Madonna - Wonderful Woman No. 133

Madonna - Born 1958
American Singer, Songwriter, Actress, Film Director, Author, Dancer & Business Woman

Added to the album by Becky, A Wonderful Stranger

Back in February, I was in the ladies loos at TV21 in Manchester's Northern Quarter, as I applied my lip-gloss in the mirror, a friend appeared from one of the cubicles. The friend, Libbie, commented on how much she liked the Wonderful Women album, which I had recently started on Facebook and how she enjoyed seeing the new women added in her newsfeed. Another girl in the bar's toilets (who I later identified as Becky) joined in with the conversation and suggested that I add Madonna. She said Madonna had been a huge inspiration over the years, that she had felt empowered by her and that she had been an influence as she had grown up, a role model of a strong, independent woman. It was an impassioned nomination, I added Madonna to the album the following day.

As it happens, I had been a teenage Madonna fan myself. I enjoyed her catchy pop songs but mostly, I liked her changing image and her fiestiness, her uniqueness and her boldness.

Madonna started her working life as a dancer, before forming a band and becoming a singer. Her first solo single, Everybody, was released in 1982 and she went on to release a dizzying number of singles with huge chart success, among those singles are a mass of unforgetable classics, such as Like A Virgin, Holiday and Vogue. She has release fifteen albums, with further compilations and live albums too. She has sold over 300 million records worldwide

and is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's best-selling female recording artist in history. She is celebrated as one of the best stage performers in music, her live shows really groundbreaking and thoroughly entertaining. Summerising Madonna's recording career in just a paragraph is incredibly difficult, the list of awards is overwhelming, the list of songs I'd like to mention is ridiculously long and, in all honesty, whatever I write, I am destined to leave something of major importance out - so, let me just say, her success as a singer and songwriter is pheonmenal and this alone would qualify Madonna as a very worthy Wonderful Woman.

But it doesn't just end there, the list of other avenues Madonna's career has taken is massive and she has thrust herself into all that she has

done with astonishing gusto.

In 1979, Madonna appeared in her first film A Certain Sacrifice, playing the leading role. She has starred in 19 films and a number of television shows, there are some great movies among them, including Desperately Seeking Susan, A League of Their Own and Evita - for which she won a Golden Globe for Best Actress. She has also directed two films Filth and Wisdom and the Wallis Simpson biopic W.E.

Madonna has published many books, I remember well the controversy surrounding the release of her debut coffee table book Sex in 1992 - I was a teenage school girl at the time, there was no way my mother would have allowed me access to such a book, so I was thrilled when a girl called Sarah smuggled her copy into school. There are several other releases which focus on different moments in Madonna's varied career. In 2003, the first of Madonna's children's books, The English Roses, was published and since she has written and published a number of other books for children.

She's an astute business woman too. Among her ventures have been a fashion label and fitness centres but most notably, her own record label, Maverick, which has signed the likes of Alanis Morissette, Muse and The Prodigy.

Madonna herself is, of course, a huge brand. She's recreated her image countless times but always there is the clear determination, strength of character and complete self-belief. I am glad I was a teenager at the time of Madonna's music career height, I'm sure it inspired many other girls like Becky and I, made us see how successful and powerful a woman alone could be, sexually liberated, career driven, vibrant, determined - a wonderful role-model to have.

I stand for freedom of expression, doing what you believe in, and going after your dreams.
Madonna

Joanna Lumley - Wonderful Woman No. 132

Joanna Lumley - Born 1946
British Actress, Model, Television Presenter, Writer and Political Activist

Added to the album by Howie, A Wonderful Man

Like so many of the women in this album, labelling Joanna Lumley as one thing or another is impossible. Her career has been rich and varied, and she has actively campaigned and supported causes in which she believes. I have read several newspaper ariticles about her over the last few day, in preparation for writing this blog post, a phrase that is repeated over and over again is national treasure, for once, I feel this reference is spot on.

Joanna's started her career as a photographic model in the 1960s. At the end of the '60s, she moved on to work in acting, her first role in the film Some Girls Do. She has since appeared in numerous films, including On Her Majesty's Secret Service where she joined the prestigious list of actresses who have played Bond Girls. Predominantly, Joanna's most famous roles have been on television, among her many roles she briefly appeared in Britain's most loved soap Coronation Street, played Purdey in The New Avengers - for which she won a BAFTA award and in 1992, she burst onto television screens as the unforgettable Patsy in Jennifer Saunders' (Wonderful Woman No. 92) Absolutely Fabulous, a role she played for more than a decade and for which she recieved a further two BAFTA awards. She is also credited with numerous theatre roles throughout her lengthy career.

As well as appearing on television as an actress, Joanna has made numerous documentaries from around the globe. She has also written several books, including a number of personal memoirs.

Joanna supports and champions a number of charities and campaigns, she is patron of a number of charities and speaks out about the causes she holds dear. Most famously, Joanna was the face of the campaign to give

Ghurka veterans the right to settle in Great Britain. This particular fight was very personal to Joanna, her grandfather, Colonel Leslie Weir, was a political officer of the British Raj in India, who travelled extensively in Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet, was friends with the 13th Dalai Lama and her father, Major James Lumley, was an officer in the Gurkha Rifles, indeed Joanna was born in India due to her father's position and was brought up in Hong Kong and Malaysia because of the Gurkha regiment. After a very public battle with the UK government, during which Joanna spoke passionately and fought tirelessly, the mandate was announced for all Gurkha veterans who had served four years or more in the British Army before 1997 to be allowed to settle in Britain. Joanna describes this as her most humbling experience and the proudest moment of her life.

Joanna is a particular Wonderful Woman, one we can celebrate like many of the others, for her fantastic career which is still going though now in it's sixth decade, for her zest for life and individuality but also one who has took her fame and notoriety and used it for the good of others, who has stood firm on causes she is really passionate about... and that, is truly wonderful

If you're an enthusiast and you love the world like I do, it comes naturally. But I think charity must become more fun to give, more interactive and imaginative.
Joanna Lumley

Ina May Gaskin - Wonderful Woman No. 131

Ina May Gaskin - Born 1940
American Midwife, Author, Educator and Activist

Added to the album by Vicky, A Wonderful Woman

Before Vicky nominated Ina May Gaskin as an addition to the Wonderful Women album, I was not aware of her at all. Reading about her has been a great experience, once again I feel inspired and impressed by just how wonderful one woman can be.

In 1971, Ina May founded The Farm Midwifery Center in Tennessee, U.S.A. The Farm is dedicated to delivering babies without medical intervention, unless absolutely necessary. The Farm has handled approximately 3000 births and Ina May is said to have personally attended more than 1200 births. It has been Ina May's life work to promote low-intervention but extremely effective methods of dealing with shoulder dystocia. The Gaskin Maneuver is the first obstetrical procedure to be named after a midwife and is now widely used by medical practitioners.

Ina May is a strong advocate of home births, she believes that low-risk births should be delivered at home with a midwife overseeing, rather than in hospital with medical assistance.

The overriding theory in all Ina May's work, is that preganancy and childbirth are a natural and spiritual experience between mother and child, and for this experience medical assistance is not usually necessary.

Ina May has published five books about childbirth, which centre on a number of topics including natural birth, the spirituality of childbirth, pregnancy and breast-feeding. She has also written numerous articles, created film documentaries and given countless lectures on these subjects.

Her arguments are compelling, her results undisputable and her dedication to midwifery undeniable. A true Wonderful Woman.

Remember this, for it is as true as true gets: Your body is not a lemon. You are not a machine. The Creator is not a careless mechanic. Human female bodies have the same potential to give birth well as aardvarks, lions, rhinoceri, elephants, moose, and water buffalo. Even if it has not been your habit throughout your life so far, I recommend that you learn to think positively about your body.
Ina May Gaskin

Shirley McLaine - Wonderful Woman No. 130

Shirley MacLaine - Born 1934
American Actress, Singer & Author

Added to the album by Benjamin, A Wonderful Man

If you have Audrey Hepburn [Wonderful Woman No. 30] it wouldn't be fair to leave out Shirley MacLaine.
Benjamin

A great nomination for yet another Wonderful Woman who is so inprinted through modern culture, it seems like the world hardly existed before her.

In 1955, a young Shirley Maclaine made her film debut in Alfred Hitchcock's The Trouble with Harry, so accomplished was the debutante, that she won the Golden Globe award for best newcomer. Shirley went on to star in more than sixty pictures, many of them still some of the most enjoyed pieces of cinema in history, to name but a few; Ocean's 11 (original version), The Apartment, Sweet Charity and Terms of Endearment. Her latest film, Bernie, was made just last year, marking 56 years at the top of the entertainment industry.

Like many actresses featured in the album, the list of prizes scooped by Shirley is infinately long. Among them are six Golden Globes, an Academy Award for Terms of Endearment and an Emmy.

Shirley has also written fourteen books, all of which are autobiographical and centre around her spiritual beliefs, as well as her experiences as one of the world's best known actresses.

Once again, I feel I must remark on how wonderful it is that Shirley has had such a lengthy and celebrated career.

I want women to be liberated and still be able to have a nice ass and shake it.
Shirley MacLaine

Dolly Parton - Wonderful Woman No. 129

Dolly Parton - Born 1946
American Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Actress and Business Woman

Added to the album by Vicky, A Wonderful Woman

Really, who could fail to love Dolly Parton?
Hadley Freeman, The Guardian

As in the last blog post, Judi Dench - Wonderful Woman No. 128, today we celebrate another Wonderful Woman who has had a wonderfully long and interesting career. For someone of my generation, it is hard to imagine the world before Dolly Parton.

Dolly grew up in Tennessee, USA, she was from a poor family, raised in a one-room cabin. Dolly was determined to make something of her life and to make money. She performed from early childhood and made her television debut at the age of nine. She recorded her first single Puppy Love at the age of thirteen. She has since recorded more than forty studio albums, with releases in every decade from the 60s to now. The country star is responsible for penning some of the world's most recognisable tracks such as I Will Always Love You, Jolene and My Tennessee Mountain Home. She has received countless awards and accolades, and is one of the few artists who has managed to transcend the label of being a country artist, not just in the USA but globally too.

Dolly has also forged a career in film and television. On television she has made countless appearances and hosted her own shows, she was also characterised as one of Jim Henson's Muppets by the name of Polly Darton. She has starred in thirteen films, including Steel Magnolias, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe, and the brilliant 9-5, which also gained her a Golden Globe nomination and for which she also wrote the fantastic theme tune.

Dolly has invested much of her earnings into businesses in the American state where she grew up, most notably she is the co-owner of The Dollywood Company. Dollywood is the 24th-most-popular theme park in America. It is a family friendly tourist attraction but also hosts a number of events, including an annual 'Gay Day,' gay rights being one of the many causes Dolly supports. As well as numerous business ventures, Dolly is also the founder of the charity the Dollywood Foundation, the foundation includes a literacy programme which sends a book to every child enrolled once a month, the program distributes more than 2.5 million free books to children annually, education being another of the causes Dolly champions, there are many more.

Dolly Parton is not just a cheery personality with catchy songs, she is real, strong, emotional, Wonderful Woman. A woman who has done so much for others as well as striving to create a better life for herself. She's best known for her blonde hair and her sassy quips but she's really a savvy business woman, a great songwriter, an awesome performer and a true philanthropist.

I'm not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I'm not dumb... and I also know that I'm not blonde.
Dolly Parton

Judi Dench - Wonderful Woman No. 128

Judi Dench - Born 1934
British Actress

Added to the album by Howie, A Wonderful Man

She's the grande dame of British theatre.
Simon Hattenstone, The Guardian

Another fabulous addition to our album, a wonderful actress with a long and varied career.

Similarly to many actresses I have written about in this blog, including my Great Aunt, Barbara Jackson - Wonderful Woman No. 17, Judi Dench was involved in theatre from an early age and always showed signs of what her future career would be. In 1957, she made her professional debut and has been on stage ever since. Her roles have been numerous and varied, they include Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Sally Bowles (Wonderful Woman No. 7) in the musical Cabaret and Desiree in a Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music (for which she won an Olivier Award). She has worked with some of the UK's leading theatre companies, including the National Theatre Company and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Judi not only is a star of the stage but has also appeared in a plethora of television programmes and films. Many will remember her in the BBC sit-com, Butterflies, which ran for twelve years, on television she has also appeared in immensely popular shows such as Middlemarch and Cranford. Her film career, particularly in recent years, has been pheonomenal with roles including M in a number of James Bond films, Queen Victoria in Her Majesty, Mrs. Brown and Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love.

The list of awards Judi has received is seemingly endless, to name just a few, she has no less than eleven BAFTAs (including the Bafta Fellowship), seven Laurence Olivier Awards (including the Society's Special Award), two Golden Globes, an Academy Award, and a Tony Award. She is also a Dame of the British Empire.

Judi Dench is dead sexy. Fact.
Owain, A Wonderful Man

As with a number of other Wonderful Women, such as Helen Mirren - Wonderful Woman No. 79 and Eileen Atkins - Wonderfuln Woman No. 83, Judi's allure is immune to time. Still beautiful and attracive in her 70s.

We celebrate Wonderful Women in this album for many reasons, longevity in career is a recurring theme, as is maintaining one's identity through the years and being successful - Judi shows us that all these things are possible as a woman.

So many men lose their confidence and become enfeebled as they get older, while so many women of a certain age ... so many women do seem to get stronger and more outspoken the older they become.
Judi Dench

Chrissie Hynde - Wonderful Woman No. 127

Chrissie Hynde - Born 1951
American Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Writer & Animal Rights Activist

Added to the album by Vicky, A Wonderful Woman

A snake-hipped, Fender-toting rock chick singing messages of love over stylish hooks. Her voice – velveteen, effortlessly sexy.
Jane Cornwell, The Telegraph

During her teen years in Ohio, USA, Chrissie Hynde developed a love of rock music. She was particularly fond of the British music magazine NME and in 1973, Chrissie moved to London, where she became a writer for the magazine. She also spent sometime working in Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood - Wonderful Woman No. 34's shop.

In the 1970s, Chrissie formed and joined a number of bands both in the USA and in the UK, performing as both a singer and a guitarist. Eventually, in 1978, The Pretenders were formed, fronted by Chrissie. Their debut self-titled album was released the following year and received critical and chart success both in the UK and in America. With various member changes in the band over the years, Chrissie has been the only constant member. The band have realsed nine studio albums, the most recent in 2009. They have also enjoyed singles chart success, with instantly recognisable hits such as Don't Get Me Wrong and I'll Stand by You.

Chrissie has had a string of other musical projects beside The Pretenders; dueting with Frank Sinatra, Ringo Starr, Cher and Neneh Cherry and performing as a singer and as a guitarist on numerous other artists projects, to name but a few of her side projects. She is also an inductee of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Away from music, Chrissie is a strong supporter of animal rights, is a vegetarian and previously owned a vegan restaurant in Ohio, voted among the top five vegan restaurants in the USA.

Another Wonderful Woman with a lengthy and varied career, five decades in the music industry and an inspiration to many younger artists. A real musicain's musician, dedicated to her art and always looking forward, putting the music first.

Please don't talk to me about women, I'm not a figurehead for anything. I was a single mom with two kids. What else was I going to do? It was either be in a band or be a waitress.
Chrissie Hynde