Britney Spears - She's one of the nicest American girls in pop, but do you know everything about her? If not, read on! - Entertainment - http://maxpages.com/robbiesangel/Britney

Britney Jean Spears was born Dec. 2, 1981, in Kentwood, a small town in Louisiana. Although technically her first public performance was at the age of 4 (when she sang "What Child Is This" at her local church), her professional career began at the ripe old age of 8, when young Britney traveled to Atlanta, Ga., to audition for the Disney Channel's Mickey Mouse Club (MMC). She was ultimately deemed too young for the show, but one of the producers spotted her potential and helped her get an agent in New York. She spent the next three summers in the Big Apple studying at the off-Broadway Dance Center and at the Professional Performing Arts School. The creative education paid off; in 1991 she landed a part in the off-Broadway production Ruthless.

When Britney turned 11, she finally earned her mouse ears and became a full-fledged member of MMC for both the 1993 and 1994 seasons. Her years with MMC would turn out to be fortuitous for Britney; among the cast members of the children's show was the then 12-year-old Justin Timberlake and Joshua "JC" Chasez, who would go on to become two-fifths of the teen pinup band 'N Sync. Other talented alumni to emerge from the cast are Keri Russell of Felicity fame, singer Christina Aguilera, Nita Booth (Miss Virginia 1998), and Ryan Gosling from Young Hercules.

Following the cancellation of MMC in 1993, Britney returned home, where she went to regular high school for a year. But the bug to perform was too strong, so she returned to New York to give singing another shot. After an executive at Jive heard a demo tape cut by the then 15-year-old, he signed her to a development deal and hooked her up with Eric Foster White, a producer who had worked with Boyzone, Hi-Five, and Whitney Houston. It seemed a perfect fit, given Spears self-declared musical influences: Madonna, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, and Houston. She also traveled to Sweden to work with Max Martin, whose previous clients included the Backstreet Boys, Ace of Base, and Robyn. By early 1998, Spears' first album for Jive was complete.

In the fall of 1998, three months before the release of her debut, …Baby, One More Time, Britney set off on a promotional trek through the malls of America, much like Tiffany had done a decade before her. Her "month in the malls" routine consisted of four songs, with two backup dancers, along with promotional copies of her music. October 1998 saw the release of Spears' first single, the title track from her album, written by Max Martin. Given his track record with the Backstreets, it was, not surprisingly, a commercial success. The warm reception to the single no doubt helped Britney land a spot opening for 'N Sync, which she did through January 1999.

The biggest day of young Britney's career thus far is likely Jan. 12, 1999 — the day …Baby, One More Time finally hit store shelves. After the final tallies were in, the former Mouseketeer discovered that her debut had landed at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts, with her buddies 'N Sync coming in at No. 2. Not a bad showing for a 17-year-old.

In a recent interview with MTV, Britney made it clear that she was the one who wanted to get involved in the entertainment world; though she had the full support of her parents once she did, it was entirely her decision. And after breaking away from her small town, in which disapproving tongues would occasionally wag because of her move to New York at such a young age, Britney discovered she'd become a role model of sorts, with other young townswomen following in her creative footsteps.

2000 has been a busy year for Britney. In May she appeared on television with Britney in Hawaii, and released a second album — one that also utilized the ellipses — Oops! … I Did It Again, which sold more than 1.3 million copies it's first week out.

Britney also expanded her creative endeavors in 2000. She hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live, and turned in a much-talked about performance at September's MTV Video Music Awards, shocking the audience with her nearly naked performance. Additionally, Britney will serve as host of the 2001 American Music Awards, taking place in January in Los Angeles.

Of course, one of the biggest Britney facts to emerge this year was when, after months of speculation and repeated denials on both sides, she finally fessed up to the rumor that has been plaguing her from the get-go: she and 'N Sync heartthrob Justin Timberlake are officially a couple.

3/1/2001
Congratulations to Britney on her Grammy nominations for "Best Pop Vocal Album" and "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance." The Grammy Awards will be held on Wednesday, February 21 at 8 PM on CBS. For more information, check out the official Grammy website, click here.

And don't forget, Britney will be hosting this year's American Music Awards, on January 8. She will also be performing and has been nominated in two categories, "Favorite Female Artist Pop or Rock Music" and "Favorite Album Pop or Rock Music." For more information click here. While your there, be sure to vote for Britney for "Internet Artist of the Year"!

Wanna catch Britney on TV? Well here are the dates you're certain to see her:

Jan 8 - American Music Awards - Britney co-hosts the event Live! From the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles 8pm ET / 7pm CT (tape delayed on the west coast) (ABC)

I found this on Britney's Cool website (look at my WebWatch page for the addy), its written by her great mum, Lynne:

Christmas was wonderful again this year - we were all at home and healthy. We all received too many gifts and ate too much food. It seems we received many motorized gifts! Britney got two four-wheelers from Larry, her manager. Jamie Lynn got a little motorized car from FAO Schwartz. It has a clutch and two gears. Jamie Lynn can now drive. I got a mule (a small truck) to drive around my new house when I'm gardening. Britney gave me a beautiful new Porsche. It is a black two seater and I love it! I told Britney I felt so selfish when I drive it, but, I liked the feeling.

Christmas is filled with so many events and obligations. We always have the school party, the church Christmas play, family Christmas dinners, and Christmas gatherings with friends. With moving into the new house and all of the above, Christmas was really hectic this year. We're still not completely moved in yet, but we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Britney worked so hard getting all of her clothes organized. She is such a perfectionist. She wouldn't quit until everything was in it's proper place. Even as a little girl, she had to have her pants in one place, dresses,shirts, skirts, and sweaters in another. I gave her a really beautiful jewelry chest for Christmas. Now, she has room to organize all of her jewelry.

I'm excited about the American Music Awards. I'm flying out tomorrow to watch her rehearse. It's so exciting to watch the show come together.

The holiday season is over and it was a good one this year for us. I hope and pray all of you had nice holidays, too.

Lynne

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