[note:this article was taken from an article from launch.com]
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I don't know how many of you remember the old Star Search talent-contest program, but most of us who were subjected to it back then (channel-surfing wasn't what it is today) spent most of our time trying to figure out which was worse: the "talent" or Ed McMahon. At the age of eight, future teen sensation Christina Aguilera appeared on the program. (You can be sure VH1 wasted no time in digging up the clip to air on Before They Were Rock Stars). But that was just the beginning: at age 10, Aguilera sang the National Anthem for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and from ages 12-14 she appeared on the new Mickey Mouse Club show alongside other future stars Britney Spears and J.C. and Justin of 'N Sync. Her duet with Japanese pop star Keizo Nakanishi on "All I Wanna Do" also allowed her video exposure and even a tour of Japan.
Aguilera returned to the U.S. in 1998 in time to audition for the singing part of "Reflection" in the Disney film Mulan; her living room boombox demo of Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Run To You" was Fed-Exed by her manager to Disney, and within a week she had the Disney job and a solo deal with RCA Records. Talk about timing!
Aguilera's self-titled debut album was recorded with a variety of hot-shot producers, including Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers ('N Sync), Travon Potts (Monica), and Guy Roche (Brandy). Hit-songwriter-for-hire Diane Warren gave her the ballad "I Turn To You," while "Genie In A Bottle" was produced by ex-System David Frank and Steve Kipner.
Now, at age 18, Aguilera seems to have found herself quite a successful profession--her album shot all the way to No.1 in its first week of release and has maintained a spot in the upper reaches of the Billboard charts. She's appeared on a number of teen award programs and has even turned down acting roles for the time being in order to focus on her music. Ed McMahon must be so proud.
This Biography was written by Rob O'Connor
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