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Britney Spears - Biography |
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"Pop Phenomenon" doesn't come close
to describing Britney Spears. The name is legend around the world. So
famous is Britney Spears now that it's impossible to imagine a World in
which she doesn't exist.
Born on 2 December 1981 in the small town of Kentwood, Louisiana, to
parents Jamie and Lynne Spears, Britney is their second child of three.
Her older brother Brian was born in April 1977 and her younger sister,
Jamie-Lynn was born in April 1991. From a young age, Britney was always
fixing to be a star with idols such as Madonna, Mariah Carey and Whitney
Houston, the young Britney could always be heard singing, no matter what
else was going on around her. After taking extensive dance and vocal
lessons and performing in numerous talent shows and fairs, Britney
auditioned for "The Mickey Mouse Club" (1955) when she 8, however she was
too young to get the part. Instead, Britney, her mother and baby sister
moved to New York where she starred in several TV adverts and an off
broad-way play "Ruthless", where she was under-study with Natalie Portman.
Her love of music and dance took over and 2 years later she auditioned for
a part in Mickey Mouse again and this time won the part along with
Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake. As a Mouseketeer, Britney
received extensive training in dance, drama and singing and had to grow up
a lot during that time. However, after the show was canceled two years
later, Britney returned home and did "the normal teenager thing",
attending pool parties and she was also the homecoming Queen. As a young
teenager, Britney soon grew restless again and this time was desperate to
become a star yet again. Again, she traveled to New York and sent out demo
tapes to various labels including Sony and Mercury, but was turned down.
It was Jive Records that finally took the young Britney on and set out on
making her the star she is today.
She hit the studio with writers/producers such as Max Martin and Eric
Foster White and the result was her debut album. In late 1998, Jive
released her debut single "(Hit me) Baby one more time" which was a pop
hit around the Globe, accompanied by the sixteen year old first of many
controversial acts - the video, which featured Britney dressed in a
Catholic Schoolgirl Uniform, baring her midriff, which was soon to become
her trademark. Nonetheless, the single was a smash worldwide and Britney
was instantly a Household name. She toured with popular boy band N*Sync
and the single shot to the top of the charts for 3 weeks. Her debut album
was released a few months later in early 1999 and like the single took to
the top of the album charts, where it remained number one for six weeks.
The album has now sold millions worldwide and is officially 14 x platinum
in the US. Her next controversial act, after the video, was to take the
cover of Rolling Stones magazine in a suggestive pose, but as Britney
mania took off, the 17 year-old became more and more popular. Appealing to
young girls, teenage boys and older men, Britney was on her way, yet
nobody could have predicted at that time the impact she would have on Pop
Culture. The second single, "Sometimes" was released in June 1999 followed
on by the top 10 hit "Crazy" in September and "from the bottom of my
broken heart" soon after. Britney ended 1999 selling over 10 million
copies of her debut and as the Billboard Top Female Pop Artist (singles
and albums), Top New Pop Artist, Top Billboard 200 album Artist and Top
100 singles Artist - female. The American Awards, MTV and Teen Choice
awards soon began rolling in and in early 2000 Britney was nominated for
two Grammy awards.
At just 18, Britney released her second album in 2000, the #1 smash "Oops!
I did it again" and single of the same title, which topped the singles
chart for 5 weeks. Smash singles "Stronger" and "Lucky" followed, but it
was around this time that Britney was beginning to raise more than a few
eyebrows. It seemed some people weren't too happy with the message she was
sending their impressionable young children. On one hand, Britney was the
perfect picture of innocence, declaring herself a Virgin until marriage
yet on the other hand, she was sexually charged and provocative, with
performance such as the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000, when her costume
made her appear scantily-clad. As the young woman was growing up, it
seemed there was an internal conflict between her, her management and her
mother, all pulling her in different directions. Yet the image the public
saw was a gorgeous young woman, beautifully dressed and damn close to
perfection, often labeled the "Pop Princess" around the world. Still, the
awards kept rolling in and in early 2001 Britney struck a lucrative deal
with Pepsi-Cola for Sponsorship and advertising. The 19 year-old was
growing up fast, with the media constantly fixed on what she was and
wasn't doing, her "rivalry" with former fellow Mouseketeer Christina
Aguilera and also her blossoming relationship with N*Sync heartthrob
Justin Timberlake. Britney was keen that people saw her as a growing woman
as she began to ready the public for her next LP release in late 2001.
In November, she hit the top 10 with the sexually charged "I'm a slave 4
u" which took a completely different turn in musical direction from her
previous singles and in the same month released her third LP, self-titled
"Britney" which shot to the top of the albums charts, breaking records for
a female artist. Her performance of "Slave" at the MTV VMA's caused
outrage among animal rights campaigners, as she performed with a live
giant Snake and wearing little herself. It was a far cry from the Britney
of just three years ago, and perhaps the critical moment when what some
people would say "she started going downhill". Sales of her third album,
while impressive, where not nearly as high as her former releases, perhaps
due to the increase of new pop female singers flooding the market, yet
Britney, still incredibly popular, carried on. In early 2002, the 20
year-old Britney released "I'm not a girl, not yet a woman", taken from
the soundtrack of her debut movie Crossroads (2002/I) which was released
in February that year. She soon after hit the charts with "Overprotected"
and also toured Worldwide on the "Dream within a dream tour". Yet it
seemed it was all getting too much for Britney, her four year relationship
with Timberlake ended suddenly and very publicly and she soon announced
she was to take 6 months off, after all, she had achieved so much by such
a young age and in such a short space of time. Her star was by no means
fading, with "Forbes" declaring her "The Worlds most powerful celebrity"
in mid-2002.
While she may have been on a break from her career, she was by no means
breaking from the media, who followed her relentlessly, even more keen to
track her down and find out what she was up to. Britney was increasingly
letting her pop princess crown slip, admitting she had lost her sacred
virginity to Timberlake, outside of marriage. Britney could also be seen
smoking and drinking to excess on wild nights out and famously breaking
down in tears while being interviewed by Diane Sawyer about her parents
(who were recently divorced) and her bitter split from Timberlake. Britney
was linked to men such as Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit and openly kissed
Colin Farrell at a movie premiere. However, she seemed to get herself back
together for her new album released in late 2003. In a blitz of publicity
which included the infamous "Like a Virgin" performance and Madonna kiss
at the MTV Video Music Awards in August that year. The new album "In The
Zone" was a bid to be seen as a woman and caused controversy with songs on
it such as "Breathe on me" and "Touch of my hand" - which was about
masturbation - however, the appeal of Britney was still there and the
album topped the Billboard 200 albums charts. The first single to be
lifted was "Me against the music" a club hit that featured pop icon
Madonna and singing with her was a dream come true for Britney. Now 22, it
seemed Britney was in a lot more control over her career, yet her personal
life still seemed to be slipping. In January 2004, Britney got "married"
to childhood friend Jason Alexander in a Las Vegas ceremony. The incident
shocked the world, especially when the marriage was annulled 55 hours
later and was described as "a joke taken too far" by her management.
Britney soon released one of her biggest singles, "Toxic" which topped
various charts around the world including the UK and Canadian singles
charts. The single was a smash-hit and silenced any critics that said
Britney no longer had what it took to make a comeback. She soon began her
highly publicized and overtly sexual "Onyx Hotel Tour" which was canceled
a few months later after Britney damaged her knee during a video shoot and
had to receive medical treatment. Other singles off the album included the
Gold Selling "Everytime", which topped the UK singles charts and like
usual, also carried a fair amount of controversy for its video, which
allegedly depicted the star committing suicide after a fight with her
boyfriend, played by Stephen Dorff ; however, this was "changed" to an
accident in which she drowns yet reincarnates. It was around this time
that Britney began dating Kevin Federline, a former back up dancer who she
had taken on tour with her a few months previously. The snag here was that
Kevin came with baggage - in the form of an "ex" girlfriend, heavily
pregnant "Moesha" (1996) actress Shar Jackson and their young child.
Britney and Kevin soon became engaged and in September 2004 were married
in a secret ceremony, soon after the birth of Kevin's second child. That
same month, Britney released a single off her upcoming "Greatest Hits"
album (released in November 2004) a cover of Bobby Browns 1988 hit "My
Prerogative".
Britney was a changed woman, no longer concerned with what the public
thought of her or her appearance, she parted ways with her manager who she
had had since she was 13, and was increasingly stepping out looking more
"trailer trash" than Multi-Millionaire. In February 2005, Britney won her
first Grammy for the single "Toxic" as Best Dance Recording. Just two
months later, it was announced Britney was pregnant her first child. A
reality TV Series "Britney & Kevin: Chaotic" (2005), which featured the
pair getting to know each other the previous year, leading up to their
wedding aired on UPN and eventually got a world wide audience, despite
harsh criticism. In September 2005, Britney evolved yet again, this time
as a devoted wife and mother, with the birth of her first child, a Son,
which she named Sean Preston. In November that year, she released a remix
album "B in the mix, the Remixes".
Looking back over the last seven years of this remarkable ladies career
and life, it really is hard to imagine what the face of Pop would look
like without her. Here is a 24 year-old woman who has grown in the face of
the glaring media from innocent School-girl to Sexual Pop Vixen to Young
wife and Mother. Who knows what is next for Britney? Rumours of a comeback
album for 2006 have been circulating for a while and also a few more movie
productions, yet one thing is for certain: Britney Spears has worked hard
to get to where she is today and by no means will she be disappearing any
time soon. Her name and face is legend in the media and celebrity circuit
and it's surely only a matter of time before Spears shocks us all again,
with her next album or tour or movie or personal move. One thing is for
certain though: the public will be watching. |
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Britney Spears - Personal Quotes |
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"Marry Prince William? I'd
love that. Who wouldn't want to be a princess?"
"Onstage I'm the happiest person in the world."
"She's the original bubble-gum diva." - about Deborah Gibson at the
2001 American Music Awards
"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."
"Just because I look sexy on the cover of Rolling Stone doesn't mean
I'm naughty."
"Christina and I are friends no matter what the media makes up." -
in reference to fellow pop-princess and former Mouseketeer Christina
Aguilera.
"England is one of my favorite places. The fans are just so crazy."
"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".
When asked about the perks of being famous: (Spears was born in and
lives in America) "I get to go to a lot of overseas places, like
Canada."
"I was not a permissive mother at all" - Britney's mother Lynne
Spears on her oldest daughter's upbringing.
"We were, like, 12 or 13 and it was like, 'Hi, do you like me?' It
was like puppy love." - On her relationship with Justin Timberlake
during the "MMC" (1989).
"I really want this to be like shocking and in people's faces and
edgy. It's just basically, you know, there's a lot of scrutiny with
everything I do. And, it's basically saying that I'm not a little
girl anymore and this is me. And just, you know, I have to do what I
have to do for me, and that's basically the overall scheme of it,
yeah." - about the tour to promote her third album slated for
release in November 2001
"I have to say I was a little nervous at first. I'm used to
producers going in there and it's like work. And, I go in and I work
and I do my vocals and work. And, I thought that it was awkward at
first because I was nervous recording with him doing my vocals, but
then I just totally forgot that he was my boyfriend, and I just said
'Britney, just do the vocals, don't be nervous, don't be retarded
like this.' But, it ended up being fine, actually. At the very end,
I got the best vocals I've ever done." - about recording a song with
boyfriend Justin Timberlake for her third album
"I dress the way I want. I don't pretend to be someone I'm not."
"I love Jessica Simpson. I love her voice. She's amazing. I have her
CD, and I have Christina's CD. I have all of their CDs. They're
amazing. You know? I have a lot of respect for them. Anybody who can
be in this business....the work is so overwhelming sometimes and
anybody who can do that I have a lot of respect for".
"I find it so funny that people find me so interesting. And, I hate
when they're like 'Define your image.' I don't know what my image
is. I just do my thing."
"Chocolate for me is just like an orgasm." (1.18.02: At a German
chocolate museum)
"Acting is so much fun. It is a different ball game and I want to
concentrate on that at the moment. I'm really passionate about what
I do. I love entertainment and telling stories to people and I am
very lucky that I am doing what I want to do."
"All I remember is seeing a bunch of naked girls and thinking, 'I
got to get out of here.'" - about her visit to the Playboy mansion
"My views on virginity have not changed. I want to wait to have sex
until I'm married. I do. I want to wait, but it's hard. I just want
to live my life."
"I guess it's because I do have a younger audience that, you know,
parents worry about the role model thing. But when I was younger, I
looked up to people, but I never wanted to be them. I always had my
own identity. I'm an entertainer when I'm on stage, and they need to
explain that to their kids. That's not my job to do that."
"There are so many teenagers out there that dress more provocatively
than I do, and no one says anything about them."
"How can I explain this? I don't see myself -- hand on the Bible --
I know I'm not ugly, but I don't see myself as a sex symbol or this
goddess-attractive beautiful person at all. When I'm on stage,
that's my time to do my thing and go there and be that, and it's
fun. It's exhilarating just to be something that you're not. And,
people tend to believe it. I guess I just pull it off very well."
"Who really cares if I've had sex? It's nobody's business. Trust me,
I'm not going to have a press conference to announce it. If I mess
up, I'm human. If I have a drink or I'm with someone, I'm human. I'm
no different than anyone else my age."
"Selling 5 million records is still good. I don't want to get jaded
thinking I have to sell 10 million every time. It's not about that."
"When I'm under stress, I do yoga. It's when I'm happiest that I
have a problem with junk food."
"I suck at flirting. There's one thing I don't understand about
Hollywood. How they have a relationship, end it, and go right into
the next. It's hard for a woman in this industry. Either the guy's
going to be really intimidated, or they're going to kiss your ass.
I'm just a girl wanting a guy to love me."
"I feel like a totally different person than I was two years ago. I
feel like so much of my innocence is gone. I'm still me, but this
business makes you grow up so fast."
"Would you go into a CD store and steal a CD? It's the same thing,
people going into the computers and loggin' on and stealing our
music."
"The most painful thing I have ever experienced was that breakup. We
were together so long and I had this vision. You think you're going
to spend the rest of your life together. Where I come from, the
woman is the homemaker, and that's how I was brought up -- you cook
for your kids." - about her breakup with Justin Timberlake.
"If I was to pick a cartoon character, I am most like I would say
Daisy Duck, because she is very stubborn, she has a very feminine
sense and she knows what she likes."
"As an artist, I would probably go on stage and bump and grind with
a dancer. In real life, never."
"When I look into a mirror, I am very critical of myself. I see a
goofy girl."
Tony Blair? I've never heard of him either. Who is he?
"I can't sing the same kind of thing all the time. That would bore
me."
"I don't listen to anybody. Nobody can tell me anything. I'm
stubborn. If somebody tells me not to do something, I do it. But I
do listen to Madonna. For some reason I listen to her. I know that
sounds really silly. It's nice to have somebody just to ask
questions to. She's a visual artist and a deep artist as well. I
like the way she thinks. I wish I could be inside her head. I like
Madonna's career, and what she's done with her family".
"I've got an amazing group of people around me and my family at
home. If I don't make my bed and wash the dishes at home, I'm in
trouble."
"I'm not the type of person that can be cooped up in the hotel room
being served all the time. I can't deal with that. I've got to do
normal things."
"Performing is what I like most. I find the studio very confining.
You can do a lot in there, and you get the opportunity to try again
and again. But on stage you have the adrenalin going and you've got
one shot and the energy is so intense."
"It feels like I've been dreaming this forever and then it happens
and it feels like a whirlwind. I'm constantly traveling and I miss
my friends."
"Justin was my first kiss. We were playing "Truth or Dare" and
listening to Janet Jackson. I was 12. His friend dared him to kiss
me, so that was my first kiss".
"Bottom line: If you love yourself, it will all work out."
"This is my dream come true. I can't believe this is happening right
now. I can't believe I even have a movie. I feel very blessed to be
where I am right now."
On being photographed without panties: "Anyway, thank God for
Victoria's Secrets' new underwear line!" |
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Britney Spears - Filmography |
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Overrated in '06 (2006) (TV)
"Will & Grace" .... Amber-Louise (1 episode, 2006)
- Buy, Buy Baby (2006) TV Episode .... Amber-Louise
"Saturday Night Live" .... Musical Guest / ... (3 episodes,
2000-2003)
... aka SNL (USA: informal title)
... aka SNL 25 (USA: alternative title)
- Episode #29.3 (2003) TV Episode .... Musical Guest
- Episode #27.12 (2002) TV Episode .... Host/Musical Guest
- Episode #25.19 (2000) TV Episode .... Host/Musical Guest
Legend of the Lost Tribe (2002) (TV) (voice: English version) ....
Donner
... aka Robbie the Reindeer in Legend of the Lost Tribe (USA)
Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) .... Britney Spears, 'Boys' Music
Video Performer
... aka Austin Powers: Goldmember (USA)
Crossroads (2002/I) .... Lucy Wagner
"All That" .... Musical Guest (1 episode, 2000)
- Episode #6.6 (2000) TV Episode .... Musical Guest
Longshot (2000) .... Flight Attendant
... aka Jack of All Trades (USA)
... aka Longshot: The Movie (Canada: English title)
Hooves of Fire (1999) (TV) (voice: English version) .... Donner
... aka Robbie the Reindeer in Hooves of Fire |
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Britney Spears - Related Links |
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Wikipedia: Britney Spears
YouTube: Britney Spears
Britney Spears at Babemania.com
Top Celebrities Sites:
The Celebrity
Cafe |
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