Woman's record-breaking career as Madonna impersonator even saw her work with her idol

Denise Bella Vlasis (USA) has been Madonna almost as long as Madonna has.

The performer has officially enjoyed the longest career as a Madonna impersonator after working in her dream job for an incredible 40 years 119 days, as verified in May.

Madonna released her first ever single, “Everybody”, in 1982.

And it was just a few years later that Bella launched her own career… pretty much by accident.

Bella, now 61, was called on by her mom one day to help entertain some foster care children at a holiday party she was throwing.

Then a high school student with a love for dancing and acting, Bella’s mom thought she could perform some Madonna songs to help get the party going.

The performance inadvertently kickstarted her career as a celebrity impersonator.

“I became the ‘Madonna girl’ who visited children in hospitals,” Bella said. “I had no idea that work would lead me to a very successful career as her double.”

And Bella has done so many amazing things since then, including meeting and working with her idol – the very woman she’s made a career out of paying tribute to.

The mom-of-one finished as the first runner-up in MTV’s Make My Video contest in 1986, which invited Madonna fans to make their own version of the singer’s iconic “True Blue” music video.

Bella explained: “Meeting Madonna in the 1980s was a dream come true. It was an amazing experience to get chosen for her contest and the only Madonna lookalike to make it into the contest.

“Shortly after, I was called in to audition for Madonna. I was shaking but excited to finally meet my idol face to face.”

She met the star again years later when she starred in a TV commercial with her, alongside a string of models styled to look like Madonna.

When asked what she loves about Madonna, Bella gushed: “I love Madonna for so many reasons. Along with her incredible music spanning four decades, I love how she has lived her life as she wanted to live it.

“She has made no apologies for living an authentic life. Going against the norms of the stereotypes of women, Madonna leads her own way and that allowed so many of us to find our own courage to be who we are. Madonna helped me grow up and find my voice, when others tried to close it down.”

She added: “Performing as Madonna, I was able to find my own identity ironically and able to find my own true sense of self, strength and courage within myself.

“Madonna helped me step up and dare to try new things as a performer. I had a way of hiding under her brave face, when I did not feel brave, so I could have a chance to sing and dance and be in the spotlight.

“She takes a stand for human rights, and women’s rights. She has blessed us with films, poetry, and the best stage shows and concerts ever, changing what future artists would need to measure up to.

“Madonna’s live shows set the bar and standard. She is an icon who came from very little and manifested her dreams. She is admired by the biggest celebrities and artists and has influenced many. She has changed fashion and style and as we both age together, she continues to remind me to keep shining my light. She has always lead the way for me.”

Bella always had a similar tone to her voice that Madonna has, but worked with a vocal coach to perfect her impersonation of the iconic singer.

She knows just how hard it is to sing that well while dancing, which only boosts her admiration.

And she admits she had no idea her career would last as long as it did.

She said: “For some reason, my work as Madonna kept moving forward with new doors opening for me. I have never lost sight of what a blessing Madonna would be in my life. I am so incredibly grateful! Here I am in 2025 still getting calls to work and it’s been like a parallel universe with Madonna’s life of sorts.”

Madonna is known for switching up her look, which only makes working as her impersonator that much harder.

Bella loves performing in Madonna’s “Ray of Light” look the best, but also loves getting dolled up in all her super glam looks.

She even started her own production company based off all things ‘old Hollywood glamour’.

Bella is releasing her very own autobiography, entitled Dear Madonna, later this year, and she’s also going to be starring in a documentary of the same name, directed by her filmmaker daughter Sofia Vlasis-Gascon, that’s set to land on Prime in early autumn.

Bella explained: “My daughter is a young filmmaker, and she would listen to all my crazy stories as a Madonna impersonator and tell me, ‘Mom, you need to make a movie about your life as Madonna’, so she began filming me telling my stories for TikTok.

“My daughter and I wanted to find a way to get through such a strange time during the pandemic, so we began documenting my life as Madonna’s double. That project has now become my daughter’s first film.”

Bella has done so many wild and incredible things thanks to spending her life impersonating Madonna.

She’s sat by children’s hospital beds holding their hand, flown on a private jet with Christina Aguilera and Gwen Stefani, been hired by celebrities to be Madonna for them, and been escorted through traffic by police.

Sharing one amazing story, she told us: “The most recent story that moved me to my core was sitting at the bedside of a man who was in his last hours of life.

“He had been hallucinating of being visited by Madonna during his coma. This sweet man had been in and out of consciousness and would tell his partner in his awake moments that Madonna was there with him.

“I got a call from his partner asking if I could come visit him since he kept saying he saw Madonna. This was one of the most emotionally challenging things I have ever been asked to do as Madonna. I put on a brave face like Madonna would and I sat with the gentleman and held his hand as he woke up to 'see Madonna' as his partner told him he would.”

Bella added: “I sat quietly and listened to this man tell his stories and memories of his life to me. It was dark enough in the room for him to feel and believe Madonna came to visit him in his last days of life. We brought his vision of Madonna to life and that was the very comfort he needed.

“He passed away days after my visit. It’s moments like this that I realize Madonna has blessed me with opportunities beyond the stage and lights.”

Bella says she’ll forever be grateful to Madonna for changing her life.

She said: “I would love to mention my gratitude to Madonna herself. She has gifted me such a life through her art, passion and legacy. I can never tell her thank you enough!

“Secondly, I would love to shout out all the Madonna fans worldwide - keeping Madonna’s music alive for four decades.”