Britney Spears

Born: Britney Jean Spears, 2 December 1981, Kentwo

One of the last teenage pop superstars of the 20th century, Spears enjoyed her breakthrough success at the end of 1998. She appeared in local dance revues and church choirs as a young girl, and at the age of eight auditioned for The Mickey Mouse Club. Although she was too young to join the series, a producer on the show gave her an introduction to a New York agent. She subsequently spent three summers at the Professional Performing Arts School Center. She appeared in a number of off-Broadway productions as a child actor, including Ruthless (1991). She returned to the [Walt] Disney Channel for a spot on The Mickey Mouse Club, where she was featured for two years between the ages of 11 and 13. She began to audition for pop bands in the New York area, her demo tapes eventually landing on the desk of Jive Records' Jeff Fenster. "Her vocal ability and commercial appeal caught me right away," he recalls.
Spears was expensively groomed by Jive, who put her in the studio with Eric Foster White (producer and writer for Boyzone, Whitney Houston and others). They employed top R&B writer Max Martin (of Backstreet Boys fame) to produce her debut single, "... Baby, One More Time', and an album of the same title. They also set up a promotional free phone number where fans could listen to Spears' music and interviews throughout the summer of 1998. She toured American venues for a series of concerts sponsored by US teen magazines, eventually joining "N Sync on tour. The careful planning paid off when her debut album and single went on to top the American charts at the start of 1999. The album and single enjoyed similar success in the UK and Europe. The ballad "Sometimes" and the funky "(You Drive Me) Crazy" were also substantial transatlantic hits, and "Born To Make You Happy" topped the UK charts in January 2000. The demand for new Spears material was satisfied when her sophomore set, Oops! ... I Did It Again, was released in May. The album contained the expected quota of well-produced, expertly crafted pop songs, alongside a risible cover version of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction".

Spears' self-titled third album was a laboured attempt by the singer to cultivate a more mature image. Although its initial sales were not as strong as her previous two albums, Britney shot straight to the top of the US album chart on its release in November 2001 for a brief stay. Spears' feature film debut, Crossroads, was released the following February.

Discography:

Album
2005 Oops! ...I Did It Again [Bonus Track]
2005 In the Zone [DualDisc]
2004 In the Zone [DVD Audio/Bonus Videos]
2004 In the Zone [Import Bonus Track]
2003 In the Zone
2003 In the Zone [Australia Bonus Tracks]
2002 Britney: The Bonus Edition
2002 Britney [Bonus DVD]
2002 Britney [2002 Version]
2001 Oops!...I Did It Again [Japan Bonus Tracks #2]
2001 Britney [Japan Bonus Tracks]
2001 The Unauthorized Biography and Interview
2001 Britney
2001 Britney [Australia Bonus Tracks]
2000 Oops!...I Did It Again [Japan Bonus Tracks #1]
2000 The Interview CD: Britney Spears
2000 ...Baby One More Time [Import Bonus CD]
2000 Absolute Interview
2000 Oops!...I Did It Again
2000 Interview [Germany]
2000 Oops!...I Did It Again [Australia Bonus Tracks]
2000 In Conversation
2000 ...Baby One More Time [Import Bonus Tracks]
2000 Maximum Britney
1999 ...Baby One More Time