Before she popped into the music scene, Madonna was the child of blue-collar Italian immigrants, attending Rochester Adams High School. She was born to parents Madonna Louise and Silvio Anthony “Tony” Ciccone in Bay City, Michigan. Madonna’s ties to Michigan has been well documented, especially in her recent book called “Madonnaland.”
Yes, good or bad, Bay City’s reputation precedes it as being a city with a small-town feel, which makes it more surprising that Madonna grew up here. She attended the University of Michigan as a dance student for a brief period before dropping out to move to New York City in 1977.
Lionel Ritchie - Alabama
The smooth and soulful singer Lionel Richie was born and raised in Tuskegee, Alabama. His childhood home was actually on the campus of the Tuskegee Institute as two generations of his family there. It wasn't that long before he met some Tuskegee freshmen who were forming a musical group and approached him because they'd heard he played saxophone. It didn't take long for Lionel to drop out of Tuskegee to pursue his musical dreams as a member of The Commodores.
It was his upbringing that helped him redefine musical genres and ultimately led to his success as a musical performer. "Growing up in Tuskegee, Alabama was like a bubble," Richie said "In this bubble, I learned no limitations. My grandmother's a classical pianist."
Halle Berry - Ohio
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Halle was born to an African-American father and white mother in 1968. After her parents' divorce, Halle was brought up by her mother, a psychiatric nurse. During her teenage years, she first appeared in the spotlight as the winner of the Pagent show Miss Teen America in 1985 and consequently became a model.
Every star has a beginning, and Ohio been this beginning for many as the state has produced several well-known models, pop singers, actresses, actors, novelists, and several other personalities from other spheres.
Steve Martin - Texas
Steve first appeared in the public eye when he was writing for 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour' in the '60s. Martin is loved for his humor, but he has been successful in a few different fields: as an actor, playwright, pianist, banjo player, and author.
Martin was born on August 14, 1945, in Waco, Texas. He eventually ended up in Inglewood, California, with his sister Melinda Martin, and then later in Garden Grove, California. Martin initially considered becoming a professor instead of an actor-comedian, but his time at college changed his life, and he went onto become a very successful performer.
Cameron Diaz - California
Cameron Diaz first became famous following her performance in 1994's 'The Mask,' alongside Jim Carrey, but it was during her years as a teenager that she was already on her way to stardom when she appeared as a fashion model for big brands such as Levi's and Calvin Klein. Even before all of that, the now-famous blonde was a top cheerleader at Long Beach Polytechnic High School.
Cameron Diaz remembered her upbringing in Long Beach, San Diego, as modest, stating: "I had amazing parents, they were awesome. We weren't made of money—we were very much the opposite. My family would collect cans of soda to turn in for extra money because $20 meant something to us. But we were delighted."