On March 24 1996, Madonna won a Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress in Four Rooms at the 16th annual Golden Raspberry Awards at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel Academy Room, Los Angeles, CA.
Jay’s note: Personally, I don’t care. I enjoyed watching Madonna be a witch!
On March 19 1996, Madonna’s cover of Rose Royce’s Love Don’t Live Here Anymore was released as the fourth single from her Something To Remember greatest ballads collection.
The song originally appeared on the Like A Virgin album.
The idea to cover the song was Michael Ostin’s (head of the A&R department at Warner Bros. Records).
In author Warren Zane’s book Revolutions in Sound: Warner Bros. Records, the First 50 Years, he recalled:
“I had the good fortune of finding material that Madonna really responded to, Love Don’t Live Here Anymore for instance, which was the old Rose Royce record. I was driving into work one day and heard it on the radio, I called producer Nile Rodgers and Madonna, they were in the studio. I said, ‘I have an idea, you know the old Rose Royce record, ‘Love Don’t Live Here Anymore‘? Why don’t you try and record a version of it for Like a Virgin?” Initially both Rodgers and Madonna were apprehensive of tackling an already well-known ballad, but in the last minute they decided that if Madonna wanted to bring diversity to the album, there could be no better song than ‘Love Don’t Live Here Anymore’.
On March 10 1996, Madonna lip-synched Don’t Cry For Me Argentina for a scene in Evita before a crowd of 2,000 extras on the balcony of the Casa Rosada, the same location where the late Eva Peron addressed her people 50 years earlier.
On December 25 1996, EVITA was given a limited released in New York and Los Angeles.
Wide release for the film followed on January 10, 1997.
Critic Zach Conner commented:
“It’s a relief to say that EVITA is pretty damn fine, well-cast, and handsomely visualized. Madonna once again confounds our expectations. She plays Evita with a poignant weariness and has more than just a bit of star quality. Love or hate Madonna-Eva, she is a magnet for all eyes.”
Newsweek ’s David Ansen wrote:
“It’s gorgeous. It’s epic. It’s spectacular. But two hours later, it also proves to be emotionally impenetrable.”
On December 4 1996, Madonna was honoured with the Artist Achievement Award at the 7th annual Billboard Music Awards at the Aladdin Hotel Theatre For The Performing Arts in Las Vegas, Nevada.
This was Madonna’s first public appearance since the birth of her daughter Lourdes.
On October 15 1996, Madonna appeared on the cover of the New York Post, with the caption:
It’s a girl! Healthy 6lb. 9oz. BABY
Lourdes was born the previous day – you can read about that here.
On August 31 1996, Madonna’s Take A Bow spent its 38th and final week on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Recurrent chart in the USA at #9.
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