Today in Madonna History: August 2, 2008

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On August 2 2008, Madonna and Nathan Rissman introduced their film, I Am Because We Are at the Traverse City Film Festival in Traverse City, Michigan.

The film was directed by Nathan Rissman, produced by Madonna and Angela Becker, written by Madonna, narrated by Madonna with music by Patrick Leonard.

The 86-minute film focuses on the effects of AIDS on orphaned children living in Malawi.

The event was co-founded by filmmaker, author and fellow Michigan native Michael Moore.  Moore told the audience that he was humbled to be able to call Madonna a friend:

“She has such an incredible heart and such a generous spirit, she does so much out of the glare of the lights to make the world a better place.”

Madonna was happy to present her film in her home state:

“It’s great bringing my movie to a place that I feel familiar.  Not like the Cannes Film Festival, where nobody’s speaking English, or the Tribeca Film Festival, where no one sits down.  There’s something poetic about coming back to the place where I used to come for holidays – camping trips with my dad and stepmother and my very large family.”

Today in Madonna History: August 1, 1990

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On August 1 1990, Madonna In Concert was taped by SACIS-RAI at Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain on the second to last date of Madonna’s Blond Ambition Tour.

The special was broadcast in Spain, Italy, the UK and Australia. It also aired on Canada’s MuchMusic on September 10, 1990. After being heavily promoted by the channel in the weeks leading up to the broadcast, the special aired in an edited version during its prime time slot, followed by an uncensored airing at midnight.

In addition to its intended use for broadcast, the recording also served as an unused safety net for her HBO special from the final date in Nice, France a few days later.

Today in Madonna History: August 31, 2016

On August 31 2016, The New York Times profiled photographer Peter Lindbergh in which he recalled, among other works, his 1994 shoot with Madonna for Harper’s Bazaar magazine. Several outtakes from this stunningly beautiful session were featured along with the article.

“I worked only once with Madonna. What really struck me was her very strong motivation. We were doing a tribute to Martha Graham, her admired dance teacher. I discovered a dancer with a very rare talent: Madonna was moving in a very soulful and personal way, very touching and very much herself. At the same time, there was a feeling of perfection to everything she was doing. I was very interested in capturing some of this extraordinary contradiction, which I found absolutely stunning. Those images are as modern today as they were in 1994.”

– Peter Lindbergh, 2016.

 

Today in Madonna History: August 30, 2005

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On August 30 2005, the Madonna.com splash page was updated with the release dates for Madonna’s forthcoming studio album, Confessions On A Dance Floor.

The word Confess appeared in several languages.

The page promoted November 15th for the USA release and November 14 for the rest of the world.

A clock ticking in a continuous loop played in the background.

Today in Madonna History: August 29, 1986

On August 29 1986, Shanghai Surprise was released in the USA in 400 theatres. The film starred Madonna and Sean Penn and made $2.3 million against a budget of $17 million.

Today in Madonna History: August 28, 2000

On August 28 2000, Madonna appeared on the cover of People magazine with the headline: Labor Days! With Their Men Standing By, Madonna, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Iman Give Birth to New Little Scene-Stealers.

Here’s a snippet of the article inside:

August is often the busiest month for the nation’s maternity wards, but this year it was certainly the most glamorous. On Aug. 8 actress Catherine Zeta-Jones gave birth to son Dylan, with fiancé Michael Douglas nearby. Three days later, reportedly under more urgent circumstances, pop diva Madonna and film director Guy Ritchie welcomed son Rocco. And on Aug. 15 model-actress Iman and her husband, David Bowie, celebrated the arrival of daughter Alexandria. Here, the stories of those joyful beginnings. A Rocky Ride for Madonna’s Rocco There are limits even for those who like to have it all. With daughter Lourdes, 3, underfoot and another child on the way—an addition that she has said will add to her battalion of “nannies, housekeepers and assistants”—Madonna decided that life was getting a bit too hectic, shuttling between homes in Los Angeles, New York City and London, where she most recently shared a $15,000-a-month, four-story townhouse with Baby No. 2’s father, British director Guy Ritchie. Three weeks ago the Material Mom gave away two of her three Chihuahuas, letting Lourdes keep Evita while farming out Chiquita and Rosita to actor Glenn Shadix. “I e-mailed our mutual friend Rupert Everett in Italy to help convince Madonna that I would give the girls a proper home,” says Shadix, who owns two female terriers. “All four girls get along fabulously.”

Today in Madonna History: August 27, 1983

On August 27 1983, Madonna’s debut album was reviewed in Billboard magazine. In the same issue, the album made its chart debut at #201 on the Bubbling Under LP chart.