Current:Home > InvestChristopher Ciccone, Madonna’s brother and longtime collaborator, dies at 63: 'He's dancing somewhere' -EliteFunds
Christopher Ciccone, Madonna’s brother and longtime collaborator, dies at 63: 'He's dancing somewhere'
View
Date:2025-04-17 17:00:29
Christopher Ciccone, an artist and the younger brother of Madonna, has died. He was 63.
Ciccone died Friday after a battle with cancer, a representative confirmed to USA TODAY on Sunday. His husband, Ray Thacker, remained "faithfully by his side during the final stages of the cancer that would ultimately end his life," and he died "peacefully" surrounded by loved ones, according to a statement from the family.
In an Instagram post on Sunday, Madonna paid tribute to her late brother, saying he was the "closest human to me for so long."
"My brother was right by my side," she wrote. "He was a painter a poet and a visionary. I admired him. He had impeccable taste. And a sharp tongue, which he sometimes used against me but I always forgave him."
The "Material Girl" singer, 66, acknowledged that she and her brother did "not speak for sometime." But she shared they "found our way back to each other" after he got sick.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
"I did my best to keep him alive as long as possible," she wrote. "He was in so much pain towards the end. Once again, we held hands We closed our eyes and we danced. Together. I'm glad he's not suffering anymore. There will never be anyone like him. I know he's dancing somewhere."
Ciccone was born in Pontiac, Michigan, and was the fifth child of Madonna's parents Madonna Louise and Silvio Ciccone. They had a total of six children, and after Madonna's mother died, her father remarried and had two more kids, Jennifer and Mario.
After attending Western Michigan University and Oakland University, Ciccone moved to New York and served as a dancer for his sister. He also worked for her as a dresser, creative consultant and interior designer, according to an obituary provided by the family.
Ciccone was also the tour director for her Girlie Show tour. He released a shoe collection in 2012 and directed music videos for artists like Dolly Parton.
In 2008, Ciccone published a tell-all memoir about his sibling titled "Life with My Sister Madonna."
"She hasn't been very kind to my parents, to my brothers and sisters, on many occasions, and I wanted to correct that," he told CBS at the time. In the 2008 interview, Ciccone said he and his sister were no longer speaking directly but that he wrote the book from the perspective of "a brother who loves her."
"Some people consider it a betrayal of some kind. I consider it my memoirs," he said, adding, "She will always be my sister. That is never going to ever go away."
Anthony Ciccone,Madonna's older brother, dies at 66: 'You planted many important seeds'
Speaking to Good Morning America in 2008, Ciccone said his relationship with his sister became strained for a number of reasons, including finances. But by 2012, the two of them were now "good."
"We are in contact with each other, although I haven't seen her for a long time," he told the Evening Standard. "We're back to being a brother and sister. I don't work for her, and it's better this way."
Madonna shocksat star-studded Luar NYFW show with Offset modeling, Ice Spice in front row
Madonna's older brother Anthony Ciccone died last year at 66.
"Thank you for blowing my mind as a young girl and introducing me to Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Buddhism, Taoism, Charles Bukowski, Richard Brautigan, Jack Kerouac, Expansive Thinking, Outside the Box," she said in a tribute to her brother at the time. "You planted many important seeds."
Madonna's stepmother, Joan Ciccone, also died last month after a battle with cancer.
veryGood! (1479)
Related
- Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
- Ranchers Fight Keystone XL Pipeline by Building Solar Panels in Its Path
- 20 Fascinating Facts About Reba McEntire
- These Amazon Travel Essentials Will Help You Stick To Your Daily Routine on Vacation
- Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
- Jessica Alba Shares Sweet Selfie With Husband Cash Warren on Their 15th Anniversary
- Joy-Anna Duggar Gives Birth, Welcomes New Baby With Austin Forsyth
- Flash Deal: Save 69% On the Total Gym All-in-One Fitness System
- Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
- How to show up for teens when big emotions arise
Ranking
- Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
- Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes Run Half Marathon Together After Being Replaced on GMA3
- Alaska Chokes on Wildfires as Heat Waves Dry Out the Arctic
- FDA pulls the only approved drug for preventing premature birth off the market
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Kansas doctor dies while saving his daughter from drowning on rafting trip in Colorado
- How A New Majority On Wisconsin's Supreme Court Could Impact Reproductive Health
- Blinken says military communication with China still a work in progress after Xi meeting
Recommendation
House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
Duracell With a Twist: Researchers Find Fix for Grid-Scale Battery Storage
Q&A: Denis Hayes, Planner of the First Earth Day, Discusses the ‘Virtual’ 50th
Recovery high schools help kids heal from an addiction and build a future
Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
20 Fascinating Facts About Reba McEntire
Federal appeals court preserves access to abortion drug but with tighter rules
Clean Energy Manufacturers Spared from Rising Petro-Dollar Job Losses