USA Today

Article by: Elysa Gardner 4-23-00

Blush of Young Talent Waiting In The Wings


With teen idols storming the pop charts like prepubescent girls in pursuit of a Leonardo DiCaprio sighting, the rush to find the next Britney/Hanson/'N Sync is on.
Even if you're of the age where your idea of a teen dream is Leif Garrett or, worse, Davy Jones -- as if! -- chances are that the proliferation of these acts on radio and video outlets will make them, like, impossible to ignore.


Here in brief are a few new kids on the block to look out for:


The Moffatts
Shelby Starner
B*Witched
Kendall Payne
Billie
Bijou Phillips


Melissa Williams


* Age: 18


* Representing: Oregon


* Sound/image: A Chestnut brown, more subdued Madonna/Britney


* Claim to future fame: Williams performed All Of You for the soundtrack of the 1997 Disney film Anastasia. Her first album is due in early fall or mid fall on JIVE.


* Coolest experience: "Working with Diane Warren. She would come in the studio and just crack me up, telling jokes and being sarcastic."


* Early influences: Madonna ("when I was 3"), Billie Holiday and B.B. King ("at around 7"), Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson


* Fave teen acts: I love Britney, she's great. She works it. 2Gether, Nsync, all of them are just really talented.


* Goals: "I would like to follow in the footsteps of the great, strong female people -- Madonna, Janet Jackson, even Mariah. I'm also interested in acting, and in causes like domestic violence."


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