Born in 1958 near Detroit, Madonna Ciccone was the eldest daughter of her engineer father and housewife mother's eight children. (Madonna's mother died of cancer when she was six.) The plucky girl exhibited a showbiz flair at a young age and signed up for such artistic outlets as school shows, the cheerleading squad, piano lessons, and ballet classes. Madonna's dancing skills earned her a scholarship to attend the University of Michigan. In 1978, two years into her college studies, Madonna grew impatient for stardom, dropped out, and moved to New York. Legend has it that she set down in Times Square with only $35 and abundant ambition to her name.