Madonna - Life as a pop icon

Her songs are classics, she herself is a legend. Madonna not only celebrates her 65th birthday but also 40 years of her career. But an illness thwarts the tour plans.

Madonna's first album was released 40 years ago - a special anniversary next to her 65th birthday.

The "Queen of Pop" actually wanted to spend her day of honor on a world tour: Madonna only wanted to treat herself to a few days off between two already sold-out concerts in Toronto and Montreal to celebrate her 65th birthday on Wednesday (August 16).

But a severe bacterial infection brought the pop star to the intensive care unit of a hospital in New York for several days in June, and Madonna had to postpone the start of her long-planned "Celebration Tour" through Canada, the USA, Mexico, and Europe. The tour should start in Europe in October at the earliest.

After a serious infection: Madonna on the "recovery"

She was "on the mend," Madonna said shortly after her hospital stay. "I am now concentrating on my health and getting stronger and I can assure you that I will be with you again as soon as possible."

The illness had pulled the superstar out of the tour preparations, which she had kept her fans up to date on via social networks. With the "Celebration Tour", Madonna not only wants to celebrate her birthday but also her 40th career anniversary, because her first album "Madonna" was released in 1983.

Pop icon celebrates 40th stage anniversary

For Madonna, 40 career years also mean 40 years in the headlines: It was only at the beginning of the year that she graced the front page of "Vanity Fair" - apparently still in the best of health and in good spirits as Jesus' mother Maria.

"This is a good time for me right now," she said in the accompanying interview. "I brainstorm, get inspired, meet creative people, watch movies, see art, and listen to music."

Madonna's beginnings in New York

Madonna Louise Ciccone was born in Michigan in 1958 into a large family of Italian descent. Her mother died when she was just a little girl. After graduating from school, Madonna went to New York, held various jobs and began to work on a career as a dancer and singer.

The recently deceased music manager Seymour Stein discovered her during her first performances and signed her.

"Material Girl": Madonna sells hundreds of millions of albums

The first album "Madonna" was already a success - and laid the foundation for a phenomenal world career: around a dozen more albums, hundreds of millions sold, more success as an actress and countless awards.

Many songs by the "Queen of Pop", always a mixture of melodic pop, dance and electronic eroticism, have long been classics - such as "Material Girl", "Like a Virgin" or "Like a Prayer". Over the decades, Madonna has also made several comebacks - she is considered the first woman to gain complete control over her music and her own image as a pop star.

This is how Madonna lives privately

Even privately, Madonna never let herself be talked into and repeatedly made headlines. She was married twice, first to US actor Sean Penn, then to British director Guy Ritchie, and she has repeatedly appeared in different relationships. In addition to two biological children, Madonna has adopted four children.