Christopher Ciccone, a multihyphenate artist, dancer, designer and younger brother of , has died. He was 63.
Ciccone died Friday in Michigan, his representative Brad Taylor told The Associated Press Sunday. He had cancer.
Madonna posted with a carousel of photos from over the years.
"He was the closest human to me for so long,鈥� she wrote. 鈥淚ts hard to explain our bond. But it grew out of an understanding that we were different and society was going to give us a hard time for not following the status quo. We took each other鈥檚 hands and we danced through the madness of our childhood.鈥�
Madonna wrote that discovering dance in their small Midwestern town saved them both, and that their ballet teacher created a safe space for her brother to be gay.
A dancer since his youth, Ciccone was deeply intertwined with his sister鈥檚 rise in pop stardom in the 1980s, appearing in music videos like 鈥淟ucky Star,鈥� art directing her Blond Ambition World Tour and serving as tour director for The Girlie Show tour. He also directed music videos for Dolly Parton and Tony Bennett.
鈥淲hen it came to good taste, my brother was the Pope, and you had to kiss the ring to get his blessing,鈥� Madonna wrote. 鈥淗e was a painter a poet and a visionary. I admired him. He had impeccable taste. And a sharp tongue, Which he sometimes used against me but I always forgave him.鈥�
In 2008, Ciccone released a bestselling autobiography called 鈥淟ife with My Sister Madonna鈥� in which he wrote about their strained relationship, her romantic entanglements as well as recollections from his time on tour with her. For two decades, he was by her side, choreographing, directing, dressing and helping his sister. He also interior designed her homes in New York, Miami and Los Angeles. He said that it was a bit like a marriage at times.
鈥淚t was a double-edged sword,鈥� he told Good Morning America in 2008. 鈥淣obody was chaining me down to make 鈥� to stay.鈥�
The book, and his no-filter descriptions of the exploits of his sister鈥檚 famous circle, took its toll on some of his Hollywood friendships too. Several years later, in 2012, around the launch of a shoe collection he designed, he told The Standard that he and his sister were 鈥渙n a perfectly personable level鈥� and in contact.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 work for her, and it鈥檚 better this way,鈥� he said.
In recent years Ciccone relocated to Michigan鈥檚 Lower Peninsula to be closer to family. In 2016, Ciccone married Ray Thacker, a British actor, who was by his side when he died.
Madonna wrote that when he got sick, they found their way back to one another.
鈥淚鈥檓 glad he鈥檚 not suffering anymore,鈥� she wrote. 鈥淭here will never be anyone like him. I know he鈥檚 dancing somewhere.鈥�
Madonna also lost her stepmother, Joan Clare Ciccone, to cancer just a few weeks ago, and her older brother Anthony Ciccone in early 2023.
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
