Friday, April 27, 2007

25 Years Ago….

Above: Madonna in 1982

I was eight years old 25 years ago in 1982. I remember hearing this song on the radio called “Everybody” and loved it. I thought the young woman singing was African American and loved her upbeat dance song. I was very much into music by the age of six and by this time I was listening to the radio on a daily basis. The song “Everybody” was a mediocre hit and the artist singing the song was Madonna. When I finally saw who Madonna was in 1983 in her first MTV music video, “Burning Up,” I was shocked to see she was a “blonde” blue-eyed white girl. She was cute and stylish, I didn’t think she was he most attractive woman in the world but she had this energy and magnetism that I was drawn to. I bought, with my own money, her first album simply titled “Madonna.” I remember playing the album quite a bit, the songs that really stood out to me and became favorites were, “Holiday,” “Borderline” and “Lucky Star.” The public and I were not totally sold on this artist just yet, but we all soon would be.

Above: One her way to being the biggest female star in the world.

Shortly after wearing out the debut album, a new Madonna album was in the works and the first single was “Like a Virgin.” I was introduced to this song on the MTV Video Music Awards in 1984 and saw Madonna live on television for the first time. I was 10 years old at this time and was glued to the television with my family also watching. Madonna appeared on MTV wearing a wedding dress and standing atop a wedding cake singing the new single ”Like a Virgin.” This was the moment Madonna “sold” me so to say. Her performance was so “out there,” provocative and trashy that I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. It was like a train wreck and I was glued to what was going to happen next. As the now historical performance ended, with Madonna slithering around the stage in a wedding dress exposing her chunky thighs and ass, I heard my mother and stepfather gasping and commenting on about how "this slut" was just a “flash in the pan” and “who was this woman.” I on the other-hand was grinning ear-to ear and disagreeing with them, I was dancing around and totally fixated on this wonderful woman who exuded sex appeal all over the television and in her music. I just looked at my family and said, “She is going to the best ever!”

Above: Like a Virgin?

This is one of the few times I can actually say to my mother and stepfather that I was indeed right about something in my youth. I can admit I was wrong about many childhood and teen year decisions I made, but predicting Madonna’s success is one of my only “I told you so’s!” Madonna has proved herself over the past 25 years to be not only the most successful female recording artist in the world but one of the most influential women in history.

Above: Madonna, voguing in 1990, at the pinnacle of her career. Stunning!

My height of my Madonna-mania was when I was 15 years old in 1989. I had posters wallpapering my room of her, books, magazines and yes even a Madonna doll! I was fixated on her and infatuated with her by 1989. In 1990 my mother took me to see Madonna’s Blond Ambition Tour. It was the most, and still is, the most amazing concert I have seen. Shortly after that concert, I came out to my mother that I was gay, this should not have been a shock to my mother BUT her words are and I quote, “How can you be gay, you love Madonna!” Sigh tsk tsk, c’mon mom!!!!


Above: Madonna on her Blond Ambition Tour. Those cone bras!!!

Present day, I still have love for Madonna and always will. I am not in anyway as much of a crazed fan as I was when I was a teenager, but I still call her my favorite entertainer. I love her music and her career. I feel I grew up with the person and learned a lot from her. She helped me xpress myself and justify my love in oh so many ways. Congrats Madonna on the last 25years, here’s to 25 more!

Above: Present day Madonna, still beautiful.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

What's your favorite Madonna song?

Menky said...

Express Yourself is my all time favorite Madonna song, below are my top 10 fave Madonna songs.

1. Express Yourself
2. Like a Prayer
3. Ray of Light
4. The Power of Goodbye
5. Oh Father
6. Bad Girl
7. Burning Up
8. Frozen
9. Music
10. Into the Groove

Anonymous said...

Despite the affected englsh accent, the dabaling in Kabalah, the string of bad movies, she still is relavant and fabulous!

Top 3 Madonna songs...1.Deeper and Deeper 2. Hung Up 3. Borderline

Menky said...

Agreed Frank. I also love those three songs you listed. Hung Up is the best song she has released in a long time.