I Met Madonna When I Was 23 — & We’ve Been Together Ever Since

Madonna News

When he was young, Andy Lecompte never dreamed that he’d work with the one of the greatest artists of his time. But on a chance trip to New York City 15 years ago, the 23-year-old caught Madonna’s attention and immediately became the man behind her Vogue covers, Met Gala appearances, and everything in between. On the eve of her 60th birthday, he shares what it’s really like to work with his idol, how it changed the course of his life, and the lengths they go to for great hair. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

I watched Truth or Dare when I was ten years old, and I saw Madonna celebrating the gay dancers. They were just equals to her and, at the time, I was sort of an outcast. I had been bullied as a child, but I didn’t let anyone know that because it was shameful — you don’t want your parents to know that you’re being teased for being gay or that nobody likes you in school because you’re different.
But I liked how she celebrated these gay guys in the movie, and I didn’t know that I was gay or what it was. Around that same time, I started working at my sister’s hair salon, and that was the place that I felt safe and secure. The clients loved and adored me, and I could just be myself. I started styling my sister’s clients and that’s where I developed my passion for hair. I said, “This is what I want to do.”
Lucky Star
I did Madonna’s manager’s assistant’s hair since she was in college. Then I met her manager, and I started doing her hair. The manager recommended me to Madonna’s assistant, and I started doing all their hair. In 2003, I was flown to New York, where Madonna was promoting The English Roses, her children’s book series. I thought, I get to do Madonna’s hair; this is cool… this will just be one gig.
Madonna was starting her book tour and winding down on her promo for [her album] American Life, and they wanted her hair to look very natural. She really liked the way I did her hair because I’m good at waves and curls; that’s the phase that she was in and she liked how I was able to give her a very natural texture.
Full interview HERE
Read more

Madonna’s 60th bday in Dutch media – a personal recap by MadonnaUnderground

Madonna News, Madonna Video

Oh what a circus….oh what a show! The first line that comes to mind when I think of yesterday….Madonna’s 60th birthday. I received various requests from Dutch and Belgian media for interviews on Madonna, wanted to do it all but there were some scheduling conflicts (yes babes I am a mother and my son is my absolute priority).

First there was an interview with Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, I was a bit hestitant as they completely altered my quotes when Madonna turned 50 in 2008 for their article. However in good faith I told them all and was told which photo’s they were going to print and that it would be fab. Well darlings it was not. They printed the photo which we hadn’t agreed on and I read my supposed quotes that I know hadn’t come out of MY mouth (since when am I the eyes and ears of Madonna in Holland? B…..please).

Moving on…Belgian newspaper Gazet van Antwerpen printed a great article and were mostly accurate, thank you for that and the positivity!

I was approached through Facebook asking me to participate in a live television talkshow titled “M” on Thursday evening and asking me to bring more fans. No problem.

While getting ready to go to Antwerp and see Britney dancing her ass off, the Dutch Algemeen Dagblad paid me a visit in my ‘Madonna Room’. I made it specific that I wanted it to be spontaneous and truthful, don’t try to make me look like a clown (even though I know I am a bit of a Pennywise). I was very pleased with the video and I thank you all for the many lovely comments on it!

Madonna’s birthday started off with me driving my car into town for an appointment, while talking on the phone to local radio Omroep Flevoland. They asked me if I was the biggest Madonna fan in Flevoland (ehm….I don’t know as I don’t know all of them). They asked if I had the same hairstyle as M did, told them no but I was lying looking at my swimcap in the rearview mirror thinking of her Letterman interview back in the good ol’ days. What Madonna record could they play for me? eh……Die Another Day? If you have it?

During lunch time RTL Nieuws knocked on my door and wanted me to do the exact same routine as Algemeen Dagblad. They really really really wanted me to put on the pink promotional cowboy hat for “Music” , I refused. What has Madonna meant for you? What has she done for you? How has she pushed you? Tried my best and was pleased with the final video, thank you RTL!

When I was finally eating, Radio Nostalgie in Belgium was on my phone. Lovely interview, different questions and testing to see if I would stick up for my big idol. They once again asked me which record to play, I couldn’t think of anything else besides ‘Die Another Day’ again. However they cut this from the final item and played ‘Hung Up’ instead.

While driving my car to Amsterdam for the taping of talkshow “M”, RTL called me to tell me that the item had been moved to the later news of 23.30 due to the passing of Aretha Franklin. They also told me that it would be available online. Once arriving at the studio’s in Amsterdam I was told to go upstairs with a man ‘ooooh that sounds exciting’, I think they didn’t get my joke. It wasn’t until there that I heard I would be sitting at the table and therefore needed make up. They definitely did my eyebrows as mine are so pale, they’re hardly there. They were stressing out, the entire show had to be re-organised due to the passing of Aretha Franklin (Queen of Soul). Most of the show was scheduled to be about Madonna’s 60th birthday, but now it was reduced to the final bit of the show.

Sitting on a chair, waiting for the Madonna item to happen it was hard to keep my eyes open during the ‘Trump’ segment (or was it not about him?). We got to play a Madonna quiz to which I knew all the answers apart from the one where I was stupid enough to hold up the sign so that the camera focused on me. Like a Prayer won viewer’s choice? I had no idea darling! Should’ve studied that Taraborrelli book a bit better. Kees Tabak spoke about photographing Madonna in Amsterdam at the start of her career, bringing her brother and a dancer (her brother was also her dancer). Before we knew, the live show was over and I was pushed back up the stairs to where our personal belongings were.

Finally getting home I found the RTL Nieuws item online and later watched it on TV at 23.38, which turned out to be a completely different item than shown online.

It was one heck of a day, a circus, a show…..Madonna deserves it, she has earned it, the undisputed Queen of Pop!

Thank you M, here’s to another 60 years!

Read more

Rebel Heart Tour shirts giveaway – winners announced!

Madonna News

I know I know…..I am a day late.

Yesterday was a circus and I had no time to ‘do something else, like my eyebrows’ let alone browse through the hundreds of entries to our third giveaway….sorry y’all.

In a random draw the following winners have been chosen:

Peter Myles (white shirt)

Jacqueline van Lieshout (black shirt)

I will send it to you asap!

Thank you so much to all that have participated in this giveaway, I hope you all had a wonderful time celebrating the Lady M’s birthday.

No this is not it, we will have much more to give away SOON.

Read more

Madonna 60: Waarom het belangrijk is dat zij er nog steeds is – DUTCH article

Madonna News

Ga op tijd dood, zomaar een tweet (zie hieronder) van Marianne Zwagerman. Ik weet niet of Madonna ‘m leest, maar toch, het zal je maar gezegd worden.

Dit jaar is een kroonjaar voor Madonna: zij is zestig jaar artiest. Dankzij haar controversiële optredens en videoclips groeide ze uit tot het belangrijkste vrouwelijke icoon van de moderne popmuziek. Oudere generaties koesteren (jeugd)herinneringen aan haar, jongere generaties blijven door haar stijl en muziek beïnvloed. Madonna perfectioneert een mix van politiek en pop, commercie en visie, seks en kunst en dat doet ze al decennia lang. Ze is er al zolang als ik mij kan herinneren, ik zou kunnen zeggen: Ze is de muzikale omlijsting van mijn bestaan.

En nu moet ze dood, want het is wel eens mooi geweest zo.

Madonna is inmiddels al zo vaak afgeschreven dat het haar zelf gok ik niet zoveel meer kan schelen. Haar hele carrière lang voert ze al de strijd tegen critici die twijfelen of haar houdbaarheidsdatum inmiddels verstreken is en niet alleen de pers heeft er een sport van gemaakt om Madonna weg te zetten als een oude vrouw die nu wel eens met pensioen mag. In een gastcolumn voor de Hollywood Reporter vorig jaar opent de Amerikaanse Camille Paglia (sociaal criticus en hoogleraar aan de University of the Arts in Philadelphia) het vuur: Ze moedigt Madonna aan om meer op Marlene Dietrich te lijken “die haar klasse en stijl wist te behouden tot het einde van haar openbare leven”.

Jaja, Madonna die haar laatste tientallen jaren een extreem terug getrokken leven moet gaan leiden ergens in een Parijs appartement. Ik zie het voor me.

Om het volledige artikel te lezen klik je HIER

Read more

Talkshow “M” on NPO1 (adjusted program)

Madonna News

What had to be the main subject on the talkshow “M”, broadcasting live today on Dutch television NPO1, was adjusted to just a small feature.

This due to Aretha Franklin passing away earlier today.

While Madonna fans were patiently waiting in the audience, Madonna’s birthday was brought to the attention by the end of the show.

In terms of a small pop quiz on their idol they were asked several questions. You can watch the talkshow in full here.

 

Read more

Madonna at 60: How she became the queen of all queens

Madonna News

Never afraid of talking about sex, Madonna changed the way people perceived gay sex and vastly improved the lives of those having it by campaigning to publicise preventative measures for Aids. Darren Scott shows how she became a gay icon, without even trying

There are many scents that transport me to another place and time. But there’s one that’s so important that its message has stuck with me for almost 30 years.

In 1989, Madonna ruled the world. Her rise to fame had been fairly rapid since her first single, Everybody, in 1982. By 1985, she had released True Blue, which went on to become one of the biggest selling albums by a female artist. But in March of 1989, she released the album Like A Prayer and it seemed as though Madonna-mania had gripped the planet.

While that masterpiece – with its relentless stream of coming-of-age anthems and dramas – evokes many memories, it’s the smell of the packaging that, to paraphrase HRH, “takes me there”.

Doused in patchouli oil, it was intended to simulate church incense. But in my mind, it’s forever associated with a card insert that came with every copy.

It was called “The Facts About Aids”.

Now, in those days – in fact, pretty much as in 2018 – sex education at school wasn’t that great for a baby gay like myself. But that was probably fine, because by this point I had been put off it for life after being terrified by government adverts with icebergs, and subsequently school contemporaries telling me I was going to die of Aids – and this was before I even knew I was gay, let alone having bleached my hair or had anything pierced.

Madonna – who I had inexplicably been drawn to since offerings such as Gambler and Dress You Up, those contemporaries seeing the signs before I did – was now changing my life in a different way, by teaching me a lesson I would never forget.

Full article HERE

Read more

Madonna at 60: The Queen of Pop in seven charts

Madonna News

Madonna turns 60 on Thursday. To celebrate, we’re taking a look back at her 35 years in the industry.

Since Madonna’s eponymous debut album hit the shelves in 1983, she’s performed on 10 concert tours and sold more than 300 million records.

This has earned her a spot in the Guinness World Records as the best-selling female recording artist of all time.

What else can a look at the numbers tell us about the Queen of Pop?

1) She’s had more UK number one albums than any other female artist

2) These are the people’s favourites

Like A Virgin your favourite Madonna tune? Join the crowd: Spotify data ranks this 1984 classic as her most popular song.

In fact, only one song in the top five is not from the 80s: Hung Up from 2005.

3) She’s had more singles in the top five than any other female artist

Madonna’s had 46 singles make the top five in the UK charts – only Elvis has had more.

4) Her Super Bowl performance was record-breaking

5) She’s the richest female musician in America

Looks like she really is a Material Girl.

Forbes estimated Madonna’s net worth at $580m (£454m) last year, making her the richest female artist based in America, comfortably $200m (£157m) ahead of runner-up Celine Dion.

Full article HERE

Read more