On May 30 2003, Callaway Editions announced that Madonna would make publishing history as her children’s book, The English Roses, would be released simultaneously worldwide in 30 languages in 100 countries.
On May 29 1995, Robert Hoskins was shot by a security guard outside Madonna’s Castillo Del Lago estate in Los Angeles, California for trespassing on her property and threatening to marry or kill Madonna. Madonna was not at home during the time of the incident.
Hoskins was shot in the arm and hip and was arrested on $150,000 bail.
On May 28 1990, Madonna played the second of a three show run at the Skydome in Toronto, Canada during her Blond Ambition Tour.
As the story goes, the concert on May 28th was attended by a Toronto police detective who became uncomfortable with Madonna’s simulated sexual theatrics. The detective complained to the Crown attorney, who became convinced–based on how it had been described–that the show on the 29th should not be permitted to proceed with similar content.
Supt. Frank Bergen was one of the constables sent to follow up on the complaint on May 29th, which was subsequently captured in Madonna’s film Truth Or Dare. Bergen recalled the events in a recent interview with The Canadian Press:
What I was struggling with was how do you go to the microphone and tell everyone the show is cancelled? My role and my position was we were not going to shut the show down. We were portrayed as being real knobs, if you will [in the documentary]. I don’t think we were…I don’t think we ever got to the (point), nor would we have, where we walked up onto the stage – and onto her bed – and handcuffed her. Then we would’ve been part of a different history.”
It took a year before the officer would hear about his cinematic debut in Truth or Dare, when one afternoon his teenage neighbour excitedly shouted across the backyard that he’d spotted him on the big screen.
Bergen said he respects concerns over obscenity but concedes it would’ve been difficult to satisfy a “loose interpretation of the Criminal Code.”
On May 27 2006, Madonna’s spokesperson announced that there would be no Confessions Tour for Japan or Australia.
“Due to Madonna’s heavy workload as part of her Confessions Tour of America and Europe, plus her wishes to spend as little time away from her family, Madonna has unfortunately decided to cancel the tour to Japan and therefore there will be no tour to Australia. She hopes that her fans will understand her making the personal decision.”
On May 26 1984, this classic Madonna photo by Helmut Werb was featured in No 1 UK magazine, along with the lyrics to Borderline.
Here are more amazing photos from that photo session:
On May 25 1985, Madonna performed The Virgin Tour at Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The show was filmed by Daniel Kleinman, and released by Warner Music Video and Sire Records on November 13 1985.
Here is the dialog from Madonna’s famous Virgin Tour introduction (filmed by James Foley for the video release, it was not present during the concerts):
“I went to New York. I had a dream. I wanted to be a big star, I didn’t know anybody, I wanted to dance, I wanted to sing, I wanted to do all those things, I wanted to make people happy, I wanted to be famous, I wanted everybody to love me. I wanted to be a star. I worked really hard, and my dream came true.”
Madonna Live: The Virgin Tour was an enormous success. The home video release was the top selling music video cassette of 1986 in the USA, and the video was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipment of 100,000 copies.
On May 24 1989, Madonna participated in the Don’t Bungle The Jungle benefit concert to raise money and awareness for preserving the world’s rainforests. The event took place at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, NY. Madonna performed a rendition of Sonny & Cher’s I Got You Babe with comedian and friend Sandra Bernhard.
