Britney Spears

biography

Born. 2nd December 1981, Kentwood, Louisiana, USA. One of the last teenage superstars of the millennium, Spears enjoyed her breakthrough success at the end of 1998. She appeared in local dance revues and church choirs as a young girl, and at the age of eight auditioned for The Mickey Mouse Club. Although she was too young to join the series, a producer on the show gave her an introduction to a New York agent. She subsequently spent three summers at the Professional Performing Arts School Center. She appeared in a number of off-Broadway productions as a child actor, including Ruthless (1991). She returned to the [ Walt ] Disney Channel for a spot on The Mickey Mouse Club, where she was featured for two years between the ages of 11 and 13. She began to audition for pop bands in the New York area, her demo tapes eventually landing on the desk of Jive Records' Jeff Fenster. ''Her vocal ability and commercial appeal caught me right away,'' he recalls. She was expensively groomed by Jive, who put her in the studio with Eric Foster White (producer and writer for Boyzone, Whitney Houston and others). They employed top R&B writer Max Martin (of Backstreet Boys fame) to produce her debut single, ''... Baby, One More Time'', and an album of the same title. They also set up a promotional free phone number where fans could listen to Spears' music and interviews throughout the summer of 1998. She toured American venues for a series of concerts sponsored by US teen magazines, eventually joining 'N Sync on tour. The careful planning paid off when her debut album and single went on to top the American charts at the start of 1999. The album and single enjoyed similar success in the UK and Europe. The ballad ''Sometimes'' and the funky ''(You Drive Me) Crazy'' were also substantial transatlantic hits. ''Born To Make You Happy'' topped the UK charts in January 2000. The demand for new Spears material was satisfied when her sophomore set, Oops! ... I Did It Again, was released in May. The album contained the expected quota of well-produced, expertly crafted pop songs alongside a risible cover version of (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction.

quotes

• Christina Aguilera and I are friends no matter what the media makes up.
• Don't treat me like a little girl.
• England is one of my favorite places. The fans are just so crazy.
• Every night, I have to read a book, so that my mind will stop thinking about things that I stress about.
• I always call my cousin because we're so close. We're almost like sisters, and we're also close because our moms are sisters.
• I always listen to 'NSYNC's Tearin' Up My Heart. It reminds me to wear a bra.
• I did not have implants, I just had a growth spurt.
• I don't really have time to sit down and write. But when I think of a melody, I call up my answering machine and sing it, so I won't forget it.
• I don't understand the whole dating thing. I know right off the bat if I'm interested in someone, and I don't want them to waste their money on me and take me out to eat if I know I'm not interested in that person.
• I don't want people kissing my butt. If I had a bad show and I know it, don't tell me I had a good show. I hate that. I guess because I'm 17, people think I don't see stuff like that.
• I don't want to pierce anything. I think it's outdated. Belly rings and all are, like, old.
• I go out with friends, but I don't have time to get in trouble.
• I know not everyone will like me, but this is who I am so if you don't like it, tough!
• I like meeting all my fans and signing autographs, although it can all get a bit crazy. Yesterday, for example, a boy just came over and planted a big kiss on my face! I was like, 'Hello?'
• I need to sing and I love to travel.
• I remember I read this harsh review about my show, and one of my friends told me that this was the exact same stuff people said about Madonna. And it's like, she didn't care. Madonna just came out and was herself. I respect that a lot.
• I still have a lot to learn - about the business, about music, and about myself. Its exciting.
• I think I'm more grounded, you know, and I know what I want out of life and I'm, you know, my morals are really, you know, strong and I have major beliefs about certain things and I think that has helped me, you know, from being, you know, coming from a really small town.
• I want to be an artist that everyone can relate to, that's young, happy and fun.
• I wish my hair was thicker, and I wish my feet were prettier. My toes are really ugly. I wish my ears were smaller. And my nose could be smaller too.
• I would really, really, really like to be a legend like Madonna. Madonna knows what to do next, and when she's performing, the audience is just in awe of her.
• I'm attracted to guys who are really confident and make conversation.
• I'm not at the point where I'd feel safe in a house alone. I would be really scared. I'm the kind of person that when I get up to go use the bathroom I have this big long hallway, and I just know someone's going to jump out and get me.
• It was this really bizarre video idea, this animated Power Ranger-y thing. I said, 'This is not right. If you want me to reach four-year-olds, then OK.'
• Just because I look sexy on the cover of Rolling Stone doesn't mean I'm naughty.
• Justin Timberlake is everything, and what more could you want in a person? He's funny. He's cute. He's great. He just understands. I get him and he gets me, and that's cool.
• Marry Prince William? I'd love that. Who wouldn't want to be a princess?
• Onstage I'm the happiest person in the world.
• The cool thing about being famous is traveling. I have always wanted to travel across seas, like to Canada and stuff.
• What's the big deal? I have really strong morals, and just because I look sexy on the cover of Rolling Stone doesn't mean I'm a naughty girl. I'd do it again. I thought the pictures were fine. And I was tired of being compared to Debbie Gibson and all of this bubblegum pop all the time.
• When you're comfortable with someone you love, the silence is the best. And, that's how me and J. are. When we're in a room together, we don't have to say anything. It's for real.

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