Fact #169764
When:
Short story:
Andy Warhol attends the first MTV Video Awards, in Radio City Music Hall, New York City, USA, with Diana Ross. Lou Reed is in the same row but pointedly does not acknowledge Warhol. Madonna hijacks the event when, dressed as a bride and singing Like A Virgin, she simulates sexual activity on the stage. Also performing at the event are ZZ Top and Rod Stewart.
Full article:
John Sykes (executive producer, VMAs) : We were looking to produce a show that reflected MTV's image and went against the grain. We were like kids, discovering all these hydraulic lifts and stage devices in Radio City.
Huey Lewis (Huey Lewis And The News) : She didn't just have the idea on the spur of the moment. She had practiced it at rehearsal. It was thought-out, and it turned out to be a history-making performance. She knew what was going on with the medium of television, and we clearly didn't.
John Sykes (executive producer, VMAs) : We were working all these cool effects, but when Madonna walked out and began writhing on the floor in a wedding dress, I'll never forget the look on our advertisers' and affiliates' faces in the front row.
Judy McGrath (president, MTV) : You could feel this collective gasp. You didn’t know if something really dangerous was going to happen.
Liz Rosenberg (publicst, Madonna) : People were gasping in the audience. An ex-boyfriend of mine leaned over and said, 'Her career is over before it even started.' Of course, I was petrified.
Madonna took it so much further than anyone knew she was capable of. Some people thought she was the greatest thing ever, and other people thought she was disgusting.
Nile Rodgers (producer) : She only admitted to me once that she was ever nervous – when she performed at the MTV awards and she cracked a note. She was crying, and I’m like, ‘Don’t be ridiculous. Everybody’s looking at you writhing on the floor! They didn’t hear that note.’
John Sykes (executive producer, VMAs) : We felt some heat the next day, but nobody told us we shouldn't have done it.
After the Madonna performance in year one, we all knew we had to put at least one moment like that into the show to give it the 'Oh, wow' factor. That became part of the planning from that point on. What would be the moment picked up around the country the next day?
(Source : not known)
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Huey Lewis (Huey Lewis And The News) : She didn't just have the idea on the spur of the moment. She had practiced it at rehearsal. It was thought-out, and it turned out to be a history-making performance. She knew what was going on with the medium of television, and we clearly didn't.
John Sykes (executive producer, VMAs) : We were working all these cool effects, but when Madonna walked out and began writhing on the floor in a wedding dress, I'll never forget the look on our advertisers' and affiliates' faces in the front row.
Judy McGrath (president, MTV) : You could feel this collective gasp. You didn’t know if something really dangerous was going to happen.
Liz Rosenberg (publicst, Madonna) : People were gasping in the audience. An ex-boyfriend of mine leaned over and said, 'Her career is over before it even started.' Of course, I was petrified.
Madonna took it so much further than anyone knew she was capable of. Some people thought she was the greatest thing ever, and other people thought she was disgusting.
Nile Rodgers (producer) : She only admitted to me once that she was ever nervous – when she performed at the MTV awards and she cracked a note. She was crying, and I’m like, ‘Don’t be ridiculous. Everybody’s looking at you writhing on the floor! They didn’t hear that note.’
John Sykes (executive producer, VMAs) : We felt some heat the next day, but nobody told us we shouldn't have done it.
After the Madonna performance in year one, we all knew we had to put at least one moment like that into the show to give it the 'Oh, wow' factor. That became part of the planning from that point on. What would be the moment picked up around the country the next day?
(Source : not known)