June 30, 1985 - Madonna and Sean Penn - Franklin, Tennessee

The biggest, greatest and sexiest love affair of the 1980's - Sean Penn and Madonna.

Before they got married and before her fabulous ass kicking performance at Live Aid, Madonna was visiting Sean Penn on the set of At Close Range in Tennessee. She had just finished her Virgin Tour on June 11, 1985. Sean had been filming for several months in Nashville, Tennessee. They were staying at the Mawxwell House Hotel.

On Sunday June 30th, Madonna went out for a run up and through Buena Vista Park and when she returned, her and Sean were walking through the hotel grounds. Sun tabloid reporters Laurence Cottrell and Ian Markham-Smith started shooting photos. Sean flipped, grabbed a rock and threw it at Cottrell and started beating the shyt out of Cottrell. From this moment on, nobody felt comfortable approaching Sean Penn on the streets. Ha!

All Dressed Up - Back Stage at Live Aid with Madonna

This is video that they aired the day of Live Aid on July 13, 1985 on MTV. The commentators are MTV VJ's Mark Goodman and Martha Quinn - who was such a dingle!!! Sideline Trivia: Martha was always a Cyndi supporter and loathed Madonna for her overt sexuality. Here, she refers to Madonna's next single, Dress You Up as "All Dressed Up" - a long time joke among me and someone special ♥. She also confuses farckle Bette Midler as Madonna. As you can see, Bette was so eager to meet Madonna (and watching every move Madonna made) who was working maniacally backstage to get everything perfect and boy did she. She rocked those rock f*ck'rs! This was the day that the Disco Sex Bomb became the Rock Star.

Don't forget fans, that at Live Aid Madonna was the ONLY performer out there with background dancers and doing an entire routine. Something that the Rock Crowd, she was about to perform for, frowned upon and was not of the norm that we see EVERYWHERE today. At every award show, every concert, etc. It was our Miss Madonna that pushed all that shyt out there in everyones faces. Not to mention that the two background dancers were flamboyant and waving tambourines up and through. Ha! Also remember that Dick Clark lobbied hard to get Madonna on this show, the producers didn't want her - they thought of her only as a dancer and dance artist. Click HERE to watch Dick Clark defend Madonna in the last video. xo

It was so brilliant to have this footage and it was the first time we saw Madonna Behind the Scenes. This footage looks just the way mine does on VHS to this day.

Nile Rodgers and Madonna

As some of you probably have heard by now, Nile Rodgers found out he had an aggressive form of cancer and started to blog about it. You can read about his journey HERE. I just want to say how much I have always loved Nile Rodgers and am sending cool energy his way. Say a little prayer for the fabulous and wonderful Nile Rodgers. Madonna's fans all around the world love you Nile. xo

I put together this Madonna/Nile video to show my appreciation.

As Madonna thanked him on the Virgin album: Nile "Boom" Rodgers.

Live Aid with Sean

The Greatest Live Version of "Into the Groove" of All Time

Bust out that tambourine and get Into the Groove. This is the exact moment when the disco pop tart turned stadium rock star. She rock'd this shyt out. Just got off the Virgin Tour, engaged to Sean Penn, the nudes were about to hit the newsstands...it was just too much, Harold.

Look for fiance Sean Penn and best buddy Martin Burgoyne checking Madonna out from the side lines.

Hard to understand now but in 1985 dance music was not considered a respected form of music. Long before dance acts were being taken seriously, Dick Clark lobbied hard to get Madonna on the show, as seen in the clip below. This was also the moment she left all her contemporaries in the dust.

C'mon, C'mon

Best Buddy Martin Burgoyne Watches as Madonna Performs Into The Groove at Live Aid, July 13, 1985

lower left hand corner:

Happy Birthday Bette Midler!!!

Happy Birthday Bob Geldof !!!

post live aid - pre tatlock - 1985

Penthouse - September 1987 - Special Anniversary Issue

hey madonna - bust out that tambourine again!