May 18
Dolce&Gabbana for Madonna – Backstage Photos

http://allaboutmadonna.com/2010/05/d...age-photos.php

Madonna gets a Parking Ticket in London last night– Pictures

Madonna leaving the Aura nightclub in London and getting a parking ticket for parking on a double yellow line (May 20 2010)

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More:
http://allaboutmadonna.com/2010/05/m...t-pictures.php

Madonna Speaks Out In Support Of Jailed Gay Couple

Madonna is speaking out in support of two gay men who were handed a 14-year jail sentence in the African nation of Malawi, the same country where two of her children were born.

According to the Associated Press, two gay men, Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, were sentenced to 14 years in prison, including hard labor, simply because they are homosexual. The men were arrested in December after they celebrated their engagement with a party, the AP reports.

Madonna, whose two youngest children, David and Mercy, were adopted from Malawi, spoke out harshly against the Malawian court’s decision, saying, “I am shocked and saddened by the decision made today by the Malawian court, which sentenced two innocent men to prison. As a matter of principle, I believe in equal rights for all people, no matter what their gender, race, color, religion, or sexual orientation. Today, Malawi took a giant step backward. The world is filled with pain and suffering; therefore, we must support our basic human right to love and be loved. I call upon the progressive men and women of Malawi – and around the world – to challenge this decision in the name of human dignity and equal rights for all.”

Also Thursday, U.S. President Barack Obama’s Press Secretary released a statement, which read, “The United States strongly condemns the conviction and harsh sentencing of Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga in Malawi. The criminalization of sexual orientation and gender identity is unconscionable, and this case mars the human rights record of Malawi. We urge Malawi and all countries to stop using sexual orientation or gender identity as the basis for arrest, detention, or execution.”

Madonna tops World’s Top 10 Inspirational Women List

UK fashion magazine “Glamour” recently released a list of “Glamour’s inspirational women.”

1. Madonna:
Reason:- “Because she has inspired us to develop our sound as she herself has always developed as an artist — and for her never ending fabulousness of course!” Stine, lead singer of pop band Alphabeat.

2. Ophra Winfrey
3. Natalie Massenet
4. Sigourney Weaver
5. Coco Chanel
6. Anne Frank
7. Drew Barrymore
8. Twiggy
9. Dorothy Parker
10. Michelle Obama

Letter from Madonna

I have always believed love conquers all – yesterday I got to see it in action.

In the last week over 30,000 of you added your name to mine calling for the release of Steven Monjeza, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga – the Malawi couple sentenced to 14 years hard labor for the “crime” of homosexuality.

With incredible joy I am writing to share with you that yesterday, Malawi President, Bingu wa Mutharika has ordered their release. Steven and Tiwonge were freed on Saturday night. They have won their freedom and you have been a part of it.

I would love to hear your reaction to this news. Share your thoughts now: http://www.raisingmalawi.org/lovewins

We celebrate this astounding turn of events with Steven, Tiwonge, and the countless Malawians fighting for their release. It is a historic day for Malawi.

Though they are free from prison, sadly their safety and future in Malawi is still unknown. I hope this is just the beginning of our work together.

Human rights injustices continue for so many Malawians facing poverty, disease, and a lack of critical resources. There are still over two million orphans and vulnerable children who need to experience love’s embrace.

It is going to take the love and creativity all of us to bring justice to the people of Malawi.

That’s why I would like to hear from you. Tell me your thoughts on this important day in Malawi: http://www.raisingmalawi.org/lovewins

Thank you for joining me in Raising Malawi.

With great love,

Madonna

Madonna.com

I love that Twiggy is in the top ten as well <3

Guetta: 'I was unlucky with Madonna'

David Guetta has suggested that record label issues may prevent the release of his collaboration with Madonna.

The DJ and producer confirmed to The Guardian that he and Madonna recently wrote and recorded a track together.

Guetta said: 'It's a tricky situation, because she's now out of a record deal. We don't even know what's going to happen with it. It's a huge record, so it's really frustrating.'

'The track is part of the Warner deal, but it's not on the album, so why would they invest any money in it? I was really unlucky with that one.'

From Digital Spy

Official Madonna Calendar for 2011

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What a very odd list. LOL @ Sigourney Weaver being above Anne Frank :\

Big respect for Madonna but wouldn't put her or Oprah that high. Where's the love for Pankhurst, Nightingale, Roosevelt, Curie, Aretha and even better actresses (Meryl Streep, Julie Andrews, Marilyn, Hepburns) than Drew and Sigourney :conf2:

[sorry i've gone off-topic LOL]

Madonna boost for Lawnfest event at Kent school

Madonna dropped in to a charity music event at a Kent school, organised by the daughter of Mohamed Al Fayed.

The Lawnfest fundraiser was held on Friday night in aid of The New School at West Heath, Sevenoaks, UK.

Pop star Lemar was the headline act at the event to boost the school's bursary fund, organised by Camilla Fayed.

Madonna's appearance was to help publicise the event, which also included an art exhibition, although she did not perform.

The New School aims to rebuild young damaged lives through education.
Principal Christina Wells said: 'This fundraiser will help grant a bursary for those young people whose lives have been damaged by abuse, bereavement, bullying or other trauma.'

From BBC News

New York Daily News’ Top 10 Pop Culture Icons of the Past 50 years

10. Paul Newman
9. Princess Diana
8. The Beatles
7. Oprah Winfrey
6. Muhammad Ali
5. Michael Jackson
4. Marilyn Monroe
3. Frank Sinatra

2. Madonna, the Material Girl who ruled the world

During an appearance on “American Bandstand” in 1983, Dick Clark asked an up-and-coming young singer what her career aspirations were. With a smile, she matter-of-factly said, “I want to rule the world.”
All hail Queen Madonna!
Twenty-five years, 12 Billboard No. 1 songs, worldwide album sales totaling hundreds of millions and a Golden Globe later, she has ruled with a velvet fist.
Besides her numerous accolades, Madonna has influenced fashion, dance and pop culture for an entire generation. Not bad for a girl from Bay City, Mich.

1. Elvis

Madonna for Dolce & Gabbana A/W 2010-2011 – First Picture

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from Swide:

For autumn winter 2010-2011, Dolce&Gabbana tells us a black and white story celebrating the power of charisma framed by the faces of a glorious Italian family.

Spring summer 2010 and now autumn winter 2010-2011, Madonna continues to enlighten some Dolce&Gabbana captured memories.

This winter’s Dolce&Gabbana womenswear advertising campaign is like a family photo album where dignity, beauty finds all their ways of expression: an impromptu tango in the living room, a heartfelt laughter luminescent in form, faces, serious, proud.

The first photo is here revealed, the full story will be released soon.

Madonna #10 on Forbes’ 100 Most Powerful Celebrities list

Complete list at Forbes.com

#10 Madonna

The Material Girl isn’t quite ready to cede her spot in pop music’s hierarchy to Lady Gaga or Britney Spears just yet. The 52-year-old singer had the fourth highest-grossing tour of 2009, bringing in $6 million a night and $138 million overall. An episode of the Fox hit sitcom Glee, which featured cast members singing several of her songs, added to her already high profile and cushioned her significant earnings from publishing royalties.

Power Rank: 10
Pay: $58.0 mil
Category: Musicians
Pay Rank: 24
Web Rank: 4
Press Rank: 3
TV/Radio Rank: 16
Social Rank: 33

Madonna was at #3 in 2009, #21 in 2008, #3 in 2007…

From Guinness World Records 2011 (American edition, $28.95), Madonna is listed as “Top-Selling Female Recording Artist”
with 75 million albums sold in the U.S. and 125 million more sold abroad (for a total of 200 million) as of December of last year. She is also crowned as the woman with the most #1 albums in the U.K.

Source: http://boyculture.typepad.com/boy_cu...e-purveys.html

W.E Press Release


Madonna’s directorial feature debut started principal photography on Monday 05 July.

Based on an original screenplay, 'W.E', a film written by Madonna and Alek Keshishian is set to begin shooting this summer in Europe (UK and France) and the US.

'W.E' tells two parallel love stories separated by more than six decades. Acclaimed actress Abbie Cornish (Sucker Punch, Bright Star, Elizabeth: The Golden Age) has been cast in the role of Wally Winthrop - a young married New Yorker in 1998 who is obsessed with what she perceives as the ultimate romantic love story, King Edward V111’s abdication for his love of Wallis Simpson. Andrea Riseborough has been cast in the role of Wallis Simpson.
Riseborough is best known for her outstanding Bafta Nominated performance of Margaret Thatcher in the acclaimed BBC drama 'The Long Walk to Finchley' and will soon be seen in Brighton Rock. British star James D’Arcy (Master and Commander, Secret Diary of a Call Girl) will play the part of Edward VIII. Wally Winthrop”s Russian love interest Evgeni will be played by rising star Oscar Isaac (Robin Hood, Sucker Punch) and her husband William will be played by Richard Coyle (Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time).
Art imitates life as the revered British acting dynasty provides father and son, James Fox (Sherlock Holmes, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Bafta nominated A Passage to India, Bafta winner The Servant) and Laurence Fox (Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Becoming Jane) in the roles of King George V and his son, Bertie.

1936 England - Wallis Simpson, an American woman, captured the heart of King Edward VIII. Already divorced and married to her second husband when she met Edward, then the Prince of Wales in London, the two fell in love. However, once crowned, Edward was told by the Church and the Prime Minister that he could not marry Wallis and remain King… He abdicated, giving up the throne to be with the woman he loved. Once married and known as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, they lived out what many considered to be the romance of the century.

1998 N.Y - Wally Winthrop has a troubled past and moves to New York from the South to work in Sotheby’s Estate department. She gives up her job to marry a successful psychiatrist but the marriage is unhappy and Wally finds herself bored, frustrated and often alone. She seeks refuge in her obsession with what she believes to be the ultimate romantic love story, King Edward VIII ‘s abdication for his love of Wallis Simpson.

When Wally discovers that there is going to be an auction of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor’s Estate at Sotheby’s, she takes the opportunity to return to her old hunting ground to try to understand the nature of the great love affair through the artifacts that once belonged to the couple. While at Sotheby’s, Wally meets Evgeni, a Russian security guard, with a mysterious past. As she immerses herself deeper into the love story of Wallis and Edward, while spending more time away from her marriage, she finds herself falling in love.

We travel back and forth in time with Wally and Wallis, two fragile but determined women whose lives become inextricably linked. However, as the story unravels it becomes apparent that Wallis Simpson’s life was not as perfect as Wally had thought.

The film will be produced by Colin Vaines (producer Coriolanus, exec producer London Boulevard, The Gangs of New York and The Young Victoria) with Executive Producers Kris Thykier (producer The Debt, Kick-Ass, Harry Brown, exec producer Stardust) and Nigel Wooll (exec producer Miss Potter, co-producer GI Jane, White Squall).

The production team include Production Designer Martin Childs (Oscar Winner Shakespeare in Love, Oscar Nominated Quills, The Boy in Striped Pyjamas), Director of Photography, Hagen Bogdanski (The Lives of Others, The Young Victoria), Costume Designer, Arianne Phillips (Oscar Nominated Walk the Line, Bafta Nominated A Single Man) and Hair and Make Up Designer - Jenny Shircore (Oscar Winner Elizabeth, Bafta Winner and Oscar Nominated The Young Victoria).

From Madonna.com

Madonna film seeks museum help for Wallis film

A wedding outfit on show at a Scottish museum is to take a starring role in a film being directed by Madonna.

She has asked for the dress for her directorial feature debut, W.E., about Edward VIII's wife Wallis Simpson.

The outfit is currently part of a Marriage in the Movies exhibition at the National Museum of Costume at Shambellie House near Dumfries.

The dress was worn by Joely Richardson, who starred in the 2005 television production Wallis and Edward.

The outfit was designed by Michael O'Connor and will be worn by actress Andrea Riseborough, who will play Wallis Simpson in the film co-written by Madonna.

National Museums Scotland has agreed to release the dress, which had been due to remain on display until October this year.

It will be sent to the film set on Monday.

National Museum of Costume general manager Margaret Roberts said they had been happy to send the dress to Madonna.

'Our Marriage in the Movies exhibition is packed with fabulous gowns that tell a story not only about the history of the period they represent, but also of Hollywood glamour and style,' she said.

'This is a dress that was made for the movies, so when we received the request from Madonna's production company, we were only too happy to oblige.'

Marriage in the Movies runs until 31 October.

From BBC News

Madonna on the set of W.E.

Madonna on the London set of her first ever feature-length film about the British royal family. The film, W.E, is a romantic drama about the affair between Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII

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Joe Henry would be excited to produce Madonna's album

Joe Henry, the Grammy-winning producer and performer (and Madonna's brother-in-law) spoke to Jam! showbiz recently and was asked about collaborating with Madonna again:

What about producing an album for Madonna?

Don't think we haven't talked about it. When she's ready to make that shift, it's easily done. I think it's just a matter of her getting to the point creatively where she is completely at peace with swimming in different water. I believe we'll get there. And I'll be terribly excited about it when it happens.

Read the full interview at jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/H/Henry_Joe

Vote: Five Most Iconic Musicians

CNN's new arts and culture show 'icon,' in conjunction with music magazine 'Songlines,' has shortlisted 20 globally renowned musicians from the past 50 years. Vote for your favorite artists and we'll reveal the top five in 'icon's' interactive gallery at cnn.com/icon when our music show airs on August 25.

To vote for Madonna visit http://tinyurl.com/337lkd7

Late happy birthday to Madonna on 16 august!

I voted Madonna.

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LEAKED song called Broken (I'm Sorry) from Celebration album.