Unless you're living under a rock, you know that Britney
Spears is one of the most popular female artists on the planet, with
worldwide sales topping the 20 million mark. While her biggest hit continues
to be her first, "...Baby One More Time," Britney's music still invades the
airwaves and MTV, and her face is constantly in the tabloids.
Britney Jean Spears was born on December 2, 1981, in Kentwood, Louisiana. She
always knew she wanted to pursue a musical career, so she took her talents to
her local church, where she sang with the choir. She even sang on national
television as a Star Search contestant.
At the age of 8, Britney auditioned for the popular children's variety show
The New Mickey Mouse Club, but she was refused because of her young age.
Luckily for Britney Spears, one of the show's producers saw the young
singer's talent and helped her find an agent in New York City.
Britney Spears spent the next three summers in New York, where she studied at
the famous Off Broadway Dance Center and at the Professional Performing Arts
School. She also appeared in commercials and off-Broadway shows, one of which
showcased Britney as an innocent 10-year-old with a "bad girl" edge.
Spears was an accomplished gymnast, attending gymnastics classes until age
nine and competing in state-level competitions. She performed in local dance
revues and sang in her local Baptist church choir. Spears entered New York
City's Professional Performing Arts School when she was eight. At age eight
she auditioned for the Disney Channel series The New Mickey Mouse Club.
Although she was considered too young to join the series at the time, a
producer on the show introduced her to a New York City agent.[16] Spears
subsequently spent three summers at NYC's Professional Performing Arts School
and also appeared in a number of off-Broadway productions. She was an
understudy in the 1991 off-Broadway musical Ruthless!. In 1992, she landed a
spot on the popular television show Star Search. She won the first round of
competition, but ultimately lost. At age eleven, Spears returned to the
Disney Channel for a spot on the The New Mickey Mouse Club in Lakeland,
Florida. She was featured on the show from 1993 to 1994, until she was 13
After the show ended, Spears returned to Kentwood and attended high school
for a year.
In 1997, Spears briefly joined the all-female pop group Innosense. Later that
same year, she recorded a demo solo and was signed by Jive Records.She began
a U.S. concert tour sponsored by American teen magazines, and eventually
became an opening act for 'N Sync and the Backstreet Boys.
