Britney Biography

Born in rural Louisiana, teen popster Britney Spears was groomed for stardom from the start. She spent her early childhood performing in talent shows and dance reviews before, at age eight, she was discovered by a TV producer who hooked her up with a New York agent.

Britney spent her summers in New York studying at the Off-Broadway Dance Center and the Professional Performing Arts School and began picking up television commercials. At 10 she landed a role in the Off-Broadway production "Ruthless" and a year later was cast in the Disney Channel's popular "Mickey Mouse Club Show."

After two years of taping the Disney show in Orlando, Britney returned to Louisiana and set her sites on a career in pop music. She was quickly recruited by Jive Records, home of the Backstreet Boys, and teamed up with Eric Foster (Whitney Houston, Hi-Five) and Max Martin (Robyn, Backstreet Boys), who produced her debut album.

Baby One More Time hit record store shelves in early 1999.