Madonna

by J. Randy Taraborrelli

  With Sandra Bernhard: thanks to Sandra Bernhard for the interview I conducted in 1996. I also referred to: Penthouse, November 1988, “Sandra Bernhard: The Queen of Comedy” by Richard Dominick. I also reviewed the tape of Madonna and Sandra on David Letterman’s program, The Late Show with David Letterman, July 1988; Star, June 28, 1998, “It’s All-Girls Night”; Sun, May 26, 1989, “Madonna and Sandra Shock Fans” by Allan Hall; People, June 12, 1989, “Gal Pals Sandra Bernhard and Madonna Monkey Around to Save the Jungle”; USA Today, October 24, 1989, “Bernhard Burning Over ‘Sordid Press’” by Ann Trebbe; Interview, March 1990, “Sandra Bernhard” by Paul Taylor; New York Post, February 26, 1994, “Ex Gal-Pal Rips ‘Grubby Madonna’” by Richard Johnson with Kimberly Ryan; Laugh Factory, April 28, 1994, “Tea Time from Hollywood — Sandra Bernhard Pours the Tea on Madonna” by Paul Mooney; National Enquirer, November 10, 1992, “Sandra Bernhard: “Madonna Stole My Lesbian Lover” by John South, Tony Brenna and Lydia Encinas.

  With John Kennedy, Jr.: as the author of Jackie, Ethel, Joan — Women of Camelot (Warner Books, 2000), I have cultivated many contacts within the Kennedy circle. For this text, I utilized a number of them to learn about John’s relationship with Madonna. Some asked for anonymity. However, two who did not are Steven Styles and Thomas Luft, both of whom I interviewed on ten different occasions regarding Madonna and John (1990-2000). I also interviewed two former members of the Secret Service, both personal friends of John who requested anonymity. My thanks also to Richard Wiese (1999), Senator George Smathers (1994) and Chris Meyer (1995, 2000) for their interviews. I also referred to: New York Post, October 4, 1991, “The Real Story Behind Madonna’s Fling With JFK, Jr.” by Marsha Kranes.

  With Warren Beatty: thanks to Diane Giordano (1990, 1994) and Bill Hollerman (1990). Also thanks to Cathy Griffin for certain details and valuable information regarding Madonna and Warren. I also referred to: National Enquirer, June 20, 1989, “Madonna to Wed Warren Beatty” by Tony Brenna, Diane Albright and Jerome George; Entertainment Weekly, December 20, 1991, “Warren’s World” by James Kaplan; Interview, September 1991, “Sean Penn” by Julian Schnabel.

  With Tony Ward: thanks to Tony Ward for the interview I conducted in 1992; Jayme Harris (1993); and Sandra Bernhard (1996). Thanks also to Keith Saltar (2000) and Tina Stanton (2000). I also referred to: National Enquirer, February 26, 1991, “What Madonna Doesn’t Know About Her Live-In Boyfriend” by John South, David Duffy and Alan Braham Smith.

  With Michael Jackson: as the author of Michael Jackson: The Magic and the Madness (Carol Publishing, 1990), I have cultivated many contacts with the Jackson circle. I utilized some of them to flesh out the stories about Michael and Madonna found here. Thanks also to Michael Jackson (1996) and John Branca (1990) for the interviews I conducted with them from which I extrapolated information regarding his relationship with Madonna. Thanks also to Monica Pastelle (1995, 1998, 2000). Also, I referred to my own books: J. Randy Taraborrelli: The Unauthorized Biography of Diana Ross (Carol Publishing, 1989); Motown: Hot Wax, City Cool and Solid Gold (Doubleday, 1986); and Janet Jackson: Out of the Madness (which I co-wrote with Bart Andrews, Doubleday, 1994). I also referred to my research for: “The Secret Life of Michael Jackson” for the Daily Mail, August 24, 2000; People, April 15, 1991. I referenced “Madonna and Michael” by Steve Doherty, Todd Gold, David Marlow and Robin Micheli.

  With Ingrid Casares: thanks to Chita Mavros (1999, 2000). I also referred to: New York Post, February 7, 2000, “Casares Speaks” by Jared Paul Stern; New York Post, April 11, 2000, “Now It’s Madonna [and Pal] with Child” by Linda Massarella.

  With Carlos Leon: thanks to Carlos’s parents, Maria Leon and Armando Leon (1996, 1999). Thanks also to Michael Gacki (1996), Patrice Gonzalez (1998, 1999, 2000). I referred to: Daily News, October 16, 1996; “My Lourdes, She’s Daddy’s Little Girl” by Corky Siemaszko; New York Post, April 17, 1996, “Man Who Stole Madonna’s Heart” by Bill Hoffman; Daily News, April 17, 1996, “Beau’s Mom Ecstatic” by Jere Hester and Wendell Jamieson; Los Angeles Times, April 16, 1996, “She’s Now a Maternity Girl” by Liz Smith; New York Post, May 4, 1997, “Mr. Madonna Dematerializing” by Neal Travis; New York Post, April 24, 1996, “Madonna’s Top Seed Jets Home” by Linda Massarella; Newsweek, April 29, 1996 “Get Married, Madonna” by Jonathan Alter; New York Post, June 30, 2000, “Don’t-Ask Carlos Loses His Cool”; People, October 26, 1996, “Labor of Love” by Todd Gold; People, April 29, 1996, “And Baby Makes Three” by Karen S. Schneider.

  With Dennis Rodman: thanks to Dennis Rodman (1996) and Trina Graves (2000). The faxed correspondence between Madonna and Dennis had been published in the Globe in 1995, and also broadcast on the television show Hard Copy. I also consulted: Bad as I Wanna Be by Dennis Rodman (Delacorte Press, 1996).

  With Andy Bird: thanks to Andy’s mother, Kathleen Bird (1998), Joseph Lafferty (2000), Elvin Bishop (2000); I also referenced: People, April 5, 1999, “Two Guys, a Girl and a Punch in the Nose” (no byline); Reuters, March 22, 1999, “Fighting over Madonna” (wire service); UPI, March 23, 1999, “Bird and Ritchie Clash over Madonna” (wire service); Now, December 4, 1997, “Madonna’s English ‘Geezer’” by Jon Clark.

  With Gwyneth Paltrow: thanks to Jeannie Misterling (1999, 2000). I also referenced: Reuters, January 5, 2000, “Lopez Irks Madonna, Guests at Miami Y2K Party” (wire service); New Idea, January 3, 2000, “Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow” (no byline); Entertainment Weekly, January 5, 2000, “How Madonna Became Gwyneth Paltrow’s Role Model” by Liane Bonin. I also relied on research for these stories about Miss Paltrow which I authored: Women’s Day, December 6, 1999, “Why Gwyneth Can Never Please . . .” by J. Randy Taraborrelli; Women’s Day, December 13, 1999, “Gwyneth’s Search for Love” by J. Randy Taraborrelli; Daily Mail, February 16, 2000, “Gwyneth Paltrow” by J. Randy Taraborrelli.

  With Guy Ritchie: thanks to the many friends and family members of Guy Ritchie’s who, because of his marriage to Madonna, asked for anonymity. Also useful: Birmingham Post, September 2, 2000, “At the Movies, Meet Guy’s Gang . . .” by Alison Jones; Independent, September 2, 2000, “Guy Ritchie: Who’s Afraid of This Guy?” by David Thomson; Independent, August 27, 2000, “Just What Sort of a Guy’s Guy Is Guy Ritchie?” by Mark Simpson; People, October 19, 1996, “Mama Madonna/A Labor Of Love” by Todd Gold; Vanity Fair, October 1992, “Madonna in Los Angeles Times,” March 1, 1998, “Madonna, Only More So” by Robert Hillburn; New York Post, March 2, 2000, “Madonna and Guy Do the Ex Best Thing” by Neal Travis; Vanity Fair, October 1992, “Madonna in Wonderland” by Maureen Orth; Good Housekeeping, April 2000, “Madonna Grows Up” by Liz Smith; US Weekly, October 2, 2000, “The Maternal Girl” by Todd Gold; Los Angeles Times, June 4, 2000, “In Search of the Next Best Thing” by Ruth Ryon; Heat, March 2000, “Has This Man Changed Madonna?” Sun, September 21, 2000, “Madonna, I’m Still Breast Feeding . . .” by Dominic Mohan; Daily Mail, March 21, 2000, “Madonna’s Baby” by Randip Panesar and Oliver Harvey; New York Post, February 22, 2000, “Madonna’s Boy No Toy” by Peter Fearon; US Weekly, February 2000, “Madonna Announces She’s Pregnant for Second Time,” by Sarah Saffian; US Weekly, March 29, 2000, “Madonna and Ritchie Quash Rumors” by Jerry Rubinfield; New York Post, March 21, 2000, “Pregnancy Is nd Nature for Madonna” by Bill Hoffman; People, April 3, 2000, “Like a Family” by Steve Dougherty; New York Post, March 19, 2000, “Britain Beckons Madonna” by Neal Travis; Globe and Mail, August 19, 2000, “We Say a Little Prayer” by Gayle Macdonald and Alexandria Gill; Toronto Sun August 16, 2000, “Madonna Despairs” by Sophie Vokesdudgeon; New York Post, May 14, 2000 “Madonna a Backyard Mama” by N, eal Travis; Daily Mail, May 10, 2000, “All’s Swell Between Madonna and Guy” by James Clothier; Daily Mail May 1, 2000, “Side by Side, Madonna and the Apple of Her Eye” by Oliver Harvey; Daily Mail, June 4, 2000, “I Love My Guy . . .” by Alison Boshoff; GQ, October 2000, “Guy Ritchie — Entrepreneur” by Steve Hobbs.

  With her father, Tony (“Happy E
ndings’): thanks to Silvio Ciccone for the telephone conversation I had with him and his wife, Joan, in August 2000, which I used as a basis for this section. I also relied on: Night&Day, August 6, 2000, “Interview with Madonna’s Father” by Caroline Graham and Melanie Bromley.

  Evita

  My thanks to all of those interviewed in Buenos Aires, including Simoné Sarella (1998), Isidrio Alvarez (2000) and Ceclia Nuñuz (2000) for pointing me and my researcher Jorgé Rodriguez-White in the right direction and giving us so many details — and so much color — relating to Madonna’s meeting with President Carlos Menem. Thanks to the aides of Menem’s who spoke off the record about that meeting. Also, the patrons of the La Cigale Bar (who asked not to be identified) in the Bajo area for leads and tips given to Mr. Rodriguez-White. As he explains it, the Costanera Norte and Las Cañitas in Palermo are where the city’s young and wealthy go to drink and eat . . . and when Madonna was in town for Evita, she was the subject of great fascination there. We thank all of the people who gave Jorgé so much information, and so many names and numbers. I also referred to “The Madonna Diaries” in Vanity Fair (November 1996) for background. Thanks also to Martina Logan (2000), Joan Layder (2000) and Louis Keith (2000). I also referred to: USA Today, January 3, 1997, “Antonio Banderas: Evita Tests Press-Shy Star’s Voice and Mettle” by Marco R. della Cava; Time, February 12, 1996, “People: All the Rage in Argentina” by Belinda Luscombe; Time, February 24, 1997, “Crying for Madonna, Experts Explain Why Oscar Snubbed the Studios” by Bruce Handy; American Vogue, October 1996, “Madonna’s Moment As Evita, Mother and Fashion Force” by Julie Salamon; Time, December 16, 1996, “You Must Love Her” by Richard Corliss; Billboard, October 16, 1996, “Radio Embraces Evita” by Larry Flick; New Perspectives Quarterly, Winter 1997, “Evita or Madonna: Whom Will History Remember” (interview with Argentine writer Tomas Eloy Martinez); US Weekly, August 1, 1997, “Scaling Down” by Ty Burr; USA Today, December 23, 1996, “Madonna Stars, Banderas Shines in Evita” by Mike Clark; Newsweek, November 11, 1996, “Selling Evita to the Masses” by Susan Miller; Los Angeles Times, May 4, 1996, “She’ll Surprise a Lot of People” by David Gritten; Here!, December 16, 1996, “What a Pri-Madonna!” by Caroline Peal; Los Angeles Times , September 29, 1996, “Madonna’s Double Feature” by David Gritten; Los Angeles Times, December 24, 1996, “Q & A with Alan Parker and Andrew Lloyd Webber” by David Gritten; Variety, December 10, 1996, Evita [film review] by Todd McCarthy.

  Among the volumes I consulted: The Making of Evita by Alan Parker (HarperCollins, 1996).

  Madonna’s Childhood and Early Years

  Over the last ten years, I spent a great deal of time in Michigan where a number of people opened their homes — and their scrapbooks — to me as they remembered the young Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone. I am indebted to so many people who lived in Michigan when the Ciccones did — many of whom live elsewhere today — and, also, to the sons and daughters of people who were friendly with the Ciccone family and whose memories of them and of Madonna remain intact. I was impressed by their affection for the Ciccones and appreciate their trust.

  Thanks, also, to those who submitted to interviews, including: Christopher Ciccone (January 1993), Martin Ciccone (January 1993); Carol Belager; Karen Craven; Clara Bonell; Beverly Gibson; Tanis Rozelle; Russell Long; the late Christopher Flynn (1987, 1989); Carol Lintz; Nancy Ryan Mitchell; Whitley Setrakian (1991, with this author, and also with literary agent Bart Andrews for the purpose of a possible memoir, which remains unpublished); Gay Delang; Tony Castro, Gina Magnetti; Pearl Lang (1989); Susan Seidelman (1991); Moira McPharlin Messana and Walter Pugni.

  I culled quotes from many published interviews, as well as previously unpublished radio broadcasts and television interviews, with Madonna. Most helpful were: Time, May 27, 1985, “Madonna Rocks the Land” by John Skow, Cathy Booth and Denise Worrell; and “Now, Madonna on Madonna” by Denise Worrell; Bay City [Michigan] Times , August 1987, “Hey, Madonna, Come Visit Us” by Jeff Phillips; Nightlife, 1984, “Madonna: On the Borderline of Stardom” by Michael Kozuchowski; News of the World, August 16, 1987, “I Groped Schoolgirl Madonna on Very First Date” by Hugh Dehn; People, March 11, 1985, “Madonna” by Carl Arrington; Globe, March 30, 1993, “High School Heartthrob Spills Beans” (no byline); interview, April 1984, “Madonna: Borderline Angel” by Glenn Albin; interview, December 1985, “Madonna” by Harry Dean Stanton; Chicago Tribune, July 10, 1986, “Madonna Cleans Up Her Act, But Her Music Remains True Blue to Controversy” by Stephen Holden; Time, May 27, 1985, “Madonna Rocks the Land” by John Skow; 21st Century/Soul, September 1985, “Madonna: Exclusive Interview” by J. Randy Taraborrelli; Spin , February 1988, “Madonna: Goodbye, Norma Jean. The Material Girl Is Growing Up Just Fine” by Kristine McKenna; Orange County [CA] Register, July 20, 1987, “13-Year-Old Chris Finch Becomes a Lucky Star Dancing with Madonna” by Cynthia Hunter; Washington Post, June 28, 1987, “Tour Couture: Who’s Madonna Wanna Be?” by Martha Sherrill Dailey; USA Today, July 23, 1985, “Madonna Keeps House-Hunting” by Jeannie Williams and Matt Roush; USA Today, July 9, 1985, “The Naked Truth Doesn’t Faze Madonna” by Matt Roush; People, March 24, 1986, “Madonna’s Beatle Boss” by Carol Wallace, Jonathan Cooper, Laura Anderson Healy and Jack Kelley; Sunday Mirror, October 5, 1986, “Madonna: Now I’m Just a Sweet Little Superstar”; People, March 11, 1985, “Madonna” by Carl Arrington.

  Among the volumes I consulted: Madonna: Blonde Ambition by Mark Bego (Harmony Books, 1992); Madonna Unauthorized by Christopher Anderson (Simon & Schuster, 1991); Madonna: The Biography by Robert Matthew Walker (Sidgwick & Jackson, 1991) Madonna — Revealedby Douglas Thomson (Carol Publishing, 1991).

  I also studied the tapes of many television programs that aired for these years, including “Robin Leach’s Madonna — Exposed” (March 1993), on which I appeared as a guest discussing Madonna, as well as “Madonna — The Real Story — An Unauthorized Video Documentary.”

  The Eighties and Nineties

  I want first to thank Camille Barbone, who I believe is the unsung heroine of Madonna’s life and early career. It is my hope that, with this volume, she is fully recognized for her contribution to the legend. She’s a wonderful woman. I know that she has expressed interest in writing her own memoirs, Making Madonna. It’s my hope that this project of hers is one day published.

  I want to also thank Tommy Quinn, who has never before spoken of Madonna, and chose to trust me with his precious memories of her. His stories have so enriched this work.

  Many notes, memos and correspondence relating to Madonna’s early career can be found at the Lincoln Center Library of the Performing Arts. I utilized a great many of them throughout my research and I thank the staff of the Lincoln Center Library for all of its assistance throughout the years of research on this project.

  Among those who submitted to interviews: Camille Barbone (1991, 1993); Erica Bell (1990); Martin Burgoyne (1988); Stephen Bray (1990); Gregory Camillucci; Anthony Panzera (1991); Martin Schreiber (1991); Norris Burroughs (1989); Dan Gilroy (1990); Stephen Jon Lewicki (1993); John “Jellybean” Benitez (1990); Bill Lomuscio; Mark Kamins (1988); Seymour Stein; Steven Sterning (1994); Rosanna Arquette (1996); Nile Rodgers (1995); Manny Parish (1991); Mark Kamins (1985, for 21st Century Publications); Bobby Shaw (1991); Carlos Leon (1989); Patrick Hernandez (1985); Michael Rosenblatt (1990); Reggie Lucas (1995); Ed Gutham (2000); Veronica Edwards-Long (2000) and Beatrice Furnell-Jarecki (2000).

  Thank you to Barbara Manchester, David Morehouse and Stephen Witneki for allowing me to go through dozens of their photo scrapbooks about Madonna’s life and career, and for making themselves available to answer my endless questions about Madonna’s New York experiences.

  Thanks to Betty Freeman and Thomas Styler, two generous people who were friends of Madonna’s in New York. They spent hours with me, individually and together in the year 2000, and helped me re-create moments in Madonna’s life, based on what she had told them. They also shared with me much corr
espondence from Madonna, which cleared up inaccuracies that had been published in other books. I am so grateful for their help and trust.

  David Kelly allowed me access to his complete collection of Madonna memorabilia. This material was invaluable to me in that it provided many leads along the way. I am so grateful to him for his assistance. I am also grateful to Deidra Knight for her diligence in keeping such excellent notes relating to Madonna’s early music.