Madonna

Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie is an American pop singer-songwriter, musician, dancer, record producer, film producer, actress and author. She is known for the use of sexual, social and religious themes in her work and has been nicknamed the "Material Girl" and "Queen Of Pop" by the media.

Since her debut in 1982, Madonna has released many chart-topping albums and singles, and has sold more than 200 million albums worldwide. Billboard reported that her 2006 Confessions Tour holds the record for the highest grossing concert tour by a female artist. According to both the 2007 Guinness Book of Records, and Forbes, she is the top earning female singer in the world with an estimated net worth of over $325 million. In 2001, the Guinness Book of World Records listed Madonna as the "World’s Most-successful Female Musician". She is the 2nd most successful top selling female artist in the US according to the RIAA, and 15th biggest selling artist overall In the UK she is the most successful female in the UK album chart history, having sold 3.9 million copies of her compilation The Immaculate Collection there alone. In 2005, she tied with Elvis Presley's record of 36 top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

Madonna has recently announced her departure from record company Warner Bros. and a new $120 million, 10 year contract with pop concert promoters Live Nation. She will be the founding recording artist for the new music division, Artist Nation, and the deal will consist of albums, tours, merchandise and promotion. The Warner Bros. deal will be completed with her 2008 forthcoming studio album and compilation album due at the end of the year.

Madonna's most recent tour, the 'Sticky and Sweet' tour, got kicked off in Cardiff, Wales on August 23, 2008. It is Madonna's first tour since striking a deal with concert promoter Live Nation Inc. worth an estimated $120 million over 10 years. The partnership gives Live Nation a stake of future music and music-related business she generates, including touring, merchandising and albums. Madonna's last tour was her 2006 "Confessions."