Today in Madonna History: April 15, 1991

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On April 15 1991, Madonna and Michael Jackson were featured on the cover of People magazine as The Oddest Couple.

Here’s an excerpt from the article:

It may have been just a one-night stand, but when Pop’s Billion Dollar Boy and the Queen of Steam strutted their stuff at the Oscars, they were, for one brief moment, the brightest star couple of all.

As anyone burdened with stardom knows, finding a date for the Oscars can be an enormo pain. After all, really famous folk simply can’t be seen with some sweet nobody who waves “Hi Mom” at the camera and spends the evening worrying about credit-card approval at Spago.

And so it was, when Madonna and Michael Jackson, Earth’s top pop stars, faced the who-is-famous-enough-to-be-seen-with-me quandary, they hit on the perfect solution. Since they were already planning a duet for Michael’s upcoming album, Dangerous, and since they both happened to be on all Hollywood’s collagen-enhanced lips anyway—he for his ballyhooed “billion-dollar” contract with Sony, she for her upcoming, already controversial self-ploitation film, Truth or Dare-why not date…each other?

Big dates can also become big disasters, however. So a week before the Oscars, the couple met at L.A.’s Ivy restaurant to plan and, perhaps, trade makeup tips. By Oscar night, all was ready. Michael looked positively legendary in gold-tipped cowboy boots, a blinding diamond brooch and—in a dramatic sartorial departure—two gloves. Madonna, awash in peroxide and pluck, diverted at least some of the attention from her low-cut, pearl-encrusted Bob Mackie gown with $20 million in diamonds, on loan from jeweler Harry Winston. They entered L.A.’s Shrine Auditorium and promptly collected their well-deserved Best Seat honors—front row, two on the aisle.

Today in Madonna History: January 21, 1992

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On January 21 1992, a lawsuit was filed against Madonna by 3 ex-dancers: Oliver Crumes, Kevin Stea and Gabriel Trupin – they charged her with invasion of privacy, fraud and deceit, intentional misrepresentation, suppression of fact, and intentional infliction of emotional distress for exposing their private lives in her 1991 film documentary Truth or Dare.

In a commercial for MTV’s Rock the Vote campaign later that year, Madonna joked about the lawsuit, saying, “You’re probably thinking that’s not a very good reason to vote… So sue me! Everybody else does.”

In October 1994, after more than two years of litigation, the suit was withdrawn and an undisclosed settlement was reached.

Today in Madonna History: October 9, 1991

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On October 9 1991, Madonna’s Truth Or Dare documentary was released on VHS for the home video rental market across North America as well as on laserdisc in the United States.

Today in Madonna History: September 23, 1992

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On September 23 1992, Madonna was featured in a public service announcement titled The Diva for MTV’s Rock The Vote series.

The three-and-a-half-minute skit was directed by close friend Alek Keshishian (Truth Or Dare), who would later use a similar premise in his television ads for Madonna’s 1999 Max Factor campaign.

Today in Madonna History: August 17, 1960

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On August 17 1960,  Sean Justin Penn was born.

In the film, Truth Or Dare Madonna is asked, “Who has been the love of your life for your whole life?”  Madonna replies without hesitation, “Sean. Sean.”

Today in Madonna History: June 10, 1990

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On June 10 1990, Madonna and Warren Beatty attended the premiere of Dick Tracy in Washington, DC.

Madonna rocked a pair of John Fluevog Munster platforms at the premiere. The shoes were highlighted again in Madonna’s Truth or Dare documentary.

I’m a HUGE fan of Vogs. My favourite pairs (right now): My CBC’s, Garrics and James. The staff at the Distillery store in Toronto are TOP NOTCH — Big Vog Fan from Toronto — Jay

Today in Madonna History: June 1, 1990

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On June 1 1990, Madonna performed her “Blond Ambition Tour” at The Palace Of Auburn Hills, in Auburn Hills, Michigan.  During the show, Madonna invited her father (Silvio Anthony Ciccone) onstage to sing him “Happy Birthday”.