BRITNEY SPEARS - LATEST BRITNEY NEWS - Music - http://maxpages.com/worldbritney/BIOGRAPHY

Name: Britney Jean Spears

Birthdate: December 2, 1981

Birthplace: Kentwood, LA

Current Residence: New York and Kentwood

Hair Color : Brown

Eye Color : Brown

Height : 5'5"

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.

The next year promises to be a busy one for
Britney. In addition to a busy schedule promoting
her new album, she's planning a return to the small
screen as a guest star on Dawson's Creek. And if
it's true, as she told MTV, that she admires
Madonna's ability to reinvent her public persona,
then don't look for Britney to be another one-hit
wonder. She's planning to stay in the music world
for a long time. "I want music to always be a part
of my life," she told the cable channel. "It will
always be a part of my life, and I just want to grow
as a person each time each album comes out. I
want to focus on my music right now and if film or
something comes up, I'd go for it. But music will
always be my main priority. Just like Madonna. I
respect her so much because every time, she has
changed, and I just totally admire that."

And for the record, if you're wondering about
Britney and 'N Sync's Justin, in her own words:
"No, it's not true. No, no, [the 'N Sync guys] are
just like big brothers to me."

rafael_se@hotmail.com

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Page Updated Sat Oct 21, 2000 7:05am EDT