From career success to spirituality – three women reveal the huge impact Madonna has had on their lives

Since her breakthrough single Holiday in 1983, she’s touched thousands of lives across the globe.

Here three women reveal the huge impact Madge has had on them

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‘She gave me my big break’

Donna De Lory, 53, is a singer who lives in California with husband Robert, 46, a physician, and daughters Sofia, 15, and Luciana, nine.

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“I’ll never forget the first time I met Madonna. I was auditioning for her Who’s That Girl tour in 1987 with what felt like every other female singer in LA, and the pressure was intense.

We were looking around for her, and at first I couldn’t see her, but then I did a double-take at a very petite person in a brown suit with short hair and glasses. It was Madonna!

She’d changed her look, but as soon as she started to speak we knew it was her. She was very serious – I felt she just wanted to get the auditions finished so she could continue rehearsals, as one of the singers had not worked out and they needed to replace her right away.

We sang the bridge of La Isla Bonita together and Pat Leonard, her musical director, said our voices blended perfectly. But it wasn’t until a few days later that I knew I had the job – I was ecstatic!

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I’d been singing professionally since I was eight and I’d grown up with my musician/producer father, Al De Lory. After my mother Mary died of breast cancer when I was 16, we moved to Nashville, where I worked at a restaurant and sang in my spare time.

I was being paid to sing for various TV ads and films after I moved back to LA to pursue my dreams at 18. Then suddenly, I found was going on tour with one of the biggest stars in the world.

A few days after I got the job, we sat doing our make-up together in front of the mirror at the rehearsal studio and had girl talk. My life had changed overnight.  

That night, as I rode in her limo to watch Billy Idol at his concert, her music came on the radio. It was a moment I’ll never forget.

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Getting the gig proved to be a turning point in my career. I was noticed a lot more by the music industry and I earned over £1,000 a week on tour. Working with Madonna gave me the chance to be part of so many legendary performances and great recordings.  

All I wanted to do was travel, sing, dance and explore the world. When I got the job with Madonna, it was a dream come true. I felt it was the recognition I deserved after years of studying dance.  

My favourite tour was probably Who’s That Girl, as it was my first. But I loved the Blond Ambition and Girlie Show tours, too, as I had a big role and really got to showcase my talent. I travelled everywhere, from Japan to Holland.

Madonna was strong, intelligent and a very disciplined role model. I saw first-hand how hard you had to work to be great. She inspired all of us to be our best.

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I do believe touring with her made me a better performer. I think what impressed Madonna most was how I could harmonise with her voice. That’s why I sang with her for so many years.  

I have so many exciting memories from touring. After one show in 1990 we had to run to get on our bus and make a getaway after the encore, before people started to leave the stadium.

But the very high security gate had not been opened. I was the first one to climb over and everyone, including Madonna, followed. We got to the bus just in time.

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I stopped working with Madonna after the Live Earth concert in London in 2007, mainly as by then I had my daughter Sofia. I also wanted to start working on my own music, though I’d love to sing with her again in the future.  

We are no longer close friends, but I have so much love and respect for her. I last saw her two years ago at one of her shows in LA. At an after-party, I told her how much I enjoyed the show.

She looks happy with her family now and I admire the amazing humanitarian work she continues to do. To see Madonna still thriving at 60 is a huge inspiration to me.”

‘I earn £80k a year thanks to Madge’

Jodie Jackson, 48, lives in Hull, East Yorkshire, with her partner Dean, 54, a caravan designer.

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“Standing on the stage at Tony Roma’s Steak House in Kingston-upon-Thames, London, in a pink basque and pinstripe trousers with my hair in a high ponytail, I desperately tried not to let my nerves affect my show.

It was 2009 and my first ever performance as Madonna. The atmosphere was electric, and the moment I sang the first line of Vogue I knew I’d nailed it.

By the end of my 45-minute set everyone was on their feet dancing, and afterwards they told me how much I looked and sounded like the Queen of Pop herself. I knew straight away I’d stumbled upon something amazing.

Although I’d loved singing and performing since I was five, I never imagined I would end up making a living as a Madonna tribute act.

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As a child, my older cousin Velda used to love dressing me up in lace and bangles like Madonna, and I’d also go for tap and ballet lessons.

At 16, I attended Laine Theatre Arts stage school in Surrey, and after graduating in 1988, I went on to work in the West End, on cruises and TV adverts, performing all over the world.

I loved it, but I always felt something was missing, and after 10 years I realised I needed a career change. My friend Helen suggested I could earn a living as a Madonna act.

I wasn’t familiar with the circuit, but people had always commented that I looked and sounded like her, so I decided to sign up to a tribute  act agency.

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Because I was broke, I borrowed £5,000 from a friend to get going. I bought a PA system, found somebody to make the costumes and started choreographing the entire show in my front room.  It was a hard slog, but eight months later I landed that first gig in Kingston.

Since then my career has taken off. I’ve travelled all over the world as Madonna, including doing gigs in Japan, Dubai, Portugal, Greece, Spain and Holland. I always open my show wearing a gold basque and cone bra, which is guaranteed to cause a stir. And I include a few costume changes, including the rags with all the lace and the bangles. I even have a permed wig made of real hair.

I must have spent £10,000 on costumes over the years. I also have to watch my diet, as the leotards show everything. I’m in the gym religiously, because although I’m a size 8, I’d naturally be bigger if I didn’t work out – it takes a lot of self-discipline to keep up with Madonna!

Admittedly, my career has affected my relationships. I always wanted to get married and have babies, but performing was my priority. Then when I reached my 30s it was hard to find the right person.

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Thankfully my partner Dean, who I got together with three years ago,  is supportive of what I do.

I love my job so much, and it’s all worth it as the pay can be generous. It’s possible to charge up £850 per show, which means that I can earn £80,000 a year.

In March I was chosen to be Madonna in a theatre tour called Material Girl. We are travelling all over the UK and also have dates in Finland. It felt great to win the role, especially given that I’m 48.

I often wonder what I’d be doing if there was no Madonna. My life would have been very different – I love the buzz of performing on stage.

I’ve seen her in concert three times, and although I don’t know what she’d make of my show, I do think she knows about me.

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My cousin lives in Michigan, where Madonna was born and raised, and is friends with a priest who knows Madonna’s dad.

Apparently he said she was aware of my work. I’d love to know what she thinks – though I’m sure if she disapproved I would know about it!

I never dreamed I’d still be kicking my legs in my 40s, but Madonna is still at it at almost 60, so I’m going to keep going for a while yet.”

‘Kabbalah made me a better person’

Lucy Troughton, 37, is a bar manager and lives in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, with daughter Gracie, 14.

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“I’ve been a huge fan of Madonna since I was eight years old. My first memory of her is the Like A Prayer video – and I was captivated. I loved her music and clothes and devoured every story about her in the papers.

I can still recall the controversy after Madge started to wear the red string associated with Kabbalah in the late ‘90s.

Although I was intrigued, little did I know at the time that I would eventually follow suit and it would have a big impact on my life.

But it was my parents Monica and David, both 65, who discovered Kabbalah before me in 2005, after they decided on a whim to pop into the centre in central London when they were visiting me.

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They were gobsmacked to see Madonna there, and couldn’t wait to come back to tell me. But on top of their star spot, they described how impressed they’d been by the centre’s positive energy and how welcoming everyone was.

At that point I was working in a restaurant and had one-year-old Gracie with my then-partner. Although I wasn’t feeling disillusioned with my life in any way, my parents’ enthusiasm was contagious, and I couldn’t resist going with them the following week, bringing Gracie with me.

The atmosphere was really friendly and positive, and we joined in with some prayers and readings from the Zohar – the guide to the Jewish Torah – followed by a meditation session. I’ve always been open to new experiences, and really enjoyed it.

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Then came the icing on the cake – Madonna, my idol, walked through the door with Guy Ritchie, Lourdes and Rocco. All the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. She was such a huge star, and as they walked past it was a real ‘OMG’ moment, though I did my best to keep cool.

She started chatting to people, and it was clear she had friends at the centre. While I never got to talk to her, Guy shook my dad’s hand. After that visit I started to go to the centre every week. There’s a separate area for children, and Gracie often ended up playing with Rocco.

I’d be lying if I said at first I didn’t always hope to see Madonna there, but it soon became bigger than her. With each visit I learned more about Kabbalah and how it helps you find a positive way of sorting out life’s problems.

Although it’s not a religion, it’s very spiritual, and if something bad has happened then you look at the reasons why that might be and learn how to cope better.

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Over the years it has helped me through difficult times including break-ups and work troubles, and it’s made me a better mother. It’s also given me the confidence to believe I can run my own bar, and I’m looking into business courses to help me do that.

Earlier this year, I moved from London to Leamington Spa, so it’s been six months since my last visit, but I continue to do readings from the Zohar at home.

I may not see Madonna any more, but Kabbalah is something I will continue for the rest of my life. It has made me a better person.”

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