Madonna (book)
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''Madonna'' is a biography by English author Andrew Morton, chronicling the life of American recording artist Madonna. The book was released in November 2001 by
St. Martin's Press St. Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, in the Equitable Building. St. Martin's Press is considered one of the largest English-language publishers, bringing to the public some 700 titles a year under si ...
in the United States and by
Michael O'Mara Books Michael O'Mara Books is a small, family-run, privately owned publishing house in the United Kingdom. Established in London in 1985, by an American expatriate, Michael O'Mara, a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and his British wife, Lesley, ...
in the United Kingdom. Morton decided to write a biography on Madonna in 2000. The release was announced in April 2001 by St. Martin's Press. President and publisher Sally Richardson described the biography to contain details about Madonna's ambitions, her relationships and her lifestyle. Morton interviewed about 70 people who had known Madonna since her youth. He spent many evenings in bars and clubs in New York chatting to people—including artists, musicians, and directors—who had an interesting perspective on Madonna and the world. After its release, ''Madonna'' received mixed reviews from contemporary critics, who panned Morton's writing skills and felt that the book did not present anything new about the singer. The book was a commercial disappointment. In the United States, the book reached eight on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list, and sold half of its initial print. Madonna herself was critical of Morton writing a biography on her life, and sent a letter to him, asking him to stay away from her family and friends. Morton remained unabashed, saying that he wrote the book because of his interest in the star, not least because she has made a "difference" to pop culture and modern culture. In 2004, a lawsuit was filed against the author by Jim Albright, one of Madonna's ex-lovers mentioned in the book. The lawsuit regarded an image in the book, portraying one of Madonna's gay dancers—with Albright's name underneath. United States District Court ruled out the lawsuit explaining that stating someone is homosexual does not libel or slander them.


Summary

The book opens with Madonna's birth, her early years in Michigan, and her 1977 move to New York City where she was involved with
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, two pop groups, composing, and releasing her 1983 debut album, '' Madonna''. Her rise to superstardom as a pop icon is chronicled and her cutting edge music videos, albums, first concert tour, film roles, and marriage and divorce to
Sean Penn Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He has won two Academy Awards, for his roles in the mystery drama ''Mystic River'' (2003) and the biopic ''Milk'' (2008). Penn began his acting career in televisi ...
are examined. The book investigates her controversial religious imagery and her erotic productions, ''
Erotica Erotica is literature or art that deals substantively with subject matter that is erotic, sexually stimulating or sexually arousing. Some critics regard pornography as a type of erotica, but many consider it to be different. Erotic art may use ...
'', ''
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'', and '' Body of Evidence''. The book describes a mellowing in her appearance and provocativeness, and, among other things, the release of her next several albums, her
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-winning musical film portrayal of
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, and her high-grossing
Drowned World Tour The Drowned World Tour (billed as Drowned World Tour 2001) was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna in support of her seventh and eighth studio albums ''Ray of Light'' (1998) and ''Music'' (2000), respectively. The tou ...
. The birth of her daughter and son are chronicled and her marriage to
Guy Ritchie Guy Stuart Ritchie (born 10 September 1968) is an English film director, producer and screenwriter. His work includes British gangster films, and the ''Sherlock Holmes'' films starring Robert Downey Jr. Ritchie left school at age 15 and wor ...
. ''Madonna'' includes detailed descriptions of her relationships with people including
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and
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
.


Writing and development

American journalist and celebrity biographer Andrew Morton is known for his works on
Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...
,
Monica Lewinsky Monica Samille Lewinsky (born July 23, 1973) is an American activist and writer. President Bill Clinton admitted to having an affair with Lewinsky while she worked at the White House as an intern in 1995 and 1996. The affair, and its repercus ...
and footballer
David Beckham David Robert Joseph Beckham (; born 2 May 1975) is an English former professional footballer, the current president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF and co-owner of Salford City. Known for his range of passing, crossing ability and bending fr ...
and his wife,
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...
. In October 2000, Morton had hinted that he had American recording artist Madonna as his next project, when he responded to an ''Independent'' reader in "You Ask the Questions" section. Asked who he would most like to write a biography of, he said: "I've always admired Madonna as an intriguing and charismatic character who has been able to stay at the top for 20 years." A formal announcement was made by Morton's UK publicist Michael O'Mara in April 2001, that Morton had secured access to "those in her adonna'sinner circle, who have never been interviewed before, about her ambitions, lifestyle and relationships." O'Mara added the reason for choosing Madonna was because she was "one of the most enigmatic and fascinating women of our time, ndis the undisputed female icon of the modern age." The biography's American publishing rights were acquired by
St. Martin's Press St. Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, in the Equitable Building. St. Martin's Press is considered one of the largest English-language publishers, bringing to the public some 700 titles a year under si ...
. President and publisher Sally Richardson described the biography to contain details about Madonna's ambitions, her relationships and her lifestyle. Richardson added that "Andrew loves complicated women, and has a genius for getting into their psyche and telling the world what makes them tick." Scheduled for release in November 2001, St. Martin's Press added that about 500,000 copies of the first print were ordered, and Morton received a six figure undisclosed amount as advance for writing the book. Madonna had always wanted to protect her privacy and reports had initially suggested that she was furious that Morton had decided to write the book, and commanded her friends and relatives not to give any interview to him. She added, "I don't want anyone talking to that snivelling little worm. How dare he invade my privacy?" With the
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...
, Morton detailed his "detective work" researching Madonna's life in New York, where she clambered her way up to fame and fortune. "Not only is she an interesting character, but all her friends and those who've known her are interesting characters too," he said. Morton spent many evenings in bars and clubs in New York chatting to people — including artists, musicians, directors — who had an interesting perspective on Madonna and the world. He interviewed about 70 people who had known Madonna since her youth. "I think I've come up with a very fresh picture," he said, adding that Dan Gilroy of Breakfast Club, who had introduced Madonna to the music world, had e-mailed him saying the biography had "really captured Madonna's spirit".


Critical response

The book received mixed reviews. Richard Lautens from ''
Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...
'' said that "''Madonna'' is a thorough, if slightly workmanlike, retelling of its namesake's well-documented slog from lowly Midwestern beginnings to squeaky-voiced sex kitten to professional button-pusher to mother and respected, vaguely Bowie-esque, chameleonic figure, a cultural bloodhound always on the scent of the fresh, cool and credible." Helen Bushby from
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...
commented that " e book is certainly detailed, and will no doubt keep Madonna fanatics happy, although it is perhaps more of a reference book than a page-turner. But Morton is a good businessman, and is canny in his choice of subjects." Michael Sneed from ''
Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago T ...
'' gave a negative review of the book and felt that Morton's previous works had been better. George Rush from ''
New York Daily News The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ta ...
'' commented: "Despite her best efforts to discourage friends from cooperating with him, Andrew Morton has come forth with a book that portrays Madge as an insecure manipulator so ravenous for affection that she scared off some boyfriends, cheated on most of them and made a lot of foolish choices." In another review, Sherryl Connelly from the same publication was of the opinion that ''Madonna'' was mostly similar to J. Randy Taraborrelli's biography on her, '' Madonna: An Intimate Biography''. She added, "At least, it's the story made familiar by Madonna, a woman who has always taken for granted the world's interest in her life." Rick Thames, editor of ''
The Charlotte Observer ''The Charlotte Observer'' is an American English-language newspaper serving Charlotte, North Carolina, and its metro area. The Observer was founded in 1886. As of 2020, it has the second-largest circulation of any newspaper in the Carolinas. I ...
'', criticized the book's packaging calling the cover as "tacky, hot pink-and-acid green sleeves, featuring an unflattering photo of the dished artist." Barry Didcock from ''
Sunday Herald The ''Sunday Herald'' was a Scottish Sunday newspaper, published between 7 February 1999 and 2 September 2018. Originally a broadsheet, it was published in compact format from 20 November 2005. The paper was known for having combined a centre- ...
'' felt that "Morton ad failedto find the face of Madonna." He criticized Morton's sketchy portrayal of Madonna's relationship with deceased artist
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, saying "he commits an error by doing so because, unusually for Madonna, this was a relationship of equals." Gregg Barrios from '' Daily Star'' was critical of the book, saying " The fatal flaw of these quickie knockoffs is that they have no real ending or any way of predicting what the fates have in store for Madonna Louise Penn uy Ritchienee Ciccone. Once the next Madonna tour, CD, marriage or film appears, their shelf life is cut short." Barbara Ellen from ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' criticized Morton's writing by saying, "Andrew Morton achieves the implausible: he takes an interesting woman and an astonishing life and makes them both seem incredibly boring in his life of Madonna.... Once you get used to Morton's pace (dull plod, with occasional snooze), it becomes quite amusing joining him on the journey, a bit like watching someone dragging a dead body around, trying to find some place to hide it. Even luminaries such as Madonna exes
Sean Penn Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He has won two Academy Awards, for his roles in the mystery drama ''Mystic River'' (2003) and the biopic ''Milk'' (2008). Penn began his acting career in televisi ...
and
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are reduced to flailing around like disenfranchised phantoms in the shallows of Morton's blandly automatic insight."


Commercial reception

''Madonna'' was released in hardback in the United States in November 2001. It debuted at position 15 on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list, and reached eight the next week, but was present there for only two weeks. Madonna was still livid that Morton wrote the book without her permission, even saying "It's not a well-written book. We all know he wrote it for financial gain and the truth had little to do with it", after the book was released. With
Jo Whiley Johanne Whiley-Morton (born 4 July 1965), better known by her professional name Jo Whiley, is an English radio DJ and television presenter. She was the host of the long-running weekday later weekend '' Jo Whiley Show'' on BBC Radio 1. She curre ...
from ''
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
'', she added that "
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really went through my Rolodex and that part was really annoying, and I ended up writing him a letter saying, 'I'm not interested in you writing this book, I don't want to have anything to do with it – and please leave my friends alone'." The singer said that she had even sent Morton a book of philosophy—''The Power of Kabbalah''—to try to dissuade him from continuing. "It's a beginner's crash course in what it's all about – that eventually in some way shape or form it would come back round to him, but he either didn't read it or didn't care," Madonna added. During the
Drowned World Tour The Drowned World Tour (billed as Drowned World Tour 2001) was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna in support of her seventh and eighth studio albums ''Ray of Light'' (1998) and ''Music'' (2000), respectively. The tou ...
of 2001, Madonna was asked whether she had really sent the book for Morton's well-being. She replied sarcastically: "Why yes, I always send bibles and philosophy books to my biographers." Motioning to her then husband
Guy Ritchie Guy Stuart Ritchie (born 10 September 1968) is an English film director, producer and screenwriter. His work includes British gangster films, and the ''Sherlock Holmes'' films starring Robert Downey Jr. Ritchie left school at age 15 and wor ...
she continued, "Just ask my husband, he'll tell you that my greatest concern these days is not this fucking tour, or him or even our kids, why, it's Andrew Morton's spiritual enlightment of course." Her publicist Liz Rosenberg released a statement that "None of this hings in the biographyis true. I never saw a groom walk down an aisle with a bigger smile than Guy Ritchie," adding that Morton's claims were a retread of "tired old gossip. It's same old, same old." Morton remained unabashed, saying that he wrote the book because of his interest in the star, not least because she has made a "difference" to pop culture and modern culture. He added:
"I'm very proud of the book and I'm very disappointed at Madonna's reaction. I think the problem is that she wants control over everything – that's one of the themes of the book, and secondly she seems to be almost disowning her past at the moment. She's reinventing herself as an upper-class, English aristocrat, and the former vegetarian who now goes hunting, fishing and shooting. My door's always open – Madonna's welcome to my house for a cup of tea. She said she wasn't interested in doing any kind of biography or anything ever, which is a bit of a stern statement from someone who has been so out there. It doesn't matter whether it's me, Norman Mailer, whoever. I was disappointed because I felt that we've only ever seen the caricature, the cartoon version of Madonna and I really wanted to show that she is a considerable artist and that she is more than anything that has been written about her in the past. I think for her it is an opportunity missed."


Lawsuit

''Madonna'' faced a lawsuit in 2004 over an image in the book. Titled ''Amarak Productions, Inc. vs. Morton'', Madonna's former bodyguard and ex-lover Jim Albright brought a defamation case against Morton and St. Martin's Press, based on an incorrect photo caption. ''Amarak Productions, Inc.'' had employed Albright as Madonna's bodyguard in 1992, and he had later become romantically involved with the singer. While writing the book, Morton had contacted Albright to gather information on their relationship. One of the picture's caption in the book identified the subject as Albright, but it was actually Madonna's gay back-up dancer Jose Gutierez. On discovering the misleading image, the lawsuit was filed by Albright who objected to the caption. On 30 May 2004, US District judge Nancy Gertner ruled out the lawsuit explaining that stating someone is homosexual does not libel or slander them, particularly in light of new court decisions granting more LGBT rights. Gertner first rejected the idea that the mistake in the caption meant that it promoted Albright as gay. She added: "Private biases may be outside the reach of the law, but the law cannot, directly or indirectly give them effect. In this day and age, recent rulings by the
Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
and the Supreme Judiciary Court of Massachusetts undermine any suggestion that a statement implying that an individual is homosexual is defamatory."


Publication history


References


External links


Book Excerpt: 'Madonna' by Andrew Morton
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'' {{madonna 2001 non-fiction books American biographies Biographies about actors Biographies about businesspeople Biographies about musicians Biographies about writers Books about Madonna