Donna De Lory, who was one of Madonna’s backing vocalists for twenty years, was interviewed by conservative website FOX411, for the promo of her upcoming album.
One of the topics was of course Madonna, but Donna didn’t have anything nice to say…
On Kabbalah…
Kabbalah, all of a sudden, was mandatory. I thought it couldn’t hurt, but it wasn’t my belief system per se. However, two times the teacher tied on the [Kabbalah symbol of the] red-string, and two times I watched it untie and come off me. They tie these things and knot them and they aren’t supposed to come off for a long time. After it came off two times on its own, I figured that I didn’t need that to protect me.
On the MDNA Tour…
I looked at some clips online. I know her and what she is trying to do. But the whole thing in trying to advocate non-violence and then be on stage with guns?
Even though she is very wealthy and very famous, Madonna is still human and like all of us, she is trying to figure it all out. She was always a great example for me; she worked so hard and wanted something so badly.
On the music industry…
I would go to her parties, name any star and they would be there. But these people weren’t my friends. I didn’t feel comfortable. To think of myself in a scene like that felt empty. And I got more and more into world music and the record company was like, what is she tripping on? They were telling me I was overweight, I looked too big in my music videos. I was belly-dancing and wanted my stomach to actually be a stomach. I stood up and told them tough luck, I had already passed that point in my 20’s of being so insecure with trying to be skinny.
I want my voice to be that vehicle that heals the hearts of others. I love having fun and dancing, and I love the celebration of performing, but I want to use my voice for something more.
And even though De Lory became suspicious when camera crews started following them around in 1990 with the claim that “Madonna just wants home footage” and warned everyone else to be careful about what they said, one Hollywood star almost caused her undoing.
I had a French boyfriend I met on the first tour, we were going to breakup, but we were holding off. So I was off with Madonna in London and I met Robert Downey Jr. He just rocked my world. We started hanging out. Then in ‘Truth or Dare’ they asked me if I had ever messed around on my boyfriend and told the truth. Sitting in the screening, I was so afraid, even though I was breaking up with my boyfriend, that he would see this… Luckily, none of that about me ended up in there.
On redemption (self promotion?)…
I was babysitting as a teenager in Beverly Hills and the mom said ‘come to Church.’ It was about going inside yourself and healing your own suffering and being part of a community. I love finding the truth in every religion. One grandmother was a Catholic and the other was a Christian, and I see clearly that it is all pointing reference to the same place…I hope when people hear my music they will just hear how much I love God and how thankful I am.
Madame X is available in Box Set, CD, Vinyl and Cassette!
Get your copy HERE!
