Madonna's brother Christopher Ciccone has died aged 63, with the popstar remembering him as "the closest human to me for so long". Mr Ciccone, who was an artist, dancer and designer, died on Friday in Michigan after being diagnosed with cancer. He appeared in music videos such as Lucky Star, art directed Madonna's Blond Ambition World Tour and served as tour director for The Girlie Show tour.
In a post on Instagram, Madonna, 66, said Ciccone was in "so much pain towards the end". She said: "He was the closest human to me for so long, it's 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's hands and we danced through the madness of our childhood, in fact dance was a kind of superglue that held us together. "Discovering dance in our small Midwestern town saved me and then my brother came along, and it saved him too. My ballet teacher, also named Christopher, created a safe space for my brother to be gay, a word that was not spoken or even whispered where we lived.
"When I finally got the courage to go to New York to become a dancer, my brother followed, and again we took each other's hands, and we danced through the madness of New York City." She added: "My brother was right by my side, he 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 h.