Christopher Ciccone, Brother of Madonna, Passes Away at 63

LOS ANGELES ⁤— ​Christopher Ciccone, a multi-talented artist, dancer, designer, and Madonna’s younger brother, has passed away at the age of 63.

Ciccone’s death occurred on Friday in Michigan, as confirmed by his representative Brad​ Taylor to‌ the Associated Press on ⁢Sunday. The cause of death⁤ was cancer.

Madonna paid ​tribute to him on‍ Instagram on Sunday, ​sharing a series of photos spanning several years.

“For a long time, he was the person I was closest to,” she penned. “Our bond is difficult to articulate.​ It‌ stemmed from ‍a mutual understanding that we were different and society ⁣would challenge us for not conforming. We held each other’s hands ⁣and danced through the chaos of our childhood.”

Madonna expressed ⁤that discovering dance in their small Midwestern town was a saving ‍grace for both of them, and their ballet teacher ⁤provided a safe haven for her brother to express ⁤his homosexuality.

From a young age, Ciccone⁣ was a dancer⁢ and played a crucial role in his sister’s rise to pop ⁤stardom in​ the 1980s. He featured in music videos ​like ⁣”Lucky Star,” was​ the art director for​ her​ Blond ⁢Ambition World Tour, and served as tour⁢ director for The Girlie Show tour. He also directed music videos for Dolly ‍Parton and ⁤Tony Bennett.

“When it came to good​ taste, my⁢ brother ‍was‍ the Pope, and you ⁣had to kiss the ring to get his blessing,” Madonna 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.”

In 2008, Ciccone published a bestselling autobiography titled “Life with My Sister Madonna,” where he discussed their strained relationship,‍ her romantic affairs, and his experiences touring with her. For two decades,⁤ he was by‌ her side, choreographing, directing, dressing, and assisting his sister. ‌He also‍ designed the interiors of ‍her homes in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles. He likened their relationship ⁤to a ​marriage‌ at times.

“It was a double-edged sword,” he confessed to Good Morning America in 2008. “Nobody ⁢was forcing me to stay.”

The book, with its candid descriptions of his sister’s famous ⁢circle’s exploits, strained some‍ of his Hollywood friendships. However, in 2012, around the⁤ launch of a shoe collection he designed,‌ he told The Standard that he and his sister were “on a perfectly personable level” and⁤ in touch.

“I don’t work for her, and it’s better this way,” he stated.

In recent years, Ciccone moved to Michigan’s Lower ​Peninsula to be closer ⁢to his family. In 2016, Ciccone married Ray Thacker, a British actor, who was with⁢ him when he passed away.

Madonna wrote that when he fell ill, they found their way back to each other.

“I’m glad he’s not suffering anymore,” she ⁣wrote. “There will ​never be anyone like him. I know ‍he’s dancing somewhere.”

Madonna also⁣ recently lost her stepmother, Joan Clare ‌Ciccone,⁢ to cancer, and her⁣ older‍ brother Anthony Ciccone passed away in early 2023.