Madonna Louise Ciccone (born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in  Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance.

After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983. Throughout her career, many of her songs have hit number one on the record charts, including "Like a Virgin”, "Papa Don’t Preach”, "Like a Prayer”, "Vogue”, "Frozen”, "Music”, "Hung Up”, and "4 Minutes”.

Critics have praised Madonna for her diverse musical productions while at the same time serving as a lightning rod for religious controversy. Her career was further enhanced by film appearances that began in 1979, despite mixed commentary.

She won critical acclaim and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for her role in Evita (1996)

Madonna has been acclaimed as a businesswoman. In 1992, she founded entertainment company Maverick as a joint venture with Time Warner.  Madonna has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and is recognized as the world’s top-selling female recording artist of all time by the Guinness World Records.

She is considered as one of the "25 Most Powerful Women of the Past Century.

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