“I made it through the wilderness, somehow I made it through.”
40 years ago today, Madonna gave an elite group of friends a preview of two of her biggest hits months ahead of their release at a party honoring one of the greatest artists of the 20th Century.
On May 16, 1984, the future Queen of Pop performed “Dress You Up” and “Like a Virgin” live for the very first time at a birthday party for her good friend, artist and queer activist Keith Haring.
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Haring’s 26th birthday extravaganza, dubbed the “Party of Life,” was held at the groundbreaking NYC nightclub Paradise Garage amid some of the downtown scene’s hippest denizens and celebs like Diana Ross, Andy Warhol, and music producer Nile Rodgers.
The night was capped off by Madonna’s two-song set that featured the pop diva wearing a pink Stephen Sprouse suit painted with Haring’s unmistakable graffiti images and symbols.
Iconic.
According to video artist Courtney Harmel, who recorded scenes from the party on VHS, Madonna initially came out on a big brass bed in the middle of the club’s stage wearing a bustier, rosaries and the infamous “boy toy” belt.
Four months before she would make history for rolling around the floor in a wedding dress at the inaugural MTV VMAs, Madonna gave a glimpse of the pop juggernaut she was about to unleash.
The world was not ready.
Following that performance, everything went dark and Madonna wished Haring a happy birthday, Harmel noted.
At this point, it was time for Madonna’s big finale.
When the lights came back on, the then-25-year-old re-appeared having done a costume change into the pink jacket and skirt emblazoned with Haring’s art.
Watch as those “satin sheets and luxuries so fine” were born on “Dress You Up.”
Interestingly, the too-cool-for-school hipsters at Haring’s party reportedly didn’t vibe with Madonna’s soon-to-be pop music classics.
“The crowd didn’t really take to Madonna,” artist Kenny Scharf recounted to Classic Pop magazine. “But Andy [Warhol] loved her – he told everyone that she was going to be the biggest thing ever.”
Following Warhol’s wise words, Madonna’s second album, Like a Virgin, was released on November 12, 1984 with both the album and the titular track reaching #1. While “Dress You Up” became Madonna’s sixth consecutive top 5 single.
Four decades after previewing those hits at Haring’s party, Madonna recently wrapped her triumphant, career-spanning Celebration World Tour, which grossed more than $225 million with over 1.1 million tickets sold over 80 shows.
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Haring, who died from AIDS complications in 1990 at the age of 31, weighed heavily on Madonna’s heart as she launched the Celebration Tour in October.
During one of the stage specrtacle’s more emotional moments, Madonna paid tribute to Haring and others who passed away from HIV/AIDS, including Freddie Mercury and best friend Martin Burgoyne, while performing her 1986 hit “Live to Tell.”
Madonna capped off the Celebration Tour with a free concert on Rio’s Copacabana Beach which drew 1.6 million people and became the largest audience for a standalone concert by any artist.
Not bad for a 65-year-old woman whose relevancy has constantly being questioned, from day one to today!
Check out more behind-the-scenes footage and info on Keith Haring’s 26th birthday party and Madonna’s early performances in this clip of video artist Courtney Harmel discussing the event back in 2016.
CNY1983
I knew Miss Vicky.