

Madonna nominated as Most Promising Guitarist
Ah, awards season is upon us. While some are busy forecasting Grammy winners, guitar aficionados may very well be preoccupied by another awards ceremony — the Orville H. Gibson Guitar Awards. Artists compete in such categories as Best Rock Guitarist, Best Bassist and Best Guitar Band. Not surprisingly, U2 snagged nominations in all three of those categories this year, earning them the most nods.

What is surprising is Madonna's nomination for the Les Paul Horizon Award, which honors the most promising up-and-coming guitarist. Presumably she's being recognized for the work she did when she strapped on the old six-string during last year's Drowned World Tour. Other nominees in the category are pop-rock newcomer Michelle Branch, John Mayer, Pete Yorn, bluesman Chris Thomas King and Latin-pop solo artist Juanes.  The annual Gibson Guitar Awards are voted on by members of the music media, and will be presented on February 26 at the Knitting Factory in Los Angeles, according to the Gibson guitar company.

Queen's Golden Jubilee Rumors
Unconfirmed reports have surfaced that Madonna will appear at the Queen's Golden Jubilee concert.  Another report has it that it was a false rumor and she will not appear.  Here are two different highlights of stories from both reports. 

MTVAsia
Madonna will sing for the British monarch -- Queen Elizabeth II. The singer joins a star-studded line up at Buckingham Palace's gardens for the Queen's Golden Jubilee on June 3, 2002.
A royal source told The Daily Star: "It's a great coup. Madonna remains one of the top figures in showbiz and is bound to make the gig extra special." Madonna is said to be delighted at the honor after becoming an ardent royalist in recent years. 
A Londoner since her marriage to Brit film director Guy Ritchie, will join Sir Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Sting and Phil Collins at the bash. 
ITV
Dido is being lined up alongside the likes of Sir Elton John and Paul McCartney to play at two open air concerts in the grounds of Buckingham Palace to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee.  The concerts, which will feature some of Britain's top pop acts, will take place on June 1 and 3 to celebrate the Queen's 50th year on the throne.  The full list of stars is being kept secret, but concert organizers were due to release the some of the details later.  Princes William and Harry will be attending a pop concert on June 3 at which Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton and Tom Jones are among the line-up to mark the Golden Jubilee.  Two days earlier, on June 1, a classical music concert will be held on the same stage.  Both events will feature a champagne picnic in the garden of Buckingham Palace.

Madonnarama exclusively says that Madonna is not going to appear, as the list does not have her name on it.

Guy's People Slam Friction Rumors
Madonna has vehemently denied her current trip to New York is anything to do with her reported marital problems.  The superstar singer is visiting her native America with her children Lourdes and Rocco - leaving her husband Guy Ritchie in London to edit his new film Love, Sex, Drugs And Money, in which Madonna plays the lead Amber.

But despite rumors that the trip has been caused by friction between the pair, Ritchie's spokesperson Bris Thykier says, "It's nonsense. The movie is shot like a love letter from a husband to a wife.  I've never seen two people happier. A married couple can be separated for a week. Madonna just popped over to New York to see people."

Guy Out on Town While the Missus is Away
During London Fashion Week, Guy Ritchie out on the town with nightclub promoter Piers Adam - best man at his wedding to Madonna. "You don't often see Guy and Piers together these days," say Peterborough

"Piers gave a very rude best man speech, and Madonna didn't like it one little bit. She's had an embargo on him ever since, so Guy only gets to go out drinking with Piers when she's away."

Madonna Out of Dreamworks 'Madagascar' ?
Rumors have abounded that No Doubt singer Gwen Stefani, appears to have bumped Madonna from DreamWorks' latest animated flick. Months ago, Madonna was thought to have secured the role of voicing Gloria the hippo in Madagascar, the latest film from the company behind such flicks as Shrek and The Prince Of Egypt.  If these rumors turn out true, the question remains, was the rumor false and Madonna was not up for this role or was she dumped for Stefani?

Nude Madonna Painting
Scots will be the first to see the first-ever nude portrait of Madonna. Artist Peter Howson is planning to unveil the long-awaited nude in his native Scotland. The portrait of the pop icon comes after more than three years of negotiations between Howson and Madonna.  The artist whom many feared was becoming one of his own characters - a hard-up but noble dosser - has just finished a portrait of rock superstar David Bowie. 

Madonna is one of the biggest private collectors of his work. The portrait will be the centre of Howson's first Scots touring exhibition in many years. Howson, official war artist in Bosnia, checked out of the Castle Craig clinic in the Borders just before Christmas after a battle with alcohol addiction. Yesterday, he said: "I had offers to do this in LA, New York, Paris and Italy - and they were big-money offers too. "It will go on tour in Scotland. The portrait of Madonna will be included. I can't say too much yet, but the first sketches are finally under way." 

Niki Harris on Madonna
Niki Harris during an interview with a Swiss Magazine 'Blick";

How did you get to know Madonna?
It was back in 1986. At that time I was a background singer with several different bands. Madonna's agent called me and invited me to a rehearsal. Honestly, I wasn't a big fan of Madonna at that time but when they told me how much money I would get I couldn't resist. So I thought to myself: 'Let's give it a try!'.  I had to learn 19 songs - by heart! And then there were 200 girls at the rehearsal! I somehow managed to be the first to sing and got the job at the very moment. I got along great with Madonna from the very beginning. With the years, we became great friends.
How is it to be one of Madonna's best friends?
It's very exhausting! But I'm just kidding: We are a great match - we're both macho-women! But we don't see eachother that often since she's living in London, unfortunately. But I can tell you: Madonna is very, very happy with her family! 

Miscellaneous New York Tidbits
Madonna and her favorite gal pal Ingrid hit the streets of N.Y today for a day of shopping. Little Rocco was with his mother,  while Lourdes spent the day with her father, Carlos Leon. While teaching Lola on her training bike, a photographer was snapping away.  Carlos became mad and shouted; "You have your picture, so "F***Off." 

Madonna is rumored to be having a dinner/meeting with one of her top Maverick artists, Alanis Morisette this weekend. Alanis will be in town to promote her new Maverick album "Under Rug Swept"...which hits stores this coming Tuesday.

Michelle Branch told MTV's Carson Daly on  "TRL" that when she found out that Madonna was coming to her NY concert earlier this week...she became nervous.  Branch said "I was playing on stage and I look up and Madonna was actually at my whole show watchin', it was really, really cool."  Madonna spent a while having "girl talk" backstage after the show.

Madonna Takes A Holiday From Guy
London's world-class rumormongers are wasting no time in speculating on trouble in the couple's marriage now that Madge has returned to New York with Lourdes and little Rocco.  Ritchie's rep assures us they've had no quarrel.

"It's nonsense," says Kris Thykier, who explains that Ritchie is busy editing his new film, "Swept Away," in which his beloved plays a shrewish rich lady stranded on a desert island.  "The movie is shot like a love letter from a husband to a wife," says Thykier. "I've never seen two people happier. A married couple can be separated for a week. Madonna just popped over to New York to see people."
Among them is Carlos Leon, Lourdes' father. On Wednesday, he stopped by Madonna's Central Park West pad to pick up their 5-year-old daughter.

Leon does seem to have carved out a post-Madonna identity. He has roles in the movies "Empire," "The Killing Zone" and "The Big Apple," and will return to his role on HBO's "Oz" series.

For the past two years, he's been dating Australian actress and model Kirsty Hinchcliffe, who looks a bit like Lourdes' mother. In fact, Hinchcliffe seemed to get on splendidly with the child when the threesome went skating at Wollman Rink on Wednesday afternoon.

Madonna, meanwhile, has been doing the town. She went to see Michelle Branch perform on Wednesday night. Yesterday, she and gal pal Ingrid Casares hit Art Show 2002 at the Armory on Park Ave. Flanked by their nannies (who pushed strollers with Lourdes, Rocco and Casares' baby, Nick, 1, aboard), they also went shopping.

Madonna Turned Down Brit Award
Madonna turned down a Lifetime Achievement Award from Brit Award bosses this year, afraid that it might make her look old and out of date. According to reports the singer had been asked to accept the award in recognition of her 18-year career that started with her first hit, Holiday, in 1984. But when the 43-year-old Queen of Pop declined it for fear it would seem her career was over, the award went to Sting instead, who similarly insisted in changing the title to Outstanding Contribution before he’d accept it. A source close to Madonna said "Madonna is very conscious of her image as a cutting-edge artist and thought a lifetime achievement award — no matter what they call it — would make it sound like she’s reached the end of her career.
It’s like when she did her tour last year — she stuck to new material and refused to play her old hits.”

Sir Paul McCartney, 59, turned down the award two years back for the same reasons, saying that it may as well be called the ‘I’m Just About To Die Award’. The Spice Girls received the award instead, but, despite Macca’s comments, are still insistently clinging to life.

Madonnarama Exclusive
Madonna at Michelle Branch show in New York
This is John's from Madonnarama personal sighting...."I figured that she may show up at Maverick recording artist Michelle Branch's first NY concert on Wednesday night (which I had tickets for) and she did!!!

Madonna, wearing a beige winter coat & sporting very blonde hair (with no roots!), showed up at NYC's Irving Plaza at 9:45 P.M....where she joined her Maverick partner Guy Oseary and a few female assistants to support Maverick's hot new act.

The concert had already started when Madonna arrived and she rushed into the lobby of the venue. She turned to Guy O. and said "Don't kill me...I know I'm late." Madonna was all smiles & seemed to be in a great mood....even while I snapped a photo of her in the lobby. She then headed backstage and caught the show and greeted Michelle Branch!

Madonna is being lined-up to play at Queen Elizabeth's Jubilee concert.
Here is another rumor which is usually turns out false.  Madonna is in the running to join a host of other stars at Buckingham Palace for the celebrations on June 3.  It is being reported Sir Paul McCartney will headline the gig, though Robbie Williams and Elton John have both turned down the chance to appear.

Dalai Lama and Madonna
It is to be hoped that the Dalai Lama's reported illness isn't too serious. The Tibetan high holyman is shortly supposed to spend a couple of weeks quality time at Sting's Italian villa and all of the pop star trendies are planning to make a pilgrimage there. Madonna wants to bring her two kids, which just shows you how serious our musical icons are about religion. 

Madonna in New York??
Rumor has it that Madonna is in New York.  Fans have claimed to have seen her walking in the streets.  More then one fan has commented on this.  Has she returned to the States in time to pick up an award for her nomination of the best upcoming guitarist? Or is she just in New York to shop and meet friends and family?  We have no confirmation of this rumor, but we will let you know if we do.

SKIBO'S NEW NEIGHBOURS
ONE of Scotland's top sporting estates has been snapped up by a mystery buyer. Cambusmore, which has been sold for almost pounds 2.5million, is next to Skibo Castle, Sutherland, where Madonna wed Guy Ritchie.

The celebrity couple love the Highlands and were said to be looking for their own estate but a spokesman for selling agents FPD Savills yesterday refused to reveal the new owner's identity. He would only say: "Cambusmore has been sold to a UK buyer and the full details are being worked out."

Details of Pop Photo Shoot
Evening Standard (London)has a great article with Katie Grand, the stylist for Pop Magazine who talks about her shoot with Madonna.
Katie grand reveals how she was nervous about working with Madonna, having been a fan of hers for seventeen years but that she was professional and very conscious of her image. She wanted the pictures to be cool, strong and hip and knew when the photographer had caught her. She would just say, "OK, we've got that one" and then move on. It was very familiar and relaxed and we worked together for seven hours. It was a great experience and we all walked away feeling happy. Katie Grand says the two are now friends.

Madonna arrived on time - even though she later described the studio location as some shit-hole that took forever to get to. Katie Grand says that she only brought one assistant with her and was amenable to all suggestions but took an active role in decision making.  The article concludes by saying that with pictures like those in Pop magazine Madonna looks set to hold onto her iconic image for some time to come.  There's also an additional supplement in the Evening Standard on Madonna's London. Which can be viewed at their website link below.

Kelly Brook on Madonna
Kelly Brook from television show Smallville, who's boyfriend, Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels star Jason Statham is best friends with Guy Ritchie.  During an interview she talks about Madonna

"You meet people who are on the make and can be quite unpleasant," she says. "Then you meet someone like Madonna who's a superstar and find they're really down-to-earth, nice people. She's been there, done it and doesn't need to prove anything.  "We don't actually have that much in common. I'm a lot younger than her - in fact, she's older than my mother!

"But she's never been anything less than warm and hospitable to me. She's living proof you can have all the money and success in the world, but what's really important is to have someone you love to come home to. She and Guy are immensely happy.  "You can just tell by the atmosphere at their home. Seeing them enjoying family life reminds me constantly that the work, the travelling, the money could all go tomorrow, but the important part of my life, my family, will still be there."

Britney Movie Debut Panned, and some Critics use Madonna comparison.
Both the New York Post and the New York Times ripped into Britney's debut in the movie "Crossroads".  The Post said that Britney showed nothing, but a lack of interest during many of the scenes, and could do no better then Madonna as an actress.  The Times was even more critical, especially in comparing her to Madonna.
'For all her worship of Madonna, the 20-year-old star exhibits none of Madonna's rebellious spirit, intellectual curiosity or spiky humor. For all her legendary drive, she also seems remarkably undriven. Unlike Madonna or almost any pop diva you could mention, Ms. Spears has no discernible demons hovering in her aura.'

James Bond film makers refuse to confirm Madonna theme song reports
The producers of the new James Bond film have refused to confirm reports Madonna will sing the theme tune. Barbara Broccoli says the Madonna link-up remains "a possibility." A spokeswoman for the singer has already said Madonna will record a song for the film.

Broccoli says the Bond team are not worried about going head to head with the second Harry Potter movie. Bond 20 is expected to be released at about the same time as Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets. Barbara Broccoli says having two major British movies out at the same time is good new for the film business. "We're proud of ours being a British film and there are so many other great British films out there that are so well regarded," she told Ananova.

Madonna Musical Preference Poll
Which musical would you prefer to see Madonna appear in? 67% of the People News faithful said that they would like to see Madge dressed in suspenders and not much else to star in Chicago, the musical about murder, fame and kicking your legs high in the air. You kinky lot. A nannyish 21% wanted to see the Material One dressed in a pinny and cycling manically around the Alps, opening her von Trapp and warbling The Sound Of Music. Only 12% wanted to see Madonna showing off her weird cockney accent as a flower girl in My Fair Lady.

More On Madonna Play
Details are emerging about the West End play in which Madonna hoping to star. According to press reports, Madge bought the rights to a play called Deceptions, by Frederick Wheeler, several years ago. The play is a 'psychological drama' based around a psychiatrist who analyses a young woman. Apparently, a West End mogul named Kim Poster has agreed to produce the show. Madonna will play the psychiatrist role and an as-yet-unnamed actress will play the girl. Sounds like a winner.

Gursky Mystery Photo Unveiled
A new photo of Madonna by contemporary artist Andreas Gursky has been unveiled at a private launch party of the exhibition at the Pomidou Centre in Paris.

The 10ft by 6ft image is a montage of Madonna on stage on September 13th in L.A. Not even Madonna has previously seen the image and her art advisor, Darlene Lutz said, 'We're all freaking out wondering what it's going to look like'. No cameras were allowed into the exhibition which also features a picture of the crowd at the Drowned World Tour. The exhibition opens to the general public on Wednesday 13th February.

Madge for West End
Unnamed musical in planning stage
Madonna is in advanced, behind-the-scenes talks to star in an as-yet-unnamed West End musical, according to breathless press reports. The 43-year-old singer/actor is said to have been keen to take a straight dramatic role, before being persuaded that a musical would better suit her talents. The West End has been reeling in recent months from the effects of the events of 11 September, which have deterred many Americans from traveling to London, and it is thought that a touch of Madge's magic could be just what is needed to restore the flagging industry. In 1999, Madonna was penciled in to take on the role of Maggie in Cat On a Hot Tin Roof on the London stage before plans fell by the wayside. A spokesman for Madonna said, 'She is considering her options.' 

Eonline on Madonna and James Bond
Madonna is going from Material Girl to Bond Girl. Sort of.
The pop diva has signed on to sing a tune for the next James Bond adventure. "She is doing a song for the film but she won't be acting," Madonna's London spokesperson tells Reuters. "We don't know if it will be the title song yet."

Perhaps the reason the Madonna camp doesn't know if the song will be the title track is because the film still doesn't have a name, it's still going by the working title Bond 20. It seems very likely that, considering Madonna's worldwide popularity, her song will get the key title-sequence slot and be prominently featured on the soundtrack. According to reports, Bond producers secretly wooed Madonna at a series of hush-hush talks at London's Pinewood Studios, where the 20th installment in the two-decade 007 franchise began shooting last month. (Madonna currently resides in London with husband Guy Ritchie.)

While Madonna's acting forays have resulted in an erratic box-office showing, her made-for-movie songs have performed well on the charts. Her silver screen greatest hits include "Who's That Girl" (from the bomb of the same), "Live to Tell" (written for then-hubbie Sean Penn's At Close Range), "This Used to Be My Playground" (from Penny Marshall's A League of Their Own), the dance remix of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" and the ballad "You Must Love Me" (both from Evita) and an update of Don McLean's classic "American Pie" (which she did for The Next Best Thing).

Ironically, one of Madonna's biggest soundtrack cuts is "Beautiful Stranger" from the 1999 Bond parody, Austin Powers--The Spy Who Shagged Me. Danjaq Productions and MGM, the studios behind 007, have been engaged in a spat with New Line forcing the latter to change the name of the next Austin Powers because it infringes on a Bond trademark.

Madonna joins an exclusive list of Bond serenaders that runs the gamut from Hall of Fame rockers like Paul McCartney (whose Wings did 1973's Live and Let Die) and Tina Turner (1995's GoldenEye) to head scratching picks like Matt Monro (1963's From Russia with Love) and A-Ha (the the Norweigan trio of "Take on Me" fame did the forgettable title track to 1988's equally forgettable The Living Daylights).

Brad Pitt goes Shooting with Guy
Following his successful conversion of Madonna to the life of shooting and hunting, Guy Ritchie appears to have initiated another high-profile all-American star in the joys of British country pursuits. While staying at Mr. and Mrs. Madge's 1,134-acre country pile, Ashcombe House, the other week, none other than Hollywood heartthrob Brad Pitt was introduced to the art of shooting. Brad was in the UK, minus his wife Jennifer Aniston, to discuss future projects, including the possibility of starring in another Ritchie-directed picture.

Naomi Campbell defends Sex Book
Testifying in a law suit against the Mirror, Naomi Campbell was asked about her involvement in Madonna's Sex Book.
Her response to the query,  "I did not think it was vulgar. I do not thing there is anything wrong with talking about sex." 

MADONNA TV RAP
Channel 4 bosses have been carpeted by TV watchdogs over Madonna's swearing at the Turner Prize ceremony.

The Independent Television Commission blasted the station for allowing the singer to turn the air blue in December as she presented the award to Scots artist Martin Creed. His controversial winning work of art consisted of a light going on and off in an empty room.  The ITC received five complaints after Madonna said "motherf***er" during her speech, broadcast live 15 minutes before the 9pm watershed.

Channel 4 chiefs argued that Madonna had "abused" their trust after producers warned her not to swear. They also pointed out that two apologies were broadcast.  But ITC bosses said while they understood the disappointment with Madonna, the failure to stop the word being broadcast was a breach of their Program Code.

Madonna has two albums in 2001 Top 20
Billboard listed the Top 20 albums worldwide for 2001.  Madonna had two albums on the list.  Billboard calculated their findings based shipment information globally.  Here is the top 20 listing.

1. Dido - No Angel (8.6m)
2. Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory (8.5m)
3. Destiny's Child - Survivor (7.8m)
4. Shaggy - Hotshot (7.2m)
5. Britney Spears - Britney (7m)
6. Jennifer Lopez - J Lo (6.8m)
7. Alicia Keys - Songs In A Minor (6.7m)
8. Enya - A Day Without Rain (6.6m)
9. N'Sync - Celebrity (6.5m)
10. Staind - Break The Cycle (5.6m)
11. Michael Jackson - Invincible (5.4m)
12. Janet Jackson - All For You (5m)
13. Backstreet Boys - The Hits: Chapter One (5m)
14. Madonna - GHV2 (4.9m)
15. Creed - Weathered (4.9m)
16. Pink Floyd - Echoes: The Best Of Pink Floyd (4.8m)
17. Robbie Williams - Swing When You're Winning (4.4m)
18. Usher - 8701 (4.4m)
19. Madonna - Music (4.1m)
20. Various Artists - Moulin Rouge (4m).

Britney Loves Madonna
Britney Spears made sure that Madonna posters and other Madonna memorabilia are visible in her flick, “Crossroads,” says an insider. “Ever since Madonna wore that Britney Spears t-shirt in concert, there’s been a cross-promotional love fest going on between the two,” says a source. The opening scene features her in just a tank top and underwear lip-synching to Madonna's Open Your Heart in her bedroom. The movie is expected to be released February 15th.

First Look at Test Screening of New Madonna Movie
A Look At Guy Ritchie's latest film: LOVE, SEX, DRUGS AND MONEY with Madonna!  Link to Aintitcoolnews.com to see a write up by two different fans who got to see the movie rough cut test showing. 

Madonna wants Bruce Willis to join Manning
Madonna has apparently asked Hollywood actor Bruce Willis if he would be up for being DJ at her husband, Guy Ritchie's forthcoming birthday bash.  She wants the Die Hard star to spin a few sets to her new London mates, including Pierre Marco White and Stella McCartney.  She is said to have already hired controversial comic Bernard Manning to do the comedy for the show.

More on Madonna and James Bond
From Reuters:
Madonna will perform a song for the next James Bond film but will not be acting in it, her publicist said on Friday. The pop superstar had been tipped by the British media to make a cameo appearance alongside Irish lead Pierce Brosnan in the latest 007 spy caper.  "She is doing a song for the film but she won't be acting," Madonna's spokeswoman in London said. "We don't know if it will be the title song yet." Madonna clinched the deal after holding talks this week with Eon Productions, the 007 film's maker, at Pinewood Studios, the Mirror tabloid newspaper reported. Another Exclusive Report from Madonnarama
The Material Girl made a secret visit to the set at Pinewood studios, London, for talks on Wednesday.  And last night friends said she is delighted at the chance to record the track for the 20th Bond film.  One said: "Madonna loves Bond films and is thrilled about singing the theme song.  "And she's also really looking forward to acting a small role in the movie."
From People News
Madonna is in negotiations to sing the theme tune for the new James Bond film. Despite rumors that Sophie Ellis-Baxtor was being prepared for the job, it appears that the film's makers have decided to go for a more established star. According to American reports, the Material One is even in discussions to make a cameo in the picture, in which Pierce Brosnan will once more play the superspy. The Bond theme has in the past attracted such stars as Shirley Bassey, Duran Duran and Sheryl Crow. Madonna recorded the theme tune for the second of Mike Myers's Austin Powers films.

Madonnarama Exclusive....
Madonna Recording "James Bond Theme"
The February 18 issue of "US Weekly" (which hits news stands Friday) reports that Madonna is in negotiations to record the theme song to the upcoming "James Bond...007" film. She is also in talks with the producers of the film to make a cameo in the film. There is no info on the song...or the release date for the film at this point...
Madonnapolis note:  Entertainment Tonight also ran this story.  So keep your fingers crossed that this will happen. Madonna and James Bond, what a combination!

Madonna Swept Away by Rumors and Judo
Details from the set of Madonna's new movie are just now coming to light.
Swept Away was directed by the pop singer's husband, Guy Ritchie. The movie is a remake of Lina Wertmuller's classic film — shot last fall in Malta. Here's the plot in case you don't know the original: Madonna is a rich woman who's married to Bruce Greenwood. The couple and their friends go out for a bit of yachting. Madonna and a sexy ship's mate —played by Adriano Giannini, the son of Giancarlo Giannini, who originally played the part — wind up stranded on an island where they have a lot of sex and writhe around among the seaweed and shells.

But my spies tell me the three-week shoot was full of crazy stuff. Not the least of which was the fact that Ritchie didn't want to have Madonna appear naked in the movie. "Why make the movie at all?" asked my insider. "That's what it's about."

Of course, this is ironic considering Madonna's videos and her infamous Sex book in which she was featured in various erotic poses. But mostly, Swept Away will be remembered for its secrecy, according to those who were in on the Maltese adventure.

A security clampdown started after one actress, Elizabeth Banks, evidently got caught e-mailing pals back in Los Angeles about innocent set-side activities. Some of these activities included Madonna and friends doing Britney Spears imitations during down time. "They sang songs like 'Oops, I Pooped It Again,'" says my source. "Elizabeth's friends back home started circulating her e-mails and they got back to the set."  Banks was forced to apologize profusely to Madonna and Guy, I am told.

The relationship between the couple was also the subject of conversation on the set. "They have a very formal, scheduled existence," says my spy. "They're both learning to play the guitar, but not for fun. It seems like everything is done with a purpose, like they'll write songs so they can have the publishing."

After a full day of shooting, Madonna would spend time with her kids. But she also took a 2-and-a-half-hour yoga session to keep in shape. "She never had dinner with the cast, but of course she was interested in family time."  On set, Ritchie regularly addressed Madonna as "Madge" or as "wife."

"He's extremely distant," I was told. Also, Ritchie does not get along with Madonna's daughter Lourdes whose father is Carlos Leon. It's something that's been alluded to in tabloid reports but was absolutely confirmed by my sources.

"He loves his son, though, and is devoted to him," was the observation. "But outwardly at least they are not a happy, affectionate family."

Nevertheless, I'm told that Madonna got positive reviews for having a sense of humor to go along with her dozen-person entourage and security force.

How Swept Away will fare when it's finally seen remains another matter. According to my source, Madonna's stilted acting technique has not improved much. "She drifted in and out of a fake English accent all the time," the source observed. "Plus Guy is not good at working with actors. He shoots quickly, mostly in one take. You could sense the frustration that he wasn't able to help her much as an actress."

The funniest story out of Swept Away though has to be one about Ritchie and a judo mat. Seems that he threatened the actors with time on the mat if they didn't arrive on the set punctually. Needless to say, no one including Greenwood, took him up on the offer.

DVD Releases in UK
The Madonna Information Report notes that besides the release of "In Bed With Madonna" (A.K.A. "Truth Or Dare") on the 22nd of April, two other movies are also to be reissued on the DVD Movie format in the U.K..

Woody Allen's wonderful "Shadows And Fog" will be released on the 15th of April and the not so wonderful "Four Rooms" will be released on the 3rd of June.

Guy Thumbs Down Gucci
From the Observer;
Film director Mr Guy Ritchie - curiously known to his pals as 'Big Boy' - is married to frisky popster Madonna. He is also the stepson of a baronet, but now talks in a 'mockney' accent befitting the maker of macho gangster movies. Mr. Ritchie tells us that Dunhill is his favorite fashion label. 'It's the only one that's not bent,' he grunts. 'Gucci, Prada, they're so bent.' We trust that blokeish 'Big Boy' will share his views the next time he runs into  Mike Tyson. The fractious boxer's favorite afternoon pastime? A 'shopping lock-in' - at the nearest branch of Gucci.

Madonna Nominated for NME Award
Madonna receives another nomination.  The NME annual awards has annouced that Madonna has been nominated for the Top Pop Act.  Her competition is among others,  Robbie Williams and Kylie Minouge.   The show will take place on February 25th in London.

Star Power 2002 Survey
The Star Power 2002 Survey" will be published this week in The Hollywood Reporter.  This survey is for actors whose name guarantees success and box office receipts.  The following though is a list of the top 10 Musicians/Actors listed as most powerful.

Will Smith, Jennifer Lopez and Mark Wahlberg at the top, along with Madonna, Britney Spears, Whitney Houston, Ice Cube, Janet Jackson, Cher and Courtney Love.

Back to top

January, 2002

EOnline Discussing Britney New Movie
With her acting debut come comparisons to yet another super woman, musical mogul Madonna. We chatted with "Entertainment Weekly" staff writer Dave Karger, who definitely thought that Britney was, in fact, "this generation's Madonna."

Madonna and Guy Out for the Evening
The Mirror, known for some outlandish stories, had this to say about Madonna and Guy out for the evening.  How much truth is in this story, is for you to decide.  'They are touted as one of the happiest couples in showbiz. But the world of Madonna and Guy Ritchie may not be as blissful as it seems.  For 3am has learnt of an extraordinary night out which proves the Queen of Pop and her film director husband are as prone to relationship problems as the rest of us.

The evening began well. Madonna, dressed in her controversial fur hat, arrived at London's traditional Rules restaurant with an entourage of female friends.  Shortly afterwards, Guy turned up with a male pal.  Things were going swimmingly as the restaurant's manager brought over complimentary champagne... until, that is, the couple's friends exited the eaterie, leaving the couple to dine alone.  It was at this point that Guy and Madonna - who love being photographed hand in hand - began to bicker.

While Guy, 33, was keen to tuck in at the oldest restaurant in London, Madge - a confirmed anglophile - wasn't interested in the quintessentially British cuisine, complaining there was nothing on the menu she could eat.  The table, in the middle of the room, wasn't to her liking either. The Material Girl, 43, feared the prominent position would bring too much attention their way - a source of much merriment for their waiter, James Steortz.

"Guy was wearing his trademark flat cap, which would have got him noticed wherever he was seated," he told us.  So the couple were moved to a more private position. This, however, was "too draughty". And they didn't like their next table, either. Now looking as if they were involved in a game of musical chairs, the glamorous couple took their seats at the fourth and, thankfully, final table.

Once there, they chose duck for the main course, and were keen to order some wine. James suggested a £160 bottle which, for the first time in the night, they agreed on. Unfortunately, Rules had run out of it. So their waiter, fed-up with the pair, brought out a slightly cheaper bottle without telling them. They did not notice.

The ordeal nearly over, the couple asked for the bill, which came to £287. But when James swiped Guy's credit card, it was "put up for referral". In other words, it wasn't accepted.  After 15 long minutes on the phone to Guy's bank, James's manager got the payment to go through.

But there was one last, unpleasant twist to the night... the multi-millionaire stars left their waiter a measly £13 tip.  One thing's for sure, 3am won't be inviting Madonna and Guy round to dinner anytime soon.

Madonna is a Role Model for Tory Women
Guy Ritchie's stepmother says Madonna is a role model for aspiring female politicians.  Shireen Ritchie used Madonna as an example of how fellow party members could transform their image.  She addressed a group of Conservatives as part of a new initiative to recruit more women to the party.

Mrs Ritchie, who is chairman of the Kensington and Chelsea Conservative Association, said: "Madonna is a role model in the sense that you have got to go out and get what you want in all areas of life, and that can be applied to all areas of Conservative politics."  She added that she has never discussed politics with Madonna, reports the Telegraph.

MTV's Top 20 Kick Assed Chicks
MTV had another one of it top 20 lists. This one was for the best kick assed chicks.  Just knowing the title, you knew that our gal would be there on the top.  Well she was.  Madonna finished first.  Big surprise, who else would be the best kick assed chick. Janet finished 2nd, with Gwen Stefani in third place.

Madonna.com
Madonna.com, which Madonna won the domain rights to last year, is now live.  Madonnamusic and Madonna now share the same info.
Eventually, perhaps Madonnamusic will be dropped.

New Mystery Madonna Photo to be Unveiled
A new photograph of Madonna is to be revealed on February 12th.  Artist Andreas Gursky will unveil a monumental photograph of Madonna at the Pompidou Center in Paris. Nobody, including the superstar herself, gets to see the 10-foot by 6-foot photo before it goes on public view. That policy, imposed by the photographer, has the Madonna camp biting its fingernails. "We're all freaking out wondering what it's going to look like," says Madonna's art adviser Darlene Lutz. "It's not that we don't trust him," she adds, "but not knowing is totally nerve-wracking." Gursky show of photographs at the Museum of Modern Art was among the most acclaimed photography exhibitions in New York in recent years. Here's what Madonna's people do know: Gursky snapped the photo during a tense concert in Los Angeles two days after the September 11th  tragedies. Powerhouse New York dealer Matthew Marks, who represents Gursky, says only that the picture will be one of the artist's "more exciting works." The gallery says Gursky will sell six prints of the photo "if he's happy with the outcome." No matter what it looks like, the picture could be worth a bundle. Gursky's workings and his new Madonna photograph will move to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago in June.

Madonna featured in Mario Testino's Portraits Book
The National Portrait Gallery in London has produced a book to coincide with the Mario Testino exhibition. Mario Testino gives this introduction to the section of the book devoted to Madonna:
In 1995 Gianni Versace asked Madonna to appear in a series of portraits wearing his winter couture collection. Madonna was the first major star to specify Testino as her photographer of choice and this was to be the first set of his fashion photographs to cross the frontier into portraiture of an established icon.
Known as an artist who constantly re-invents herself the Madonna commission proved to be a new kind of challenge. 'I could not just walk in and tell her what I wanted to do. She had always controlled her own image. But I thought that if she had asked for me she wanted my way of seeing her. This gave me the confidence to convince her that she should appear very naturally. I had got to the point in my work where I could only really like a photograph of someone if I could feel that the image had an intense reality; that you actually sense the real life of the person.
The first time I met Madonna I was struck by how beautiful she was in herself, not relying on the theatricality of her stage persona. It has been the longest collaboration that I have had with an artist of her standing. I was told that it would change my life to photograph Madonna. I did not realise to what extent'.
Versace headlined the pictures. Versace presents Madonna by Testino. Until that point Testino's work had only been recognised within the fashion world. The Madonna pictures changed that overnight.

New JFK Jr. Book to Mention Madonna
A new book proposal on the life and times of John F. Kennedy Jr. has been making the rounds for weeks - but nobody appears to be jumping at the chance to publish the so-called "buddy book" by Kennedy friend Kevin Hynes.
The book, with the working title "Forever Young," is being written with People magazine staffer Johnny Dodd and is stirring up resentments among Kennedy's other friends.

It promises to chronicle the women - from Darryl Hannah to Madonna - the George magazine contretemps, political ambitions and a spurned invitation to join Bill Clinton's Justice Department. It also promises to dish on the hunk's unraveling marriage with Carolyn Bessette.

Co-Star calls Madonna "a Real Girl's Girl"
Madonna is "a real girl's girl" according to Jeanne Tripplehorn who co-stars with her in Guy Ritchie's movie, 'Love, Sex, Drugs and Money'.
"Madonna and I flew to the location in Malta together and talked for nine hours straight," Tripplehorn tells syndicated columnist Marilyn Beck. "The rhythm of a friendship happened immediately. Having watched for her the last 20 years, well, she didn't disappoint. She was just as strong, smart and enigmatic as I'd thought." The film also stars Adriano Giannini, son of Giancarlo Giannini, who played the role in the 1974 Italian film Swept Away, which was the inspiration for Love, Sex, Drugs and Money.

Kylie & Madonna Friends??
This is something we found, but are not really sure of it's validity. But we promised you everything we find.
Kylie Minogue has a new best friend. New Idea Magazine hears that she and Madonna have become inseparable, sharing lunches and shopping trips in their adopted city London. The pair were introduced by Madonna's stylist after Mads' daughter begged her mum to invite the Aussie singer over. Now the two women are regular fixtures in posh shops, while Kylie and her boyfriend James Gooding regularly make up foursomes with Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie in shitty restaurants and pubs. Kylie and James have also been invited to spend the weekend at Guy and Madonna's new country estate, where the film director plans to organize pheasant shooting parties and fox hunting. According to friends, the pair have even discussed the possibility of recording together, while Guy is said to be interested in getting Kylie into one of his movies. Madonna's made no secret that she's a Kylie fan - she's even sported a Kylie t-shirt. Says a source: With Kylie, Madonna knows her secrets are safe. Kylie is totally trustworthy and she's also a little more mellow than Madonna. There's no clashing of egos."

Madonna Changing Faces Again?
If you look at the latest pictures of Madonna attending the Testino exhibition, you can see the start of something new. Her hair was longer, somewhat curlier and definitely darker. Madonna has been getting some less then flattering press concerning her looks, but our gal has proven again that she still looks great. In these photos she looks sensational, and it might just be time for a change. Is this a new look, or just the fact that she hasn't had time to cut it and color it. Only time will tell. To see pictures of Madonna, Guy and Lourdes from the Testino exhibition, visit the link to Gareth's site.

Madonna and Child Visit Exhibition Launch
Madonna took the rare step of taking her daughter out on the town for the opening of a photo exhibition. She was also accompanied by Guy Ritchie at the bash to launch the display of work by top fashion photographer Mario Testino. Five-year-old Lourdes has featured in at least one of the photos that Testino has taken of Madonna.

A host of other stars, including singer Natalie Imbruglia as well as models Helena Christensen and Kate Moss also turned up at the party. Gwyneth Paltrow looked resplendent in black after flying in from Paris. Gucci boss Tom Ford sported a new beard.

This was the ultimate celebration of the cult of celebrity and Testino, who is based in London, is their favorite son. The exhibition, at the National Portrait Gallery in London's West End, brings together more than 120 color and black-and-white pictures by Testino, who was Princess Diana's favorite fashion photographer. Extraordinary images of Diana taken just before she died will be shown alongside portraits of icons from fashion, film and music.

British stars whose portraits are on display include Robbie Williams, Catherine Zeta Jones and Liz Hurley. Special sections of the exhibition have been devoted to images of Madonna, Kate Moss and Gwyneth Paltrow. Madonna and Princess Diana shared one room and Testino's new favorite model, Kate Moss had a room to herself.

Dirty Bird
The New Post Page Six column slammed into Andy Bird.
'Madonna made her grungy ex-boyfriend Andy Bird disinfect his feet with hydrogen peroxide before he got into bed with her. Madonna's filthy former flame tells London's Daily Mail his hygiene was so bad, her daughter, Lourdes, dubbed him "Stinky Andy". Bird, the subject of Madonna's song "Beautiful Stranger", embarrassed his ex last year when the Daily Mail printed an answering machine transcript of Madonna begging him not to dump her. Seeing as how Bird keeps blabbing, she ought to thank her "Lucky Star" it ended.'

100 Greatest American Albums of All Time
Blender magazine, a music magazine from the publishers of Maxim, compiled a list of the 100 Greatest American Albums of All Time. The #1 album on the list was Madonna's The Immaculate Collection.


New Photo Shoot for Madonna
The Spring/Summer 02 issue of Pop will feature an exclusive photo shoot with Madonna. Pop is a bi-annual fashion and art book published by The Face team. These photographs will only be available in POP magazine which Madonna has modeled exclusively for. The magazine is expected to be released on February 11, with Madonna featured on front cover and inside the magazine. Pop has said that everyone will be talking about them.

A Typical Ladies Night Out in Paris
Forget April in Paris. For gal pals Gwyneth Paltrow, Madonna, Stella McCartney and Sheryl Crow, January is the perfect time for 'just-a-girls' weekend in Paris' as Gwynnie called it. For these famous fashionistas, however, that means hopping from show to show and party to party as the haute couture season starts. No boyfriends, no husbands - just lots of air kisses and, in Gwynnie's case, the phone number of a dashing, aristocratic-looking Frenchman, eagerly jotted down by the actress. Saturday night, the girls, sans Stella, chatted away front-row at Versace. Only Chelsea Clinton - not an official member of the clique - broke ranks, bringing her curly-haired boyfriend, Ian Klaus, over from Oxford for the weekend.

Post-Versace, Madonna, Gwyneth and Sheryl headed off to meet Stella at her charity auction in the Marais. Stella and painter Gary Hume designed and signed T-shirts to benefit women's rights organization Femaid, which has a special focus on Afghanistan. Not only was the event in keeping with the girl-power theme of the weekend, but the T-shirts, in Gwyneth's opinion, are 'so cute'. While most of the guests partied on the lower level of the gallery, the girls convened in a private area above to plan the rest of their night. When asked what Stella would like to do, the designer exclaimed, 'Have a massive slumber party!'

The Material Girl and the Oscar winner didn't make it to Versace's party at Canteen until after midnight, causing a certain amount of hand-wringing for Donatella's staff. But then the awesome threesome of blondes met the blondest designer of all, and all ended well. On Sunday, Gwyneth, Madonna and Sheryl attended Jean-Paul Gaultier's show, scrambling backstage through a hoard of paparazzi to congratulate the couturier. Later, Gwyneth showed up at Givenchy and Valentino. On Monday at Christian Dior, Gwyneth sat next to Bernard Arnault's heir Antoine, while the handsome luxury czar proudly looked on. The girls may have left their beaux at home, but it sure looks like they have all the men they can handle in the City of Light.

Rumors of Austin Powers 3 Song are False
Beyonce Knowles is to make her Hollywood debut this summer with the release of the new Austin Powers movie, and dotmusic has the picture to prove it.
The Destiny's Child singer, who is to take a break from the R&B superstars later this year, will play the leading lady in upcoming film, 'Austin Powers: Goldmember'.
Beyonce's character, Foxy Cleopatra, complete with a magnificent 70's afro, assists the International Man of Mystery with his ongoing quest to defeat Dr. Evil, Mini-Me and new enemy, Goldmember.
Britney Spears, whose film debut, 'Crossroads' is released here in March, also makes a cameo appearance in the highly anticipated movie. Meanwhile, dotmusic can confirm that rumours of a new Austin Powers track from Madonna are unfounded.
Earlier this week fansite madonnarama.com reported that the Queen of Pop had recorded a new song for inclusion in the film. It was suggested that the song would be used as the lead track for 'Goldmember', mirroring the success of 'Beautiful Stranger' which appeared in 1999's 'The Spy Who Shagged Me'.
However, a spokesperson for Madonna has told dotmusic that no such song has been written or recorded.

Madonna and Mario Testino
The close friendship between Madonna and celebrity photographer Mario Testino appears to have taken a turn for the worse.
When Testino - known as Super Mario - walked into the Jean-Paul
Gaultier show, Madge (apparently she hates to be called that,
preferring simply "M") fixed him with the iciest of stares.

While others scraped and fawned over the sought-after snapper, the
material girl gave Mario a one-finger salute.
At first, onlookers thought it was a joke. But they changed their
minds when Mario returned her glare and then looked sadly down at the floor.
When Testino took the legendary snap of Madonna and her daughter Lourdes for Vanity Fair, they were the best of friends. Something's wrong - but what?

Q-Magazine Special: The 100 Greatest Rock'n'Roll Photographs
From the makers of Q magazine - rock'n'roll's most memorable shots, plus the stories behind them in a luxurious new publication.
Bono has a bath. Aretha has a fag. And Kurt cries. These rock moments and many more classic rock moments are available in The 100 Greatest Rock’n’Roll Photographs, a luxurious new 212-page special collector’s edition from the makers of Q magazine. Within the pages, you’ll see Slipknot in mid-air, Rod Stewart in his jim-jams, Richard Ashcroft with his shirt off and Elton John rocking a stadium.
The Clash, Nirvana, Prince, The Beatles, Madonna, The Rolling Stones, R.E.M., Robbie Williams and Radiohead are just a few of the other artists featured. Plus, you can also read the astonishing stories behind rock’n’roll’s most memorable shots.
The 100 Greatest Rock’n’Roll Photographs is available from all good newsagents now, priced £5.99. Details of how to buy online will follow shortly…
Madonna is on the full cover.

Madonna On VH1 (US) New Show "Driven"
Think you know everything about Madonna? Not a chance. Driven talked to the friends, musicians, and mentors who knew the singer before she became the Material Girl; we also found previously unseen artifacts that will forever change the way you perceive her. From egg-eating actress to guitar-slinging bandleader, get ready for the Madonna nobody knows.

What drove Madonna to become the cultural icon that she is today? Who helped her along, and why? And who did she leave behind on her ascension to superstardom? Driven brings the pop icon's unknown past to life with exclusive footage and interviews with people who played integral roles in her development as an artist and person, providing a rare glimpse at what Madonna was really like.

The show looks back at the Material Girl's early days in a student film as well as a 1981 art film entitled `In Artificial Light',' plus pictures of Madonna modeling for a fellow student, outtakes from `A Certain Sacrifice' (including a clip of Madonna singing `Let the Sun Shine In' in the back of a limo), and footage of the guitar-slinging singer in rare performances by her early group Emmy.

Features include a rare video clip from Madonna's earliest acting role in her high-school friend's student film, `The Egg',' as well as an online scrapbook containing Madonna's early resume, her wedding invitation, and other unique artifacts. Fans will also find a collection of never-before-seen photos of a young Material Girl, plus quotes from old friends and acquaintances about their experiences with Madonna.

EXCLUSIVE by Madonnarama
Love, Sex, Drugs & Money Cannes Premiere & New Song for Austin Powers
We have heard that Guy Ritchie's new film, still provisionally titled 'Love, Sex, Drugs & Money' will be shown at the 55th annual Cannes Festival. The festival takes place in the second two weeks of May and it's not yet known if the film will be entered in the competition. It is, however, likely that the Ritchies will attend the event.

Last time Madonna premiered a movie at Cannes was 1991's preview of 'Truth or Dare' / 'In Bed With Madonna'. Despite what you may have read elsewhere, it's not confirmed that Madonna has recorded a song for the movie. Though it seems likely, there's no news on this yet. But there's bad news for fans. The film is not receiving a general release until the Autumn.

EXCLUSIVE by Madonnarama
Madonna has recorded a song for inclusion in the forthcoming Austin Powers film, 'Goldmember'.

Madonna submitted the track to the movie's producers a few weeks ago. It's thought that, subject to approval, it will be the main song for the movie - echoing the extremely successful 'Beautiful Stranger' which appeared in 1999's 'The Spy Who Shagged Me'.

The details of the title or the producer are not yet available, but insiders reckon that - provided the movie's producers accept the song (and why wouldn't they!) - it could be released as a single in late Spring this year.

UK Daily Mail and Sunday Mirror Run Andy Bird Story
As revealed previously, Madonna's former lover has sold his story of their 18 month relationship to the highest bidder. The Daily Mail and the Sunday Mirror have begun to show the story. Below is an excerpt from the article, which is a letter to Bird from Madonna. We shall see what Madonna's response will be regarding another invasion of her privacy.
"I will never get over you. You have touched me in an unfathomable and unexplainable way. You say that there can be no love without trust and I couldn't agree more. But you mistrusted me long before I behaved in an untrustworthy fashion. All of this just perpetuated more negative and reactive behavior in both of us. We went to our corners and drew our swords. The irony now is that I am alone completely. Alone with my thoughts and my memories. I have so many fond memories of you in my house and, in fact, they are the happiest memories of my life. It is so very hard to let go of them.

I wish so many things. I wish that we were together and happy. I wish that we'd had a child. I wish that you were feeling fulfilled artistically and creatively. You have such a brilliant mind. I wish, I wish, I wish.....

Most of all I wish you happiness and peace in your heart and mind. Please know that you are my last thought before I go to sleep and my first thought when I wake up. My love for you is profound and immense. Confusing and mysterious, I long to put my arms around you."

Other items to be revealed in continuing segments over the next few days, include that Beautiful Stranger was written about Andy Bird, that she was a hopeless driver, and that she's sing snatches of opera as she made the Pop Tarts.

The Mirror promises over the coming days to reveal the truth about that abortion: their extraordinary life together and the public clash between Bird and Guy Ritchie.

Versace Show Marred by Fur Protesters
At Italian designer Donatella Versace's haute couture show in Paris on Saturday, two demonstrators claiming allegiance to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) jumped on the catwalk in mid-show before a stunned audience that included the American pop diva, actress Gwyneth Paltrow, Madonna, Sheryl Crow, Chelsea Clinton, and Alanis Morrisete.
When the protesters were removed, the mood was back to normal as Madonna, Paltrow, and entourage exchanged jokes. The diminutive singer, escorted by a phalanx of bodyguards, disappeared immediately after the show to join other VIPs at a party hosted by Versace at the capital's latest hot spot, restaurant-cum-nightclub La Cantine du Faubourg.

Jennifer Lopez Beats Out Madonna
In Cannes, France, at the music industry's NRJ Awards, J Lo won the award as Best Female Artist. At the glittering gala on the French Riviera, Lopez accepted the award beating an impressive line-up including Madonna, Kylie Minogue , Geri Halliwell and Mariah Carey.

US Television Show 'E' Sexiest Women
US television network E! has been running a series ('Rank') on the 25 Sexiest Women in Entertainment. Below are the top 10.
1. Jennifer Lopez
2. Halle Berry
3. Angelina Jolie
4. Charlize Theron
5. Britney Spears
6. Liz Hurley
7. Gisele Bundchen
8. Beyoncé Knowles
9. Jennifer Aniston
10. Madonna.

Overall, the Rank rankings include five current, or former, models (Halle Berry, Charlize Theron, Liz Hurley, Brazilian catwalker Gisele Bundchen and Cameron Diaz), three Jennifer Lopez-esque multi-tasking entertainers (Britney Spears, Madonna, Carmen Electra), four recording divas (Beyoncé Knowles, Janet Jackson, Alicia Keys, Gwen Stefani) and a bevy of leading ladies (Julia Roberts, included).

AOL conducted a poll for favorite workout songs. These are the finalists:
'Ray of Light' -- Madonna
'Wherever, Whenever' -- Shakira
'I'm a Slave 4 U' -- Britney Spears
'Eye of the Tiger' -- Survivor
'Get This Party Started' -- Pink
'I'm Real' -- JLo and Ja Rule
'In the End' -- Linkin Park
'Livin It Up' -- Ja Rule
'Pop' -- NSYNC
'Survivor' -- Destiny's Child


Bernard Manning on Madonna
Controversial comedian Bernard Manning is featured in an article in the Daily Telegraph, and discusses Madonna. Below are some of the highlights.

He's 71, in ailing health, and with a dubious reputation as a comic - so why is Bernard Manning suddenly so trendy? Jan Moir meets him......In pride of place is a framed newspaper cutting featuring the singer Madonna and the unlikely but true news that Britain's most notorious comedian is being booked by her to perform at her husband Guy Ritchie's forthcoming birthday party.

My God - does this mean that Bernard Manning has become fashionable? Is he really going to sing for his supper at Madonna's house?  "Trendy? As far as I am concerned, I have always been trendy. I have always been topical. The thing is, most of television is run by queers and poofs and gays and they don't want me on shows. But that's all right. I've got eight million pounds and they've got" Bernard! I was asking you about Madonna.

"I tell jokes about blacks, Chinese, Jews, Protestants, Catholics, Irishmen, Welshmen, Azerbaijanis. Everything. I have sent a Pakistani lad to Disneyland who was very poorly. I have worked with Frank Bruno at charity shows. I eat Chinese food. I eat Indian curries. I have got an Indian doctor, although he just died. They can't say I am a womanizer, they can't say I am a pedophile, or a wife basher, so what can they do? They say I am a racist. I am pals with John Conteh. Them that I don't get on with, too bad. If you don't like Bernard Manning, don't go to the shows. I'm just an ordinary fella getting a living from show business and..."

Bernard, Madonna?. "Ooh, she's a lovely girl. The cream of the milk, a beauty. A smart cookie. Oh, she is a wonderful singer, she beats them all. And a fantastic actress, everything seems to be so easy for her. She loves me. And so does her husband."  Are you really going to perform at his birthday party? "I don't know what all the fuss is about," says Manning, who is clearly relishing every second of it, "but the date is in the pipeline, I believe." Later, his agent confirms that the Ritchies and Manning are comparing dates and that the party will take place, probably at the end of this month.

"Manning's renaissance - culturally, if not morally - began when he performed recently at restaurateur Marco Pierre White's birthday party and Mr and Mrs Ritchie were in the audience. "She was falling about with laughter," says Bernard. "She was wearing this cloth-cap thing and I said: 'Who are you? Lester Piggott?' Oh, it were a great night out."...."I'm not a fucking poof," says Bernard. Oh dear. I do hope Madonna knows what she is letting herself in for.


Drowned World Nominated for ADG Award
Madonna's Drowned World is nominated for an Art Directors Guild (ADG) Award for Variety Show. The awards will be given out on February 23rd.
Category IV -- Variety of Awards Show, Music Special, or Documentary
1. "Come Together: A Night for John Lennon's Words and Music" PD -- Bruce Ryan
2. "The 43rd Annual Grammy Awards" PD -- Bob Keene
3. "Madonna Live, Drowned World Tour" PD -- Bruce Rodgers
4. "Mad TV Live and Almost Legal" PD -- Jeff Hall
5. "The 73rd Annual Academy Awards" PD -- Roy Christopher

Madonna's Latest Craze- Hunting Gear
Madonna's commitment to the shootin' and huntin' ways of the countryside shows no signs of abating, with the news that the Material Mom has been kitted out with a full suit of hunting clothes from Purdey, the Mayfair gun supplier. Mrs. R is said to have approached the company last month and enquired about the new range of clothing designed by Lady Henrietta Palmer, the daughter of the Earl Bathurst. According to an insider, Madge's shooting gear includes a £975 cashmere field coat, a shooting cap and rather fetching knee-length breeches. Lady Henrietta said, 'I am not allowed to talk about our clients, but I am sure that Madonna would look fantastic in my clothes.'

Reports say Madonna and Liz Fought Over Show in LA
When Madonna's longtime flack Liz Rosenberg briefly resigned the star's account a week after Sept. 11, she claimed she could no longer "sustain the emotional commitment." But insiders say it had more to do with Madonna's hard-heartedness in the wake of the terror attacks. "We had reached the top of the mountain," Rosenberg, who works at Madonna's label Warner Records, told The Post's Liz Smith on Sept. 26 about her decision to part ways with the superstar. "Our relationship had been so close and vital. I had never before imagined it ending. But then the real world came to an end . . . I decided I wasn't in a position to sustain the emotional commitment necessary to stand between Madonna and the media . . . I love her, cherish her and lovingly say goodbye. Our friendship will remain."
She continued, "Now I get a chance to work with some of Warner's new emerging artists. There will be life after Madonna. And I get to work with Cher on her new album, expected before the end of the year. And I get to breathe and think how I can do something wonderful for this world!"

But a Warner Records source tells us it was precisely Madonna's unwillingness to do something wonderful for anyone but herself that drove Rosenberg to quit.

"Madonna insisted on doing her concert in L.A. on Sept. 13," our snitch explains. "She and Liz apparently had a huge fight over it. Liz thought it was tacky and wrong and wanted her to postpone it. Then Madonna did some inappropriate stuff onstage and got booed for it."

Another music industry source says that Rosenberg and her client clashed over charity efforts. "Madonna refused to be in any of the charity concerts," the spy says. "She said she didn't have time and didn't want to lose money off her tour. She had to be shamed into giving $2 million after Britney Spears and everyone else donated concert money."

Rosenberg says our sources are full of baloney. "That is so ridiculously not true at all," she insists. "It's too insane. I wasn't even involved in the decision-making about the charity donation. But there's never been an issue about how philanthropic Madonna is. She's always given tons of money away, we just don't publicize it."

Rosenberg and Madonna reconciled whatever differences they had. In October, Rosenberg came out of retirement to defend the Material Mom from an unauthorized biography by Barbara Victor claiming the star had 11 abortions over the years and tricked Guy Ritchie into marriage. "I just didn't want to leave Madonna without protection," Rosenberg explains. "She's been like family to me for 20 years."

Madonna & Guy to appear on Brit Awards??
Unconfirmed reports say the Madonna and Guy will make an appearance together on the Brits show. They will be giving the Lifetime Achievement award to their good friend, Sting. The show is scheduled for February 20th.

Shirley Manson (Garbage) on Madonna
Shirley Manson of the rock group Garbage, admits to being impressed by certain people "whose charisma is so powerful that the room changes when they walk in".
She'll never forget the moment she net Madonna, she says, when the singer came backstage after a Garbage gig.
"Everything was kind of in soft focus and slow motion, and everybody else sort of moved into the background and she was in the foreground almost floating"

Evita DVD To be Re-released
According to CDNow, on April 2nd, Evita will be re-released on DVD with additional features, such as director comments and more footage.

Madonna Detests being Called Madge
Madonna has banned husband Guy Ritchie and his cockney mates from calling her Madge - because she DETESTS it.
The Queen of Pop has issued strict orders that no one uses the nickname first given to her by her movie director lover.
Friends say the American superstar "absolutely hates" being called Madge and has insisted everyone calls her by her full name.
An actor friend of Guy says: "She just hates Madge. We're under strict instructions not to call her that. She absolutely abhors it." Be he insisted that Madonna was not at all stuck up, she was "one of the boys".

Want to Build Your Confidence? Pretend to be Madonna
One technique therapists often use is encouraging us to imagine we are someone confident, like Madonna, for the day. If we are faced with a difficult situation, we should think 'How would Madonna deal with this?' or 'What would Madonna be thinking to herself right now?'

Ros Taylor, a psychologist and management consultant, says pretending to be Madonna for the day makes us take on some of her confidence and coolness. 'If we pretend to be our hero, we are no longer being ourselves so we feel better able to cope with a difficult situation' she says, 'Anything that takes us away mentally from that situation is going to be a good thing.'

To try and think like your hero, write down their physical characteristics and the kinds of phrases they use. Next, think of a situation where you do not feel confident, like sending food back to a posh restaurant kitchen and imagine what you might say. Now imagine the scene all over again, but pretend to be your hero. Did it have a different ending? Ros suggests pretending to be your hero on a daily basis. Eventually it will become second nature and Madonna's self-assurance could soon become your own.

Another Annual Poll
Rolling Stone magazine's annual poll has Madonna finishing 3rd, in the favorite female artist poll. Britney Spears and Alicia Keys finished 1st and 2nd respectively.

Cindy Adams on Madonna
Madonna watchers in Britain, who call her "England's current royalty," say when It's over, she'll reinvent again. She'll produce, go behind the scenes, find new talent, become pop culture's grand dame, head a movie company, become an art collector. She'll be Peggy Guggenheim .

Gwyneth on Madonna
"She's Like an older sister to me. Anything I've been through, she's been through 10 times worse, 10 times more and 10 times longer. She gives me great advice."

Drowned World Tour DVD Banned in Singapore
Madonna's Drowned World Tour 2001 concert DVD has been deemed "too explicit" for Singapore and banned from release there, Billboard reports. The Singapore Board Of Film Censors took issue with two scenes in particular--Japanese-inspired animation sequences that depicted a monster fondling and raping an Asian-looking girl.

Madonna's management is reportedly debating whether to release an edited version of the DVD in that country.

Madonna Featured on VH1 New Series
A new VH1 series "Driven" brings the music world's biggest pop icons' unknown pasts to life with footage that the public has never seen, plus interviews with those special people who played integral roles in their development as artists and individuals, providing a rare glimpse at what they were really like. Madonna will be featured on the 1 hour show of February 5th, so mark your calendar.

The show "Driven" premiers on Tuesday, January 15 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT), as part of VH1's "Breakout Tuesday" night of programming. Shania Twain will be the first featured artist. Here is a synopsis of the show:
There's no such thing as overnight success - over time, like a jigsaw puzzle, pieces are added, small breakthroughs are made, and eventually the picture of a pop star begins to take shape. "Driven" traces that process from childhood to the first glimmer of stardom, through the eyes of those who knew the artist best and helped play pivotal roles in their development - teachers, family members, friends, and creative partners. With each episode of "Driven" dedicated to a single artist, the show looks at the stars' blueprints for success and what propelled them to achieve it despite the obstacles that lay in their paths.

Viewers can go to VH1.com and check out a photo flip-book of rare and never-before-seen pics of the artists, rare or exclusive video clips of the artists in their early days, and other features and info on the artists featured in the series. Upcoming one-hour episodes of "Driven" will focus on Britney Spears (January 22), Madonna (February 5), Marilyn Manson (February 12), Jennifer Lopez (February 19) and others.

Mr. Blackwell Names His Worst Dressed List
Britney Spears, last year's No. 1 Worst Dressed Woman, came in second for being a "re-hashed Madonna ... on a really bad day."

Critics Slam Madonna's Choice of Bernard Manning
UK talk show host Vanessa Feltz has made a plea to Madonna not to make Bernard Manning onto a cool comic. In her column in the Daily Express she questions Madonna's decision to book him at all, and asks if it's just a move in her quest for ground breaking behavior. Vanessa describes Manning as someone who feeds off homophobia, xenophobia, misogyny, fear and loathing and asks whether Madonna only likes Manning because she thinks he is some sort of national treasure. And she questions why Madonna, seen as the epitome of liberalism, is married to someone who finds "Manning's notorious mix of anti-black, anti-Asian, anti-Jewish, anti-Irish, anti-gay, anti-woman gags, riotously funny."

UK Magazine Poll - 10 Sexiest Woman
I guess Madonna is not as popular as people think in England. In yet another poll, this time for the 10 sexiest woman, found Madonna finished 12th. Last year she finished 4th in this same poll. The top vote getter was Kylie Minogue. Madonna finishing 11 places after her, what were they thinking.
1: Kylie Minogue
2: Jennifer Lopez
3: Jessie Wallace
4: BritneySpears
5: Nicole Kidman
6: Cat Deeley
7: Geri Halliwell
8: Catherine Zeta Jones
9: Angelina Jolie
10:Rachel Stevens

Madonna in Guinness World Almanac
Madonna is listed a few times in the 2002 edition of the Guinness World Record Almanac.

The book mentions her as the Most Successful Female Solo Aartist. They have her total sales of over 120 million albums and over 40 million singles, which is more than any other female artist. Madonna has had 35 top ten singles and 12 top ten albums in the US and in the UK she has 47 top ten singles and 14 top ten albums. It is important to note that this does not include most of 2001 sales from Music, her latest album.

Madonna was also named as having the Largest Internet Pop Concert. Her concert at the Brixton Academy had a record breaking audience of more than 11 million people watching on the internet. This concert was on April 28, 2000.

Madonna was also listed under the Top 5 Funky Corset Wearers.
Madonna - Blond Ambition
Nicole Kidman - Moulin Rouge & Portrait of a Lady
Christina Aguilera - Lady Marmalade
Lil Kim - Lady Marmalade
Queen Victoria - On the throne of England

Madonna Song on Soap Opera
For its next storyline arc, Secrets, the US soap opera Port Charles has secured the rights to Madonna's 1994 hit, "Secret," a haunting melody from the Material Girl's Bedtime Stories album. This pick seems most fitting, seeing as the new book reportedly will involve a puzzling mystery.

Madonna Recruits Bernard Manning For Private Party
Madonna has reportedly asked comedian Bernard Manning to perform at a private party for her husband Guy Ritchie.  She first met the controversial comic when he cracked jokes about the flat cap she was wearing at a the birthday party of chef Marco Pierre White.

Bernard says Madonna really enjoyed his performance.  His agent confirmed that he is in talks with Madonna to appear at a party later this month, reports the Sunday Mirror

Lady Madonna???
Neal Travis (New York Post) wrote this about Madonna receiving a special tartan from Scotland.
"What's next? Wags say the increasingly English diva is now angling for a knighthood for her director husband, Guy Ritchie, so that she can be known as Lady Madonna."

Madonna to Appear on Brit Awards
According to the IMDB website, Madonna will be appearing at the Brit Awards this year.
It all happens on February 20th, 2002 at London's Earls Court.. It will air on February 21 on the ITV network.

Madonna Nominated for One Grammy Award
Madonna has been nominated for a Grammy Award... for 'Best short Form Music Video' for "DON'T TELL ME".

Madonna not on Top 10 of Most Played Artist on US Radio
According to USA Today, Madonna failed to make the Top 10 poll of the most played artists on the radio in the U.S. She finished 18th.
Faith Hill, Destiny's Child and Tim McGraw were the top three finishers.

Another Year End Poll
Madonna finished 3rd in Madame Tussauds annual poll of the Most Beautiful Woman In The World. Jennifer Aniston finished first and Kylie Minogue was second. Catherine Zeta Jones held the top spot last year, but she fell out of the top three.
Princess Diana topped the list for 15 years but failed to make even the top three this time around.

PeopleNews Hit List of 2001
Madonna finished 4th in the Peoplenews hit list of headliners in 2001. Their comment:
"Her tour, her house, her hernia, her swearing: Her Madgesty is seldom out of our top ten."

Madonna preparing for party for Guy
Madonna's taste for all things English appears to know no bounds. Not only has the once all-American girl taken warmly to tweeds, shooting and country houses, but it appears that her tastes now extend even to portly Lancastrian comic Bernard Manning. Madge was so impressed with the big man's line in humor – and mother-in-law jokes – when she heard him perform at Marco Pierre White's 40th birthday bash in December that she has hired him to perform at a party she is arranging for Guy later in the month. Let's hope that Bernard is polishing all the best ones about 'er indoors.

Realty Bites
Madonna's got a $9 million house in London and a 1,134-acre estate in the English countryside. Now Madonna may be looking for someplace with real panache: New Jersey.

Madge, who also has a pad on Central Park West, "wants to get her
kids out of New York," a source tells us. Word is her scouts have
been looking around Alpine and have toured one $7 million spread they think might befit her.

Her rep denies she's house-hunting in the Garden State. But we know that, having affected a British accent, she's capable of anything. 

Back to top

December, 2001

US Weekly Year End Special Issue
Madonna is mentioned three times in this issue of US Weekly. In the Top Stories of 2001, Madonna finished 38th. "Working mother Madonna took her daughter, Lourdes, 5, her son, Rocco,1, and her husband Guy Ritchie, on the road this summer for the Drowned World Tour, her first since 1993."
In the Best Looks of 2001, Madonna was mentioned in her wearing what they called ' The Message Tee'. "Madonna expressed herself without saying a word, in New York." They had a picture of her wearing the sleeveless black tee, with the words 'You Suck'.
The last mention was in the Shop Talk section. The article talks about jeweler ItalArgento, who has become very popular with celebrities for its new 'My Philosophy' line of rubber bracelets, emblazoned with sexy sayings like Passion and Lust. Madonna had her personalized with GLR (Guy, Lourdes, Rocco) in white gold and diamonds. (Source: US Weekly)
EOnline's Top Entertainers of 2001
EOnline's Top Entertainers of 2001 was a shocking choice, 'Nicole Kidman'. Since her divorce from Tom Cruise, Nicole's career has skyrocketed. Moulin Rouge, The Others and her duet with Robbie Williams ('Something Stupid') has been very instrumental in her career rise. Madonna finished 12th on EOnline's poll.
VH1 UK Poll - Top 100 Album List
After nearly 40 years of dominating the British music scene, the
Beatles have finally been knocked off the top spot by U2, it appears.
The Fab Four were toppled in a poll of more than a quarter of a
million music fans, who yesterday judged The Joshua Tree to be the
greatest album of all time.
Madonna's Ray of Light finished #10
and Like a Prayer finished #86

Miscellaneous Tidbits
In more year end polls (see below), Madonna finished 6th in the most searched entertainer on Yahoo's search engine.
In a Television poll conducted by ITV, Madonna finished 5th in Top Pop Idols of all time (Madonna was the only woman on the list, which had Elvis Presley as #1).
USA Today had Madonna's "Don't Tell Me", as their 6th best single of the year.
Keep your fingers crossed! January 4th is the date for the Grammy awards to be announced. Madonna has a chance to be nominated for two eligible singles, "Don't Tell Me" & "What it Feels Like For a Girl".

Year End Billboard Charts
The following are the charts for which Madonna finished in the top 10:

HOT DANCE MAXI-SINGLES SALES
1 KEEP CONTROL Sono Groovilicious/Strictly Rhythm
2 LITTLE L Jamiroquai Epic
3 CRYSTAL New Order Reprise
4 STAND STILL Aubrey Groovilicious/Strictly Rhythm
5 ONE MORE TIME Daft Punk Virgin
6 I FEEL LOVED Depeche Mode Mute/Reprise
7 ALL FOR YOU Janet Virgin
8 LADY (HEAR ME TONIGHT) Modjo Barclay/MCA
9 DON'T TELL ME Madonna Maverick/Warner Bros.
10 FEEL THIS 2001 Robbie Rivera Strictly Rhythm

HOT DANCE CLUB PLAY SINGLES
1 INDEPENDENT WOMEN PART I Destiny's Child Columbia/CRG
2 ALL OR NOTHING O-Town J
3 SURVIVOR Destiny's Child Columbia/CRG
4 MUSIC Madonna Maverick/Warner Bros.
5 WHAT IT FEELS LIKE FOR A GIRL Madonna Maverick/WB
6 ONE MORE TIME Daft Punk Virgin
7 STRONGER Britney Spears Jive/Zomba
8 MOST GIRLS Pink LaFace/Arista
9 BY YOUR SIDE Sade Epic
10 STRANGER IN MY HOUSE Tamia Elektra/EEG

HOT 100 SINGLES
#34 DON'T TELL ME


Madonna has been sent her very own tartan to commemorate her first wedding anniversary.
It was given to her by the Highlands of Scotland Tourist Board (Host) to thank her for putting the area on the worldwide map when she got married in Skibo Castle, Sutherland, last year.

Called Romantic Scotland, the plaid has been designed to represent the original material girl's life and work.

It is predominantly blue, after the star's True Blue album, with yellow as the other main color to honor her Blonde Ambition tour.

Designers at the firm in Elgin, Moray, where the material was produced, also chose white after her Like A Virgin single and purple to represent Scottish heather.

The tartan, which has been registered with the Scottish Tartans Society Register of All Publicly Known Tartans, has also been designed in three line over-check style to honor the New York Fire Department tartan.

The board said it wanted to honor the firefighters because the material was designed just days after the September 11 terrorist attacks on the city, where Madonna lived when she first rose to stardom.

Tourist chiefs say the tartan will play a part in a global marketing drive in 2002 to attract couples to Scotland for their weddings, honeymoons or even their hen and stag nights.

Scott Armstrong, head of marketing at Host, said: "We thought that since Madonna and Guy Ritchie seem to have a love for Scotland and since Madonna is frequently photographed wearing tartan, having a tartan designed specially for them would be a memorable present for their first wedding anniversary.

"After all, Madonna is the original material girl, so a length of fabric seems doubly appropriate."

Mr Armstrong said a number of castles, most of which were in the Highlands or in Aberdeenshire, had become "far more popular" with couples tying the knot since the singer married film director Ritchie at Skibo.  A length of the tartan had been sent to Madonna's London base, Mr Armstrong added.

Madonna Planning Anniversary Party
They said it wouldn't last, but Madonna and British director Guy Ritchie are celebrating their first wedding anniversary Saturday. She's had construction teams working around the clock so that their London townhouse will be ready for the party, which the jackals of Fleet Street will do their best to infiltrate. I hear that Madonna has been shopping for a major art work with which to gift her hubby, while he will probably come up with something like a matched pair of shotguns in keeping with "Madge's" determination to be a real English lady.

Madonna discusses some of her older songs
Madonna says she thinks some of her most famous hits are "kitsch". She also says she would like to record another album and travel more. And she plans to do more acting and might try directing films.
"I have been writing a screenplay for 100 years," she said on American TV's Today show. I keep starting and getting distracted by a project and putting it away, so I want to finish it and maybe direct it."
She said of her hit Material Girl: "It's funny, it has kitsch value."
And she said Like A Virgin is in the same category: "They are great songs and they are of an era and all that, but I mean do I want to sit and listen to it, do I want to perform it? No.
"My songs are like a map of my life they all mean something - they are like tattoos. If I listen to them I can go exactly back to that time in my life, what I was doing, what I was feeling."

Madonna blames swearing on Turner Awards on producers
The 43-year-old singer shocked viewers when she swore as she presented the prize at the Tate Britain gallery in a ceremony broadcast live on Channel 4 last week. But she has laid the blame with the show's organizers, saying she could not resist the temptation after they asked her not to "use profanities" - but added that she felt "much better afterwards". She told American broadcaster NBC's Today show: "I didn't talk about freedom of speech and freedom of expression. I talked about how silly awards shows are." And she hit back at critics who demanded an apology after the on-air swearing, saying: "Whatever. I mean, as if no-one says that word. "It is a cutting edge, contemporary award. So, anyway. People expect that sort of behavior from me. "The thing is, and I will tell you the real reason and this is my perverse sense of humor - they wanted to read my speech. "They wanted me to give them a copy of my speech before I went on and I said 'No I'm not going to'. "So they kept trying to get the information out of me in really unclever ways and I just got p***** off with them." London-based Madonna also revealed she plans to take driving lessons because when she drives husband Guy Ritchie "screams" at her. She said: "I want to learn to drive on the wrong side of the road."

Madonna reveals that Lola was jealous of Guy
Madonna says her daughter Lourdes refused to speak to Guy Ritchie when they began their relationship. The five-year-old was "jealous" of her mother's new boyfriend, the singer said. But Madonna says Lourdes quickly got over the feelings. And the star told US television's Today show she and Ritchie take turns sulking after rows. "I think she was jealous at first - quite competitive," she said of Lourdes. "More with Guy because she did have me to herself and she was like 'Who is this stranger walking into my life?' "She sort of refused to speak to him at first. But Guy played it right. He is really, really good with her." She will celebrate the first anniversary of her marriage to film director Ritchie later this week. But Madonna said life has been very busy since the wedding, which was followed by a world tour and filming with Ritchie in his latest movie, provisionally called Love, Sex, Drugs And Money. "I'm exhausted and I have not stopped since, let's see, we got married last year," she said. "It is an incredible experience - it has been an incredible experience. I think my husband and I are very well suited for each other. "He is incredibly adventurous and full of life. But with that you get strong-willed and opinionated. "I could not be with anything else. Strong people need to be with strong people." The singer told how when the couple argue, neither will back down. "We usually come to a point where we sulk like babies. We take turns," she said.

Madonna attends premiere of Vinnie Jones movie
Madonna teamed up with Vinnie Jones at the premiere of his latest movie, Mean Machine And she admits she is rather taken by the former Wimbledon player's acting talents and looks. Madonna arrived at the Odeon with her husband Guy Ricthie. "He is a great actor and very charming and he has got gorgeous eyes," she said. Jones says he discussed the project with Madonna and her husband before deciding on the role. "We go back a long way and she has given me a lot of support, I always phone them when I'm thinking of doing a project," he said.

Year End Polls
With Year End upon us, there are a number of polls surfacing for 2001.
Entertainment Weekly had their poll for the best of 2001 and Madonna finished 6th in the Top Pop.
Britney Spears was overwhelmingly chosen in the Entertainment Weekly/AOL poll as the 2001 Entertainer of the Year. When results were tallied on Dec. 10, more than 50,319 of 152,390 voters chose Britney.
#2=Harry Potter (28,820)
#3=NSync (21,586)
#4=Julia Roberts (20,779)
#5=James Marsters (Buffy theVampire Slayer's Spike)
#6=Madonna (7,125)
#7=Nicole Kidman
#8=Christina Aguilera


Madonna nominated with U2 as top tour act for 2001.
Pollstar is pleased to announce the nominees for the 13th Annual Concert Industry Awards. The gala awards ceremony takes place February 9 at the swank new Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. The awards recognize those who represent the best the concert business has to offer. Pollstar.com is highlighting the four artist-related categories: Major Tour Of The Year, Most Creative Tour Package, Most Creative Stage Production, and Best New Artist Tour. In years past, Backstreet Boys, 311, Dave Matthews Band, Dixie Chicks, Lilith Fair and Erykah Badu have been some of the artists winning awards.
This time, Madonna, Radiohead and U2 battle it out for the Major Tour Of The Year prize. The unifying feature among the three acts is that each had an entirely sold-out international tour, playing to arena-sized crowds. U2 were the biggest money-maker but Madonna's spectacular production and ariel stunts, and Radiohead's fan appeal will give the Irish rockers a run for their money.
The Most Creative Tour Package nominees are the Brooks & Dunn Neon Circus, Elton John/Billy Joel, Tony Bennett/k.d. Lang, and the Warped Tour. Like the name implies, Brooks & Dunn presented a Wild West circus like no other, with pyrotechnics, props, a confetti cannon, video screens and the whole bit. The unusual pairings of Tony Bennett & K.D. Lang, and Elton John & Billy Joel also make for a creative evening for pop fans. As usual, the Warped Tour brought together punk rock, hip-hop and extreme sports for a summer festival of fun.
The Most Creative Stage Production choice could be a close one. In the running are the fan-friendly stage design of U2's Elevation Tour; Madonna's elaborate crouching tiger - hidden superstar theatrics; Janet Jackson's steamy choreography; Tool's ominous acrobats and digital images; and *Nsync's 80-foot-high flying stunts, levitating platforms and moving sidewalks.
Finally, in the Best New Artist Tour slot, Alicia Keys, Dido, Linkin Park, Pete Yorn, and The Strokes contend for the award. While The Strokes are only beginning to make a splash in the States, they've been enthusiastically embraced on the European side of the Pond. Keys - her magic piano fingers - is a critic's favorite, but so is singer-songwriter Yorn. Dido bravely faced amphitheatre crowds on her first headlining tour this summer, while Linkin Park debuted their first big solo stint to sold-out venues before taking it to the next level on the Family Values Tour.
Only Pollstar subscribers are allowed to voice their vote, with the winners being announced at a big ceremony in February. Who would you vote for? Check back in a few weeks to see if your favorite band has won.

Madonna taking lessons on shooting
Madonna has been taking lessons in how to shoot pheasants so she can keep up with her hot-shot husband, Guy Ritchie. Madge recently spent a day at Broadlands in Hampshire, formerly the home of Lord Mountbatten, with a private teacher who helped her improve her shotgun skills. Mr. and Mrs. Ritchie were the guests of restaurateur Marco Pierre White, who is said to have forked out £180,000 for nine days’ shooting. According to those who witnessed her gunplay, the 43-year-old Madonna is 'a rather good shot'. An observer added that, after initially taking up shooting to keep her husband company, 'she's actually grown to like the whole business'. Madge and Guy are keen to spend a day shooting together to make the most of Ashcombe House, the 1,134-acre estate they bought for £9 million earlier in the year.

Drowned World Tour named one of People Magazine's most intriguing moments in 2001
Eight years after her last concert tour, Madonna proved she could still storm the stage when, on June 9, she kicked off her 14-week Drowned World Tour 2001. Drawing from her latest two albums, Ray of Light and Music, the 42-year-old wife and mother of two rocked the sold-out arenas dressed alternately as a punk rocker, a geisha with a shotgun and a cowgirl grinding on a mechanical bull, among other roles. Behind the scenes, the domineering diva was in full control of her edgy production. Months before she had pulled together her A-list crew, which included veteran backup singers Donna De Lory and Niki Harris, tour director and choreographer Jamie King and tech wizard Mike McKnight, without whom she refused to tour. They then went through a demanding seven-week rehearsal in Los Angeles to prepare. Despite past successes together, Harris - who had to convince Madonna not to give her a Mohawk - was concerned the disparate elements of the show were not coming together. She feared audiences would boo them off the stage. "Finally Madonna was like, 'Please just trust me. I've been very successful. I know what I'm doing.' " Harris told Entertainment Weekly in July. Then Harris realized who was leading the charge. "I was like, 'You know what? You're right.' " At the show's Barcelona debut, there was nothing but cheers for the undisputed queen of pop.

More on Andy Bird Book
While Madonna prepares for the first anniversary of her marriage to Guy Ritchie, she's also huddling with her lawyers in an effort to block a book that is still only at the proposal stage. The would-be author is Andy Bird, the musician who had a two-year affair with Madonna and who says he's willing to tell all. Madonna's talking about an injunction and a suit to recover letters she supposedly sent Bird. (Who knew the Big M ever sat down and wrote a love letter? It sounds so out of character for her.)

Madonna and Guy to have anniversary at Sting's house
Madonna and Guy are not going to return to Skibo Castle for their first wedding anniversary after all, it has been revealed. Instead, the happy couple have been given the use of Sting and Trudie Styler's 450-year-old, 41-room mansion near Salisbury, Wiltshire, for a party which will be held later this month.

Invitations have already gone out to the 30 or so mates who attended last December 23's nuptials, according to the Mirror's 3am column.

Stars on the guest list include Gwyneth Paltrow, Matthew Vaughn, Rupert Everett, Stella McCartney, Kelly Brook and Jason Statham and nightclub boss Piers Adams.

Sting and Trudie's mansion is in Wilsford-cum-Lake near Salisbury and has 41 rooms, including 10 bathrooms, 12 bedrooms and a library.

Madonna and Stella, friends again?
The rift between Madonna and Paul Mc.Cartney's fashion designer daughter Stella seems to be over. The pair were believed to have fallen out after Stella, a strict vegetarian and champion of animal rights, objected to the singer wearing a real fur hat. She also disapproved of Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie's liking for shooting parties on their new Wiltshire estate. But when she presented the Turner Prize on Sunday, Madonna went out of her way to mention that the outfit she was wearing was designed by Stella. Madonna upset many people at the ceremony by using a rude word in her speech. But not, apparently Stella, who later joined Madonna and Guy at London's Mirabelle restaurant.

Madonna worried about book by Andy Bird
Madonna looks set to have further secrets about her personal life revealed, this time at the hand of her former boyfriend Andy Bird. The music video director, 30, has revealed that he is writing a book about their two-year stormy relationship, the first time a former lover of hers has done so. Madge has already had to contend with two recent unauthorized biographies, by Andrew Morton and Barbara Victor. She may well be more nervous of Bird's planned book as he was obviously closer to her and claims to have kept revealing letters and answer-machine messages sent by the singer. Bird, who claims breaking up with Madonna led to him having a nervous breakdown, had a well-publicised bust-up with Guy Ritchie in the Met Bar last year, and is expected to give the reason in his book. (source:peoplenews)

Madonna curses on live showing of Turner Award
Madonna swore during the live broadcast of the Turner Prize award ceremony. Her comment came 10 minutes before the 9pm TV watershed and prompted Channel 4 to issue an apology.
The singer used the word "motherf******" and also said she thinks award ceremonies are silly.
She told viewers and the 700 guests: "At a time when political correctness is valued over honesty, I would just like to say 'Right on motherf******' - everyone is a winner." The star who has won countless awards of her own said she held little value for prize ceremonies. Madonna wore a black Stella McCartney frock coat to the event at Tate Britain.
She also said: "It's a little bit strange handing out a prize for the best artist. There is no such thing as the best anything. There are only opinions. Personally, I think award ceremonies are silly."
However she noted that the £20,000 prize gave the Turner some value to the winner. But she added: "What I do know is that art is always at its best when there is no money, because art is nothing to do with money and everything to do with love."
Madonna then said she was there "not because I think one artist is better than another but because I want to support any artist who not only has something to say, but the balls to say it." (source:ananova)
 

There's a very exclusive and limited edition 3 part 12" vinyl collection for the GHV2 album available.
The tracklisting which includes full length and rare limited versions is as follows:

Disk One Side One
1. What It Feels Like For A Girl, That Kid Chris Caligula 2001 Mix.
2. Dont Tell Me, Timo Maas Mix
Disk One Side Two
1. Drowned World/Substitue For Love Bt & Sasha Bucklodge Ashram Mix
2. Human Nature, Bottom Heavy Dub
Disk Two Side One
1. Frozen, Calderone Extended Club Mix
2. Erotica, Masters At Work Dub Disk Two Side
Disc Two Side Two
1. Deeper And Deeper, Davids Klub Mix
2.Ray Of Light, Calderone Club Mix
Disk Three Side One
1.Beautiful Stranger, Calderone Club Mix
2. Bedtime Story Luscious Dub Mix
Disk Three Side Two
1. Secret, Juniors Sound Factory Dub
2.Music, Hq2 Club Mix.

Madonna moving into new home
POP queen Madonna is finally moving in to her £6million London house. She has been supervising furniture deliveries in the last few days. Madonna, 42, and film director hubby Guy Richie, 32, bought the five-storey Georgian property in the heart of the West End exactly A YEAR AGO. Since then they have spent nearly £1million turning it into a dream home for them and children Lourdes, five, and Rocco, one. A neighbor said: “Everyone is pretty excited. Madonna has been spotted going in and out of the house in the last few days.” Madonna and Guy have lived at a hotel since March. They had been renting a Notting Hill house but left after it was burgled twice in ten months.

Gaultier tells of marriage proposal to Madonna
Fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier has revealed that he proposed to Madonna three times. The French fashionista – who created Madge’s famous conical golden bra – says that Mrs R is the only woman he would ever have slept with. ‘She refused every time I asked her - but she always did it in a polite way,' he said. 'Madonna was the only woman I would ever have married. But I knew that she would say no - that it could not have been done. If she had said yes, I would have loved it. I would have had sex with her - a lot of gay men would.’

Madonna joins Julia Roberts on list of most powerful women
What do "Pretty Woman" Julia Roberts and "The Material Girl" Madonna have in common besides wealth, fame and beauty? They are the two lone superstars to grace this year's Hollywood Reporter list of the 50 most influential women in show business, a ranking started 10 years ago to shine the spotlight on the women doing great work behind the scenes. Roberts and Madonna, who ranked No. 3 and 42 respectively on the list, however, were just too powerful to ignore, said officials at the Hollywood Reporter. ``We try to make room for the women who have superseded the celebrity aspect of their jobs,'' said Christy Grosz, managing editor of special issues for Hollywood Reporter. In celebration of the list's 10th anniversary, it was expanded to include 100 women, up 50 from last year and will be unveiled in Tuesday's edition. Sherry Lansing, chairman and chief executive officer of the Paramount Pictures Motion Picture Group, who ranked No. 1 last year for the second year running, dropped to No. 2, while Stacey Snider, chairman of production for Universal Pictures, moved from No. 2 last year to the top slot. The list is compiled each year by reporters and editors who rank women according to their power to change the direction of their companies or affect the industry's future.

Roberts, Hollywood's highest-paid actress with a $20 million per movie price tag, made the list two years running based on her ability to turn small projects into major vehicles and her clout in securing financing for films. Madonna returns to the list at No. 42 after ranking No. 28 in 1998. ``Madonna made the list again by force of her personality and her sold-out 'Drowned World Tour'' this year,'' Grosz said. ``She's had a huge resurgence this year after being on the sidelines for a while,'' said Grosz, noting Madonna also heads her own production company and record label.

Madonna fears burglars.
Madonna is reportedly spending thousands on personal security because she is scared of being burgled. The star has placed a 24-hour guard outside her bedroom and set up temporary digs at the Home House hotel. One guard sits outside her suite and another is kept in the lift while a £500,000 security system is installed in her West London pad, according to the Daily Star. Madonna, 43, has been burgled twice in one year. In June and December 2000 her rented home in Notting Hill was raided. Her £6m home is now having a complete security overhaul, including bars put on all the bedroom windows.
Back to top

November, 2001

Auction opens to appear alongside Madonna in movie
Two extra parts in Guy Ritchie's new film are being auctioned online. One female and one male walk-on part are up for grabs. The succesful bidders will get the chance to meet Ritchie and the cast, which includes Madonna, on the set of Love, Sex, Drugs and Money. They will also get their name in the credits and an invitation to the premiere.

Miscellaneous Tidbits
OK! Magazine has been fined almost £5,000 after making misleading claims to readers over their coverage of Madonna's wedding. Stratford Magistrates' Court heard that a reader from Warwickshire complained about reports on the front of the issue boasting of pictures of the "beautiful dress" and the "romantic ceremony". The court heard that there were in fact none of either, prompting Warwickshire Trading Standards to launch the case against OK! who yesterday apologized to readers.
The owners of Mrs. R's local stables were amused when Madonna's nanny started trying to play them off against each other to get the cheapest possible riding lessons for her daughter, Lourdes. "It was absolutely hilarious," says Basia Briggs, who owns both the Hyde Park and the Kensington Stables. The nanny kept visiting and ringing both of their stables, not realizing that they owned both, to see if she could get a better deal. "You’d have thought she’d have just rung up to book. Finally, though, little Lourdes got her lessons. I think she had a good time. She didn’t fall off or anything."

Madonna took four of the top 10 spots on VH1's list of top concerts for 2001. She has most by any artist, which is partially credited to the ticket prices of upwards of $250.00 a pop and five to six night stints at some venues. Her five shows at Madison Square Garden between July 25th and 31st brought in a total $9,297,105, earning her the 3rd slot, while her six shows at Earl's Court in London between July 4th and 12th earned $8,734,149, landing her in 4th place. Her four shows at the Staples Center in Los Angeles between September 9th and 15th grossed $8,303,165, putting her in the 5th spot. Also in the 8th spot was her two shows in Las Vegas MGM Grand Hotel on September 1st and 2nd, which brought in $6,503,950.

Madonna & Stella McCartney- Friendship in ruins?
Madonna's new penchant for shooting birds (thanks to Guy Ritchie), has endangered her friendship with Stella McCartney, who is said to be furious. Madonna had been quoted in her interview with Jo Whiley on BBC:
“When you're shooting you are standing in the forest for really long periods of time, so you end up looking at the leaves and the sky and the trees,” Madonna recently told the BBC. “You have more of a respect for the things you eat when you go through or see the process of killing them.”
 A friend of McCartney’s says she’s considering completely dropping Madonna as a friend.
“Stella recently bought a one-million-pound estate in England and she banned hunting there and, after those comments, I wouldn’t be surprised if Madonna’s banned from the estate as well,” says the source. “Madonna’s obviously just trying to impress [hubby] Guy Ritchie with her newfound love of hunting, but she’s going to lose more friends than she makes. Obviously, Madonna’s fascination with yoga, inner peace and spirituality was just another in a long line of insincere poses.” Madonna’s rep had no comment.

Madonna DVD/Video on top
Madonnamusic.com has confirmed that Madonna's brand new "Drowned World Tour 2001" DVD went straight to #1 at both the Combined [DVD & VHS] Music Video Charts and the Music DVD Charts in the USA. Soundscans top 10 looks as follows:

01. Madonna / Drowned World Tour 2001
02. Springsteen, Bruce / Live In New York
03. Three 6 Mafia / Choices The Movie
04. Gaither, Bill / V1 - Billy Graham
05. Gaither, Bill / V2 - Billy Graham
06. Backstreet Boys / Greatest Hits
07. McCartney, Paul / Wingspan
08. Gaither, Bill / Christmas
09. Jackson, Michael / Video Greatest Hits
10. Green Day / International Superv.

More on BBC Interview
Madonna regrets recording American Pie says Madonna during her interview with Jo Whiley. American Pie was left off Madonna's second greatest hits album because the singer didn't like it.  She says her record company persuaded her to record the track, although her gut reaction was not to.  Madonna says she regrets agreeing, and has "punished" the track by omitting it from GHV2.

Madonna said "a certain record company executive" convinced her to record the classic Don McLean track.

She said: "My gut told me not to do it, but I did it and then I regretted it so just for that reason it didn't deserve a place on GHV2.  "It didn't really belong, but I did it and therefore it's being punished - it's not allowed on there."

Madonna also revealed that her children, Lourdes and Rocco, are big fans of Kylie Minogue.  She said: "Lourdes and my son have become quite obsessed with that Kylie track," adding that Lourdes listens to "mostly jazz and classical."

More highlights of the interview with Jo Whiley;
Madonna says husband Guy Ritchie doesn't like it when she wears see-through shirts.  She says he tells her to cover up her "raspberries."  "I'm very punctual and Guy's very unpunctual. He doesn't like it when I wear see-through shirts. He doesn't want anyone to see my raspberries.   "I have to pick and choose my battles. He doesn't want me to dress like an old slapper. Those are his words."

Madonna says most expensive fashion item she owns is a £12,000 Fendi bag. 
"The thing is that's what it cost, but I got a bit of a discount. It was really expensive still anyway, it was ridiculous.  "It's just an aubergine coloured alligator bag. It's gorgeous. Fendi are obscenely expensive but I figure that's the kind of thing that will last forever." 
She adds that apart from her family, her most precious possessions are her paintings.

Madge as a Hatter...11/22/01
POP queen Madonna makes another trip to top store Harrods - in another dodgy outfit.
Showing little sense of style, she wore a floppy hat, shades, a cosy fleece under her coat and khaki, baggy trousers. But it is obviously a look the superstar is happy with.
Just a week ago, she turned up at the posh London shop with a huge furry hat, sunglasses and a dowdy overcoat. Maybe the Material Girl needs a lesson on winter woollies.

Britney Fails To Topple Madonna
Chart-topper Britney Spears has failed to beat Madonna's record for pulling in the most cable TV subscribers for a live show.
The 19-year-old pop princess staged musical extravaganza Britney Spears Live From Las Vegas on Sunday (November 18), but although her HBO-aired show was bought by 3.1 million homes, she still fell short of beating her older chart rival.
The Material Girl attracted 3.6 million homes when Madonna: Drowned World Tour aired on August 26, 2001.
If anyone still doubts, our Madonna is still the Queen.

GHV2 Chart News
GHV2 debuted at #8 On the USA charts. In the U.K. the album came in at # 2. Here is a breakdown of the charts in some countries: <br>
USA #8
UK #2
France #2
Australia #3
Belguim #20
Ireland #2
Argentina #20

Like A Prayer voted Madonna's Best Video
Like A Prayer has been voted the best Madonna video.
It was chosen by viewers of Q TV, the music channel spin-off from Q magazine.
The channel played Madonna videos non-stop for a week, to mark the launch of her new compilation album, GHV2.
The Top 10 was:
1 - Like A Prayer
2 - Dear Jessie
3 - Erotic
4 - True Blue
5 - Hanky Panky
6 - Vogue
7 - This Used To Be My Playground
8 - Get Into the Groove
9 - Don't Cry For Me Argentina
10 - Papa Don't Preach


Miscellaneous Tidbits
For U.K. fans, Jo Whiley is rumored to be doing an interview with Madonna on Thursday morning. Supposedly she will ask M all kinds of questions pertaining to her new movie,Love,Sex,Drugs & Money; the three biographies currently out (Morton,Victor & Tamborelli), as well as the continuing rumors of her impending retirement. If Jo Whiley can really get to ask Madonna all these questions and get definitive answers, it should be an interesting show to listen to. Set your station to this interview sometime Thursday morning and hope that this is an accurate time. BBC usually archives all interviews for those of us who cannot listen. Hopefully the interview will be archived.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/jowhiley

Madonna could be the next big name to star in The Vagina Monologues. Although the Material Mom's acting has, at times, been less well received than her music, it appears that she is still determined to pursue her thespian interests. According to an insider, Madge has been approached with a view to treading the boards at the Arts Theatre in London and is giving the idea serious consideration. A spokesperson for the show said, "Madonna is very welcome, she'd be wonderful." Madge's only previous stage appearance was in a New York production of David Mamet's play, Speed the Plow.

Madonna's old home was sold through the conventional way in 12 minutes. Previously the home was put on the internet for auction, which was bombarded with phony bids.

Madonna on cover of Magazine
Madonna is featured on the cover of the magazine Women Who Rock (US), which is on the newsstands until December 15th. You can buy the magazine directly (in the U.S.) by phoning 1-800-637-2852. 
The magazine features female music artists whom have had an impact on popular music. The fact that they chose Madonna for the cover only proves (yet again) how she remains the most important and influential artist of her generation - male or female!
Inside the magazine, Madonna is quoted as saying:"Yes. the search is on to find the true stuff, but also to find how to put it, because a lot of times when you find the true stuff it's not very attractive. It doesn't come out in a very digestible way. And if you're trying to illuminate people or inspire people or wake people up to something, you know - and, believe me, I've learned this from other things I've done - you're not going to get very far if you attack people or rub their noses in it."

Critical Article on Madonna & Morton Book
Digging for dirt on Madonna is like searching for a needle in a stack of needles. We know she's bedded a Studio 54 guest list of celebrities - from white rapper Vanilla Ice to black rocker Lenny Kravitz. We know she's a great entertainer, a mediocre singer, a bad actor and a brilliant, driven businesswoman. We know that she's an egotistical, self-obsessed control freak who seems to delight in shocking prudes and religious types with not very shocking antics, when it comes down to it.

For all the uproar over her Sex book, the thing didn't contain any actual sex.
The irony of Madonna's career is that while she exploited the media in every possible way to get to where she is - the self-made $100-million material mama - she has since turned into a bit of prude herself, the classic reclusive superstar who just wants her privacy. At least until it's time for the unveiling of her new image.

We know Madonna likes to reinvent herself every few years. Her new image is always more memorable than whatever product of pop culture she comes up with - albums, videos, movies, books, lavish concert tours, it scarcely matters. She's been the waif, the skanky sex kitten, the material girl, the aluminum queen, "Veronica Electronica," a disco cowgirl and even Eva Peron. Every incarnation is mass-marketed upon a hapless population in a white-bread, watered-down way. If it weren't for Madonna's relentless assault on the masses, she'd soon disappear, leaving no legacy but the overriding message of her entire career: "Look at me, me, ME!" Two hundred years from now, all that will remain are pictures. If you don't like her now, Andrew Morton's unauthorized biography, Madonna, won't sway you. Despite his slavering, sickening, florid, celebrity-worshipping prose, it's not a flattering book.

Who is Madonna?
Andrew Morton's Madonna is a veritable glossary of labels. Here is but a small sample. According to Morton's book, Madonna is all of the following: <br>
Unique creation - herself.
The flirty young Lolita who became a sexual athlete.

Cinderella of the Ciccones.
All-American girl.
Compassionate capitalist.
At heart a little girl.
Misunderstood runaway defiantly suffering for her art and her vision.
A force of nature, an elemental being.
A fighter.
Post-modern icon.
Sexy tomboy.
Insecure and possessive.
Damsel in distress.
A Good Housekeeping cover girl.
The lost, lonely, unfulfilled yet driven woman floating on the latest cultural currents.
An icon of feminine strength and control ... humbled by the frailty of her all-too-human heart.
The new queen of British society.
A prisoner of her biology and background.
A cultural bloodhound always on the scent of the fresh, cool and credible.
Restless, life-enhancing force of nature, continually challenging, provoking and enchanting.

Madonna's Former Financial Advisor Speaks
Madonna's former finance manager is breaking his silence on the singer's business dealings in a new documentary this weekend. The programme will show ‘never seen before’ footage of Madonna’s former years and interviews with producers from Madonna's early career along with experts on her millions.

Bert Padell, who Madonna sacked in 1996, now represents stars like Britney Spears and Alicia Keys. He says that Madonna was more careful than any other artists: “We had to fax to her every cheque that we wrote on a daily basis, and then she would look at it and call us to tell us that it was OK to send it out. Money was 100% driving force for her like it is for any artist. You must realise that if someone is not going to make money, there’s not going to be any driving force.”
It was Madonna’s secretary who sacked him, and he has not been allowed to contact her since: “I never spoke to her since July 1996. I got a call from her secretary and her secretary told me ‘Bert, I have to tell you bad news’ and I said ‘can I talk to her?’, so she said ‘well you know Madonna, she doesn’t like to talk about these things’ which is the truth, she doesn’t like to say good-byes.”   Vinnie Jones believes she has every right to ditch any hangers on: “If you’re not pulling your weight, you’re out - gone. That’s not a control freak, that’s just a sensible person, that’s someone who has got their marbles in the right places.”

Madonna in London
Madonna, Guy and the rest of the actors and crew have left Sardinia. Madonna was seen shopping in London with Guy. The Sun had pictures of Madonna wearing a big furry Russian style hat. The remainder of the shooting of the movie is expected to be done in the U.K.

Thunderpuss Remixes
Since 1999, the remixes/productions of Thunderpuss (aka DJs Barry Harris and Chris Cox) have resulted in 18 No. 1 postings on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.
Recently, the duo made its "Total Request Live" debut via the Madonna-fronted "Thunderpuss GHV2 Megamix" (Maverick/Warner Bros.). Delivered to radio the week of Oct. 29, the promo-only track finds the twosome creating a musical collage of nine Madonna hits (including "Deeper and Deeper" and "Don't Tell Me") from her "GHV2: Greatest Hits Volume 2," which was released on Nov. 13.
In other Madonna news, the label will service club DJs with "GHV2" Nov. 20. The noncommercial single features six Madonna tracks seamlessly woven together by DJ/remixer Tracy Young. Next month, club DJs will receive a promotional three-disc set featuring the singer's best remixes of the past 10 years. A new remix (That Kid Chris' overhauling of "What It Feels Like for a Girl") will also be included.

Award News
The American Music Awards were announce and sadly Madonna did not receive any nominations. MTV Asia has announced their nominations and Madonna has been nominated for the "Favorite Female Artist" award alongside such luminaries as, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey and Jenniver Lopez.

Vanilla Ice says Madonna sex video 'might exist'.
Vanilla Ice says a video of Madonna performing a sex act on him might exist.
The rapper went out with Madonna after having a hit with Ice Ice Baby in 1990.
The pair were together for eight months.  Ice told Launch.com: "Her and I in a sex act? It could, could possibly, absolutely, it could possibly exist. It's hard to say this - I got my friends, you know."  He also says he regrets being involved in Madonna's book, Sex.  Ice said: "Everything was cool, man, until she did the Sex book.
"And basically I didn't want to be part of that slutty package, and they took all of those pictures and stuff and I found myself in the Sex book. And I knew that all that was staged and it wasn't really her.  "I could just look at the book and go, 'God, this ain't her. She ain't that slutty. Why is she portraying this?' It was a moment in time and I guess I was a part of it."

Cute article on Madonna's dog
The stress of living with Madonna has been tough on her Chilhuahua, Chiquita. The pint-sized pooch, who was photographed in bondage gear in Icon magazine, was reportedly sent to dog psychiatrist Shelby Marlow to get over "jealousy issues" after Madonna's daughter Lourdes was born. The shrink sessions paid off:
Chiquita soon forged a strong bond with Lourdes, who loved to kiss the canine and uttered "dog" as one of her first words.

GHV2
There is no question Madonna is the greatest female performer of the last 20 years. A little over a decade ago she released her Immaculate Collection album and gave us new music with "Justify My Love" and "Rescue Me". in 1995, her Something To Remember collection was a compilation of her ballads, but it included three new songs. What's disappointing about her latest compilation is that it offers nothing fans haven't heard before.
In addition, two of the four studio albums that compile GHV2 were from her most uncreative period. Both Erotica and Bedtime Stories appealed very much to her fan base. 1998's Ray Of Light and last years Music reinvented and reestablished the Madonna persona, but as they are both still at recurrent level as most pop radio, they have hardly had time to establish their positions in music history.

GHV2 is basically a list of radio songs. 1992's Erotica is represented by "Deeper and Deeper" and "Erotica", 1994's Bedtimes Stories donates "Human Nature", "Bedtime Story" "Take A Bow" and "Secret". 1998's Ray of Life offers up "The Power Of Good-bye", "Frozen", "Ray Of Light" and "Drowned World / Substitute For Love" and the recent Music gives us "Don't Tell Me", "What It Feels Like For A Girl" and "Music".

The movie Austin Powers have thrown in "Beautiful Stranger" and from Evita we have "Don't Cry For Me Argentina".  Unlike Immaculate Collection, GHV2 features just the standard remixes. The album has nothing new to offer at all other than cash registers going ca-ching and the Madonna bank balance going woo-hoo at Christmas.

Track Listing
1. Deeper And Deeper
2. Erotica
3. Human Nature
4. Secret
5. Don't Cry For Me Argentina
6. Bedtime Story
7. The Power Of Goodbye
8. Beautiful Stranger
9. Frozen
10. Take A Bow
11. Ray Of Light
12. Don't Tell Me
13. What It Feels Like For A Girl
14. Drowned World / Substitute For Love
15. Music


Guy Ritchie hosts Shoot-Bullets fly at Ashcombe
Madonna and Guy Ritchie held their first ever shoot at Ashcombe House, their new home, on Saturday, it has been revealed. According to eagle-eyed spies, also among the tweed-clad figures seen scuttling about on the day was Marco Pierre White. The restaurateur later said that he had enjoyed 'an excellent day's shooting'. Ashcombe's 1,134-acre estate has a reputation for good sport, and this is known to have played a large part in its attraction for Ritchie. A number of the director's pals, including Vinnie Jones, are also fond of the whiff of cordite.

Madonna and Liz back together?
And another long publicity nightmare came to an end this week when PR wiz Liz Rosenberg resolved her differences with Madonna and went back to work as the singer's spokeswoman.
You may recall that Rosenberg ended her 20-year association with Madonna in September. Rosenberg said, at the time, that Sept. 11 had forced her to rethink her professional ties to Mama Madge.
"I had never before imagined it ending," Rosenberg said six weeks ago. "But then the real world came to an end."
Well, it's all over now that Madonna needs PR help. Two juicy biographies — which Madonna didn't want to see written — have just been published: "Madonna," by Andrew Morton, and "Goddess," by Barbara Victor. "I'm in a less emotional place now," says Rosenberg. "I came to the conclusion that there was too much history between us. I love the girl. What can I say?"


Madonna reshoots scenes from movie
Madonna has reportedly forced husband Guy Ritchie to reshoot parts of his new movie because she did not like the way she looked in it. The 43-year-old singer is said to have complained she looked like the 'Queen Mother of Pop' in his film Love, Sex and Money. The mother of two stars as a posh trollop stranded on a deserted beach with a sex-mad fisherman, but said she looks old and frumpy in the initial footage, according to the Daily Star. Apparently the singer managed to sneak a peek at the film - despite her husband's wishes. "My God, I look like a senior citizen. I can't believe Guy is doing this to me, I look awful," she told a friend. An insider said Madonna did not want to look bad next to her co-star Jennifer Aniston, from Friends. Ritchie has now promised to film the scenes all over again with a new filter lens and flattering lights. However, he is said to have told a friend that Madonna is still perfect in his eyes - "wrinkles and all".

Madonna Moving Soon and Surrounds House for Privacy
Madonna has reportedly spent £10,000 having five large trees planted at her London home.  The star is thought to have ordered the trees to prevent neighbours from looking into the garden. She is set to move into the £6 million house near Oxford Street later this month.

Madonna nominated for 2 VH1 Awards...11/5/01
Finalists for this year's 'My VH1 Awards' have now been selected. 
Madonna has been nominated for 2 awards, which you can vote for her on VH1. She's up for "my favourite female" and "hottest live show" awards. 
Both the categories and the finalists were chosen by fans on VH1.com, who now have a chance to vote for the winners.

Article on Guy's Childhood...11/5/01
When Guy Ritchie married Madonna, many wondered if he would be able to handle such a powerful woman. Those acquainted with his sister, Tabitha, however, will have been aware that Mr R is very familiar with the art of being bossed about. 'We used to have great times in the attic putting on little plays and puppet-shows,' reveals the film-maker's formidable sibling, rather embarrassingly. 'But Guy wasn't allowed to do any directing because I was older and I was boss. I would make him dress up as a girl if the role required.' This rather surprising behaviour appears to have continued at Sibford, the school that both the Ritchie children attended, along with Meg Mathews. Tabitha recalls: 'Meg and I used to run riot and we were eventually expelled. But we used to look after Guy because he was younger, and tell our boyfriends to make sure no one beat him up.' Blimey. It's enough to turn a boy turn to guns and gangsters.

 Madonna Highest Female Earner in U.K
J.K. Rowling, creator of fictional boy wizard Harry Potter, was beaten out by the Material Girl for the title of Britain's highest-earning woman. The author of four Harry Potter books ranked second in the annual Pay List compiled by the Sunday Times newspaper, with income of 24.8 million pounds - about $36.2 million - in the year ending Oct. 1.  p; Madonna earned 30 million pounds - about $43.8 million - to top the list. Madonna, who is married to British director Guy Ritchie, qualified because she has a home in London, the newspaper said.  Queen Elizabeth II was the country's third highest earning woman, with income of 15.2 million pounds, or $22.2 million.

No Doubt's Gwen Stefani And Madonna: Kissin' Cousins Of A Sort...11/3/01
It seems that two of pops most visible divas are related, albeit distantly. No Doubt's Gwen Stefani tells LAUNCH that she shares the same gene pool as Madonna, dating back to when Stefani's grandfather and his family moved from Italy to Detroit, where Stefani's father lived until he was 11."We really are related because, just pay attention closely: My grandma's sister's husband's mother is a Ciccone from Detroit," she says. "I just always say that story 'cause I think it's funny." Madonna's surname, of course, is Ciccone.  Stefani says there haven't been a lot of family gatherings, but she has met Madonna and has very high regard for her: "She's a sweetie and she's always been really cool to me and, I mean, it's one thing...it's like growing up in the '80s and stuff, being from the scene that I was in. Like, I was totally into ska music and when you're that age you're like militant about it, you know, and of course at that age everything around me was--like, any pop music or Madonna or anything--was like, 'Whatever,' you know what I mean? And, you know, after being a female in music for all these years and watching what she's done and how she's been able to maintain this career and keep people interested after all this time, and to grow older in front of people and still be sexy and all those things, obviously I've grown to really admire her," she says. No Doubt, which plays the second of 10 opening dates for U2 on November 5 in Austin, Texas, is preparing for the December 18 release of its new album, Rock Steady. Madonna releases a second greatest-hits album on November 13.

New bio sees Madonna as Desperately Seeking Love
John F Kennedy Jr, Michael Jackson, Warren Beatty, rapper Vanilla Ice - who hasn't superstar Madonna tried to bed? A new unauthorised biography of the Material Girl, to be published next week, portrays a woman desperately seeking love, often with men who were either too scared, too straight-laced or simply not aroused by the diva whose raunchy 1992 book Sex was a "cause celebre."  Excerpts of the biography written by British author Andrew Morton - whose 1992 biography of Princess Diana exploded the myth of her fairy-tale marriage to Prince Charles - were released Thursday in the new issue of People Magazine.  They depict Madonna as an insecure manipulator who two-timed most of her boyfriends but was more of a kitten than a tigress in the bedroom. A spokeswoman for Madonna dismissed the book as fiction.  "She's not about whips and chains," rapper Vanilla Ice told Morton of his brief 1991 affair with Madonna. "She was very romantic."

"Many of the men in her life have been arm-candy," Morton told People. "She flirted with Michael Jackson and had a relationship with Warren Beatty, but many of the others like Carlos Leon (father of her daughter Lourdes) and Jim Albright (a former bodyguard) were not well known.  "She spent a long time looking for love in all the wrong places," said Morton. "In the end, she is an old-fashioned Catholic girl who wants to be married."  Madonna's spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg said that Madonna, who turned 43 in August and who married British movie director Guy Ritchie last December, had not seen the Morton book.  But Rosenberg added; "There isn't one thing in it that is true. It is a lovely work of fiction, I am sure."

Morton interviewed more than 70 of Madonna's associates, friends and relatives for "Madonna".  He claims Madonna and the late John F Kennedy Jr were lovers for a brief period in 1987 - while Madonna was still married to actor Sean Penn - "but he (JFK Jr) was just too nervous for them to click sexually."  She tried to seduce popstar Michael Jackson in 1991 but "nothing happened because he was giggling so much" had a fling with actor Warren Beatty during the filming of the 1990 movie Dick Tracy mostly to boost her own publicity, and had two abortions in 1985 - one of them first husband Sean Penn's baby and the other conceived with deejay boyfriend Jellybean Benitez, Morton wrote. 

But her sexual adventures did not stop there, according to Morton. He claims Madonna slept with two women - comedian Sandra Bernhard during the dying months of her marriage to Penn, and Ingrid Casares, daughter of a millionaire Cuban businessman, in 1991.  Albright, the bodyguard with whom Madonna had a secret three year romance beginning in 1991, told Morton he lost faith in her as he discovered her other secret relationships. "She's never been faithful to one man - period. She told me that. She is only loyal to herself," Morton quotes him as saying.

Morton says that Ritchie, who Madonna met at a dinner party in 1999, had "unlocked the secret" of the pop superstar but that he seemed initially reluctant to marry her even when she became pregnant with his child. The two finally wed in December 2000 in a remote Scottish castle. "We have this image of a hard-boiled sassy New Yorker," Morton wrote in the People excerpt. "But she is more of a decent person than that ... She has wanted to give love but when she receives it, she rejects it."

Madonna's Immaculate Collection Album nets "Diamond".
With the release of her second greatest hits set just around the corner, Madonna's 1990 Warner Bros. compilation "The Immaculate Collection" has been certified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for U.S. sales of 10 million copies. It's the second diamond award for the material girl, taking its place beside the one she earned in 1999 for "Like a Virgin."

Warners to Spend Big Bucks on Promoting GVH2
Madonna's record company Warners are spending £1m on promoting the star's new Greatest Hits album. The 15 track sequel to 1990's 3.5m selling The Immaculate Collection is released on 12 November and the star will not be doing any promotion or interviews to back up the album as she is currently in Europe filming a movie directed by her husband, Guy Ritchie.  Warners plans a cryptic promotion campaign initially, merely referring to the album as GHV2. 'We want to create some intrigue initially,' a Warners marketing manager said. 'We want the unusual name to get people thinking about the association between Madonna and GHV2. Only later will it become obvious as Greatest Hits Volume 2.'
Back to top
 

October, 2001

September, 2001

Madonna has Laryngitis and Cancels Show
Thanks to a case of bad pipes, Madonna won't be taking her music to the masses Friday night. The pop diva has come down with a nasty case of laryngitis, forcing her to nix her show at New Jersey's Continental Airlines Arena and ticking off some 20,000 fans who managed to negotiate jammed switchboards, snaking ticket lines, an AOL promotion or money-grubbing scalpers to see the Material Girl on her first tour in eight years. "She is canceling the show under doctor's orders," Madonna rep Liz Rosenberg says. The 42-year-old singer has apparently been told to stay in bed. Madonna's US spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg said: 'It's bad enough that her doctor recommended complete vocal rest. It's a pretty gruelling and exhausting tour. Her voice just gave out. She wouldn't do a tour unless she was at her full peak. It's not Madonna.' The 42-year-old singer's voice was hoarse during Thursday's show at the arena and her doctor ordered complete bed rest on Friday.'I think she's pretty exhausted, added Rosenberg.
The concert will not be rescheduled, and Ms.Rosenberg explained, "The canceled show was Madonna's seventh sold-out show in the New York area. The tour is expected to continue on to Boston on August 7 and 8 and Washington, D.C., August 10 and 11."
Back to top

Madonna and dancers entertain the masses at Madison Square Garden.
Playing a 105-minute set almost identical to the one she debuted in Philadelphia on Saturday, Madonna burst out in punk-influenced plaid for her opening song, "Drowned World/Substitute for Love." The 42-year-old mother of Lourdes, 4, and Rocco, 11 months, crawled over a phalanx of dancers in gas masks as she made a somewhat nebulous statement about the nature of ambition, fame and love. The rest of the show focused largely on the pop diva's most recent albums, the electronica-influenced "Music" and "Ray of Light." But she had had something special up her sleeve for the Garden party, telling the crowd, "It sure feels good to be in New York City. I was born in Michigan but I grew up in New York, so I'm overwhelmed with gratitude." The smiling superstar then belted out a tune in honor of New York — a comic ditty about a woman who barbecues and eats her dad after he gets shot. Madonna later said the tune deals with "making lemonade from lemons." Her only nod to her hits of the past were a reworked, percussion-driven version of "La Isla Bonita" and a pumped-up "Holiday." While Madonna's costumes changed from punk to geisha to cowgirl to ghetto fabulous, her imitators had to content themselves with a single ensemble. But die-hard fans paid a steep price to bathe in the electric glow of their hard-bodied idol. Nosebleed tickets began at $45, and the best seats went for more than $1,000, including a private party, face value. Of course, her eight local shows sold out in minutes, driving unlucky fans to scalpers who demanded more than $1,000 for the best tickets.
With the heavy production cost of the Madonna spectacle, tickets prices were bound to skyrocket. An entourage of nearly 200 people put together each show, and eight semis are required to haul the 100 tons of equipment necessary to make Madonna look like a "Crouching Tiger" kung fu expert, a geisha with kimono sleeves 26 feet long and a buckaroo able to stay atop a mechanical bull nicknamed Jesus. Madonna will appear through Tuesday at the Garden, with a day off Sunday. Then she moves to the Meadowlands arena for shows Thursday and Friday.
Back to top

June, 2001
BMW Commercial "Star" to be released on June 6th. Madonna stars in this video, once again directed by her husband Guy Ritchie.
Back to top