Madonna: from material girl to cool earth mother

REPORTS of Madonna's impending divorce from Guy Ritchie are justthe latest saga in her extraordinary life.

From material girl to earth mother, Madonna has constantlyconfounded expectations and kept her fans wanting more.

One of the biggest stars of a generation, she is officially themost successful female solo artist.

Born on August 16 1958, Madonna is a singer-songwriter, recordproducer, dancer, actress, documentary maker and author.

The third of seven children born to an Italian American family inMichigan, Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone always dreamed of being astar.

Her mother died of breast cancer when she was six and she wasraised by a strict father, taking dance lessons and becoming a highschool cheerleader.

A year after winning a dance scholarship to the University ofMichigan, Madonna headed for the bright lights of New York.

It is rumoured that the 20 year old arrived in the Big Apple withjust 35 dollars in her pocket.

Two years later, her first single, Everybody, became a club hit.

But it was her third release, Holiday, which launched Madonna asan international star.

Borderline became her first Top 10 hit in March 1984, followed bya string of hits including Like A Virgin, Material Girl and LuckyStar.

Her first Hollywood film was Desperately Seeking Susan and hercareer exploded with her second album, Like A Virgin, which wasaccompanied by a sexy image.

In August 1985 she wed actor Sean Penn but the tumultuousmarriage ended four years later.

The singer has explored religious symbolism and sexual themeswhich have drawn criticism from religious leaders and women'sgroups.

Her coffee table book of photographs Sex, album Erotica and filmBody Of Evidence all had erotic themes.

In 1996 she gave birth to her first child, Lourdes, whose fatheris actor and fitness instructor Carlos Leon.

Madonna met British director Guy Ritchie in 1998 at a dinnerparty hosted by Sting's wife Trudie Styler.

Two years later the pair had a son, Rocco, and tied the knot atthe fairytale Scottish castle of Skibo.

That year, Madonna's live concert at the Brixton Academy inLondon was broadcast over the internet and attracted a record ninemillion viewers.

In 2002, Madonna was entered into the Encyclopaedia Britannica asa modern day icon of pop.

The following year she announced she was starting a merchandisingline of dolls and home decor to accompany her best-sellingchildren's book, The English Roses, published in September 2003.

She has immersed herself in the teachings of Jewish religionkabbalah.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, which cast her as an Englishcountry wife, the singer admitted she was very different from thesexed-up star of the early 1990s.

"I was a very selfish person," she said. "You go through periodsof your life where the world does revolve around you, but you can'tlive your whole life that way."

Madonna has been in more than 20 films, with varying criticalsuccess.