Madonna Louise Ciccone, born on August 16, 1958, in Bay City, Michigan, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and entrepreneur. Known as the "Queen of Pop", Madonna's influence in the music industry is unparalleled.

Her continual reinvention, versatility in music production, songwriting, and visual presentation have made her a cultural icon.

Madonna was born into a large Italian-American family. She lost her mother to breast cancer at the age of five, an event that drove her to pursue success and fame as an adult. In the 1970s, Madonna studied dance at the University of Michigan and with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City before relocating briefly to Paris as a member of Patrick Hernandez’s disco revue.

Returning to New York City, she performed with a number of rock groups before signing with Sire Records.

Madonna's first hit, "Holiday," in 1983, provided the blueprint for her later material—an upbeat dance club sound with sharp production and an immediate appeal. She has released 14 studio albums, three soundtrack albums, six live albums, seven compilation albums, and 39 other limited releases. Some of her most iconic songs include "Like a Virgin", "La Isla Bonita", "Like a Prayer", "Vogue", "Take a Bow", "Frozen", "Music", "Hung Up" and "4 Minutes".

Madonna has also acted in several films such as "Desperately Seeking Susan" (1985), "Dick Tracy" (1990), "A League of Their Own" (1992), and "Evita" (1996), the latter of which won her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress.

As a businesswoman, she founded the company Maverick in 1992, which included Maverick Records, one of the most successful artist-run labels in history.

Madonna has been married twice — first to Sean Penn from 1985 to 1989, then to Guy Ritchie from 2000 to 2008. She has also had relationships with several other Hollywood stars, including Tupac, Dennis Rodman, and Warren Beatty, among others. Most recently, she has been linked to Summer House star Josh Popper. Madonna is a mother to six children: Lourdes, Rocco, David, Mercy, Stella, and Estere.

Madonna has received numerous awards throughout her career. She has won seven Grammy Awards, and in 2008, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

She was named the world's wealthiest female musician by Forbes magazine in 2008. With sales of over 300 million records worldwide, Madonna is the best-selling female recording artist of all time.