ESSENTIAL POINTS
- Christopher Ciccone, a versatile artist and the younger sibling of pop legend Madonna, has passed away at 63 due to cancer.
- Madonna expressed a touching tribute to Ciccone, highlighting their special connection and shared journey of overcoming societal obstacles.
- Ciccone had a significant influence on Madonna’s career, contributing as an art director, tour director, and choreographer to her music videos and tours.
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.
Agree with bad grammar and punctuation: sad news, thoughts with the family.
Agree with bad grammar and punctuation: so sad to hear about Christopher’s passing, my condolences to his family.
Agree: Rest in peace, Christopher. My thoughts are with his family during this difficult time.
npa8k8