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Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is a Grammy-winning American pop singer-songwriter, dancer, occasional actress, author and executive producer. Spears is best known for her highly publicised personal life, studio albums, music videos and pop songs such as; "...Baby One More Time" and "Toxic."

Spears first came to fame as a member of the New Mickey Mouse Club in the early 1990s, taking a five-year break from entertainment after the show wrapped. She subsequently emerged at the forefront of the pop music scene in late 1998, thanks to the crafting of her chart-topping debut album by producer-songwriter Max Martin. Her second album, released the following year, was a similarly huge hit.

In the early 2000s, Spears' success as a singer led her way to high-profile advertising deals (most notably for Pepsi), as well as forays into other forms of media, including film and reality television. Her third and fourth albums released during this era included more artistic input from Spears, but yielded lower sales. In 2004 she married Kevin Federline, and the following year gave birth to their son Sean Preston. In 2006, she is set to resume her recording career.

With worldwide record sales topping the 85 million mark (as of 2006), Britney Spears has become one of the most recognizable celebrities and sex symbols of her generation.

Childhood and discovery: Spears was born in McComb, Mississippi and raised a Southern Baptist in Kentwood, Louisiana. Her parents, who are now divorced, are James Parnell Spears (b. 1952), a building contractor, and Lynne Irene Bridges (b. 1956), a former grade school teacher. 

Her maternal grandmother, Lillian Woolmoore (1924–1993), was an English war bride, who met Spears' maternal grandfather, Barnett O'Field Bridges (1919–1978), in England during WWII, and subsequently moved with him to the United States. Her paternal grandparents were June Austin Spears (b. 1930) and Emma Jean Forbes (1934–1966); Spears claims to have some Native American heritage. Spears has a brother, Bryan (b. 1977) and a sister, Jamie Lynn (b. 1991).

Spears was an accomplished gymnast, attending gymnastics classes until age nine, and competing in state-level competitions. She performed in local dance revues and her local Baptist church choirs, and was auditioning for the Disney Channel's New Mickey Mouse Club by the time she was eight. 

Although she was considered too young to join the series at the time, a producer on the show introduced her to a New York agent. Spears subsequently spent three summers at NYC's Professional Performing Arts School and also appeared in a number of off-Broadway productions, including 1991's Ruthless!. In 1992, she landed a spot on Star Search, and though she won the first round, she lost in the second (her opponent would later appear on a 2001 episode of the game show I've Got a Secret with the "secret" being the win against Spears). 

Spears then returned to the Disney Channel for a spot on the New Mickey Mouse Club and was accepted. She was featured in the 1993-1994 seasons from age 11-13. Other performers on the show included Justin Timberlake, future boyfriend of Spears, and Joshua Chasez (both of whom later became members of the pop group *NSYNC), Keri Russell (star of the TV show Felicity), fellow pop singer Christina Aguilera, and actor Ryan Gosling.

A few years later, Spears recorded a demo, which landed in the hands of a Jive Records executive. She was signed to their label and began touring American venues for a series of concerts sponsored by American teen magazines, before joining *NSYNC and becoming their opening act.

1998–2000: Early commercial success: Spears' debut single, "...Baby One More Time," started appearing on radio stations and MTV in 1998. Led by a music video that featured the 5'4" brown-eyed bottle blonde in a racy schoolgirl outfit, the single became an international success, earning Platinum sales and going to number one in the U.S., as well as in countries such as Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. 

Her debut album of the same name, ...Baby One More Time, topped the LP charts in the U.S. and Canada for six non-consecutive weeks. Within a year of its release, it had become the best-selling LP by a teenager in history. This success spawned another U.S. top ten hit "(You Drive Me) Crazy") which helped the album ship over ten million copies in the U.S. alone; it would go on to ship another four million copies internationally. Baby One More Time has sold an outstanding 25 million copies.

Spears was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine in April 1999. The sexually suggestive Lolita-themed photo shoot triggered widespread speculation (denied by her representatives) that the still-seventeen-year-old had gotten breast implants. That summer, she kicked off her first headlining tour, the ...Baby One More Time Tour. By late 1999, Spears had become one of the year's biggest stars, a claim backed-up by the amount of award nominations she received that season. 

In December, she took home four Billboard Music Awards including one for Female Artist of the Year, and the next month won for Favorite Pop/Rock New Artist at the American Music Awards. At the Grammy Awards, held in February 2000, Spears received two nominations, including one for Best New Artist.

Following the short-lived Crazy 2K Tour, the lead single from Spears' second album, "Oops!... I Did It Again," was released. It broke a record for most radio station adds in a single day and quickly became a U.S. top ten hit and number one single in other countries, including Australia and the UK. Released in May 2000, the album Oops!... I Did It Again also debuted at number one in the U.S. and Canada. It sold over 1.3 million units during its first week in the U.S., making it the fastest-selling album by a female artist in history. Within a year of release, it had shipped over nine million copies in the U.S. alone. It would go on to ship another million on top of that, and yielded two more top thirty hits: "Lucky" and "Stronger." Oops! I did it Again sold has sold a whopping 20 million copies.

Spears kicked off her first world tour (titled the Oops!... I Did It Again World Tour) in the summer of 2000, and co-wrote the book Britney Spears' Heart-to-Heart with her mother, Lynne. During a performance at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, she ripped off a black suit to reveal a provocative nude-colored and crystal-adorned outfit that generated controversy due to her young age. In late 2000, she won two Billboard Music Awards, and in early 2001, she was nominated for two American Music Awards. At the Grammys, one of her two nominations was for Oops!... I Did It Again in the category of Best Pop Vocal Album, but again she did not win.

2001–2003: Career development: In early 2001, Spears struck a $7-8 million USD promotional deal with the soft drink giant Pepsi and released her second book, the novel, A Mother's Gift, also co-written with her mother. She performed at the MTV Video Music Awards the following September, and in addition to criticism for being scantily clad, she angered animal rights organization PETA for the use of animals, including an albino python, in her performance.

In November, she released her third album, Britney. It debuted at number one on both the U.S. and Canadian charts, selling over 740,000 units during its first week in the U.S. This made her the only female artist in SoundScan history to have her first three albums debut at number one. Although four million copies of the record have been sold in the U.S., and almost four and a half to-date, it was a decline from the sales of her first two albums, and "I'm a Slave 4 U" was the album's only hit single in the U.S. Britney was the first album on which Spears assumed some creative control; she co-wrote five of the album's tracks. Spears set off on her next world tour, the Dream Within a Dream Tour, shortly after its release. The "Britney" album has sold a total of 13 million copies worldwide.

In February 2002, Spears starred in a film, Crossroads, which reached number two on the box-office charts in its first weekend, but quickly dropped out of the top 10. Songs from the album Britney appeared in the film. The movie, along with Spears' performance in it, were poorly received by critics, and she netted herself a Razzie Award for Worst Actress, tied with Madonna. The film also won, among other nominations, the Worst Original Song Razzie for Spears' "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman."

Spears' four-year relationship with Justin Timberlake ended in March 2002. The break-up was highly publicized, with rumors swirling that Spears had been unfaithful. Timberlake himself left the impression that she had cheated on him (which was further fueled by his song Cry Me a River. In response to this, Spears later said, "I'm not technically saying he's wrong, but I'm not technically saying he's right, either." Afterward, despite Spears' claims that she had remained a virgin, Timberlake insisted the two had sexual intercourse during their relationship. Spears later acknowledged this was true.

In June 2002, Spears branched out as a restaurateur with the opening of a New York City eatery, NYLA, which was named for its mix of New York and Louisiana cuisine. It was not a success and closed the following year. Soon after these failures, Spears took a break from the spotlight, and in 2003 many music industry critics speculated her career was in decline. That same year, Forbes named Spears the most powerful celebrity in the world. She was also nominated for two Grammys yet again, including Best Pop Vocal Album for Britney.

Spears returned to the forefront of the pop music scene in August 2003. That month, she appeared at the MTV Video Music Awards with her idol Madonna, pop singer Christina Aguilera and rapper Missy Elliott. Spears and Aguilera performed Madonna's song "Like a Virgin," danced suggestively and each locked lips with Madonna (see Madonna at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards). Spears' kiss with Madonna attracted huge publicity that lasted several months.

November 2003 saw the release of Spears' fourth album, In the Zone. Jettisoning the Max Martin-produced synthpop of her earlier releases, the album took in lesser-known producers such as RedZone and big names including Moby and R. Kelly. Spears co-wrote nine of the album's thirteen songs and co-produced some of her material for the first time. In the Zone went to the top of the U.S. charts in its debut week, selling over 609,000 copies. 

This made Spears the only female in music history to have her first four albums debut at number one. The record has sold 3 million copies in the U.S. and was the 8th best selling album of 2004 world-wide. It also spawned the international number one and U.S. top ten hit, "Toxic," which won Spears her first Grammy in the category of Best Dance Recording. "In the Zone" has sold 8 million copies worldwide.

On January 3, 2004, Spears surprisingly married her childhood friend Jason Allen Alexander at The Little White Wedding Chapel on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada. An annulment was promptly arranged (at the behest of manager Larry Rudolph and her family) and was granted on January 5, ending their fifty-five hour marriage. Spears later said about the spur-of-the-moment marriage, "Honestly, I really wanted to see what it was like to be married."

As the album's third single "Everytime" began to receive airplay, Spears embarked on her fourth world tour, The Onyx Hotel Tour. The tour grossed over $34 million USD and was seen by over 600,000 fans in North America and Europe, but the remaining dates were cancelled in June, after Spears reportedly injured her knee during the filming of the video for the single "Outrageous."

That same month, Spears announced her engagement to dancer Kevin Federline. Federline was still in a relationship with actress Shar Jackson, with whom he has two children. It was true that Federline left his pregnant girlfriend for Spears, sparking much criticism. On the night of September 18, 2004, Spears married Federline before twenty-seven guests in a surprise, non-denominational ceremony at a residence in Studio City, California. 

The legitimacy of the marriage was initially questioned, but on November 18, 2004, a representative of the Los Angeles County registrar's office confirmed Spears and Federline had successfully filed their marriage license with the county within ten days of their ceremony, and were therefore legally married. Initially, Spears refused to pre-nup Federline but her manager Rudolph suggested she do so and as a result fired Rudolph after the marriage.

2004–2005: Career hiatus and family: During the latter half of 2004, Spears announced she would be taking another career break in order to start a family. Immediately after her marriage to Federline, she had told People, "I want to be a young mom. Next year, at 23, I'm so there." Although she made few public appearances, the 'Britney Spears industry' continued to run itself. In September 2004, she released her first fragrance, "Curious" (a floral scent featuring Louisiana magnolia and golden Anjou pear), for which she earned a reported $12 million USD. 

The fragrance had the biggest debut in sales in history from Elizabeth Arden, breaking the record for first-week gross for a perfume; after one year of sales, the product has netted more than $100 million USD. It ended up as the number one fragrance of 2004 in department stores, and in 2005 it was honored by the Fragrance Foundation as Best Women's Fragrance. Following the success of "Curious," Spears released her next Elizabeth Arden fragrance, "Fantasy" (a fruity scent featuring red lychee, golden quince and cupcake accord), in September 2005. "Fantasy" became a top-selling perfume during the holiday season of 2005.

Spears' first hits collection, Greatest Hits: My Prerogative, was released in late 2004. The album debuted at number four on the U.S. charts (due to minimum promotion), selling over 255,000 copies in its first week of release. In addition to her biggest hits, it featured three new songs, including "My Prerogative" and "Do Somethin'." Since hitting shelves, the album has sold well over a million copies in the States. Greatest Hits: My Prerogative has sold 6.5 million copies in a little over a year.

During the spring of 2005, Spears' reality show with husband Kevin Federline, Britney and Kevin: Chaotic, premiered on UPN in the U.S. The series included five episodes, and both Spears and Federline were credited as executive producers. Chaotic was panned by most critics, and ratings were not as high as expected. 

Spears announced her pregnancy via her official website in April 2005. Despite her eagerness to have a baby, she admitted to ELLE magazine that, "I have a feeling I'm going to have an operation. I don't know why. But I hope so. I don't want to go through the pain." On September 14, 2005, 6lb. 11oz. baby boy Sean Preston Federline was born in the Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica, California by an elective caesarean section.

Her birth was the inspiration behind a statue by Daniel Edwards, Monument to Pro-Life: The Birth of Sean Preston, which was unveiled in March 2006. The statue features an idealised Spears giving birth naturally in a provocative pose hunched on all fours clutching a bearskin rug. Controversy was further stoked by it being partly supported by the Manhattan Right to Life Committee. 

The statue has no way been recognised by Spears' and is therefore unofficial. It has also sparked controversy as Spears' is said to have giving birth by C-section and depicted, in the statue, as natural birth. It is widely beleived in the Spears' fan community that it doesn't even appear to be Spears' herself.

Jive released a remix album entitled B in the Mix: The Remixes in late 2005. It lacked promotion of any kind in the U.S. and debuted outside the top one hundred, with less than 15,000 copies sold in its first week of release. Up-to-date, it has sold one million copies world-wide.

2006: Comeback: In early 2005 before the release of Someday (I Will Understand) Britney released a track called "Mona Lisa" to a variety of American Radio stations. However, as it was not featured on an album and had no promotion, it was virtually ignored and was later included on the Chaotic dvd's bonus cd. There were rumours at this time her new album would be called The Original Doll although these have since dissolved.As of now her new album is untitiled.

Spears participated in the Mardi Gras festivities in New Orleans on February 28, where she corresponded with Good Morning America. She guest starred on an episode of Will & Grace on March 30, 2006, playing a conservative Republican character, and she will release a limited edition fragrance in April 2006 called "In Control," which is a spin-off of her first perfume, "Curious," with "added touches of crème brûlée and midnight orchid."

In interviews with People and with Entertainment Tonight, Spears confirmed that she is currently recording her fifth studio album, to be released sometime in 2006. People Magazine and other sources later confirmed an album was in the works to be released in November 2006. She commented that she couldn't wait to return because the current pop scene has been "a huge lull" and "boring." She also revealed that Jive, her record label, didn't let her "show off" her voice during her earlier years and she is determined to come back proving she can sing, saying "I found out after the baby that I can sing!"

On April 7, 2006, Spears released a clip of a new song for her upcoming album and wrote "For My Sister..." which some say is the title of the song, another possible title for the song is "Just Yesterday." The clip can be found on her official website. Sean Garrett Ne-Yo and Bob Rock have confirmed that they are producing songs for Britney's next album. Jonathan Rotem has also confirmed he is working with Britney on tracks including one called, "Everybody" for an "2006 Unreleased Project." 

As a result of her fame, Spears's personal life has received much media attention. In particular, her marriage to Kevin Federline in 2004. She gave birth to her first child; Sean Preston in 2005 and to her second child; Jayden James, in 2006. The couple's divorce in November of the same year was highly publicized, followed by an ongoing legal battle for the custody of their two children. Spears's personal life continued to receive high levels of publicity in 2007 and 2008.

Personal life: Spears's aunt Sandra Bridges Covington, with whom she had been very close, died of ovarian cancer on January 21, 2007. Spears then stayed in an off-shore drug rehabilitation facility in Antigua for less than 24 hours on February 16. The following night at a hair salon in Tarzana, California she shaved her head bald with electric clippers. A few days later, she admitted herself to another treatment facility in Malibu, California. While leaving the facility briefly, she quickly returned on February 22.The previous day, Kevin Federline had requested an emergency hearing regarding the custody of their children but then his attorney announced that Federline asked to cancel the court appearance. No further explanation was given. Throughout 2007, Spears's behaviors received heightened media attention, including attacking a paparazzi vehicle with an umbrella. Spears left the rehabilitation center on March 20 according to her manager, who said she was released after "successfully completing their program." As the legal battle over the custody of their children continued, many members of her entourage have been subpoenaed to testify about her parenting skills.

In September 2007, the official findings in Spears's custody battle were announced by the court. She was ordered to undergo random drug and alcohol testings and to attend parenting counseling. Spears and Federline continued to share joint custody of their two children on a conditional basis. A few days later, she was officially charged with misdemeanor hit-and-run and driving without a license. If convicted, she could face a year in jail. Spears lost physical custody of her children to Federline on October 1, with the court ruling that Federline will keep full custody of the children. The charges for her alleged hit-and-run that occurred in August 2007 were officially laid, she was booked for the charges by the Los Angeles Police Department on October 15 but was not arrested.

On the evening of January 3, 2008, police were called to Spears's home after she refused to relinquish custody of her children to Federline's representatives. She was hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after she "appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance," though blood tests show negative for any illicit substances. She was held for psychiatric evaluation for two days. Pending a February 19 hearing, Commissioner Scott Gordon issued an order on January 14 stating that her visitation rights have been suspended indefinitely. On January 31, a Court placed Spears under temporary conservatorship of her father James Spears, giving him complete control of her assets.As a result of an order placed by her psychiatrist, she was taken to UCLA Medical Center to be put on a 5150 Involuntary psychiatric hold for the second time that month. On February 1, a restraining order was issued against Sam Lutfi, a prominent figure in Spears's life. She was released from hospital on February 6, although her parents expressed disappointment and concern at the decision to release her.

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