|
Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American pop
singer-songwriter, dancer, actress, author and executive producer. Spears is
best known for her highly publicised personal life, music videos and pop songs
such as; "...Baby One More Time" and "Toxic".
Spears first came to fame as a member of the New Mickey Mouse Club in the early
1990s, taking a five-year break from entertainment after the show wrapped. She
subsequently emerged at the forefront of the pop music scene in late 1998,
thanks to the crafting of her chart-topping debut album by producer-songwriter
Max Martin. Her second album, released the following year, was a similarly huge
hit.
In the early 2000s, Spears' success as a singer led her way to high-profile
advertising deals (most notably for Pepsi), as well as forays into other forms
of media, including film and reality television. Her third and fourth albums
released during this era included more artistic input from Spears, but yielded
lower sales. In 2004 she married Kevin Federline, and the following year gave
birth to their son Sean Preston. In 2006, she is set to resume her recording
career.
With worldwide record sales topping the 85 million mark (as of 2006)[1], Britney
Spears has become one of the most recognizable celebrities and sex symbols of
her generation.
As a young girl, Spears was an accomplished gymnast, attending gymnastics
classes until age nine, and competing in state-level competitions. She performed
in local dance revues and her local Baptist church choirs, and was auditioning
for the Disney Channel's New Mickey Mouse Club by the time she was eight.
Although she was considered too young to join the series at the time, a producer
on the show introduced her to a New York agent. Spears subsequently spent three
summers at NYC's Professional Performing Arts School and also appeared in a
number of off-Broadway productions, including 1991's Ruthless!. In 1992, she
landed a spot on Star Search, and though she won the first round, she lost in
the second. Spears then returned to the Disney Channel for a spot on the New
Mickey Mouse Club and was accepted. She was featured in the 1993-1994 seasons
from age 11-13. Other performers on the show included Justin Timberlake, future
boyfriend of Spears, and Joshua Chasez (both of whom later became members of the
pop group *NSYNC), Keri Russell (star of the TV show Felicity), fellow pop
singer Christina Aguilera, and actor Ryan Gosling.
A few years later, Spears recorded a demo, which landed in the hands of a Jive
Records executive. She was signed to their label and began touring American
venues for a series of concerts sponsored by American teen magazines, before
joining *NSYNC and becoming their opening act
|
