by seeing how much effort they put into their work. She started spending a lot of her time on writing songs and recording demos before going back to California after finishing Hillsboro High School to study dancing, singing and acting. Career Madonna De Lory first came to the public's attention as Madonna's backup singer. In 1985, Gardner Cole, then De Lory's boyfriend, wrote the song "Open Your Heart" which Madonna would later record. At the time Madonna's management was looking for material for her True Blue album, and Cole submitted three songs, including "Open Your Heart". Madonna's manager heard the song and thought it would be a hit for Madonna, so he asked Cole to re-record the song with a female voice. De Lory recorded the song, and Cole then submitted the recording to Madonna's producer Patrick Leonard. Madonna listened to the recording and decided to record the song. Leonard liked De Lory's voice and hired her to sing backup on future projects he produced. When Madonna was looking for backup singers for her 1987 Who's That Girl Tour, De Lory asked Leonard to take her to the auditions. De Lory got the job and toured with Madonna on all her world tours until 2007. De Lory also sang backup on many of Madonna's songs. Solo career In 1990, she recorded the song "Always Thinking of You" for the film Three Men and a Little Lady. Her self-titled debut album was released on MCA Records in late 1992. The first single off the album, "Praying For Love", was released 20 October 1992 and went to #1 on the charts in Japan. The second single, "Just A Dream", was released 9 March 1993 and was a top 10 hit on the Hot Dance Club Play chart. It peaked at #71 in the UK Singles Chart in July 1993. "Just A Dream" was written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard and was originally recorded by Madonna for her 1989 Like a Prayer album. De Lory's version incorporated backing vocals by Madonna. The third and final single off the album, "Think It Over", was released 27 July 1993. She recorded a second album titled Songs '95 and had plans to release it in 1995, but it remained unreleased until 2002. She left the MCA label in late 1994 because her growing interest in world music was starting to show in her own