Madonna, the legend, and the lesson

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For anyone who needed a reminder that you should never give up, there is no finer example than this.

Of course, when it comes to citing tenacity, determination and sheer unbridled drive, no beacon shines brighter than our beloved Queen of Pop.

We all know the Madonna legend – turning up in Times Square at the age of 17 after hailing a New York cab and asking to be “taken to the centre of everything”.


We also know she was turned away from audition after audition after audition, told she couldn’t sing, couldn’t dance, and would be better off forgetting about being a performer.

She posed naked for art students and worked part time in a donut shop  to earn enough money to pay for dance classes.

I wonder what Madonna thinks when she looks back on those early years.

Madonna – the legend, the trailblazer for every female pop act that has, or will ever come since, the entertainer whose music and ever-changing image will be forever enshrined in rock history.

I am sure she thinks ‘I was right – I never gave up’.

I am always on the lookout for bits of Madge trivia, previously unseen recordings, and pieces of unique memorabilia.

And these two tidbits show how the world’s biggest pop megastar came from lowly beginnings but was always driven by dreams of lofty heights. 

And as I said, if there is ever a salutary lesson not to give up the first one is it.

It's a letter is from a music exec written shortly before Madonna released “Holiday”.



He  decided not to sign the soon-to-be pop superstar because apparently she “wasn’t ready” - bet he's still kicking himself!

And the second, an audition for the television series Fame.



Again, she didn’t get it, and that is probably a good thing as she was far too creative and individual to be tied to a now forgotten 70s music show.

So, the lesson? For anyone who thinks a letter of rejection spells the end of your dreams remember, it doesn’t, it's the prelude to something HUGE.



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