Paris Hilton

Paris Hilton


Paris Whitney Hilton (born February 17, 1981) is an American celebrity and socialite. She is an heiress to a share of the Hilton Hotel fortune, as well as to the real estate fortune of her father Richard Hilton.

Hilton is notable for her leading role on the reality series The Simple Life. In addition to her work as an actress, she has achieved some recognition as a model, celebrity spokesperson, singer, and writer. She is also known for her participation in a private home sex video made with former boyfriend Rick Salomon. The film, titled 1 Night in Paris, was leaked onto the Internet in late 2003, attracting national publicity in the United States.

Family background

Hilton is the oldest of four children of Richard Hilton and Kathy Richards. Her younger sister is Nicky Hilton (after paternal great-uncle, Conrad Nicholson Hilton II, 'Nicky'), and her younger brothers are Barron Hilton II (after paternal grandfather Barron Hilton), and Conrad Hilton III (after paternal great-grandfather Conrad Nicholson Hilton I).

On the maternal side of her family, Hilton is a niece of two popular child stars of the 1970s—Kim Richards and Kyle Richards, who appeared in the motion picture Escape to Witch Mountain and TV shows such as Nanny and the Professor, Little House on the Prairie, and later, ER. By marriage, she also is related to Zsa Zsa Gabor (the Hungarian-born actress married Paris Hilton's great-grandfather Conrad Hilton), as well as Elizabeth Taylor (the actress's first husband was Paris Hilton's great-uncle, Conrad Nicholson Hilton Jr.).

Her paternal grandparents are hotel chairman Barron Hilton, and his wife, the former Marilyn Hawley; and Hilton's paternal great-grandparents were Hilton Hotel founder Conrad Hilton and his first wife, Mary Barron. When Conrad Hilton died in 1979, he left nothing in his will to his children or other descendants. Barron Hilton contested this decision and prevailed in court in 1988. The value of Paris's inheritance has been variously estimated at between (US) $30 and $50 million.[1][2]

Hilton moved between several exclusive homes in her youth, including a suite in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Manhattan, Beverly Hills, and the Hamptons. Currently, her parents own a $30.5 million mansion in Bel Air, a $12.3 million estate in the Hamptons, and a $10 million house in the Hollywood Hills in which she and her sister stay to give them privacy. She attended her freshman year of high school in Rancho Mirage, California at the Marywood-Palm Valley School and her sophomore and junior years of high school at the Dwight School in New York, but dropped out[3] and eventually earned a GED.[4]

Media career

Fashion model

Hilton began modeling as a child, appearing first in charity events.[5] In 2000, the then nineteen year old signed with Donald Trump's modeling agency, T Management.[5] Hilton has since worked with the top modeling agencies Ford Models Management in New York, Models 1 Agency in London, Nous Model Management in Los Angeles, and Premier Model Management in London. She has appeared in numerous advertisements, including Iceberg, GUESS, Tommy Hilfiger, Christian Dior, and Marciano. In early 2001, Hilton began to develop a reputation as a 19-year-old socialite, being identified as "New York's leading It Girl" whose fame was beginning to "extend beyond [...] the New York tabloids".[5]

Actress

Hilton and Nicole Richie (adopted daughter of Lionel Richie) starred in the 2003 FOX hit reality series The Simple Life, in which they lived with a family on their farm in rural Altus, Arkansas. Capitalizing on the "fish out of water" theme, the show featured Hilton and Richie working at a variety of blue collar jobs, making out with the local boys, and performing menial tasks associated with farm life. The elite duo's resistence to appreciate and engage in the "simple life" was a central theme on the series. It was followed by two more seasons on FOX: The Simple Life 2: Road Trip and The Simple Life 3: Interns, and another on E!: The Simple Life 4: ' Til Death Do Us Part. A fifth season to be aired on E! is currently in development stages.[6]

The leak of her then three-year-old sex video in 2003 fueled an "Internet frenzy" a week prior to the premiere of The Simple Life, leading to speculation that it was a deliberate publicity stunt.[7] Hilton has strongly denied such claims and stated she was "embarrassed" and "humiliated" by the publicity brought by the tape.[8]

Hilton has appeared in minor and supporting roles in the feature films House of Wax (2005), The Hillz (2004), Raising Helen (2004), and Nine Lives (2002). Her role in House of Wax won the Teen Choice Award for "Best Scream", and earned a "Choice Breakout Performance – Female" nomination, and a "Best Frightened Performance" nomination at the MTV Movie Awards 2006. Hilton landed her first lead roles in 2006 with the straight-to-DVD releases National Lampoon's Pledge This! and Bottom's Up with Jason Mewes. She also appeared in cameo roles in Zoolander (2001), The Cat in the Hat (2003), Wonderland (2003), and Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! (2004). She has also acted in the short subjects QIK2JDG (2002) and L.A. Knights (2003). Hilton has several upcoming theatrical releases in which she is the lead role, including The Hottie and the Nottie (2008), and an untitled superhero movie involving Stan Lee.

Hilton also starred in 1 Night in Paris (2004), an unauthorized sex video with her then-boyfriend Rick Salomon, for which she received directorial credit. The film earned three AVN Awards in 2005, including "Best Selling Title of the Year". Hilton originally sued Salomon over the release of the tape, but settled out of court in July 2005. According to reports, Hilton was awarded up to $400,000 and planned to donate a percentage to charity.[9] However, in a 2006 interview with GQ magazine, she stated: "I never received a dime from (the video). It's just dirty money and (Salomon) should give it all to some charity for the sexually abused or something."[10]

Plans for Hilton to lend her name, and also star in a cartoon series which follows the animated life of herself, her sister Nicky, and her dog Tinkerbell are in production.[11] Hilton has also guest starred in episodes of The O.C., The George Lopez Show, Las Vegas, American Dreams and Veronica Mars. Hilton's voice was used in See Paris Die! a viral animation promoting House of Wax and appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, when she claimed to have trade marked the term "that's hot".

Hilton has also appeared in several music videos, including It Girl by John Oates (of Hall & Oates fame), Just Lose It by Eminem and Caught Up In The Rapture by Won-G featuring Gizelle.

Recording artist
Paris Hilton
Background information
Birth name Paris Whitney Hilton
Born February 17 1981 (age 26)
Origin New York City, New York, US
Genre(s) Pop, Hip-hop
Occupation(s) Singer, actor, model, author
Instrument(s) Vocals
Label(s) Heiress Records

Hilton is the founder of Heiress Records, a sub-label of Warner Bros. Records, which she created in 2004. Though Heiress Records' only release as of yet has been Paris, Hilton has said that she plans to sign new artists in the future.

Hilton began work on an album in 2004. The album; Paris, was released on August 22 2006. Before release, Hilton hinted that her album would feature a number of genres, such as pop, reggae, and hip-hop.[12]

Paris debuted at number 6 on the Billboard 200.

Producers for Paris include Greg Wells, Kara DioGuardi, Jane Wiedlin and Scott Storch. Hilton collaborated with Fat Joe and Jadakiss on the song "Fighting Over Me". The first single from Paris, "Stars Are Blind", produced by Fernando Garibay, was released for download on June 20 2006 and peaked at #18 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Turn It Up" and "Nothing in This World" followed "Stars Are Blind" as worldwide singles. Hilton is already planning and recording tracks for her second album, including a new song called "Daddy's Little Girl".[13]

All Music Guide stated, "...it's more fun than anything released by Britney Spears or Jessica Simpson, and a lot fresher, too."[14]

In August/September 2006, it was revealed that underground artists Banksy and Danger Mouse replaced 500 copies of Hilton's debut album in various UK record stores with their own parody remixes and cover art. Along with completely reworked liner notes that included topless photos of Ms. Hilton slathered with slogans like "Every CD you buy puts me even further out of your league", Danger Mouse has replaced Hilton's original songs with his own remixes and given them titles such as "Why am I Famous?", "What Have I Done?" and "What Am I For?" Banksy has doctored pictures of her on the CD sleeve to show Hilton topless and with a dog's head.[15][16]

Paris Hilton has her own channel in YouTube which is currently the #34 most subscribed channel of all time on the service, with over 10,000 subscriptions and 2,000,000 views.[17]

Paris Hilton was recently named as one of the "Hottest Women of Pop/Rock" by Blender Magazine, citing: "She’s a paparazzi magnet, amateur-porn icon, pop singer and self-proclaimed all-around 'sexy blonde bitch.'"[18]

Other business ventures

In the autumn of 2004, Hilton released a book, Confessions of an Heiress: A Tongue-in-Chic Peek Behind the Pose co-written by Merle Ginsberg, which has full color photographs of her and gives her tips on the dos and don'ts of living as an heiress. Hilton was reportedly given $100,000 in advanced payment for this book. Some in the media panned the writing as amateurish, and the book was parodied by Robert Mundell on The Late Show with David Letterman. Nonetheless, the book became a New York Times bestseller. Hilton followed it up with a designer-diary, also with Ginsberg—Your Heiress Diary: Confess It All To Me. Aimed at her young fans, it contained pages encouraging fans to write about their goals, their friends and family, boys, celebrities they admire, etc. Hilton plans to release another book in 2007.

Hilton has helped design a collection of purses for Tokyo, Japan label Samantha Thavasa[19] and has also been involved in the design of a jewelry line, The Paris Hilton Collection, for Amazon.com.[20] Hilton launched the Paris Hilton Limited Edition Watch Collection brand during a news conference at the Tourneau store in New York November 30, 2005. Hilton's 18kt white gold and diamond encrusted watches that she helped design[21] start at $100,000.[22] Hilton also has plans to launch a fashion line.

Hilton began her own chain of nightclubs known as Club Paris in 2005. The first of which in Orlando, Florida has been a major success. The second located in Jacksonville, Florida opened July 1, 2006, she has also opened a popular Club Paris in the Gold Coast, Australia.[citation needed] Hilton is in talks to develop further clubs in Las Vegas, New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, and Cancun, Mexico. She also hopes to take the clubs to overseas markets and to expand the clubs to become five-star hotels featuring accommodation and casinos. Paris was fired in January 2007 by the owner of Club Paris, Fred Khalilian, after she had failed to attend several scheduled appearances.[23] An upcoming reality show created by Khalilian will feature 18 women competing to be the next 'Ms. Club Paris USA', who will then replace Paris as the face of the club chain.[24]

Gameloft, a developer and publisher of mobile games, previewed a Paris Hilton-branded mobile game called Paris Hilton's Diamond Quest at the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). As of May 26, 2006, Gameloft's press release states that "...the company decided on a title to reflect the fresh, dynamic and sexy appeal of the heiress extraordinaire."[25]

In early May of 2004, Hilton was involved in the creation of a fragrance line by Parlux Fragrances. The perfume would be aptly named Paris Hilton. Hilton said, "It's really hot. I mixed all these scents together...it smells so good".[26] The perfume launch was a success. Originally set to be a small release, demand was high and necessitated a wider release before Christmas of 2004. The launch was followed by a 47% increase in sales for Parlux, which was predominantly due to sales of the Hilton-branded perfume.[27] After the success of Hilton's perfume, Parlux Fragrances released Paris Hilton for Men, a cologne for Hilton's male admirers, as well as another fragrance called Just Me by Paris Hilton, which is available for both women and men. Another perfume titled Heiress by Paris Hilton was released in October 2006. A counterpart for men, Heir by Paris Hilton, has also been released by Parlux, with a new line of color cosmetics set to follow.[28]

Charity Work

In November of 2004, Hilton participated in Sean "Diddy" Combs' Citizen Change campaign to encourage youths to vote in the presidential election. She drew criticism after it was revealed she had neither voted, nor even registered to do so.[29][30]

Personal life

Hilton has been widely discussed by the tabloid media. Hilton was engaged to male fashion model Jason Shaw from mid-2002 to early 2003. On May 29, 2005, she announced her engagement to Paris Latsis, a Greek shipping heir. However, on October 1, 2005, Hilton announced that the five-month engagement had been called off. Soon thereafter, she began dating another Greek shipping heir, Stavros Niarchos III, but as of May 2, 2006, Hilton publicist Elliot Mintz told the press of the reported breakup.

On July 11, 2006 in an attempt to "rediscover herself", Hilton imposed a ban on sexual activity for one year. She told Regis and Kelly: "I'm doing it just because I want to. I feel I'm becoming stronger as a person. Every time I have a boyfriend, I'm just so romantic, and I'll put all my energy into the guy, and I don't really pay attention to myself. One-night stands are not for me. I think it's gross when you just give it up. Guys want you more if you don't just hand it to them on a platter. If they want you, then they will wait. You have to make them work for it. I think that's the only way you know if they really want you or just want to be able to brag that they've been with you."[31] Despite her comments of a single life, Hilton was photographed kissing Brandon Davis on July 16, 2006 in West Hollywood.[32] On July 31, 2006, she told People that she and Stavros are together again.[33]

On September 7, 2006, Hilton was arrested for driving under the influence, even though she claimed that she had just one margarita, and that the high alcohol content in her blood was a result of having no time to eat during a long day while making a music video; Hilton's blood alcohol content was 0.08, the limit in California. Hilton was booked on suspicion of misdemeanor DUI and released almost immediately due to the flood of photographers outside. She stated she was speeding to get food at the In-N-Out Burger restaurant.[34] On January 22, 2007, Hilton pled no contest to alcohol-related reckless driving, a lesser charge than driving under the influence. She was placed on 36 months probation and ordered to pay fines of about US$1,500.[35]

On January 22, 2007, Hilton's private life was again thrust into the media spotlight with the launch of ParisExposed.com, a website that features images of personal documents, video, and other material allegedly obtained when the contents of a storage locker rented by Hilton was auctioned off due to lack of a $208 payment.[36] The website began charging online access to this material and received 1.2 million visitors in just over 40 hours.[37] Among the contents were medications, diaries, photographs, contracts and love letters, as well as a video of her shot by Joe Francis of Girls Gone Wild, whom she once dated.[38] On February 3, 2007 Hilton obtained a temporary injunction against ParisExposed.com, closing down the website.[39]

On February 5, 2007, CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 discussed footage obtained from the ParisExposed.com website which features Hilton using the ethnic slurs "niggers", "chink", and "Jappy" - in addition to the term "Faggot".[40] Rosie O'Donnell attacked Hilton publicly on ABC's The View over the issue.[citation needed]

On March 29, 2007, The Los Angeles City's Attorney's Office announced that Hilton violated the terms of her DUI probation, and they want her to serve at least 90 days in jail. She violated her probation when she was pulled over on February 27 and cited for driving on a suspended license. The hotel heiress was spotted driving along Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles without her headlights on, according to police reports. Officers pulled Hilton over in her Bentley convertible and found she was driving with a suspended license - the result of her drunk driving arrest the previous September. [41]

Paris Hilton,Life

Paris Hilton

* Born: Feb 17, 1981
* Occupation: Actor
* Active: 2000s
* Major Genres: Comedy, Drama
* Career Highlights: House of Wax, The Simple Life: Season 04, The Simple Life: Season 05
* First Major Screen Credit: Nine Lives (2002)

Biography
At one point, it would have been hard to define Paris Hilton. "Career heiress" doesn't cut it; nor does "party girl" or "high-ranking socialite-cum-model-cum-actress," and "American royalty" was arguably too dramatic a label for a woman whose true breakout role cost less to film than a night in a budget room at the neighborhood Hilton hotel. Luckily, as lackluster economies are wont to do, the early 2000s looked toward the financial elite and borrowed heavily from Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous in hopes of creating a new rush of money envy. Enter MTV Cribs, The Osbournes, Rich Girls, VH1's The Fabulous Life, and Paris Hilton, celebutante.

Heiress of hotel guru Conrad Hilton, Paris became famous for possessing the ingredients of fame, albeit minus the resumé. As she grew skinnier, blonder, wilder, and richer, society joyfully embraced her as gossip fodder and allowed her to adopt a movie-star mystique while waiving the irksome requirement of having starred in an actual movie. This is not to say Hilton has no film credits to her name; in 2001, she landed a cameo role as herself in Ben Stiller's Zoolander and later stretched her acting chops to play a rowdy clubber in The Cat in the Hat (2003). Unfortunately for Hilton, her small role in James Cox's crime thriller Wonderland that same year was overshadowed by a larger role in an explicit homemade sex video, which her ex-boyfriend promptly sold to the salivating Internet hoards. Interestingly enough, the ensuing lawsuit and barrage of negative publicity did nothing but bolster the ratings of The Simple Life, a reality show starring Hilton and fellow heiress Nicole Richie. The series chronicled Hilton and Ritchie's reactions to the pitfalls of "simple" living, such as holding a job and shopping in outlets that don't stock haute couture. While the show could never quite decide who the novelty was -- the ridiculous rich girls or "hayseed" townsfolk -- The Simple Life was, nonetheless, a huge success.

Still basking in the warmth of paparazzi camera flashes across the globe, Paris Hilton continued looking to further her acting career. She took on her biggest role to date in 2004's Nine Lives, a straight-to-video supernatural thriller directed by newcomer Andrew Getty. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

Paris Hilton, Biography

Paris Hilton

* Genre: Rock
* Active: 2000s
* Instrument: Executive Producer, Vocals (Background), Vocals
* Representative Album: "Paris"

Biography
Born into wealth and the American equivalent of aristocracy, Paris Hilton was the oldest of Kenneth Hilton and Kathy Richards' four children, and an heir to the family's hotel chain (her great-grandfather, Conrad Hilton, was the founder). Growing up in New York and L.A., Paris, though she was often seen with celebrities, didn't become a household name until her ex-boyfriend Rick Salomon released a sex tape of theirs onto the Internet in 2003, shortly before her Fox reality show, The Simple Life, was set to air. The show, which filmed Paris and (former) best friend Nicole Richie as they tried to live on an Arkansas farm without the modern conveniences they were used to (credit cards, cell phones), became a hit, and almost instantly, Paris' name and image were everywhere. Paris, now famous for being famous, began dabbling in modeling, writing, movies, and of course, music. Drawing inspiration from the lighthearted, summertime pop of Gwen Stefani and Ashlee Simpson, the album's first single, "Stars Are Blind," was released in the spring of 2006, followed by her self-titled full-length debut in August, with plans for a follow-up already on the way. ~ Marisa Brown, All Music Guide

Paris Hilton, Socialite

Paris Hilton, Socialite / TV Personality

* Born: 17 February 1981
* Birthplace: United States
* Best Known As: Party-hopping Hilton Hotel heiress and star of TV's The Simple Life

First known to the tabloids as "Paris the Heiress," Hilton went from party-hopping socialite to self-made entertainment brand early in the 21st century. She is the great-granddaughter of hotel magnate Conrad Hilton, granddaughter of Barron Hilton, grand-niece of Nicholas Conrad "Nicky" Hilton (the one-time husband of Elizabeth Taylor) and daughter of real estate magnate Rick Hilton. In 2003 Hilton starred in a fish-out-of-water "reality" show called The Simple Life on the Fox Network. The show was a takeoff on the 1960s sitcom Green Acres, with city girls Hilton and Nicole Richie (daughter of singer Lionel Richie) spending a month on a farm in Altus, Arkansas. A big hit, the show continued on in various forms from 2004-07. Hilton released a book in 2004, Confessions of an Heiress, and the same year Hilton became a partner in an Orlando nightclub, Club Paris. In 2005 she appeared in the remake of the 1950s horror film classic House of Wax (also starring Elisha Cuthbert). Her first musical album, Paris, was released in 2006. Hilton also had scrapes with the law: in September of 2006 she was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, and was given probation after pleading guilty to reckless driving. She was sent to jail in June 2007 after violating her probation by driving with a suspended license. Hilton's younger sister Nicky is also a well-known socialite.

Hilton's jail was the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, California, about five miles from downtown Los Angeles. She was originally sentenced to 45 days in jail, but that was reduced to 23 days for good behavior. She entered jail on the evening of 3 June 2007 and, in a surprise move, was released by the sheriff on the morning of 7 June 2007 for what a Sheriff's Department spokesman said were medical reasons. (She was officially credited with five days in jail, having arrived on the night of June 3rd and having left early on the 7th.) As part of her release, her sentence was returned to 45 days, with Hilton to spend the remaining 40 days of the sentence at home with a monitoring bracelet. The next day, however, the judge said he had not agreed to her release and ordered back to jail. She was released just after midnight on 26 June 2007... Hilton became engaged to Greek shipping heir Paris Latsis in May of 2005; however, the two Parises broke off their engagement later that year... The Simple Life was cancelled by Fox in 2005. The E! cable network then picked up the show for 2006 and 2007... By coincidence, the original Green Acres starred Eva Gabor, the sister of Zsa Zsa Gabor, who was married to Paris Hilton's great-grandfather Conrad Hilton... A similar reality-type show of 2003, Rich Girls, starred fashion fortune heiress Ally Hilfiger... Hilton was in the news in November 2003 when a home video of her cavorting with former boyfriend Rick Solomon was published online. Solomon is the estranged husband of actress Shannen Doherty; the tape was reportedly made in 2000, when Solomon was 30 and Hilton was 19.

Representative Songs of Britny

Representative Songs:
"...Baby One More Time," "(You Drive Me) Crazy," "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know"

Representative Albums:
Greatest Hits: My Prerogative, Britney, ...Baby One More Time

Influences:
Madonna

Worked With:
Tomas Lindberg

Relationship with:
Kevin Federline

Performed Songs By:
Jörgen Elofsson, Andreas Carlsson, Per Magnusson, Max Martin, Eric Foster White

Britney Spears profile_2

Britney Spears

* Genre: Rock
* Active: '90s, 2000s
* Instrument: Vocals

Biography
More than any other single artist, Britney Spears was the driving force behind the return of teen pop in the late '90s. The blockbuster success of the Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys certainly paved the way for her own commercial breakthrough, but Spears didn't just become a star -- she was a bona fide pop phenomenon. Not only did she sell millions of records, she was a media fixture regardless of what she was (or wasn't) doing; among female singers of the era (many of whom followed in her footsteps), her celebrity star power was rivaled only by Jennifer Lopez. From the outset, Spears' sex appeal was an important part of her image; the video for her debut single, "...Baby One More Time," outfitted her in full Catholic-school regalia, and sent her well on the way to becoming an international sex symbol. Yet Spears' handlers seemed to be trying to have it both ways -- there was a definite tension between the wholesome innocence Spears tried to project for her female audience, and the titillating sexuality that enticed so many male fans. Those marketing tactics made Spears a somewhat controversial figure, the subject of endless debates concerning appropriate role models for teenage girls. Early on, Spears tried to defuse the controversy by preaching abstinence until marriage, and even denied that she was consciously cultivating such a sexualized image. Of course, the more provocative and revealing her on-stage wardrobe became, the less plausible that claim seemed. But apart from her ability to tiptoe the line between virginal coquette and brazen tart, Spears had a secret weapon in Swedish pop mastermind Max Martin, who had a hand in the vast majority of her hits as a writer and/or producer. With Martin crafting the sort of contemporary dance-pop and sentimental ballads that made stars of the Backstreet Boys, Spears kept on delivering the goods commercially, as her first three albums all topped the charts.

Britney Jean Spears was born December 2, 1981, in the small town of Kentwood, LA, and began performing as a singer and dancer at a young age. With a nationally televised appearance on Star Search already under her belt, Spears auditioned for the Disney Channel's The New Mickey Mouse Club at age eight. The producers turned her down as too young, but one of them took an interest and introduced her to an agent in New York. Spears spent the next three years studying at the Professional Performing Arts School, and also appeared in several television commercials and off-Broadway plays. At 11, she returned to The New Mickey Mouse Club for a second audition, and this time made the cut. Although her fellow Mouseketeers included an impressive array of future stars -- *NSYNC's Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez, Christina Aguilera, and Felicity actress Keri Russell -- the show was canceled after Spears' second season. She returned to New York at age 15 and set about auditioning for pop bands and recording demo tapes, one of which eventually landed her a deal with Jive Records.

Spears entered the studio with top writer/producers like Eric Foster White (Boyzone, Whitney Houston, Backstreet Boys) and Max Martin (Ace of Base, Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC). In late 1998, Jive released her debut single, the Martin-penned "...Baby One More Time." Powered by its video, in which Spears and a troupe of dancers were dressed as Catholic-school jailbait, the single shot to the top of the Billboard charts. When Spears' debut album of the same title was released in early 1999, it entered the charts at number one and stayed there for six weeks. Once the ubiquitous lead single died down, the album kept spinning off hits: the Top Ten "(You Drive Me) Crazy," the near-Top 20 ballad "Sometimes," and the Top 20 "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart." By the end of 1999, ...Baby One More Time had sold ten million copies, and went on to sell a good three million more on top of that. Its success touched off a wave of young pop divas that included Christina Aguilera, Pink, Jessica Simpson, and Mandy Moore. Spears was a superstar, drooled over in countless magazines, including a Rolling Stone cover that prompted immediate speculation about the still-17 year old having gotten breast implants.

By the time ...Baby One More Time finally started to lose steam on the singles and album charts, Spears was ready to release her follow-up. Oops!...I Did It Again appeared in the spring of 2000, and the title track was an instant smash, racing into the Top Ten. The album entered the charts at number one and sold over a million copies in its first week of release, setting a new record for single-week sales by a female artist. Follow-up singles included "Lucky," the gold-selling "Stronger," and "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know," which was co-written by country diva Shania Twain and her producer Mutt Lange. A year after its release, Oops!...I Did It Again had sold over nine million copies. Rumors that Spears was dating *N Sync heartthrob (and fellow ex-Mouseketeer) Justin Timberlake were eventually confirmed, which only added to the media attention lavished on her.

For her next album, Spears looked ahead to a not-so-distant future when both she and much of her audience would be growing up. Released in late 2001, Britney tried to present the singer as a more mature young woman, and was accompanied by mild hints that her personal life wasn't always completely puritanical. It became her third straight album to debut at number one, although this time around the singles weren't as successful; "I'm a Slave 4 U," "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman," and "Overprotected" all missed the Top Ten. In early 2002, Spears' feature-film debut, Crossroads, hit theaters, but its commercial performance was somewhat disappointing; moreover, her romance with Timberlake fizzled not long after. Spears next made a cameo appearance in Mike Myers' Austin Powers: Goldmember, and contributed a remix of "Boys" to the soundtrack. Meanwhile, sales of Britney stalled at four million copies, perhaps in part because a new breed of teenage female singer/songwriters, like Michelle Branch and Avril Lavigne, was emerging as an alternative to the highly packaged teen queens. Spears took a break from recording and performing for several months, and began work on a new album in early 2003. The results, In the Zone, reflected a wish to be taken seriously as a mature (though still highly sexualized) adult. Predictably, it topped the charts and launched several singles into orbit, including the musically adventurous "Toxic," "Everytime," and "Me Against the Music."

In the Zone hit number one on the Billboard 200, and "Toxic" snagged a Grammy for Best Dance Recording. But by 2004 there were no longer any illusions of Britney's personal life being all wholesome candy canes and kisses. First there was the star's bizarre two-day marriage to childhood friend Jason Alexander, followed by the controversial, highly sexualized Onyx Hotel tour, which was eventually canceled (allegedly because of a knee injury) despite positive financial numbers. Starbucks and cigarettes were Britney's constant accessories in the endless paparazzi photos, and the revelation of her relationship with former backup dancer Kevin Federline made the tabloids even more ravenous. Spears and Federline married in September and were tabloid regulars in the months after the ceremony. (A photo of a barefoot Britney leaving a dingy gas station bathroom made the Internet rounds.) The couple also starred in Chaotic, a UPN reality show consisting mostly of their own home videos that was met with howls from the critics and blogs. 2005 was no less eventful for Spears. She released Greatest Hits: My Prerogative that January, but it was the announcement of her pregnancy that really garnered the headlines. Sean Preston Federline was born in September, and a bidding war ensued for first rights to the baby photos. As the hubbub surrounding Sean's birth continued, Britney released a remix album just in time for the holiday season. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

Britney Spears profile

Britney Spears, Singer

* Born: 2 December 1981
* Birthplace: Kentwood, Louisiana
* Best Known As: Pop superstar singer of ...Baby One More Time

Name at birth: Britney Jean Spears

Britney Spears was only 17 when she reached #1 on the U.S. pop music charts with her 1999 debut album ...Baby One More Time. Her catchy tunes and hubba-hubba physique made Spears one of America's biggest pop stars, and she became a near-constant presence on MTV, radio broadcasts and magazine covers around the world. Spears had an early head start on teen stardom: she was in the cast of the Disney Channel's The Mickey Mouse Club during its 1993 and 1994 seasons. (Future pop stars Christina Aguilera, and Justin Timberlake and J.C. Chasez of the band 'N Sync got their starts on the same show. Spears and Timberlake were romantically linked on and off from 2000-2003.) Spears's second album, Oops!...I Did It Again was released in May of 2000 and went gold in its first week. In 2003 she released her third album, In the Zone. She also starred in the 2002 teen road-trip film Crossroads. In that film the younger version of her character, Lucy, was played by her sister, Jamie Lynn Spears, the star of the cable TV comedy Zoey 101. Spears married Kevin Federline, a professional dancer, in 2004. Spears filed for divorce from Federline on 7 November 2006, citing irreconcilable differences.

Spears entered rehab in February of 2007 after a period of erratic behavior which included shaving her head at a local salon... Spears and Federline had two sons together: Sean Preston Federline (b. 14 September 2005) and Jayden James Federline (b. 12 September 2006). Before their marriage, Federline had fathered two children with Moesha star Shar Jackson... The wedding ceremony for Spears and Federline was held on 18 September 2004, but papers formalizing the wedding weren't filed until October 7th... After Spears filed for divorce, Federline was nicknamed "Fed-Ex" by the press... Spears married childhood friend Jason Alexander in an impromptu ceremony in the Little White Wedding Chapel on the Las Vegas Strip in the early morning of 3 January 2004. The couple agreed to an annulment later the same day. Alexander is no relation to Seinfeld star Jason Alexander... Spears was considered for the role of Daisy Duke in the 2005 movie The Dukes of Hazzard, but the role instead went to fellow pop star Jessica Simpson... Spears' middle name is often incorrectly reported to be "Jeau" rather than "Jean."

Britny Spears Candid Photo Getting

I can't believe this, she looks so drunk. Whats going on with her? she's not handling the breakup ok,

Then to add to the agony, there was a report on her on one of those gossip tv shows like Extra, or access hollywood. She looks all drunk and wasted. I bet the press is having a field with her. Not sure what's going on with her. She is so sweet. They just need to leave her alone, I would have to be a star, everyone indveding your privacy. even i am doing it because i am posting this forum huh. my bad. hopefully, she'll get all the party done with and over with, then if she decides to go with a real man, look me up britney, im available!

After igniting a media firestorm by flashing her apparent lack of underwear to the paparazzi, Britney Spears is finally talking.

"It's been so long since I've been out on the town with friends," the singer writes in a posting Thursday on her Web site.

"It's also been 2 years since I've even celebrated my birthday. Every move I make at this point has been magnified more than I expected, and I probably did take my newfound freedom a little too far. Anyway, thank God for Victoria's Secrets' new underwear line! I look forward to a new year, new music and a new me."

Spears, the mother of two young sons, celebrated her 25th birthday on December 2. She has been unleashing her inner wild child since filing for divorce last month from Kevin Federline, her husband of two years.

Her recent nights out with party girls Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan -- and those uncensored, R-rated crotch shots that were splashed across the Web -- drew disapproval from her fans and other Spears watchers.

Spears and Federline, 28, have a 1-year-old son, Sean Preston, and an infant son, Jayden James, who was born September 12. Spears is seeking custody of both children, with visitation rights for Federline.

Federline, an aspiring rapper, is seeking spousal support and sole custody of his sons with Spears.