What is the relationship between Nile Rodgers and Madonna as she recovers from bacterial infection?

The Queen of Pop is said to be recovering from a bacterial infection that led her to be taken to an ICU in New York earlier this week, with plans for her triumphant world tour celebrating her career currently on “pause” as she continues to recover. 

Her manager, Guy Oseary, vowed on social media to provide more information when available, including a new start date for the tour and for rescheduled shows. That means for those wishing to get a refund, you might have to wait until a full cancellation is potentially announced…

Sources close to the family have stated that at one stage during Madonna’s treatment last weekend, it was touch and go, with her family members including Lourdes Leon, Rocco Rithcie and David Banda being by her side during her recuperation. No further information regarding what kind of bacterial infection caused the health scare but Oseary has stated she will make a full recovery.

There is speculation also around who else might have paid their respects to Madonna while she was at her most critical in ICU, with one name in particular being searched for across the internet - Nile Rodgers. That also led to a question as to what the relationship is between the American record producer, guitarist, composer and the co-founder of funk band Chic and the Queen of Pop.

The answer to that would require us to go back to a time when Madonna was breaking through the music industry with her second album, ably assisted by Rogers and his production work back in 1984.

How do Nile Rodgers and Madonna know each other?

After the release of the eponymous debut album, Madonna returned to the record studio in April 1984 to record her follow up. Madonna wanted to be one of the primary producers of the album after she “learnt my lesson while creating my debut album, and the way [Reggie] Lucas left me in the water with the project, you can’t trust men.” The producer in question had a difference of opinion with Madonna during the recording of her debut, which led to Lucas leaving the recording process midway through.

Warner Bros. Records however were not willing (yet) to give Madonna that artistic freedom, so turning to the funk scene that had dominated the ‘70s, looked to Chic co-founder Nile Rodgers who had already established himself as a producer du jour in part due to his work with David Bowie and his album “Let’s Dance.” Madonna herself went on record to say “When I was making the record, I was just so thrilled and happy to be working with Nile Rodgers. I idolised Nile because of the whole Chic thing. I couldn't believe that the record company gave me the money so that I could work with him.”

Rodgers though was already well aware of Madonna; he vividly recalled the first time he witnessed her captivating performance at a small New York club in 1983, where he initially attended the venue to see another artist. Rodgers was unexpectedly introduced to the raw talent and magnetic presence of Madonna. “I went to the club to see another woman sing, but when I got there Madonna was onstage,” he told TIME magazine back in 1986. “I loved her stage presence and then we met right after that. I kept thinking to myself, 'Damn, is she a star', but she wasn't at that time.”

“I always wanted to work with her and Like a Virgin seemed like a perfect opportunity."

Rogers produced all nine tracks on “Like A Virgin,” which cemented Madonna’s legacy as a trend setting pop star, with her fashion sense in that era (which we hope Marina Licht can vouch for) becoming “the look” in New York City and around the world. 

The song and album title itself has become a stuff of both legend and infamy - used at times as barbs towards Madonna, but in true Ciccone style, she always took that ridicule and clapped back as hard as she was clapped towards.