Madonna news - Feb. 2002

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← Jan. 2002 | Feb. 2002 →

15 February - HQ scans of Pop Mag pix
Check out LittleStar for high quality scans of the Madonna pictures in Pop Magazine.

14 February - Madonna ex sues Morton
Controversial Madonna biographer Andrew Morton is facing a High Court legal battle, after a former boyfriend of the Queen of Pop decided to sue the writer. Jimmy Albright was paid £70,000 by Mr Morton, infamous for his Princess Diana book, for his assistance in the writing of Morton's unauthorised biography, which was issued in November. But Morton is alleged to have failed to pay an additional £35,000 to Albright, who reportedly begun an affair with Madonna after working as her guard. (source: Dotmusic)

14 February - New photo preview in Pop Magazine
This months Face magazine has this advert for Pop magazine giving a preview of a brand new Madonna photo shoot. The magazine hits the stands in the UK on February 18th. (source: Madonnarama, thanx to Tilly Mint)

14 February - Bond theme NOT confirmed ? *rumour*
The producers of the new James Bond film have refused to confirm reports Madonna will sing the theme tune. Barbara Broccoli says the Madonna link-up remains "a possibility". A spokeswoman for the singer has already said Madonna will record a song for the film. (source: Ananova)

14 February - Happy Valentine !
I wish all of you a happy Valentine's Day! May you all find the greatest love of your life, like I did. Toni habibi, ana hebbak ktir! -x-

12 February - No Concert Industry Awards for Mo
Madonna, whose Drowned World Tour was nominated at the Concert Industry Awards for 'Major Tour Of The Year' and 'Most Creative Stage Production', lost out in both categories to U2's Elevation Tour. (source: Pollstar)

12 February - More on Bowie cover *rumour*
Madonna is rumoured to have recorded a cover version of David Bowie's 1972 rock classic Ziggy Stardust. According to a Bowie fansite, Madonna's take on the anthem may well be included on her next album, which is apparently being recorded in England at the moment. A posting on Madonnarama also claims that the Material Girl performed the song during sound checks on her Drowned World Tour. According to biographers, a concert from David Bowie's 1978 world tour was the first gig Madonna ever went to. (source: AbsoluteMadonna)

12 February - Madonna in West End show? *rumour*
Madonna is being tipped to star in her own West End show by The Mirror Newspaper. It claims that she's in the advanced stages of secret plans to produce and play a lead role in a glittering musical that will provide a much needed shot in the arm for theatre land. Initially Madonna is said to have been interested in a straightforward stage play. But now she's rumoured to have warmed to the idea of a traditional musical format tinged with her own unique style. From the 3am girls at the Mirror: The show is likely to feature adult themes, although shrewd Madonna will make sure her world stage debut maintains a wide popular appeal. One insider describes the proposed drama as "The Blue Room set to music", adding "The Madonna musical has been the talk of those in the know in the West End for some time. "She is keen to put on a show because it's a fascinating new departure for her and because she has come to love London. With theatre audiences diminishing at an alarming rate, the West End needs superstars like Madonna to bring people back". September 11th has taken a heavy toll on London theatres as more and more American tourists refuse to fly the Atlantic. In 1999, Madonna was poised to star in a revival of Cat On A Hot Tin Roof at the Picadilly Theatre. But her role as the sexually voracious Magigie was cancelled after director Sir Peter Hall fell out with producers. A spokeswoman says "Madonna is thinking about her options. All we know is that she's working on her next album". The singer will be following in the footsteps of her friend Gwyneth Paltrow, who is due to make her British stage debt in Proof at London's Domnar Warehouse in May. (source: Madonnarama)

12 February - Naomi defends Sex book
[Naomi Campbell accused British newspaper The Mirror of invading her privacy by publishing pictures of her leaving a drugs clinic.] Naomi Campbell has hit back at allegations that she regularly waived her right to privacy throughout her modelling career in today's high court action against the Mirror. She was repeated challenged by the Mirror's defence barrister over a series of revealing interviews she had allegedly given in the past to publications such as Hello! magazine. Desmond Browne QC specifically asked her about her controversial appearance in Madonna's sex book. But Campbell said it did not make her a hypocrite. "I did not think it was vulgar. I do not thing there is anything wrong with talking about sex," she said. [...] Earlier today her defence counsel, Andrew Caldecott QC, said that the Mirror's arguments about Campbell flaunting her privacy selectively were not enough. "The Mirror's case is that she is forfeiting her protection because she discussed her family, her boyfriends and posed for saucy photographs in the Madonna book. We say 'so what'. How can anodyne photos like that forfeit her right to privacy for her treatment of drug addiction?" he said. (source: MediaGuardian)

12 February - Brad Pitt goes shooting with Guy Ritchie
After turning trendsetting Madonna onto the sport, Guy Ritchie, 34, recently organised a pheasant shoot for his good friend Brad Pitt, 38, on the couple's thousand acre estate at Ashcombe Park in Wiltshire. "Brad proved he can handle a 12-bore,” said a source. “He acquitted himself well and could almost pass for an English gent". He joins Snatch co-star Vinnie Jones, who is a self confessed hunting fan, and 43-year-old Madonna - who is reportedly so enamoured of pheasant shooting she has taken classes at Broadlands in Hampshire. The superstar singer, who received a specially commissioned pair of shotguns from Guy for her birthday, explained: "I eat birds. You have more of a respect for the things you eat when you go through, or see, the process of killing them". Ocean’s Eleven star Brad was in England without his wife Jennifer Aniston to discuss upcoming film projects, including another possible collaboration with Guy following his appearance in Snatch. (source: Hello Magazine)

12 February - Osama blames Madonna
Watch the latest comic (and completely fictive, in case you were wondering) shockwave-movie, which features Osama Bin Laden, blaming Madonna for his actions. Sensitive veiwers might be offended, others can go to AtomFilms. (thanx to Maarten for the link)

11 February - Billboard top 20 albums in 2001
Madonna is the only act to have two entries in the top 20 with GHV2 at 14 and Music at 19.

11 February - Channel 4 criticised for Madonna's outburst
Madonna's foul-mouthed outburst on pre-watershed live TV earned a rebuke for Channel 4. The singer used the word "m*therf*ck*rs" as she announced the winner of Turner Prize art award in December. The broadcaster was found to be in breach of the Independent Television Commission's programme code - despite its efforts to try and bleep out the bad language. Strong expletives are generally not permitted before 9pm and Madonna was speaking shortly before that cut-off point. Producers had put special precautions in place because of the star's reputation for shocking and she had been cautioned about how she should behave. Channel 4 said she appeared to be taking the event very seriously, but despite several requests would not allow the station to see her speech. Efforts to mask the singer's outburst kicked in too late, but two apologies were broadcast in case viewers were offended. Five viewers complained about the broadcast made from London's Tate Britain gallery. The ITC ruled: "The Channel was clearly sufficiently concerned to have put a mechanism in place, in case a problem arose, but the failure properly to cover up Madonna's outburst represented a breach of the Programme Code." Channel 4 says its "trust in Madonna had been abused". (source: Ananova)

09 February - No Austin Powers
Despite claims that Madonna had got the gig, it would now seem that quirky US rockers They Might Be Giants have recorded the theme for the third Austin Powers film. (source: AbsoluteMadonna)
~ My guess is that the rumours about Austin Powers and James Bond got mixed up; Bond turned out to be true, Austin Powers not...

08 February - Bond song confirmed !
Madonna will perform a song for the next James Bond film but will not be acting in it, her publicist said on Friday [today]. The pop superstar had been tipped by the British media to make a cameo appearance alongside Irish lead Pierce Brosnan in the latest 007 spy caper. "She is doing a song for the film but she won't be acting," Madonna's spokeswoman in London said. "We don't know if it will be the title song yet." Madonna clinched the deal after holding talks this week with Eon Productions, the 007 film's maker, at Pinewood Studios, the Mirror tabloid newspaper reported. Madonna, who starred in 'Evita', 'Dick Tracy' and 'Desperately Seeking Susan', was said to be thrilled. She joins a long line of famous names who have recorded songs for Bond films, including Paul McCartney, Tina Turner and Nancy Sinatra. Work on "Bond 20" - the film has yet to be officially named - began in January at Pinewood Studios near London. (source: Reuters)
~ Some sources claim the movie will be called 'Beneath The Ice'. It's not known yet if Madonna's song will have the same title. More on this very soon.

08 February - Britney loves Madonna
Britney Spears made sure that Madonna posters and other Madonna memorabilia are visible in her flick 'Crossroads', says an insider. "Ever since Madonna wore that Britney Spears t-shirt in concert, there's been a cross-promotional love fest going on between the two", says a source. (source: MSNBC)

08 February - LSD&M previewed and reviewed
Guy Ritchie's upcoming movie 'Love, Sex, Drugs & Money', starring Madonna, got a preview screening in the UK a few days ago. Read the first reviews at Ain't It Cool. (thanx to AbsMad for the link)

07 February - Madonna wants DJ Bruce
Madonna has apparently asked Hollywood actor Bruce Willis if he would be up for being DJ at her husband, Guy Ritchie's forthcoming birthday bash. She wants the Die Hard star to spin a few sets to her new London mates, including Pierre Marco White and Stella McCartney. She is said to have already hired controversial comic Bernard Manning to compere the show. (source: Gay.com UK)

07 February - Madonna special on SNL
US TV channel Comedy will broadcast a selection of Madonna's greatest moments on "Saturday Night Live" between 1985 and 2000, including her live performances, on February 10th at 12:30am.

06 February - Madonna for James Bond theme *rumour*
The February 18 issue of "US Weekly" (which hits news stands Friday) reports that Madonna is in negotiations to record the theme song to the upcoming James Bond film. She is also in talks with the producers of the film to make a cameo in the film. There is no info on the song or the release date for the film at this point. (source: Madonnarama)

05 February - NME nomination for Madonna
NME has announced the nominations for the NME Carling Awards 2002. Madonna is nominated in the Top Pop category and has to compete with Britney, Kylie, S Club 7 and Robbie Williams. You can vote now. The ceremony takes place on February 25 at the London Planit Arches.

05 February - Madonna as political role model
Guy Ritchie's stepmother says Madonna is a role model for aspiring female politicians. Shireen Ritchie used Madonna as an example of how fellow party members could transform their image. She addressed a group of Conservatives as part of a new initiative to recruit more women to the party. Mrs Ritchie, who is chairman of the Kensington and Chelsea Conservative Association, said: "Madonna is a role model in the sense that you have got to go out and get what you want in all areas of life, and that can be applied to all areas of Conservative politics." She added that she has never discussed politics with Madonna. (source: Ananova)

04 February - Artist Gursky unveils new photo
Hot contemporary artist Andreas Gursky will unveil a monumental photograph of Madonna on Feb. 12 at the Pompidou Center in Paris. And he does mean unveil: Nobody - including the superstar herself - gets to see the 10-foot by 6-foot photo before it goes on public view. That policy, imposed by the photographer, has the Madonna camp biting its fingernails. "We're all freaking out wondering what it's going to look like," says Madonna's art adviser Darlene Lutz. "It's not that we don't trust him," she adds, "but not knowing is totally nerve-wracking." Mr. Gursky isn't just another paparazzo: His show of photographs at the Museum of Modern Art was among the most acclaimed photography exhibitions in New York in recent years. Here's what Madonna's people do know: Mr. Gursky snapped the photo during a tense concert in Los Angeles two days after Sept. 11. Powerhouse New York dealer Matthew Marks, who represents Mr. Gursky, says only that the picture will be one of the artist's "more exciting works." The gallery says Mr. Gursky will sell six prints of the photo "if he's happy with the outcome." (source: sfgate, thanx to The_Missus)

03 February - Madonna regains madonna.com
Madonna has regained full control over Madonna.com from Dan Parisi, who had cyber-squatted the domain and had turned it into a porn site. Fans will remember that following the first judgement, he was forced to withdraw the porn site and redirected the domain to a hospital. This latest ruling means that Madonna now has the right to use the domain as she sees fit. Currently it points to her official site, which was Madonnamusic.com and there is nothing new there, but with the new album being recorded as we speak, it cannot be long before Madonna's new and true domain has wonderful features to show! (source: Madonnamax)

03 February - Testino Portraits book
Check fansite Little Star for Madonna pictures from Mario Testino's Portraits book.

01 February - LSD&M co-star praises Madonna
Superstar Madonna's movie co-stars are singing her praises - after realizing working with her was nowhere near as tough as they feared. Jeanne Tripplehorn, who stars alongside the 43-year-old Material Girl in 'Love, Sex, Drugs And Money', says Madonna proved to be a pleasure to work with on the set of the movie, which is directed by the superstar's British husband Guy Ritchie. And their working relationship proved to be so positive, they have now struck up a personal friendship. Jeanne says, "She's a real girl's girl. I don't know if people know that. Madonna and I flew to the location in Malta together and talked nine hours straight. The rhythm of a friendship happened immediately. Having watched her for the last 20 years, well, she didn't disappoint. She was just as strong, smart and enigmatic as I'd thought." (source: MadonnaPlanet)

01 February - Two unseen pictures at Testino exhibit
Two of the never seen before Madonna shoots taken by Mario Testino have been revealed during a report regarding Testino's exhibit in London, on UK BBC channel tonight. The first one has been taken in 1998, before the release of Madonna's Ray Of Light album. The second one is dated from 1996, just after the filming of Evita. The exposition is said to offer a lot of exclusive Madonna pics but none of them have yet surfaced on the web. (source: MadonnaPlanet, thanx to Attitude Boy, pictures courtesy of Where Life Begins)

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