Photos of Britney Spears

Britney Jean Spears was born on December 2, 1981, in Kentwood, Louisiana. She always knew she wanted to pursue a musical career, so she took her talents to her local church, where she sang with the choir. She even sang on national television as a Star Search contestant. At the age of 8, Britney auditioned for the popular children's variety show The New Mickey Mouse Club, but she was refused because of her young age. Luckily for Britney Spears, one of the show's producers saw the young singer's talent and helped her find an agent in New York City.Britney Spears spent the next three summers in New York, where she studied at the famous Off Broadway Dance Center and at the Professional Performing Arts School. She also appeared in commercials and off-Broadway shows, one of which showcased Britney as an innocent 10-year-old with a "bad girl" edge.Britney Spears has sold well over 20 million records worldwide, and she made history as the youngest female artist to have her debut single and debut album (...Baby One More Time) top the Billboard charts in the same week. At 18, she had another No. 1 album on her hands, Oops!... I Did It Again, and in 2001 Britney was released, shocking audiences with the provocative video for "Slave 4 U."Trying her luck on the big screen, Britney Spears starred in 2002's Crossroads, along with actress-singer Taryn Manning. Unfortunately, it showcased Britney's physical assets more than her acting range, and the movie bombed, but Britney bounced back the following year with the album In The Zone.Publicity certainly hasn't missed Britney Spears: In 2003, she and childhood boyfriend Justin Timberlake had a public breakup, with rumors circulating that she had cheated on him), while she locked lips with Madonna at the MTV Video Music Awards during a performance of "Like A Virgin/Hollywood."On September 18, 2004, news broke that Britney and boyfriend Kevin Federline (a former backup dancer of hers) had tied the knot in a "surprise wedding," and that Brit did indeed get Kevin to sign a prenup. In 2005, she gave birth to her first baby boy, Sean Preston Federline, and in 2006, she gave birth to her second son, Jayden James.Britney Spears made waves in the media yet again in 2007 with all kinds of strange antics... She checked into rehab in February, only to check out the next day and walk into a salon to shave all her hair off. She attacked a photographer with an umbrella and was charged with a misdemeanor for a hit-and-run (again, involving the paparazzi). In October, she lost custody of her children to ex-husband K-Fed.