Britney Jean Spears
was born Dec. 2, 1981, in Kentwood, a small town in Louisiana. Although
technically her first public performance was at the age of 4 (when she sang
"What Child Is This" at her local church), her professional career began at the
ripe old age of 8, when young Britney traveled to Atlanta, Ga., to audition for
the Disney Channel's Mickey Mouse Club (MMC). She was ultimately deemed too
young for the show, but one of the producers spotted her potential and helped
her get an agent in New York. She spent the next three summers in the Big Apple
studying at the off-Broadway Dance Center and at the Professional Performing
Arts School. The creative education paid off; in 1991 she landed a part in the
off-Broadway production Ruthless.
When Britney turned 11, she finally earned her mouse ears and became a
full-fledged member of MMC for both the 1993 and 1994 seasons. Her years with
MMC would turn out to be fortuitous for Britney; among the cast members of the
children's show was the then 12-year-old Justin Timberlake and Joshua "JC"
Chasez, who would go on to become two-fifths of the teen pinup band 'N Sync.
Other talented alumni to emerge from the cast are Keri Russell of Felicity fame,
singer Christina Aguilera, Nita Booth (Miss Virginia 1998), and Ryan Gosling
from Young Hercules.
Following the cancellation of MMC in 1993, Britney returned home, where she went
to regular high school for a year. But the bug to perform was too strong, so she
returned to New York to give singing another shot. After an executive at Jive
heard a demo tape cut by the then 15-year-old, he signed her to a development
deal and hooked her up with Eric Foster White, a producer who had worked with
Boyzone, Hi-Five, and Whitney Houston. It seemed a perfect fit, given Spears
self-declared musical influences: Madonna, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, and
Houston. She also traveled to Sweden to work with Max Martin, whose previous
clients included the Backstreet Boys, Ace of Base, and Robyn. By early 1998,
Spears' first album for Jive was complete.
In the fall of 1998, three months before the release of her debut, …Baby, One
More Time, Britney set off on a promotional trek through the malls of America,
much like Tiffany had done a decade before her. Her "month in the malls" routine
consisted of four songs, with two backup dancers, along with promotional copies
of her music. October 1998 saw the release of Spears' first single, the title
track from her album, written by Max Martin. Given his track record with the
Backstreets, it was, not surprisingly, a commercial success. The warm reception
to the single no doubt helped Britney land a spot opening for 'N Sync, which she
did through January 1999.
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