Anthony Ciccone, the firstborn of Madonna’s seven siblings, grew up in Michigan alongside the superstar.
In 1986, photographer Bruce Weber captured the pop star seated at a table with her entire family during a night out.
All five singles from her third studio album True Blue – Live to Tell, Father Don’t Preach, True Blue, Open Your Heart, and La Isla Bonita – reached number one in the United States or the United Kingdom, marking a high point in her career.
“Thank you for expanding my mind as a young girl and introducing me to Charlie Parker, Miles David, Buddhism, Taoism, Charles Bukowski, Richard Brautigan, Jack Kerouac, expansive thinking, outside the box,” the 64-year-old singer wrote in a letter to Anthony.
“You planted many vital seedlings.”
Madonna and Anthony were raised in Michigan alongside their siblings Martin, Paula, Melanie, Christopher, Jennifer, and Mario. Madonna departed in 1978 to pursue a dance career in New York.
As the firstborn boy, he was named after his father, while the eldest daughter, Madonna, was named after her mother.
Later on Instagram, Madonna shared behind-the-scenes footage from her impending The Celebration global world tour, which she announced in January to commemorate her 40th anniversary.
She wrote alongside the video, which shows her working with dancers on stage. “Thank God I have my creative life to inspire and keep me moving,” along with the hashtag “grateful.”
The news of his brother-in-passing law’s was first announced on Instagram by musician Joe Henry, who is married to Madonna’s sister Melanie, alongside a black-and-white photo of him.
“My brother-in-law, Anthony Gerard Ciccone, left this earthly plane last evening,” he wrote.
“I’ve known him since I was 15, during the spring of our lives in Michigan, so many years ago.
“Anthony had a complex personality, and God knows we got muddled up at times, as true brothers can. But I loved him and understood him more than I was occasionally willing to admit.
The cause of mortality was unknown. However, he had a history of alcoholism and was reportedly destitute for many years.
He had at times been estranged from his family and spent time in a rehabilitation facility.
Debi Mazar, the actress from Goodfellas, also paid tribute to him.
“I have such fond recollections of our time together in the late 1980s. “A true Renaissance Philosopher,” she wrote on Instagram.
