Madonna’s Blond Ambition & Girlie Show Tour Dancer, Carlton Wilborn, steps Behind The Rope. One of the Iconic Seven chosen by Madonna herself to be part of the Record Breaking Blond Ambition Tour and subsequent Game Changer Film (the Real World and “Reality TV” did not exist!), Truth or Dare. After a brief foray into Carlton’s early career in dance, where he attended classes with Michelle Obama, we get right into how he was hired as one of Madonna’s Seven Blond Ambition Tour Dancers - the audition process, the answering machine message from M, the wild night out with Madonna, and the ultimate tour offer. In true Madonna fashion, she was the first, not only in the “reality” format but the first to show gay men with full actualized lives on screen. Carlton reflects about the 1980s and 1990s Madonna of yesteryear, what the country was like at the time with the initial onset of AIDS, and how he was able to perform night after night living with his own secret of being HIV positive. He also discussed what it was like to be on a tour that the Pope tried to ban, that was one of the highest grossing tours at that point to date, and which Rolling Stone lists as one of the 50 greatest of all time. Carlton details all the late night talks with Madonna, the after parties, and her advice. He talks about the constant parade of Celebrities backstage coming to pay respects and bow to Queen M. Carlton describes how he heard from Madonna years later when it was time to go back out on the road for The Girlie Show Tour. Carlton discusses the differences in himself, the production, the choreography, the music, and last, but certainly not least, in Madonna from The Blond Ambition Tour in 1990 to The Girlie Show Tour in 1993. Carlton discusses his relationship with Madonna after the end of that tour and how in 2016 Hollywood came a knocking, this time in the form of the phenomenal documentary Strike A Pose about the lives of the 7 male dancers who joined Queen M on her Blond Ambition Tour. Carlton opens up about his other accomplishments, acting, author, current life coach and what he would say to Madonna if she walked into the room today! @carltonwilbornrising @behindvelvetrope @davidyontef BONUS EPISODES at - https://www.patreon.com/behindthevelvetrope Brought to you by BOLL & BRANCH - https://www.bollandbranch.com (15% Off First Set of Sheets - Use Code “Velvet”) Brought to you by BETTER HELP - https://www.betterhelp.com/velvetrope (10% Off First Month - Use Code “Velvet Rope") MERCH AVAILABLE at - https://www.teepublic.com/stores/behind-the-velvet-rope?ref_id=13198 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices