Britney Spears was born in Kentwood, Louisiana on December 2, 1981. Appearing in variety shows and choirs throughout her hometown, Britney’s talent was obvious from a young age. The aspiring young performer’s first major audition was for The Disney Channel’s “Mickey Mouse Club” at the age of eight. Too young for the show, but too talented to dismiss, a Disney producer helped Britney land an agent in New York, where she spent the next three summers studying performing arts at New York City’s Professional Performing Arts School. While training, Britney took on small roles in commercials, theatre and film. When she turned 11, Britney was old enough to earn a spot on the “Mickey Mouse Club” and relocated with her family to Orlando to begin taping.

After starring on the popular show for two years, Britney returned home to Louisiana, but never let go of dreams of making it in the music industry. Armed with intense desire and a powerful voice, Britney returned to New York City when she was 15 to start a music career. She earned the opportunity to sing a cappella for a room of executives at Jive Records, who recognized immediately that there were the makings of a star in the teenager from Kentwood. Britney was signed to Jive soon after her audition and began work on what would become her first hit, “...Baby One More Time.”

An album soon formed under the name of this first song, which subsequently became the first single. With its high-energy video and infectious groove, the single “…Baby One More Time” was welcomed by the world of pop music with open arms, debuting on the American Billboard charts at #1. The album was released only a few weeks later, also debuting at #1 and making Britney the first-ever female artist to have a simultaneous Billboard #1 single and album with a debut release. An April 1999 Rolling Stone cover increased the frenzy, and Britney was rocketed from pop starlet to mega-star. Her second single, “Sometimes,” a soft summer ballad released in June 1999, was warmly received by a rapidly growing fan base.
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Britney Spears was born in Kentwood, Louisiana on December 2, 1981. Appearing in variety shows and choirs throughout her hometown, Britney’s talent was obvious from a young age. The aspiring young performer’s first major audition was for The Disney Channel’s “Mickey Mouse Club” at the age of eight. Too young for the show, but too talented to dismiss, a Disney producer helped Britney land an agent in New York, where she spent the next three summers studying performing arts at New York... (read more)