As Madonna’s stardom increasingly took center stage, the quieter nature of her three sisters’ lives stood out in sharper and sharper contrast. Paula Ciccone, the pop queen’s second youngest sister, has perhaps taken the most divergent life path from Madge’s. While her siblings pursued careers in the arts, Paula remained in Michigan to become head winemaker at The Ciccone Vineyards, which father Silvio Ciccone opened in 2000. Interestingly, the one who shared a childhood bedroom with Madonna, Paula is described by Michigan sommelier Michael Schafer as “an intrinsically shy person” who emerged from her shell due to “all the responsibilities she has,” per the Daily Mail.
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As for Melanie Ciccone, she is reportedly the Queen of Pop’s closest sister and was present for the birth of Madonna’s daughter, Lourdes Leon, in 1996. A music publicist for much of her career, Melanie met her husband, musician Joe Henry (who has co-written a slew of Madonna’s hit singles, including “Don’t Tell Me”), through the Material Girl herself. Following motherhood, Melanie undertook a second career as a fabric artist, deriving her love of textiles from their grandmothers. Melanie’s quilt work has been displayed at Los Angeles’ über-hip Roswell Space Gallery. In November 2019, Melanie was even included in one of Madonna’s pre-“Madame X” concert prayer circles. Gushing about Melanie, Madonna reportedly told the other circle members, “No one knows better than her what it’s like to survive our toxic and broken family from Michigan.”
