Britney Spears was born on December 2, 1981 at Kentwood, Louisiana She shot to stardom at a very young age, and has been in the spotlight ever since.

Britney has one older brother, Byran Spears born in April 1977 and one younger sister, Jamie Lynn Spears, born in 1991. As a child, Britney started out taking ballet and basic tumbling classes. Soon she was enrolled in a gymnastics class where she excelled in floor exercises and the uneven bars.

Britney began performing at an early age, and when she was 8, she auditioned for the Mickey Mouse Club. Although she was too young for the show, a producer helped her secure an agent in New York City where Britney spent the next three years studying dance and music. She also had bit roles in commercials, theatre and films. When she tuned 11, Britney was old enough to earn a spot on the Mickey Mouse Club and starred on the popular show for two years, relocating with her family to Orlando.

Britney finally signed with Jive Records, after an executive was fully impressed with the talent he heard on the demo tape. Working with Eric Foster White, a producer who had previously worked with artists such as Boyzone and Whitney Houston Britney's debut album was finally ready for its January 12, 1999 release date.

Britney Spears stars in a Coca-Cola commercial, fueling more than just a pop war. She is the youngest female to achieve 10-times platinum status and to notch a number 1 album and single in the US with debut recordings.

In February of 2002, Spears starred in her first major motion picture, Crossroads , bringing her back to her roots in acting. Playing a young woman named Lucy who embarks on an adventurous road trip with three friends in search of a mother who abandoned her at a young age, Spears savvily tied-in the release of the film with several singles from her 2001 recording Britney. Though her fan base showed up in droves, that wasn't enough to make Crossroads a hit.