Madonna's younger brother, Christopher Ciccone—an artist, dancer, and interior designer—has passed away at the age of 63.
Reports say Ciccone died in Michigan on October 4 after battling cancer. His sister, Madonna, a 7-time Grammy winner, took to social media to share an emotional statement, expressing her grief and loss.
‘My brother Christopher is gone. He was the closest human to me for so long,’ she captioned the post in part.
‘Its hard to explain our bond but it grew out of an understanding that we were different and society was going to give us a hard time for not following the status quo. We took each other‘s hands and we danced through the madness of our childhood. In fact dance was a kind of superglue that held us together,’ she wrote.
She mentioned, ‘We danced together on stage in the beginning of my career and eventually, he became the Creative Director, of many tours. When it came to good taste, my brother was the Pope, and you had to kiss the ring to get his blessing. We defied the Roman Catholic Church, The Police, the Moral Majority and all Authority figures that got in the way of Artistic freedom! My brother was right by my side.’
She continued, ‘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. We soared the highest heights together. And floundered in the lowest lows. Somehow, we always found each other again and We held hands and we kept dancing.’
She concluded saying, ‘The last few years have not been easy. We did not speak for sometime but
When my brother got sick. We found our way back to each other. I did my best to keep him alive as long as possible. 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.’
Christopher Ciccone had a vibrant career, first growing up as a dancer and later joining the Montreal company La Groupe de La Place Royal. He even served as a backup dancer for Madonna, appearing in the video for her 1983 hit Lucky Star.
Christopher went on to art direct Madonna's iconic Blond Ambition World Tour in 1990, while also directing music videos for legends like Dolly Parton and Tony Bennett.
In 2008, Ciccone released his memoir, Life with My Sister Madonna, shedding light on their complex relationship, which had its ups and downs over the years.
Christopher is survived by his husband, actor Ray Thacker, whom he married in 2016.
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