Madonna is one of the most remarkable women of our time. A pop-culture chameleon with an unerring ability to stay on the cutting edge, she is the undisputed queen of popular music and, to many, the most important female entertainer of the last two decades. There is no more informed chronicler of modern celebrity than Andrew Morton, author of worldwide bestsellers about Diana, Princess of Wales, Monica Lewinsky, and Victoria and David Beckham...

There is no more informed chronicler of modern celebrity than Andrew Morton, author of worldwide bestsellers about Diana, Princess of Wales, Monica Lewinsky, and Victoria and David Beckham. His new biography is not only based on extensive research, enabling him to retrace Madonna's journey to stardom, but also on his interviews with those in Madonna's inner circle - many of whom have never spoken out before - allowing him to unravel truth from myth along the way. He has even uncovered the long-lost Madonna tapes, including her earliest recordings, which have not come to light for twenty years.

Andrew Morton is able to make star!ling revelations, among them the real story of Madonna's family background; the events behind the violent attack that changed her views on sex and men; her relationships with Michael Jackson, Prince, John F. Kennedy Junior, Vanilla Ice and other rock and Hollywood stars; the mystery man she wanted to marry; and the darkest days of her career when she threatened to quit show business.

Above all, he sheds new light on what powers the Madonna phenomenon, and examines whether the face she presents today is that of a woman who is fulfilled personally and professionally, or one who is still seeking a more perfect Madonna. With over sixty-five rare and stunning photographs, many of which have never before been published in books, this gripping new biography reveals Madonna in an entirely new light.

Acknowledgments 7

Photograph Acknowledgments 9

ONE:All-American Girl 11

TWO: The American Dream 23

THREE: 'This Used to Be My Playground' 37

FOUR: Destined to Be a Dancer 54

FIVE: The 'Lost' First Songs 73

SIX: Madonna, Max's, Midnight 91

SEVEN: DeMann and De Woman 108

EIGHT: Tm a Sexy Woman, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!' 123

NINE: Desperately Seeking Hollywood 139

TEN: Nice Ice Baby, Don't Go 161

ELEVEN: Looking for Love in MI the Wrong Places 175

TWELVE: Me, Myself and I 192

THIRTEEN: Lady Madonna 210

Madonna: Discography, videos,

film and theater, tours 238

Index 249