Name: Britney Spears
Profession: Singer, Actress
Birth Date: December 2, 1981
Height: 5’ 4”
Britney Spears was raised in the small town of Kentwood, La., where she began performing as a singer and dancer at a young age. Following an appearance on "Star Search," Spears auditioned for the Disney Channel's "The New Mickey Mouse Club" in 1990, but she was turned down because she was just 8 at the time. Not all was lost, however, because one of the show’s producers took an interest and introduced her to a New York agent, which led to Spears studying at the Professional Performing Arts School. Soon she was appearing in several television commercials and off-Broadway plays.
In 1993, Spears was invited back by Disney and she became a Mouseketeer at the age of 11. However, the show was cancelled after Spears’ second season, despite a talented cast that included the likes of Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Christina Aguilera and Keri Russell.
Spears decided to return to New York, where she went about auditioning for pop bands and recording demo tapes, one of which eventually landed her a deal with Jive Records. In late 1998, she released her debut single, “...Baby One More Time,” which was an immediate smash hit. When her debut album of the same title was released in early 1999, it entered the charts at No. 1 and remained at the top for six weeks.
In the spring of 2000, Spears released her highly-anticipated sophomore album, "Oops!...I Did It Again." Behind the success of the title track, the album entered the charts at No. 1 and sold over a million copies in the first week, setting a new record for single-week sales by a female artist.
Her next release, 2001’s “Britney,” did not achieve the same level of success, but it was her third straight album to debut at No. 1 and proved that she had already cemented herself as a pop culture icon.
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