Christopher Ciccone, a multitalented artist, dancer, designer, and younger brother of Madonna, has passed away at the age of 63. Ciccone succumbed to cancer on Friday in Michigan, as confirmed by his representative, Brad Taylor, to The Associated Press on Sunday.
Madonna paid tribute to her brother on Instagram with a series of photos documenting their time together. “He was the closest human to me for so long,” she wrote. “It’s 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.”
Madonna reflected on how discovering dance in their small Midwestern town was a lifesaver for both of them. She credited their ballet teacher for creating a safe environment that embraced her brother’s identity as a gay man.
Ciccone, a dancer from a young age, was integrally involved in Madonna’s rise to fame in the 1980s. He appeared in her music video for “Lucky Star,” art-directed her Blond Ambition World Tour, and served as the tour director for The Girlie Show tour. His creative talents extended beyond working with Madonna; he also directed music videos for artists such as 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.” The book delved into their strained relationship, her romantic involvements, and his experiences while on tour with her. For two decades, Ciccone was a key figure in Madonna’s life, choreographing, directing, dressing, and supporting her. He also designed the interiors of her homes in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles, likening their relationship at times to a marriage.
“It was a double-edged sword,” he told Good Morning America in 2008. “Nobody was chaining me down to make me stay.”
His candid recounting of life within Madonna’s famous circle strained some Hollywood relationships. However, by 2012, around the launch of a shoe collection he designed, Ciccone noted that he and Madonna were “on a perfectly personable level” and remained in contact.
“I don’t work for her, and it’s better this way,” he said.
In recent years, Ciccone had moved to Michigan’s Lower Peninsula to be nearer to family. In 2016, he married Ray Thacker, a British actor, who was by his side when he passed away.
Madonna shared that they reconciled during his illness. “I’m glad he’s not suffering anymore,” she wrote. “There will never be anyone like him. I know he’s dancing somewhere.”
The family tragedy was compounded by the recent losses of Madonna’s stepmother, Joan Clare Ciccone, to cancer just weeks ago, and her older brother Anthony Ciccone earlier in 2023.