Britney Spears

The upbringing of the elementary school teacher-mother and a building contractor has given the world the magic of Spears. As a child, Spears was a gymnast, who competed at the state level and sang in the choir of the Baptist Church. She was a part of New York’s School of Professional Performing Arts and appeared in quite a few off-Broadway productions. After losing out on Star Search, she featured on the Disney Channel from 1993 to 1994. She shared center stage with Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, N’Sync and Keri Russell.

Spears signed on as part of the all-female Innosense. She was signed on by Jive Records and eventually joined the Backstreet Boys and N’Sync. The multi faceted Britney Jean Spears is a pop singer, dancer, lyricist and actress, and now, even an author. Her journey to stardom began with her debut album called ‘Baby One More Time’. The success of ‘Oops I Did It Again’ and ‘Toxic’ propelled her to international recognition and a major career break. Britney Spears is credited with a sale record of over 83 million records worldwide! She has simultaneously also experimented with other forms of media, like the films and television.

Spears has also grossed in millions via several high-profile advertising deals and endorsements. She also owns an exclusive perfume line. Spears’ marriage to Federline and the birth of her children Sean Preston and Jayden James were much publicized events. But, what beat it was the divorce and the legal battle for the custody of the children. Spears's single ‘Baby One More Time’ ranked at number one on the BillBoard charts, with Spears provocatively dressed in the video. The album was a merger of infectious dance-pop style that added to her controversial image. In 1999, Britney went on to win four BillBoard Music Awards. She won ‘Female Artist of the Year’, ‘Favorite Pop/Rock New Artist Award’, ‘Best New Artist’ and ‘Best Pop Vocal Performance’.

‘Oops I Did It Again’, the album, broke the Sound Scan record as the highest album sales by any solo artist, in the debut week! In musical content and sales, the album fared better with critics as the combination of sentimental ballad and dance-pop. The album was acknowledged as a top ten hit in the U.S. During the tour, by the same title, she ripped off her suit and revealed a ‘crystal’ outfit on stage, adding to her reputation as ‘Controversy’s Child’. ‘Britney’, the album, made Britney Spears one of the very few female artists to enjoy such success as yet another debut number one. The pop artist made it to the headlines in the music world once again, with the erotically draped albino python for ‘I’m A Slave For You’.

In 2002, Spears was ranked as the world's Most Powerful Celebrity. At the power packed 2003 MTV Awards, Britney Spears performed on ‘Like a Virgin’, with Christina Aguilera and later by Madonna, who she locked lips with! Spears’ hits include My Prerogative, From the Bottom of my Heart, Baby One More Time, Someday I Will Understand, And Then We Kiss and Toxic. ‘Blackout’ was her fifth album, which was released in 2007, and amidst a very trying time in Spears's personal life. The album is credited with being the first one where she voiced issues in her life.

Spears’ celluloid journey began with Cross Roads. She played a high school graduate who travels with two friends to search for her mother. The film was poorly rated by critics and Spears won the ‘Worst Actress Award’ and the ‘Worst Original Song’ award for I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman. Her cameo appearance in Goldmember and Longshot have given fans ‘Britney unleashed’! In 2006, Spears guest starred on Will and Grace as a closeted lesbian. The performance received a lot of criticism from a number of conservative Christian groups. Spears's success bagged her the multi-million dollar promotional deal with Pepsi and a number of other television commercials.