Madonna is mourning the death of her brother Christopher Ciccone, who died Oct. 4 after a battle with cancer. According to a family statement, Ciccone died "peacefully ... surrounded by his husband and loved ones." He was 63.
In a lengthy tribute on Instagram, Madonna writes, "My brother Christopher is gone. He was the closest human to me for so long. Its 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."
She continues, "When I finally got the courage to go to New York to become a Dancer. My brother followed ... we danced together on stage in the beginning of my career and eventually, he became the Creative Director, of many tours."
"He was a painter a poet and a visionary," Madonna writes. "I admired him. He had impeccable taste. And a sharp tongue, Which he sometimes used against me but I always forgave him. We soared the highest heights together And floundered in the lowest lows. Somehow, we always found each other again and We held hands and we kept dancing."
"We did not speak for sometime but When my brother got sick. We found our way back to each other. I did my best to keep him alive as long as possible," she concludes, adding, "I’m glad he’s not suffering anymore. There will never be anyone like him. I know he’s dancing somewhere."
In addition to Madonna, Christopher is survived by their other siblings -- Martin, Paula, Melanie, Jennifer and Mario -- as well as their father Silvio, 93. Their brother Anthony died last year at age 66. Their stepmother Joan died in September.