Britney Spears was born in McComb, Mississippi and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana as a Southern Baptist. Britney Spears's parents are Lynne Irene, a former elementary school teacher, and Jamie Parnell Spears, a former building contractor and chef. Britney Spears has two siblings, Bryan and Jamie Lynn. Bryan Spears is married to Jamie-Lynn’s manager, Graciella Rivera.
Britney Spears was an accomplished gymnast, attending gymnastics classes until age nine and competing in state-level competitions. Britney Spears performed in local dance revues and sang in her local Baptist church choir. Britney Spears entered New York City’s Professional Performing Arts School when Britney Spears was eight. Britney Spears’s parents would often argue, and they eventually divorced in 2002.
At age eight, Britney Spears auditioned for the Disney Channel series The New Mickey Mouse Club. Although she was considered too young to join the series at the time, a producer on the show introduced her to a New York City agent. Britney Spears subsequently spent three summers at NYC’s Professional Performing Arts School and also appeared in a number of off-Broadway productions. Britney Spears was an understudy in the 1991 off-Broadway musical Ruthless!.
In 1992, she landed a spot on the popular television show Star Search. Britney Spears won the first round of competition, but ultimately lost. At age eleven, Britney Spears returned to the Disney Channel for a spot on The New Mickey Mouse Club in Lakeland, Florida. Britney Spears was featured on the show from 1993 to 1994, until she was 13.After the show ended, Britney Spears returned to Kentwood and attended high school for a year.
In 1997, Britney Spears briefly joined the all-female pop group Innosense.Later that same year, Britney Spears recorded a solo demo and was signed by Jive Records.She began a U.S. concert tour sponsored by American teen magazines, and eventually became an opening act for ‘N Sync and the Backstreet Boys.
