Today in Madonna History: April 3, 2008

April 3, 2025 By in 2008, April Tags: , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

On April 3 2008, it was announced that Madonna would join Sharon Stone and Harvey Weinstein at the annual Amfar Fundraising Gala in Cannes on May 22:

Madonna, Sharon Stone, Harvey Weinstein, Michelle Yeoh, Michel Litvak, Carine Roitfeld, Caroline Gruosi – Scheufele, and amfAR Chairman of the Board Kenneth Cole will serve as chairs of amfAR’s Cinema Against AIDS, to be held on May 22 during the 61st annual Cannes International Film Festival. The evening will be presented by Bold Films, Chopard, and the Weinstein Company. The annual star – studded event, which will benefit amfAR, will take place at Le Moulin de Mougins and will feature a formal dinner, along with amfAR’s world – renowned live auction and a special performance by Seal.

In addition, this year’s event will feature a short clip of I Am Because We Are, the Madonna – produced and – narrated documentary about children orphaned by AIDS in Malawi. The full screening of I Am Because We Are is scheduled to take place the evening before, May 21, in Cannes and will be associated with amfAR’s Cinema Against AIDS event. Madonna’s long history with amfAR began in 1992, when she received the Foundation’s Award of Courage.

Harvey Weinstein and Sharon Stone, tireless advocates for AIDS research and amfAR, will conduct the highly anticipated live auction with the assistance of several of the event chairs and other celebrities who will be present. In Past years, the auction has seen legendary impromptu performances by Sir Elton John, Robin Williams, Natalie Cole, Liza Minnelli, Sheryl Crow, Ringo Starr, Macy Gray, Milla Jovovich, and Lionel Ritchie. Last year’s live auction raised million, bringing the evening’s fundraising total to million. amfAR’s annual Cinema Against AIDS gala has been an important and successful fundraising event for the Foundation since 1993, generating more than million for essential AIDS research. Past events have been hosted by Dame Elizabeth Taylor, Sharon Stone, Demi Moore, and Sir Elton John.

Today in Madonna History: April 2, 2005

April 3, 2025 By in 2005, April Tags: , , , , 1 Comment

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On April 2 2005, Madonna was featured in Q magazine as one of the Five Essential Acts in Music, along with The Beatles, Bob Dylan, U2 and The Velvet Underground.

Q magazine listed Like A Prayer as her definitive album:

If you only buy one album….Like A Prayer. Always more interesting when not seeking novelty, Madonna hit artistic and commercial gold with Like A Prayer, her best and least contrived album. The title track, all swirling choruses and kitchen – sink production, remains her major statement, but Express Yourself was ferocious dance, while on the rarely lauded Dear Jessie she had never sounded so human.

Q magazine also listed what they considered to be Madonna’s essential singles:

Holiday, Borderline, Material Girl, Like A Virgin, Crazy For You, Into The Groove, Papa Don’t Preach, La Isla Bonita, Open Your Heart, Live To Tell, Who’s That Girl, Causing A Commotion, Vogue, Justify My Love, Ray Of Light, Frozen, Drowned World/Substitute For Love, Beautiful Stranger, Music, Hollywood.

Today in Madonna History: April 1, 2012

April 1, 2025 By in 2012, April Tags: , , , , 1 Comment

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On April 1 2012, Madonna achieved her 12th UK #1 album with MDNA, overtaking Elvis Presley as the solo artist with the most chart-topping albums of all-time in the UK.

Today In Madonna History: March 31, 2010

March 31, 2025 By in 2010, March Tags: , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

On March 31 2010, Madonna’s former manager, Caresse Henry, passed away at the age of 44. Her death was later ruled a suicide.

Caresse had initially worked as an assistant to Madonna’s former manager, Freddy DeMann, before becoming Madonna’s personal assistant. When Madonna parted ways with DeMann in 1997, Caresse took the reigns as Madonna’s manager and remained in the role until late 2004. Caresse had also managed the careers of Ricky Martin, Jessica Simpson, Paula Abdul and Joss Stone, among others.

Caresse was credited as an artistic manager and executive producer for the HBO special: Madonna: Drowned World Tour 2001.

Liz Rosenberg (Madonna’s publicist at the time) released a statement to the press explaining that Caresse died of a self-inflicted gunshot at her home in Irvine, California. She was survived by her two children, a sister, a brother and her parents.

Today In Madonna History: March 30, 2001

March 30, 2025 By in 2001, March Tags: , , 1 Comment

On March 30 2001, Madonna’s Drowned World Tour was confirmed via this announcement:

For the first time in eight years since The Girlie Show, Madonna promises to take the stage live in a extensive international concert tour this summer. The exhilarating itinerary promises to take her in a series of shows in Europe beginning in June and all across America starting in July. The tour will be promoted by SFX. A complete schedule of these landmark events will be announced within weeks. Madonna is expected to perform material from her smash hit electrifying Cowboy Punk album Music as well as signature songs spanning the length of her incredible stunning career in a cutting edge concert setting that will continue the tradition of trend setting innovation that Madonna is famous and known for on the stage!

Today in Madonna History: March 29, 1988

March 29, 2025 By in 1988, March Tags: , , , , 1 Comment

On March 29 1988, Madonna Live: The Virgin Tour home video was certified multi-platinum for sales of over 100,000 units in the U.S.

Today in Madonna History: March 28, 1987

March 28, 2025 By in 1987, March Tags: , , , , , , 1 Comment

On March 28 1987, the final single from Madonna’s True Blue album, La Isla Bonita, was briefly reviewed in Billboard magazine.

The now-classic song was Madonna’s first sonic exploration into her love of Latin music and culture which would become a recurring inspiration in her body of work. Written by Madonna, Patrick Leonard, and frequent Leonard collaborator, guitarist Bruce Gaitsch, it has been reported that the instrumental demo of the song was initially offered to Michael Jackson, who passed on the track.

While Madonna has said that La Isla Bonita took inspiration from “the beauty and mystery of Latin American people,” she has remained more elusive about the song’s geographical references. Years later, she teasingly commented in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine:

“I don’t know where San Pedro is. At that point, I wasn’t a person who went on holidays to beautiful islands. I may have been on the way to the studio and seen an exit ramp for San Pedro.”