name	Judge
official names	Judge, justice, magistrate
type	Profession
activity sector	LawPolitics
competencies	Analytical mind, critical thinking, impartiality, commercial sense
formation	Usually experience as an advocate
employment field	Courts
related occupation	Barrister, solicitor, prosecutor, professor
average salary	}}

A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open court. The judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the parties of the case, assesses the credibility and arguments of the parties, and then issues a ruling on the matter at hand based on his or her interpretation of the law and his or her own personal judgment. In some jurisdictions, the judge's powers may be shared with a jury. In inquisitorial systems of criminal investigation, a judge might also be an examining magistrate.

Symbols of office

A variety of traditions have become associated with the rank or occupation.

In many parts of the world, judges wear long robes (usually in black or red) and sit on an elevated platform during trials (known as the bench).

In some countries, especially in the Commonwealth of Nations, judges sometimes wear wigs. The long wig often associated with judges is now reserved for ceremonial occasions, although it was part of the standard attire in previous centuries. A short wig resembling but not identical to a barrister's wig would be worn in court. This tradition, however, is being phased out in Britain in non-criminal courts.

American judges frequently wear black robes. American judges have ceremonial gavels, although American judges have court deputies or bailiffs and "contempt of court" power as their main devices to maintain decorum in the courtroom. However, in some Western states, like California, judges did not always wear robes and instead wore everyday clothing. Today, some members of state supreme courts, such as the Maryland Court of Appeals wear distinct dress.

In Italy both judges and lawyers wear particular black robes.

In the People's Republic of China, judges wore regular street clothes until 1984, when they began to wear military-style uniforms, which were intended to demonstrate authority. These uniforms were replaced in 2000 by black robes similar to those worn in the rest of the world.

In Oman, the judge wears a long stripe (red, green white), while the attorneys wear the black gown.

Titles and forms of address

Asia

Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, judges were addressed, in Cantonese, as ''Fat Goon Dai Yan'' (法官大人) before 1997, and as ''Fat Goon Gok Ha'' (法官閣下) since 1997. ''Fat Goon'' (法官) means "Judge". Judges are addressed as 'My Lord'/'My Lady' and referred to as 'Your Lordship'/'Your Ladyship' when trials are conducted in English, another official language of the city-state.

India

In India, judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts are addressed as 'Your Lordship'/'My Lord' and 'Your Ladyship'/'My Lady', a tradition directly attributable to England. However a resolution of the Bar Council of India calls upon lawyers not to address the judges as 'lord' or 'lady', questioning the association with nobility within a constitutional democracy. Lawyers however continue to so address judges – partly out of entrenched habit and partly out of fear of falling in disfavour with them. Subordinate court judges (district, magistrate, munsif and sub-judges) are addressed as 'Your Honour'.

Israel

In Israel, judges of all courts are addressed as "Sir/Madam" (''אדוני''/''גבירתי'') or "Your Honor" (''כבודו''/''כבודה'').

Japan

In Japan, judges are addressed simply as "Saibancho" (Chief judge) or "Saibankan" (Judge)

Malaysia

In Malaysia, judges of the subordinate courts are addressed as "Tuan" or "Puan" (Sir or Madam), or Your Honour, while judges of the superior courts are addressed as "Yang Arif" (lit. "Learned One") or My Lord/Lady and Your Lordship/Ladyship if the proceedings, as they generally are in the superior courts, are in English.

Pakistan

In Pakistan, judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts are addressed as 'Your Lordship'/'My Lord' and 'Your Ladyship'/'My Lady', a tradition directly attributable to England. There is some resistance to this on religious grounds but more or less continues till this day. In lower courts, judges are addressed as "sir", "madam" or the Urdu equivalent "Janab".

Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, judges of all courts are addressed as "Your Honour", however the Chief Justice is addressed as "Your Lordship". Judges of the Supreme Court and the Appeal Court receives the title "The Honourable".

Europe

Bulgaria

In Bulgaria before 1989 during the communist regime judges were addressed as "другарю" ("comrade"). After 1989 - "господин/ госпожо съдия" ("Mr./Mrs. Judge").

France

In France, the presiding judge of a court is addressed as "Mr./Mrs. President" (''Monsieur le président''/''Madame la présidente''), whilst associate judges are addressed as "Mr./Mrs. Judge" (''Monsieur le juge''/''Madame le juge'').

Germany

In Germany as "Mr./Mrs. Chairman" (''Herr Vorsitzender''/''Frau Vorsitzende'').

Ireland

Judges of the Supreme Court or High Court are officially titled "The Honourable Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss Justice N", referred to for short as "Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss Justice N" and addressed in Court by their respective titles or styles, as "The Court", or simply "Judge". Some barristers continue occasionally to use the traditional mode of style, "My Lord", but this has been discouraged since 2006. In law reports, the Chief Justice of Ireland has the postnominal "CJ", the President of the High Court the postnominal "P", and all other judges "J", e.g. "Smith J".

Judges of the Circuit Court are titled "His/Her Honour Judge N" and are addressed in Court as "Judge". Before 2006, they were addressed as "My Lord". In law reports, "Judge Smith".

Judges of the District Court are titled "Judge N" and addressed in Court as "Judge". Before 1991 these judges were known as District Justices and addressed as "Your Worship".

Italy

In Italy the presiding judge of a court is addressed as well to as "Mr./Mrs. President of the Court" ("Signor presidente della corte").

Netherlands

In the Netherlands, presiding judges of either sex during trial are addressed ''edelachtbare'' ("Your Honor").

Poland

In Poland, presiding judges of either sex during trial are addressed ''Wysoki Sądzie'' ("High Judge").

Russia

In Russia as "Your Honor" ("Ваша Честь" trans. "Vasha Chest") - for criminal cases only. For civil and commercial cases the right version is "Respected Court".

Spain

In Spain, magistrates of the Supreme Court, magistrates and judges are addressed to as "Your Lordship" (''Su Señoría''); however, in formal occasions, magistrates of the Supreme Court are addressed to as "Your Right Honorable Lordship" (''Vuestra Señoría Excelentísima'' or ''Excelentísimo Señor''/''Excelentísima Señora''); in those solemn occasions, magistrates of lower Courts are addressed as "Your Honorable Lordship" (''Vuestra Señoría Ilustrísima'' or ''Ilustrísimo Señor''/''Ilustrísima Señora''); simple judges are always called "Your Lordship".

Sweden

In Sweden the presiding judge of a court is normally addressed as (sometimes Mr./Mrs.) Chairman (Herr "Ordförande"/Fru "Ordförande").

United Kingdom

England and Wales

In the Courts of England and Wales judges of the High Court and Court of Appeal are addressed (when sitting in those courts) as "My Lord" or "My Lady" and referred to as "Your Lordship" or "Your Ladyship".

When a judge of the High Court who is not present is being referred to they are described as "Mr./Mrs. Justice ''N.''" In writing, the post-nominal letter "J" is used to denote a Judge (male or female) of the High Court: for example, Smith J.

Judges of the Court of Appeal, also called Lords Justice of Appeal, are referred to as "Lord Justice N" or "Lady Justice N." In writing, Lords Justices of Appeal are afforded the post nominal letters "LJ:" for example, Smith LJ.

Circuit Judges and Recorders are addressed as "Your Honour." Circuit judges are referred to as "His/Her Honour Judge N." In writing, this title may be abbreviated as "HHJ" or "HH Judge," e.g. "HH Judge Smith." district judges and tribunal judges are addressed as "Sir/Madam".

Lay magistrates are sometimes still addressed as "Your Worship" in England, South Africa and Canada, mainly by solicitors, but this practice in other Commonwealth countries is nearly obsolete. Lay magistrates are also addressed as "Sir/Madam."

Masters of the High Court are addressed as "Master".

In the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, judges are called Justices of the Supreme Court. Those Justices of the Supreme Court who do not hold life peerages are now given the courtesy style "Lord" or "Lady." Justices of the Supreme Court are addressed as "My Lord/Lady" in court. In the law reports, the Justices of the Supreme Court are usually referred to as "Lord/Lady N", although the Weekly Law Reports appends the post-nominal letters "JSC" (e.g. "Lady Smith JSC"), and the President and Deputy President of the Court are afforded the post-nominal letters PSC and DPSC respectively.

Scotland

In the Courts of Scotland judges in the Court of Session, High Court of Justiciary and Sheriff Courts are all addressed as "My Lord" or "My Lady" and referred to as "Your Lordship" or "Your Ladyship".

Justices of the Peace in Justice of the Peace Courts are addressed and referred to as "Your Honour".

Northern Ireland

The judicial system of Northern Ireland is very similar to that of England and Wales, and superior court judges are addressed the same way as those in England and Wales. However there are a few differences at the lower levels.

In Northern Ireland, the equivalent to a Circuit Judge is a County Court Judge, and they are addressed and titled the same way as a Circuit Judge is in England and Wales. The senior County Court Judges assigned to the County Court Divisions of Belfast and Derry have the titles of ''Recorder of Belfast'' and ''Recorder of Londonderry'' respectively, but are addressed the same as other County Court Judges. A district judge sitting in the County Court is addressed as "Your Honour".

A District Judge (Magistrates' Court) is addressed as "Your Worship". A Lay Magistrate, in cases where they are present, is also addressed as "Your Worship", and may use the post nominals "LM", e.g. "John Smith LM". .

North America

Canada

In general, Canadian judges are addressed directly as "Your Honour" or "Justice" and are formally referred to in the third person as "The Honourable Mr. (or Madam) Justice 'Forename Surname'". Less formally, judges of a Superior Court are referred to as "Justice 'Surname'", and it is never appropriate to refer to such a judge as "Judge 'Surname.'" When referred to in a decision of a court, judges' titles are often abbreviated to the suffix "J.", so that Justice Smith will be referred to as Smith J. Judges in some superior courts are addressed as "My Lord" or "My Lady".

Generally, it is only appropriate to use the term "judge" when speaking of an anonymous or general position, such as "the trial judge," or when referring to a member of an inferior or provincial court such as the Ontario Court of Justice.

Like other members of the Commonwealth, a justice of the peace is addressed as "Your Worship," and a Master of a Superior Court is both addressed and referred to as "Master."

United States

In many states throughout the United States, a judge is addressed as "Your Honor" or "Judge" when presiding over the court. "Judge" may be more commonly used by attorneys and staff, while either may be common with the plaintiff or defendant. Notably, the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, the largest unified trial court in the United States, has a rule that the judge shall be addressed only as "Your Honor", and never as "Judge", "Judge (name)", "ma'am", or "sir".

The judges of the Supreme Court of the United States, and the judges of the supreme courts of several U.S. states and other countries are called "justices" or "judges of the peace".

The justices of the supreme courts usually hold higher offices than the justice of the peace, a judge who holds police court in some jurisdictions and who typically tries small claims and misdemeanors. However, the state of New York inverts the usual order, with the Supreme Court of the State of New York being the lowest trial court of general jurisdiction, and the Court of Appeals being the highest court. This is a historical artifact from when the superior trial court in common law jurisdictions was called the "supreme court" (which still exists in some jurisdictions, such as Australia).

Consequently, New York trial judges are called "justices", while the judges on the Court of Appeals are "judges". New York judges who deal with guardianships, trusts and estates are uniquely known as "surrogates".

A ''senior judge'', in U.S. practice, is a retired judge who handles selected cases for a governmental entity while in retirement, on a part-time basis.

Subordinate or inferior jurisdiction judges in U.S. legal practice are sometimes called magistrates, although in the federal court of the United States, they are called magistrate judges. Subordinate judges in U.S. legal practice who are appointed on a case-by-case basis, particularly in cases where a great deal of detailed and tedious evidence must be reviewed, are often called "masters" or "special masters" and have authority in a particular case often determined on a case by case basis.

Judges of courts of specialized jurisdiction (such as bankruptcy courts or juvenile courts) were sometimes known officially as "referees," but the use of this title is in decline. Judges sitting in courts of equity in common law systems (such as judges in the equity courts of Delaware) are called "Chancellors".

Individuals with judicial responsibilities who report to an executive branch official, rather than being a part of the judiciary, are often called "administrative law judges" in U.S. practice. They were previously known as hearing examiners. They commonly make initial determinations regarding matters such as workers' compensation, eligibility for government benefits, regulatory matters, and immigration determinations.

Judges who derive their authority from a contractual agreement of the parties to a dispute, rather than a governmental body are called arbitrators. They typically do not receive the honorific forms of address nor do they bear the symbolic trappings of a publicly appointed judge. However, it is now common for many retired judges to serve as arbitrators, and they will often write their names as if they were still judges, with the parenthetical "(Ret.)" for "Retired."

Unlike many civil law countries which have some courts on which panels of judges with nearly equal status composed of both legally trained professional judges and lay judges who lack legal training and are not career judges, the United States legal system (like most Anglo-American legal systems) makes a clear distinction between professional judges and laymen involved in deciding case who are jurors who are part of a jury. Most, but not all U.S. judges have professional credentials as lawyers. Non-lawyer judges in the United States are often elected, and a typically either justices of the peace or part-time judges in rural limited jurisdiction courts. A non-lawyer judge typically has the same rights and responsibilities as a lawyer who is a judge holding the same office, and is addressed in the same manner.

Oceania

Australia

In Australia since 2007 magistrates and judges of all jurisdictions including the High Court of Australia are now referred to as "Your Honour" or "His Honour Mr Justice ''Forename Surname''". Judges of the Supreme Court are called "Justice". Like other common law jurisdictions, when referred to in court judgments as Surname J. Judges in the New South Wales Court of Appeal are referred to as Justices of the Appeal (abbreviated Surname JA).

New Zealand

In New Zealand, judges of the High Court and above are referred to as "His/Her Honour Justice Surname" in speech, and "Surname J" in writing. Judges of the District Court and the other statutory courts are referred to as "His/Her Honour Judge Surname" in speech, and "Surname DCJ" or "Judge Surname" in writing. The "Mr" of the title "Mr Justice" was dropped on the appointment of Cartwright J to the High Court. In Court, all judges are addressed as "Your Honour", or "Sir/Madam".

South America

Brazil

In Brazil, judges are simply called "juiz" or "juíza" (male and female forms of "judge") and traditionally addressed to as "Vossa Excelência" (lit. "Your Excellency", translated as "Your Honor") or "Meritíssimo" (lit. "Honorable", but it is used as a pronoun also translated as "Your Honor"). Judges that are part of a pannel in a State Court, or Federal Court are called "desembargadores". Judges sitting in the higher courts (Supremo Tribunal Federal, Superior Tribunal de Justiça, Tribunal Superior do Trabalho and Tribunal Superior Eleitoral) are called "ministro" or "ministra" (male and female forms of "minister") and also referred to as "Vossa Excelência".

International courts

At the International Court of Justice, judges may be addressed by the titles they received in their countries of origin.

Judges of the International Criminal Court are referred to as "judge."

Other

Biblical Judges

The Biblical Book of Judges revolves around a succession of leaders who were known as "Judges" (Hebrew shoftim שופטים) but who - aside from their judicial function - were also tribal war leaders, leading in war against threatening enemies. The same word is, however, used in contemporary Israel to denote judges whose function and authority is similar to that in other modern countries.

See also

Adjudicator

Barrister

Court dress

Election judge

Judicial deference

Judiciary

Lawyer

Lay judge

List of jurists

Magistrate

Prosecutor

Public defender

Solicitor

References

External links

State of California Commission of Judicial Performance

Europe M.E.D.E.L European association of judges and public prosecutors.

CEPEJ European commission for the efficiency of justice.

CCJE European consultative council of judges.

How sentencing works: You be the Judge

Directgov Crown Court - what it does (Directgov, England and Wales)

Category:Legal professions

kbd:ХеящӀэ ar:قاض az:Hakim (hüquq) be:Суддзя be-x-old:Судзьдзя bg:Съдия bo:ཁྲིམས་དཔོན། ca:Jutge cs:Soudce da:Dommer de:Richter el:Δικαστής es:Juez eo:Juĝisto fr:Juge fy:Rjochter gl:Xuíz ko:판사 hr:Sudac id:Juri it:Giudice he:שופט ht:Jij la:Iudex lt:Teisėjas hu:Bíró (igazságszolgáltatás) ms:Hakim my:တရားသူကြီး nl:Rechter ja:裁判官 no:Dommer nn:Dommar i retten oc:Jutge uz:Sudya pl:Sędzia pt:Juiz ro:Judecător qu:Taripakuq ru:Судья simple:Judge sk:Sudca sl:Sodnik fi:Käräjätuomari sv:Domare th:ข้าราชการฝ่ายตุลาการ (ประเทศไทย) tr:Hâkim (hukuk) uk:Суддя ur:قاضی vi:Thẩm phán yi:ריכטער zh:法官

name	Marilyn Milian
birth date	May 01, 1961
birth place	Astoria, New York
death place	}}

Marilyn Milian, (born May 1, 1961, in Astoria, New York), is a former Florida state circuit court judge and currently presides over the American television program ''The People's Court''. She is the first female judge to preside over the long-running show and the second longest-running judge overall.

Early life and education

Born to Cuban parents, Milian is fluent in Spanish. She and her family moved to Miami when she was eight years old. She graduated from St. Brendan High School. Milian earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Miami, graduating ''summa cum laude'', with a 4.0 grade point average. She then attended Georgetown University Law Center, earning her J.D., ''cum laude'', at age 23. She spent a year working at Harvard Law School, where she served as director of training for the Guatemala Project. She was responsible for training the Guatemalan trial judiciary, defense and prosecution bar in investigatory and trial techniques.

Legal career

Milian worked as an assistant state attorney for the Dade County State Attorney's Office. She was appointed to the position by Janet Reno, who was then the state attorney for the county. In 1999, Florida governor Jeb Bush appointed Milian to the Miami Circuit Court, where she served in the Criminal Division. Prior to that, she spent five years in the Miami County Court in the Domestic Violence Court, Criminal and Civil divisions. In 2001, she replaced Jerry Sheindlin as judge of ''The People's Court,'' and became the first Hispanic judge on any television court show. At some point, according to her in one of the episodes of The People's Court, she also taught law at the University of Miami.

Personal

Milian is married to Judge John Schlesinger, a former assistant United States attorney, who in 2004 was elected to the 11th Judicial Circuit Court for Miami-Dade County, Florida. This is the same position that Milian held before retiring to ''The People's Court.'' They live in Coral Gables, Florida, with their three children: Cristina (born in 1996), Alexandra (born in 1998), and Sofia (born in 2001). She travels to Manhattan on a biweekly basis for three days of taping of ''The People's Court''.

Judge Milian lends her support to many community and philanthropic organizations. Milian is the spokesperson for the FBI's Safe Online Surfing (FBI-SOS) campaign. She is a sought-after speaker well known for her dedication to the Hispanic community and a strong voice against domestic violence. Milian has served as emcee for a number of charitable causes, including the Latino Commission on AIDS, The Lighthouse for the Blind, The Miami-Dade County Teachers Awards, Hope for Vision, and the South Florida Children's Home Society.

She was an honorary host for National Chairman Arnold Schwarzenegger's 2003 annual celebration of the South Florida Inner-City Games. Milian was the honorary judge for Washington's 2002 Teachers Making A Difference campaign and is actively involved in supporting Southern Florida's Children's Cancer Center's Summer Camp, hosting "Camp Court" mock trials of camp counselors by the young campers. On September 20, 2006, she received the "Groundbreaking Latina of the Year" award from Catalina magazine and the National Association of Latina Leaders.

Acting career

She appeared in the role of a judge on ''The George Lopez Show'' in the episodes "George's Mom Faces Hard Tambien" and "George Testi-Lies for Benny" for the case of George's mom Benny being an accomplice to a robbery 30 years ago.

Filmography

2007: ''George Lopez'' .... Judge Alvarez (2 episodes, 2007)

2002: ''As the World Turns'' .... Judge (3 episodes, 2002)

References

External links

Category:1961 births Category:Living people Category:American Roman Catholics Category:American television personalities Category:Television judges Category:American people of Cuban descent Category:American politicians of Cuban descent Category:Florida lawyers Category:Florida state court judges Category:Florida Republicans Category:Georgetown University Law Center alumni Category:Harvard Law School people Category:People from Queens Category:University of Miami alumni Category:Women in Florida politics Category:American women judges Category:People from Coral Gables, Florida

name	Sylvester Stallone
birth name	Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone
birth date	July 06, 1946
birth place	New York City, New York, U.S.
alma mater	University of Miami
occupation	Actor, director, screenwriter
years active	1970–present
spouse
children	Sage, Seargeoh, Sophia, Sistine, Scarlet
parents	Frank Stallone Sr.Jackie Stallone
relatives	Frank Stallone (brother)
website	http://www.sylvesterstallone.com }}

Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone (; born July 6, 1946), commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed are boxer Rocky Balboa and soldier John Rambo. The ''Rocky'' and ''Rambo'' franchises, along with several other films, strengthened his reputation as an actor and his box office earnings.

Stallone's film ''Rocky'' was inducted into the National Film Registry as well as having its film props placed in the Smithsonian Museum. Stallone's use of the front entrance to the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the ''Rocky'' series led the area to be nicknamed the Rocky Steps. Philadelphia has a statue of his Rocky character placed permanently near the museum, on the right side before the steps. It was announced on December 7, 2010 that Stallone was voted into boxing's Hall of Fame.

Early life

Sylvester Stallone was born Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone in New York City, the elder son of Frank Stallone, Sr., a hairdresser, and Jackie Stallone (born Jacqueline Labofish), an astrologer, former dancer, and promoter of women's wrestling. His younger brother is actor and musician Frank Stallone. Stallone's father was born in Gioia del Colle, Apulia, Italy, and emigrated to the United States as a child. Stallone's mother is of half Russian Jewish and half French descent.

Complications his mother suffered during labor forced her obstetricians to use two pairs of forceps during his birth; misuse of these accidentally severed a nerve and caused paralysis in parts of Stallone's face. As a result, the lower left side of his face is paralyzed - including parts of his lip, tongue, and chin - an accident which has given Stallone his snarling look and slightly slurred speech. Stallone was baptized and raised Catholic. He spent his first five years in Hell's Kitchen, bouncing between foster homes while his parents endured a troubled marriage. His father, a beautician, moved the family to Washington, D.C., where he opened a beauty school. His mother opened a women's gymnasium called Barbella's in 1954. His parents divorced when he was nine, and he eventually lived with his mother. He attended Notre Dame Academy and Lincoln High School in Philadelphia. He attended Charlotte Hall Military Academy prior to attending Miami Dade College.

Hollywood career

When Stallone was nearly broke in New York, barely $50 to his name, he sold the script to ''Paradise Alley'' for $100.

''Italian Stallion'' and ''Score''

Stallone had his first starring role in the soft core pornography feature film ''The Party at Kitty and Stud's'' (1970). He was paid US $200 for two days' work. Stallone later explained that he had done the film out of desperation after being evicted from his apartment and finding himself homeless for several days. He has also said that he slept three weeks in the New York City Port Authority bus station prior to seeing a casting notice for the film. In the actor's words, "it was either do that movie or rob someone, because I was at the end – the very end – of my rope". The film was released several years later as ''Italian Stallion'', in order to cash in on Stallone's new found fame (the new title was taken from Stallone's nickname since ''Rocky'' and a line from the film).

Stallone also starred in the erotic off-Broadway stage play ''Score'' which ran for 23 performances at the Martinique Theatre from October 28 – November 15, 1971 and was later made into a film by Radley Metzger.

Early film roles, 1970–1975

In 1970, Stallone appeared in the film ''No Place to Hide,'' which was re-cut and retitled ''Rebel,'' the second version featuring Stallone as its star. After the style of Woody Allen's ''What's Up, Tiger Lily?,'' this film, in 1990, was re-edited from outtakes from the original movie and newly shot matching footage, then redubbed into an award-winning parody of itself titled ''A Man Called... Rainbo.'' Again starring Stallone, this self-parody was directed by David Casci and produced by Jeffrey Hilton. ''A Man Called...Rainbo'' won Silver Awards at the Chicago International Film Festival and Worldfest – Houston, and was featured on ''Entertainment Tonight'' along with its credited star, Sylvester Stallone. It received a Thumbs-Up on ''Siskel & Ebert,'' and was recommended by Michael Medved on the popular movie review show, ''Sneak Previews.''

Stallone's other first few film roles were minor, and included brief uncredited appearances in Woody Allen's ''Bananas'' (1971) as a subway thug, in the psychological thriller ''Klute'' (1971) as an extra dancing in a club, and in the Jack Lemmon film ''The Prisoner of Second Avenue'' (1975) as a youth. In the Lemmon film, Jack Lemmon's character chases, tackles and mugs Stallone, thinking that Stallone's character is a pickpocket. He had his second starring role in ''The Lords of Flatbush,'' in 1974. In 1975, he played supporting roles in ''Farewell, My Lovely''; ''Capone''; and ''Death Race 2000.'' He made guest appearances on the TV series ''Police Story'' and ''Kojak.''

Success with ''Rocky,'' 1976

Stallone gained worldwide fame with his starring role in the smash hit ''Rocky'' (1976). On March 24, 1975, Stallone saw the Muhammad Ali–Chuck Wepner fight, which inspired the foundation idea of ''Rocky.'' That night Stallone went home, and after three days, 20 straight hours he had written the script for ''Rocky''. After that, he tried to sell the script with the intention of playing the lead role. Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler in particular liked the script. Stallone was offered increasingly larger fees to sell the script and allow a different actor to star in the film, but he turned the offers down until the studio agreed to let Stallone himself play the role. ''Rocky'' was nominated for ten Academy Awards, including Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay nominations for Stallone. The film went on to win the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Directing and Best Film Editing.

''Rocky'', ''Rambo'', and new film roles, 1978–1989

Following the success of ''Rocky'', Stallone made his directorial debut and starred in the 1978 film ''Paradise Alley'', a family drama in which he played one of three brothers who enter the world of wrestling. That same year he starred in Norman Jewison's ''F.I.S.T.'', a social drama in which he plays a warehouse worker, very loosely modeled on James Hoffa, who becomes involved in the labor union leadership.

In 1979 he wrote, directed and starred in the sequel to his 1976 hit: ''Rocky II'' (replacing John G. Avildsen, who won an Academy Award for directing the first film), which also became a major success, grossing $200 million.

In 1981 he starred alongside Michael Caine in ''Escape to Victory'', a sports drama in which he plays a prisoner of war involved in a Nazi propaganda soccer game. That same year he starred in the thriller ''Nighthawks'', in which he plays a New York city cop who plays a cat and mouse game with a foreign terrorist, played by Rutger Hauer.

Stallone launched another major franchise success, starring as Vietnam veteran John Rambo, a former Green Beret, in the action-war film ''First Blood'' (1982). The first installment of ''Rambo'' was both a critical and box office success. Critics praised Stallone's performance, saying he made Rambo seem human, as opposed to the way he is portrayed in the book of the same name. Two Rambo sequels, ''Rambo: First Blood Part II'' (1985) and ''Rambo III'' (1988), followed. Although box office hits, they met with much less critical praise than the original. He also continued his box office success with the ''Rocky'' franchise and wrote, directed, and starred in two more sequels to the series: ''Rocky III'' (1982) and ''Rocky IV'' (1985). Stallone has portrayed these two characters in a total of ten films. In preparation for these roles, Stallone embarked upon a vigorous training regimen which often meant six days a week in the gym and further sit ups in the evenings. Stallone claims to have gotten his body fat percentage down to his all time low of 2.8% for ''Rocky III''.

It was during this time period that Stallone's work cultivated a strong overseas following. He also attempted, albeit unsuccessfully, roles in different genres. In 1984 he co-wrote and starred in the comedy film ''Rhinestone'' where he played a wannabe country music singer and in 1987 he starred in the drama film ''Over the Top'' where he played a struggling trucker who, after the death of his wife, tries to make amends with his son who he left behind years earlier. His son does not think too highly of him until he sees him compete in a nation-wide arm wrestling competition. For the ''Rhinestone'' soundtrack, he performed a song. These films did not do well at the box office and were poorly received by critics. It was around 1985 that Stallone was signed to a remake of the 1939 James Cagney classic ''Angels With Dirty Faces.'' The film would form part of his multi-picture deal with Cannon Pictures and was to co-star Christopher Reeve and be directed by Menahem Golan. The re-making of such a beloved classic was met with disapproval by Variety Magazine and horror by top critic Roger Ebert and so Cannon opted to make ''Cobra'' instead. ''Cobra'' (1986) and the buddy cop action film ''Tango and Cash'' (1989) alongside Kurt Russell did solid business domestically but overseas they did blockbuster business grossing over $100 million in foreign markets and over $160 million worldwide.

1990–2002

With the then-recent success of ''Lock Up'' and ''Tango and Cash'' at the start of the 1990s, Stallone starred in the fifth installment of the ''Rocky'' franchise, ''Rocky V'', which was considered a box office disappointment and was also disliked by fans as an unworthy entry in the series.

After starring in the critical and commercial disasters ''Oscar'' (1991) and ''Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot'' (1992) during the early 90s, he made a comeback in 1993 with the hit ''Cliffhanger'', which was a success in the U.S., grossing $84 million, but even more successful worldwide, grossing $171 million, for a total over US$255 million. Later that year, he starred with Wesley Snipes in the futuristic action film ''Demolition Man'', which grossed in excess of $158 million worldwide. His string of hits continued with 1994's ''The Specialist'' (over $170 million worldwide gross).

In 1995, he played the comic book-based title character ''Judge Dredd'', which was taken from the British comic book 2000 AD in the film of the same name. His overseas box office appeal saved the domestic box office disappointment of ''Judge Dredd'', which cost almost $100 million and barely made its budget back, with a worldwide tally of $113 million. He also appeared in the thriller ''Assassins'' (1995), with Julianne Moore and Antonio Banderas. In 1996, he starred in the disaster film ''Daylight'', which was not very successful in the US, but grossed $126 million overseas.

That same year, Stallone, along with an all-star cast of celebrities, appeared in the Trey Parker and Matt Stone short comedy film ''Your Studio and You'' commissioned by the Seagram Company for a party celebrating their acquisition of Universal Studios and the MCA Corporation. Stallone speaks in his Rocky Balboa voice with subtitles translating what he is saying. At one point, Stallone starts yelling about how can they use his Balboa character, that he left it in the past; the narrator calms him with a wine cooler and calling him, "brainiac." In response, Stallone says, "Thank you very much." He then looks at the wine cooler and exclaims, "Stupid cheap studio!"

Following his breakthrough performance in ''Rocky'', critic Roger Ebert had stated that Stallone could become the next Marlon Brando, though he never recaptured the critical acclaim achieved with ''Rocky.'' Stallone did go on to receive much acclaim for his role in the low-budget crime drama ''Cop Land'' (1997), in which he starred alongside Robert De Niro and Ray Liotta, but the film was only a minor success at the box office. His performance led him to win the Stockholm International Film Festival Best Actor Award. In 1998 he did voice-over work for the computer-animated film ''Antz,'' which was a big hit domestically.

In 2000, Stallone starred in the thriller ''Get Carter'' – a remake of the 1971 British Michael Caine film of the same name—but the film was poorly received by both critics and audiences. Stallone's career declined considerably after his subsequent films ''Driven'' (2001), ''Avenging Angelo'' (2002) and ''D-Tox'' (2002) also underachieved expectations to do well at the box office and were poorly received by critics.

2003–2005

In 2003, he played a villainous role in the third installment of the Spy Kids trilogy ''Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over'' which was a huge box office success (almost $200 million worldwide). Stallone also had a cameo appearance in the 2003 French film ''Taxi 3'' as a passenger.

Following several poorly reviewed box office flops, Stallone started to regain prominence for his supporting role in the neo-noir crime drama ''Shade'' (2003) which was only released in a limited fashion but was praised by critics. He was also attached to star and direct a film tentatively titled ''Rampart Scandal,'' which was to be about the murder of rappers Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. and the surrounding Los Angeles Police Department corruption scandal. It was later titled ''Notorious'' but was shelved.

In 2005, he was the co-presenter, alongside Sugar Ray Leonard, of the NBC Reality television boxing series ''The Contender.'' That same year he also made a guest appearance in two episodes of the television series ''Las Vegas.'' In 2005, Stallone also inducted wrestling icon Hulk Hogan, who appeared in ''Rocky III'' as a wrestler named Thunderlips, into the WWE Hall of Fame; Stallone was also the person who offered Hogan the cameo in ''Rocky III.''

Revisiting Rocky and Rambo, 2006–2008

After a three year hiatus from films, Stallone made a comeback in 2006 with the sixth installment of his successful Rocky series, ''Rocky Balboa'', which was a critical and commercial hit. After the critical and box office failure of the previous installment ''Rocky V'', Stallone had decided to write, direct and star in a sixth installment which would be a more appropriate climax to the series. The total domestic box office came to $70.3 million (and $155.7 million worldwide). The budget of the movie was only $24 million. His performance in ''Rocky Balboa'' has been praised and garnered mostly positive reviews.

Stallone's fourth installment of his other successful movie franchise, Rambo, with the sequel being titled simply ''Rambo''. The film opened in 2,751 theaters on January 25, 2008, grossing $6,490,000 on its opening day and $18,200,000 over its opening weekend. Its box office was $113,244,290 worldwide with a budget of $50 million.

Asked in February 2008 which of the icons he would rather be remembered for, Stallone said "it's a tough one, but ''Rocky'' is my first baby, so ''Rocky."''

Other film work

Stallone's debut as a director came in 1978 with ''Paradise Alley,'' which he also wrote and starred in. In addition, he directed ''Staying Alive'', the sequel to ''Saturday Night Fever'', along with ''Rocky II'', ''Rocky III'', ''Rocky IV'', ''Rocky Balboa'', and ''Rambo''. In August 2005, Stallone released his book ''Sly Moves'' which claimed to be a guide to fitness and nutrition as well as a candid insight into his life and works from his own perspective. The book also contained many photographs of Stallone throughout the years as well as pictures of him performing exercises. In addition to writing all six ''Rocky'' films, Stallone also wrote ''Cobra'', ''Driven'', and ''Rambo.'' He has co-written several other films, such as ''F.I.S.T.'', ''Rhinestone'', ''Over the Top'', and the first three ''Rambo'' films. His last major success as a co-writer came with 1993's ''Cliffhanger''. In addition, Stallone has continued to express his passion in directing a film on Edgar Allan Poe's life, a script he has been preparing for years. In July 2009, he appeared in a cameo in the Bollywood movie ''Kambakkht Ishq'' where he played himself. Stallone also provided the voice of a lion in Kevin James's comedy ''Zookeeper.'' Stallone has also mentioned that he would like to adapt a Nelson DeMille novel, ''The Lion's Game'' and James Byron Huggin's novel ''Hunter'', which Stallone had the film rights for several years and originally planned to use the plot from ''Hunter'' for ''Rambo V''. In 2009, Stallone expressed interest in starring in a remake of Charles Bronson's 1974 movie ''Death Wish''.

2010 onwards

''The Expendables'' was Stallone's big success of 2010. The movie, which was filmed during summer/winter 2009, was released on August 13, 2010. Stallone wrote, directed and stars in the movie. Joining him in the film were fellow action stars Jason Statham, Jet Li, and Dolph Lundgren plus Terry Crews, Mickey Rourke, Randy Couture, Eric Roberts, and Stone Cold Steve Austin as well as much anticipated cameos for fellow '80s action icons Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Due to the overwhelmingly positive reaction to early test footage and trailers, producer Avi Lerner has reported that there is already talk of making two more sequels, or at least some sort of a longer franchise, based on the members of the team. The movie took $34,825,135 in its opening weekend, going straight in at No.1 in the US box office. The figure marked the biggest opening weekend in Stallone's 35 year career. In summer 2010, Brazilian company O2 Filmes released a statement saying it was still owed more than $2 million US for its work on the film. Stallone stars in the action film ''Bullet to the Head'', directed by Walter Hill based upon Alexis Nolent's French graphic novel ''Du Plomb Dans La Tete''. The sequel to ''The Expendables'', ''The Expendables 2'' is scheduled for release on August 17, 2012. In 2013, he will be starring in the action thriller film ''The Tomb'' along with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Caviezel. Stallone expressed interest in making a remake of the Spanish film ''No Rest for the Wicked'' and to star in a fifth Rambo film.

Tobacco promotion

In 1983, Stallone entered into an agreement with Associated Film Promotions, Inc. representing their client, cigarette manufacturer Brown & Williamson Corp., to use or place B&W; products in five of his feature films. In exchange, Stallone was paid a total of $500,000, disbursed as $250,000 up front and $50,000 "payable at the inception of production of each participating film." In the initial correspondences Stallone guaranteed that he would "use Brown and Williamson tobacco products in no less than five feature films" but later, to be consistent with the character of Rocky Balboa, it was decided that "other leads will have product usage" in ''Rocky IV''. In 2002 documentation of the agreement was made publicly available through the Legacy Tobacco Documents Library at the University of California, San Francisco.

Personal life

Stallone has been married three times. At age 28, on December 28, 1974, he married Sasha Czack. The couple had two sons, Sage Moonblood (b. May 5, 1976) and Seargeoh (b. 1979). His younger son was diagnosed with autism at an early age. The couple divorced on February 14, 1985. He married model and actress Brigitte Nielsen, on December 15, 1985, in Beverly Hills, California. Stallone and Nielsen's marriage, which lasted two years, and their subsequent divorce, were highly publicized by the tabloid press. In May 1997, Stallone married Jennifer Flavin, with whom he has three daughters: Sophia Rose (b. August 27, 1996), Sistine Rose (b. June 27, 1998), and Scarlet Rose (b. May 25, 2002).

In 2007, he was caught in Australia with 48 vials of the synthetic human growth hormone Jintropin.

After Stallone's request that his acting and life experiences be accepted in exchange for his remaining credits, he was granted a Bachelors of Fine Arts (BFA) degree by the President of the University of Miami in 1999.

Stallone stopped going to church as his acting career progressed. He began to rediscover his childhood faith when his daughter was born ill in 1996, and is now a churchgoing Catholic.

Since his appearance in Escape To Victory, Stallone has been a keen soccer fan, attending games involving the United States at various World Cups. He has also expressed his support for English club Everton, since attending a game in 2007 and then also when Everton played in the United States in 2009. Stallone supported Everton colours on both occasions and also sent the club a good luck message prior to the 2009 FA Cup final, which he expressed disappointment at being unable to attend. His team lost 1-2.

Injuries

Known for physically demanding roles, and his willingness to do a majority of his own stunts, Stallone has suffered numerous injuries during his acting career. For a scene in ''Rocky IV'', he told Dolph Lundgren "Punch me as hard as you can in the chest." "Next thing I know, I was in intensive care at St. John’s Hospital for four days. It’s stupid!" While filming a fight scene with actor Steve Austin in ''The Expendables'', he broke his neck, which required the insertion of a metal plate.

Filmography

''Also see Sylvester Stallone filmography.'' ''Stop

rowspan=2	Year	Film	Credited as				Role	Notes
Director	Producer		Writer	Actor
rowspan="2"	1970	''The Party at Kitty and Stud's''					Stud
					Jerry Savage
	Bananas (film)>Bananas''					Subway Thug No.1	Uncredited
''Klute''					Discothèque Patron	Uncredited
1974	''The Lords of Flatbush''					Stanley Rosiello	Writer (additional dialogue)
rowspan="7"	1975	''The Prisoner of Second Avenue''					Youth in Park
''Capone (film)	Capone''					Frank Nitti
''Death Race 2000''					Machine Gun Joe Viterbo
''Mandingo (film)	Mandingo''					Young Man in Crowd	Uncredited (Scenes deleted)
''Farewell, My Lovely (1975 film)	Farewell, My Lovely''					Jonnie
''Police Story (TV series)	Police Story''					Caddo	TV series (1 episode)
''Kojak''					Detective Rick Daly
	Cannonball (film)>Cannonball''					Mafioso	Uncredited
''Rocky''					Rocky Balboa	Writer
rowspan="2"	1978	''F.I.S.T.''					Johnny D. Kovak	Screenplay
''Paradise Alley''					Cosmo Carboni	Director and Writer
1979	''Rocky II''					Rocky Balboa	Director and Writer
rowspan="2"	1981	Nighthawks (film)>Nighthawks''					Det. Sgt. Deke DaSilva
''Escape to Victory''					Captain Robert Hatch
rowspan="2"	1982	''Rocky III''					Rocky Balboa	Director and Writer
''First Blood''						Screenplay
1983	''Staying Alive''					Man on Street	Cameo; Uncredited, Director, Producer and Writer
1984	Rhinestone (film)>Rhinestone''					Nick Martinelli	Screenplay
1985	''Rambo: First Blood Part II''						Screenplay
1985	''Rocky IV''					Rocky Balboa	Director and Writer
1986	Cobra (1986 film)>Cobra''					Lieutenant Marion 'Cobra' Cobretti	Screenplay
1987	Over the Top (film)>Over the Top''					Lincoln Hawk	Screenplay
1988	''Rambo III''						Writer
rowspan="2"	1989	Lock Up (film)>Lock Up''					Frank Leone
''Tango & Cash''					Raymond 'Ray' Tango
1990	''Rocky V''					Rocky Balboa	Writer
1991	Oscar (1991 film)>Oscar''					Angelo 'Snaps' Provolone
1992	Or My Mom Will Shoot''					Sgt. Joe Bomowski
	Cliffhanger (film)>Cliffhanger''					Gabe Walker	Screenplay
''Demolition Man (film)	Demolition Man''					John Spartan
1994	''The Specialist''					Ray Quick
rowspan="3"	1995''
''Assassins (1995 film)	Assassins''					Robert Rath
''Your Studio and You''					Himself
1996	Daylight (film)>Daylight''					Kit Latura
rowspan="3"	1997	The Good Life (1997 film)>The Good Life''					Boss	not released
''Men in Black (film)	Men in Black''					Alien on TV Monitors	Cameo; uncredited
''Cop Land''					Sheriff Freddy Heflin
rowspan=2	1998	''Antz''					Weaver	Voice
''An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn''					Himself
2000	Get Carter (2000 film)>Get Carter''					Jack Carter
2001	''Driven''					Joe Tanto	Producer and Screenplay
rowspan="3"	2002	''Liberty's Kids''					Paul Revere	TV series (1 episode)
''D-Tox''					Jake Malloy
''Avenging Angelo''					Frankie Delano
rowspan="3"	2003	''Taxi 3''					Passenger to Airport	Cameo; Uncredited
''Shade (film)	Shade''					Dean 'The Dean' Stevens
''Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over''
2005	Las Vegas (TV series)>Las Vegas''					Frank the Repairman	TV Series (2 episodes)
2006	Rocky Balboa (film)>Rocky Balboa''					Rocky Balboa	Director and Writer
2008	Rambo (film)>Rambo''						Director and Writer
2009	''Kambakkht Ishq''					Himself	Cameo
2010	The Expendables (2010 film)>The Expendables''					Barney Ross	Director and Writer
2011	Zookeeper (film)>Zookeeper''					Joe the Lion	Voice
2012	''Bullet to the Head''					Jimmy Bobo
2012	''The Expendables 2''					Barney Ross	Writer
2013	The Tomb (2013)>''The Tomb''					Ray Breslin

References

External links

Category:1946 births Category:Actors from Maryland Category:Actors from New York City Category:Actors from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:American film actors Category:American film directors Category:American film directors of Italian descent Category:American people of French descent Category:American people of Italian descent Category:American people of Russian-Jewish descent Category:American people of Sicilian descent Category:American Roman Catholics Category:American screenwriters Category:American television actors Category:Charlotte Hall Military Academy alumni Category:International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees Category:Living people Category:New York Republicans Category:People from Silver Spring, Maryland Category:Sylvester Stallone Category:University of Miami alumni

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name	Demi Lovato
background	solo_singer
birth name	Demetria Devonne Lovato
birth date	August 20, 1992
birth place	Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.
instrument	Vocals, guitar, piano
genre	Pop, pop rock, R&B;, dance
occupation	Singer-songwriter, actress, musician, activist
years active	2002–present
associated acts	Joe Jonas, Jonas Brothers, Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus
label	Hollywood
website	150pxDemi Lovato's signature }}

Demetria Devonne "Demi" Lovato (born August 20, 1992) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. Her earliest roles included Angela on ''Barney & Friends'', before she became better known for her starring roles in the ''Camp Rock'' movies, as Sonny Munroe in the Disney sitcom ''Sonny with a Chance'', and as the star of the 2009 movie ''Princess Protection Program''. She is also involved in philanthropic activities through charity work and various social and environmental causes.

As a solo musical artist, Lovato released her debut album ''Don't Forget'' on September 23, 2008. The album debuted at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200 selling 89,000 copies in the first week. It has since shipped over 500,000 copies, earning a gold certification in the United States. Lovato released her second album, ''Here We Go Again'', on July 21, 2009. The album debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 108,000 copies in the first week. Her third studio album, ''Unbroken'', was released on September 20, 2011 and peaked at number four on the ''Billboard'' 200. She is currently working on her fourth studio album.

Life and career

1992-2006: Childhood and youth

Lovato was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico on August 20, 1992, and raised in Dallas, Texas, to Patrick Lovato and Dianna Hart de la Garza. She is of Mexican, Irish, and Italian descent. She has an older sister, Dallas Lovato, and a younger half sister, Madison de la Garza. Her mother was a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and country music recording artist. Lovato began playing piano at the age of seven. Lovato also began her acting career at the age of seven on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' as Angela, appearing in seasons seven and eight alongside long time friend Selena Gomez.

In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Lovato revealed going through painful experiences with bullying in the seventh grade. According to Lovato, the bullying was so bad that one day, in a fit of frustration and distress, she requested her mom give her a home-schooled education. Lovato earned a high school diploma through homeschooling in April 2009. Lovato also stated in an interview with ''20/20'' in 2011 that she had had a "really unhealthy relationship with food" since age 8 due to bullying experienced as a child, and self-mutilated her wrists to cope with her emotions and depression since age 11. Lovato later became a spokesperson for anti-bullying organization PACER and appeared on ''America's Next Top Model'' and CNN to speak out against bullying. She has described herself as very spiritual rather than very religious and said she believes in God.

In 2006 Lovato guest starred on ''Prison Break'' as Danielle Curtin in the episode "First Down." She also appeared in the second season of the television sitcom ''Just Jordan'' as Nicole, in the episode "Slippery When Wet." In January 2007, she landed the role of Charlotte Adams on the Disney Channel Original Short Series, ''As the Bell Rings'', which premiered on August 26, 2007. A few of her original songs, including "Shadow", were featured on the show.

2007–09: ''Camp Rock'', ''Don't Forget'' and ''Sonny with a Chance''

In the summer of 2007, Lovato auditioned for the Disney Channel television film ''Camp Rock'' and the television series ''Sonny with a Chance'' in the same day and got both parts. For ''Camp Rock'', she submitted an audition tape and Gary Marsh, Disney's president of entertainment, asked her to sing. She sang Christina Aguilera's "Ain't No Other Man", and Hollywood Records senior vice president Bob Cavallo said that their "jaws just dropped". Lovato received the lead role in ''Camp Rock'', and a record deal with Hollywood Records in early 2008. In ''Camp Rock'' she played Mitchie Torres, a fourteen-year-old girl with hopes of becoming a singer. The movie premiered on June 20, 2008, in the United States on the Disney Channel with 8.9 million viewers, making Lovato a household name among young viewers. She provided vocals on four of the songs featured on the ''Camp Rock'' soundtrack, including "This Is Me" featuring Joe Jonas. The song peaked at #9 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. In June and July 2008, Lovato performed at various House of Blues and parks for her Demi Live! Warm Up Tour in preparation for the release of her debut album and the Burnin' Up Tour with the Jonas Brothers. Lovato served as the support act on the Jonas Brothers' Burnin' Up Tour from July through September 2008.

Lovato's debut album, ''Don't Forget'' was released in the fall of 2008. The bulk of the album was co-written with the Jonas Brothers, who also produced the album with John Fields. They co-wrote ten songs in a week during the band's headlining Look Me in the Eyes Tour. The album is of the pop-rock genre and is lyrically similar to other teen-pop albums. It peaked at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 89,000 units in its first week of release. It has since sold over 500,000 records in the US. Critics noticed the distinct sound of the Jonas Brothers in the production of the album. ''Don't Forget'' spawned three singles, "Get Back", "La La Land" and "Don't Forget", all of which were moderately successful, peaking around the top 40 and 50 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The most successful of which was the title track which was one position shy of entering the top 40 songs. ''Sonny With a Chance'' premiered on February 8, 2009, Lovato starred as Sonny Munroe, the new cast member of a live sketch comedy show titled ''So Random!''. In June 2009 Lovato co-starred in ''Princess Protection Program'' as Princess Rosalinda alongside Selena Gomez on the Disney Channel. The made-for-television movie is the third highest rated Disney Channel Original Movie, premiering on the Disney Channel with 9.8 million viewers.

Lovato joined Disney's Friends for Change, an organization which promotes "environmently-friendly behavior," and appears in its public service announcements to raise awareness for the cause on the Disney Channel. Lovato, Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, and the Jonas Brothers recorded "Send It On," a charity single that served as the theme song for the organization in 2009. The song debuted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at #20. Disney's Friends for Change directed all of its proceeds from "Send It On" to environmental charities to the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund. Lovato and Joe Jonas "Make a Wave" in 2010, the second charity single that currently serves as the theme song for Disney's Friends for Change.

2009–10: ''Here We Go Again'' and ''Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam''

Lovato embarked on the Summer Tour 2009 to promote her second album, ''Here We Go Again'', released in the summer of 2009. The album debuted at #1 on the ''Billboard'' 200 with 108,000 records sold in its first week. The album was more inspired by acoustic music, such as John Mayer's songs, than her debut's pop rock-influenced sound. The album received favorable reviews from critics, ''Billboard'' called Lovato "a natural talent who could really take flight after outgrowing Disney." Allmusic ranked ''Here We Go Again'' as one of the best pop albums of 2009. The album was preceded by the lead single, "Here We Go Again," which was released on June 23, 2009. It reached #15 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The album's second single, "Remember December," was released on November 17, 2009, but only managed to reach #6 on ''Billboard'''s Bubbling Under Hot 100 (number 106 on the Hot 100).

In September 2009, production began for ''Camp Rock'''s sequel, ''Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam''. The Disney Channel Original Movie premiered on September 3, 2010, upon which it gained 8 million viewers. In January 2010, Lovato was one of the many stars featured in a public service announcement for Voto Latino in order to promote the organization's "Be Counted" campaign for the 2010 United States Census. Lovato returned for a second season of ''Sonny with a Chance'' and appeared as a guest star in an episode of the medical drama series ''Grey's Anatomy'' as a teenage patient named Hayley May, whose parents brought her in for schizophrenia. In a review of the episode, EW.com praised her performance, stating, "I still believe that even an unbiased observer would conclude that the Disney princess did a fine job acting it up as a suicidal 16-year-old who was admitted after trying to claw her own eyes out." Lovato began dating Joe Jonas, whom she first met while filming the first ''Camp Rock'' film. They split up in May. Lovato's South American Tour was her first international headlining tour. The tour commenced on May 23, 2010, in Santiago, Chile, and concluded on May 28, 2010, in São Paulo, Brazil. She later joined the Jonas Brothers Live in Concert tour as a special guest.

2010–11: Focus on music career and ''Unbroken''

Lovato began work on her third studio album in 2010, however work on the album was delayed when Lovato entered a rehabilation center for physical and emotional issues in early November 2010. She left the treatment center in late January 2011. In April 2011, Lovato confirmed she would not return to ''Sonny with a Chance'' and will instead focus on her music career, stating that "it's kind of sad for me that a chapter of my life has ended but there couldn't be a better time for me to move on...I don't think going back to ''Sonny'' would be healthy for my recovery...Being in front of a camera would make me nervous." To raise awareness about personal issues similar to her own, Lovato became a Contributing Editor to ''Seventeen'' magazine. She will discuss her personal issues as a part of a larger campaign called "Love is Louder than the Pressure to Be Perfect", directed towards teen girls.

Lovato's third studio album, ''Unbroken'', was released on September 20, 2011. Lovato began working on the album in July 2010, prior to receiving treatment. She had described it as having a more soulful and R&B; inspired sound, citing Keri Hilson and Rihanna as inspirations for the sound. After Lovato's stint in the treatment facility, producer Timbaland expressed interest in working with her. Lovato confirmed in July 2011 that she was working on a duet with the producer. The album was described as more "radio friendly" than her previous albums, as she planned to incorporate dance, hip-hop and R&B; styles in it. The first single off the album, "Skyscraper", premiered on July 12, 2011, as a promotional single, before the album released. Unbroken officially released on September 20, 2011, with sales exceeding 96,000 copies in its first week of release. Lovato scored her first top 10 debut on the ''Billboard'' 100, as "Skyscraper" debuted at number 10. The song has sold over 1,000,000 digital copies and was officially certified Platinum in the United States on April 24, 2012. On October 24, 2011, Lovato performed the National Anthem at Game 5 of the 2011 World Series. The album's second single, "Give Your Heart a Break", was officially released on January 23, 2012. Lovato revealed her Summer Tour 2012 and will begin on June 12, 2012 and end on September 1, 2012.

2012–present: Fourth studio album

On April 4, 2012, Lovato announced on Twitter that writing for her fourth studio album had began, saying that she was "so excited to start writing for my fourth album", and that "this time, there's NO holding back..". It is also rumored that she will appear on rapper will.i.am's upcoming album ''#willpower'' on the track "Don't Wanna Fall Again". Lovato said in an April 2012 interview with KOKO POP UK that music is currently her "top priority", but that she is "kind of getting the itch to get back into acting, so we'll see what comes next". Lovato is rumored to in final negotiations to be the fourth judge of the second season of the American version of ''The X Factor''

Other work

Philanthropy

Lovato has partnered with mall proprietor GGP as the face of Shop Til You Rock, a music-inspired series of public events, which kick off at malls around the US in Summer 2010. The combines the season’s hottest fashions & today’s most popular musical guests in a series of interactive events. Lovato is also the spokesperson for anti-bullying organization PACER. Lovato explained to NY Post about becoming a spokesperson against bullying “Bullying is a very serious thing to me, I’ve witnessed it first hand – I was bullied myself when I was 12, I want to be able to help other girls around [my sister’s] age come into their own with a strong confidence in their skin, their size, who they are and everything about themselves.”

Lovato is also the spokesperson for the Join the Surge Campaign!, DoSomething.Org and the Clean & Clear Brand launched Joining the Surge, which is a national campaign that empowers teenagers to take action in their communities.

Lovato is involved in Disney's Friends for Change, an organization which promotes "environmently-friendly behavior", and appears in its public service announcements to raise awareness for the cause on the Disney Channel. Lovato, Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, and the Jonas Brothers recorded "Send It On", a charity single which serves as the theme song for Disney's Friends for Change in 2009. The song debuted on the Hot 100 at number twenty. Disney's Friends For Change will direct all of its proceeds from "Send it On" to environmental charities to the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund. Lovato and Joe Jonas recorded a new song called "Make a Wave", the second charity single which serves as the theme song for Disney's Friends for Change in 2010.

Lovato is also part of the "A Day Made Better" School Advocacy Campaign. "The campaign is giving a deserving teacher with $1,000 in school supplies on behalf of OfficeMax’s “A Day Made Better” school advocacy campaign."

Lovato has also supported the following charities:

DonateMyDress.org

Kids Wish Network

Love Our Children USA

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

City Of Hope

Personal life

In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Lovato admitted to going through painful experiences with bullying in the seventh grade. According to Lovato, the bullying was so bad that one day, in a fit of frustration and distress, she requested her mom give her a home-schooled education. She wrote the song "For the Love of a Daughter" about her estranged father.

In an MTV interview, Lovato stated that she likes metal music, particularly black metal and metalcore. She called symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir "one of her favorite live acts". On the July 24, 2009 episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Lovato stated that three of her favorite bands were metalcore/symphonic black metal band Abigail Williams, deathcore band Job for a Cowboy and southern metal band Maylene and the Sons of Disaster. In the March 2009 issue of ''Teen Vogue'', Lovato stated, "My first passion is music, because it comes naturally to me. Acting has been like a hobby."

Lovato is a Christian and prays with her band before they perform. She was best friends with Selena Gomez, whom she has known since Lovato "asked her to sit on my jacket and draw with crayons with me" at the ''Barney & Friends'' auditions. On March 12, 2010, Lovato confirmed that she had begun dating Joe Jonas, whom she first met while filming ''Camp Rock'' in 2007. On May 24, 2010, Lovato confirmed via her official Twitter that she and Jonas were no longer together. In an interview with UsMagazine, Jonas stated, "Demi and I knew that going into our romantic relationship it may not be an easy one. I realize that over the time we have spent together that I feel I care more about our friendship right now. It was my choice to break up, but I love her as a friend. She's been there for me when I needed her. I will continue to be her friend and be there for her." Lovato is a vegetarian. Lovato has been honored The Honorary Ambassador of Education award from the American Partnership For Eosinophilic Disorders.

In 2010, on her 18th birthday, Lovato bought her family a Mediterranean Style house in Los Angeles. She said, "For me to give that to my family on my birthday, that was the best present." then added, "It's got pretty much everything you could possibly imagine in it. It's the most beautiful, homey-feeling house. I love it." Lovato also purchased their current 1.88 million dollar home in Toluca Lake, LA. She bought the house when she was 16 years old.

Personal struggles

Lovato dropped out of the Jonas Brothers Live in Concert World Tour 2010 on October 30, 2010, in order to enter a treatment facility to treat physical and emotional issues. In particular, many media sources immediately reported that Lovato had decided to enter treatment right after punching a Jonas Brothers back-up dancer, Alex Welch, on a flight out of Bogotá, Colombia, allegedly because Lovato believed that Welch had informed tour managers of inappropriate behaviour on Lovato's part the previous night, causing Lovato to be confronted by her managers and her stepfather, Eddie de la Garza. Lovato's camp reached a financial settlement with Welch in late December 2010, with Welch stating that the agreement stipulated for a portion of the settlement to be donated to charity. On January 28, 2011, it was reported that Lovato had completed her inpatient treatment.

Lovato granted her first post-rehab interview to ABC newscaster Robin Roberts, which aired on ''Good Morning America'' and ''20/20'' on April 22, 2011. During the interview, Lovato confirmed reports that her treatment was for bulimia and self-injury, and had taken place at the Timberline Knolls facility in Illinois after the aforementioned confrontation between her and Welch led to an intervention by her family and management team. Her condition came to a head during the tour because Lovato "was performing concerts on an empty stomach...I was losing my voice from purging. I was self-medicating. I was not taking medication for depression, and I literally was so emotionally whacked out that I took it out on someone that meant a lot to me." Later elaborating on this "self-medicating", Lovato said, "I'm not gonna lie. I was self-medicating. I was doing things like drinking and using [drugs], like a lot of teens do to numb their pain." Lovato expressed regret at her actions towards Welch, stating "I take 100 percent, full responsibility..." In another interview, Lovato added that she had "basically had a nervous breakdown", and was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder during her treatment.

On December 23, 2011, Lovato posted a message on Twitter criticizing her former network for airing episodes of ''Shake It Up'' and ''So Random!'' which featured characters making jokes about eating disorders. Disney Channel publicity officials quickly took action and apologized to Lovato, then removed those episodes from the network's airing cycle and video on demand sources, after further criticism in the wake of Lovato's message to the network's public relations account.

Filmography

+ Film	! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
2008	''Camp Rock''	Mitchie Torres
2009	''Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience''	Herself	Concert film
2009	''Princess Protection Program''	Princess Rosalinda	Disney Channel Original Movie
2010	''Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam''	Mitchie Torres	Disney Channel Original Movie

+ Television	! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
2002–2003	''Barney & Friends''	Angela	Recurring role
2006	''Prison Break''	Danielle Curtin	"First Down" (season 2: episode 4)
2006		Herself	1 episode
2007–2008			Main role, Season 1
2007	''Just Jordan''	Nicole	"Slippery When Wet" (season 2: episode 6)
2008	''Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream''	Herself	(season 2, episode 3)
2008	''Studio DC: Almost Live''	Herself	Second show
2008		Herself	Third annual
2008	''Disney Channel's Totally New Year 2008''	Herself	Disney Channel special New Year's event
2009–2011	''Sonny with a Chance''	Allison "Sonny" Munroe	Lead role
2010–2011	''Extreme Makeover: Home Edition''	Herself	"The Williams Family" (season 7: episode 23)"The Walker Family" (season 9: episode 9)
2010	''Grey's Anatomy''	Hayley May
2010	''CNN''	Herself	Guest appearance
2010	''America's Next Top Model''	Herself	(1 episode) Guest appearance
2011	''Keeping Up with the Kardashians''	Herself
2012	''Demi Lovato: Stay Strong''	Herself	MTV Special
2012	''Demi Lovato: Give Your Heart a Break''	Herself	E! Special
2012	''Punk'd''	Herself	Victim

Discography

Studio albums

2008: ''Don't Forget''

2009: ''Here We Go Again''

2011: ''Unbroken''

Soundtracks

2008: ''Camp Rock''

2010: ''Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam''

2010: ''Sonny with a Chance''

Live albums

2009: ''Live: Walmart Soundcheck''

Tours

Awards and nominations

Year !! Award !! Category !! Work !! Result
rowspan="8"	2009	Young Artist Awards	"Best Performance in a TV Movie – Leading Young Actress"	''Camp Rock''
	"Choice TV – Breakout Star Female"	''Sonny With a Chance''
"Choice Music – Tour (shared with David Archuleta)"
Choice Summer TV Show	''Princess Protection Program''
"Choice Other Stuff – Red Carpet Icon: Female"	Herself
"Choice Summer – TV Star-Female"	''Princess Protection Program''
Alma Awards	Special Achievement In Music	Herself
Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards	Favorite International Singer	Herself
	People's Choice Awards	Favorite Breakout Music Artist	Herself
	Young Artist Award	"Best Performance in a TV Movie, Miniseries, or Special – Leading Young Actress"	''Princess Protection Program''
	"Choice TV Comedy Actress"	''Sonny With A Chance''
"Choice Breakout Artist: Female"	Herself
"Choice Pop Album"
"Choice Love Song"	''Catch Me''
"Choice Hook Up" (shared with We The Kings)	''We'll Be a Dream''
Poptastic Awards	Singer Favorite
"Most Beautiful Faces"		Herself
	"Teen Pick Actress: Comedy"	''Sonny with a Chance''
Best Actress
Best Album
Best Singer	Herself
Best Star on the Red Carpet	Herself
Best Series	''Sonny with a Chance''
Best Couple	Herself & Joe Jonas
"Hot Hits"	"Top Teen Star of 2010"	Herself
	Iconic Couple	Herself and Joe Jonas
Iconic Female Star	Herself
Iconic Triple Threat	Herself
		People's Choice Awards	"Favorite TV Guest Star"	''Greys Anatomy''
	"Choice TV Actress: Comedy"	''Sonny with a Chance''
"Choice Twit"	Herself
"Choice Summer: Music Star – Female"	Herself
"Choice Summer: Song"
"Acuvue Inspire Award"	Herself
	"TV Star"	''Sonny With A Chance''
"Charity Song (Shared with Joe Jonas)"	Make A Wave
Alma Awards	"Favorite TV Actress – Leading Role in a Comedy"	''Sonny With A Chance''
	"Fan Army FTW"	Lovatics
"Best Artist With A Cameraphone"	Herself
Youth Rock Awards	"Music Video of the Year"	Skyscraper
	"Iconic Singer"	Herself
"Iconic Song"	"Skyscraper"
"Iconic Tweeter"	Herself
"Iconic Heart"	"Love is Louder Than the Pressure to be Perfect"
"Iconic Female Star"	Herself
"Icon of the Year"	Herself
	People's Choice Awards	"Favorite Pop Artist"	Herself
Capricho Awards	"Music Video international"	Skyscraper

References

External links

Category:1992 births Category:Actors from Texas Category:American bloggers Category:American child actors Category:American child singers Category:American Christians Category:21st-century actors Category:Barney & Friends Category:American female singers Category:American Internet personalities Category:American musicians of Irish descent Category:American musicians of Italian descent Category:American musicians of Mexican descent Category:American pop singer-songwriters Category:American rock singers Category:American television actors Category:Child pop musicians Category:English-language singers Category:Fascination Records artists Category:Hispanic and Latino American actors Category:Hispanic and Latino American women Category:Hollywood Records artists Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Texas Category:People from Dallas, Texas Category:People with bipolar disorder

ace:Demi Lovato kbd:Деми Ловато af:Demi Lovato ar:ديمي لوفاتو az:Demi Lovato ba:Деми Ловато bg:Деми Ловато bs:Demi Lovato bxr:Деми Ловато ca:Demetria Devonne Lovato cv:Деми Ловато cs:Demi Lovato cbk-zam:Demi Lovato da:Demi Lovato de:Demi Lovato et:Demi Lovato el:Ντέμι Λοβάτο es:Demi Lovato eo:Demi Lovato eu:Demi Lovato fa:دمی لواتو fr:Demi Lovato gl:Demi Lovato ko:데미 로바토 hy:Դեմի Լովատո hr:Demi Lovato io:Demi Lovato id:Demi Lovato zu:Demi Lovato is:Demi Lovato it:Demi Lovato he:דמי לובאטו jv:Demi Lovato kn:ಡೆಮಿ ಲೊವಾಟೋ ka:დემი ლოვატო kk:Деми Ловато lez:Деми Ловато la:Demetria Lovato lv:Demi Lovato hu:Demi Lovato mk:Деми Ловато ms:Demi Lovato mn:Деми Ловато nl:Demi Lovato ja:デミ・ロヴァート no:Demi Lovato nn:Demi Lovato uz:Demi Lovato pl:Demi Lovato pt:Demi Lovato ro:Demi Lovato ru:Ловато, Деми sq:Demi Lovato simple:Demi Lovato sk:Demi Lovato sl:Demi Lovato sh:Demi Lovato su:Demi Lovato fi:Demi Lovato sv:Demi Lovato tl:Demi Lovato ta:டெமி லோவாடோ tt:Деми Ловато th:เดมี่ โลวาโต้ tr:Demi Lovato tk:Demi Lowato bug:Demi Lovato uk:Демі Ловато vi:Demi Lovato war:Demi Lovato zh:黛咪·洛瓦特

years active	1992–present
background	solo_singer
birth name	Britney Jean Spears
birth date	December 02, 1981
birth place
genre	Pop, dance
occupation	Singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, record producer, author, fashion designer, video director
instrument	Vocals, piano
label	Jive, RCA
associated acts	The New Mickey Mouse Club
website	}}

Britney Jean Spears (born 1981) is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album ''...Baby One More Time'' in 1999. During her first decade in the music industry, she became a prominent figure in mainstream popular music and popular culture, followed by a much-publicized personal life. Her first two albums established her as a pop icon and broke sales records, while title tracks "...Baby One More Time" and "Oops!... I Did It Again" became international number-one hits. Spears was credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s.

In 2001, she released her third studio album ''Britney'' and expanded her brand, playing the starring role in the film ''Crossroads''. She assumed creative control of her fourth studio album, ''In the Zone'' (2003), which yielded chart-topping singles "Me Against the Music", "Toxic" and "Everytime". After the release of two compilation albums, Spears experienced personal struggles and her career went into hiatus. Her fifth studio album, ''Blackout'', was released in 2007 and despite receiving little promotion, it spawned hits "Gimme More" and "Piece of Me". In 2008, her erratic behavior and hospitalizations caused her to be placed in a conservatorship. The same year, her sixth studio album ''Circus'' was released, with the global chart-topping lead single "Womanizer", it also included hits such as "Circus", and "If U Seek Amy". She embarked on her highest-grossing global concert tour, The Circus Starring Britney Spears, in 2009. In October of the same year, she released a chart-topping single, "3", which became her third single to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Her seventh studio album ''Femme Fatale'', released in 2011, has become the first of her albums to yield three top ten singles in the United States, including her fourth US number one single, "Hold It Against Me". She also achieved a second number one single in 2011 when she featured on the remix of S&M; alongside Rihanna.

Spears has sold over 100 million albums worldwide. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), she is the eighth top-selling female artist in the United States, with 33 million certified albums. Spears is also recognized as the best-selling female artist of the first decade of the 21st century, as well as the fifth overall. She was ranked the 8th Artist of the 2000s by ''Billboard''.

Biography

1981–97: Early life and career beginnings

Britney Jean Spears was born on December 2, 1981, the second child of Lynne Irene (née Bridges) and James Parnell Spears. She is of English heritage through her maternal grandmother, Lillian Portelli who was born in London, and of distant Maltese and Sicilian (Sicani) descent. Her siblings are Bryan James and Jamie Lynn. At age three, she started to attend dance lessons in her hometown of Kentwood, Louisiana, and was selected to perform as a solo artist at the annual recital. During her childhood, she also attended gymnastics and voice lessons, and won many state-level competitions and children's talent shows. Spears made her local stage debut at age five, singing "What Child Is This?" at her kindergarten graduation. She said about her ambition as a child, "I was in my own world, [...] I found out what I'm supposed to do at an early age". At age eight, Spears and her mother Lynne traveled to Atlanta for an audition in the 1990s revival of ''The Mickey Mouse Club''. Casting director Matt Casella rejected her for being too young to join the series at the time, but introduced her to Nancy Carson, a New York City talent agent. Carson was impressed with Spears's vocals and suggested enrolling her at the Professional Performing Arts School; shortly after, Lynne and her daughters moved to a sublet apartment in New York. Spears was hired for her first professional role as the understudy for the lead role of Tina Denmark in the Off-Broadway musical ''Ruthless!''. She also appeared as a contestant on the popular television show ''Star Search'', as well as being cast in a number of commercials. In December 1992, she was finally cast in ''The Mickey Mouse Club'', but returned to Kentwood after the show was canceled. She enrolled at Parklane Academy in nearby McComb, Mississippi. Although she made friends with most of her classmates, she compared the school to "the opening scene in ''Clueless'' with all the cliques. [...] I was so bored. I was the point guard on the basketball team. I had my boyfriend, and I went to homecoming and Christmas formal. But I wanted more."

In June 1997, Spears was in talks with manager Lou Pearlman to join the female pop group Innosense. Lynne asked family friend and entertainment lawyer Larry Rudolph for his opinion and submitted a tape of Spears singing over a Whitney Houston karaoke song along with some pictures. Rudolph decided he wanted to pitch her to record labels, therefore she needed a professional demo. He sent Spears an unused song of Toni Braxton; she rehearsed for a week and recorded her vocals in a studio with a sound engineer. Spears traveled to New York with the demo and met with executives from four labels, returning to Kentwood the same day. Three of the labels rejected her, arguing that audiences wanted pop bands such as the Backstreet Boys and the Spice Girls, and "there wasn't going to be another Madonna, another Debbie Gibson, or another Tiffany." Two weeks later, executives from Jive Records returned calls to Rudolph. Senior vice president of A&R; Jeff Fenster stated about Spears's audition that "It's very rare to hear someone that age who can deliver emotional content and commercial appeal. [...] For any artist, the motivation—the 'eye of the tiger'—is extremely important. And Britney had that." She then sang Houston's "I Have Nothing" (1992) for the executives, and got signed to the label. They appointed her to work with producer Eric Foster White for a month, who reportedly shaped her voice from "lower and less poppy" delivery to "distinctively, unmistakably Britney." After hearing the recorded material, president Clive Calder ordered a full album. Spears had originally envisioned "Sheryl Crow music, but younger more adult contemporary" but felt all right with her label's appointment of producers, since "It made more sense to go pop, because I can dance to it—it's more me." She flew to Cheiron Studios in Stockholm, Sweden, where half of the album was recorded from March to April 1998, with producers Max Martin, Denniz Pop and Rami Yacoub, among others.

1998–2000: ''...Baby One More Time'' and ''Oops!... I Did It Again''

After Spears returned to the United States, she embarked on a shopping mall promotional tour to promote her forthcoming album. Her show was a four song set and she was accompanied by two back up dancers. Her first concert tour followed, as an opening act for 'N Sync. Her debut album, ''...Baby One More Time'', was released on January 1999. It debuted at number one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 and was certified two-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America after a month. Worldwide, the album topped the charts in fifteen countries and sold over ten million copies in a year. It became the biggest selling album ever by a teenage artist. The title track was released as the lead single from the album. Originally, Jive Records wanted its music video to be animated; however, Spears rejected it, and suggested the final idea of a Catholic schoolgirl. The single sold 500,000 copies on its first day, and peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, topping the chart for two consecutive weeks. "...Baby One More Time" later received a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The title track also topped the singles chart for two weeks in the United Kingdom, and became the fastest-selling single ever by a female artist, shipping over 460,000 copies. It would later become the 25th most successful song of all time in British chart history. Spears is also the youngest female artist to have a million seller in the country. "(You Drive Me) Crazy" was released as the third single from the album. It became a top-ten hit worldwide and propelled ''...Baby One More Time'' to sell 26 million copies.

The April 1999 cover of ''Rolling Stone'' featured Spears lying on her bed, clad with a bra, shorts and an open top. The American Family Association (AFA) referred to the shoot as "a disturbing mix of childhood innocence and adult sexuality" and called to "God-loving Americans to boycott stores selling Britney's albums." Spears responded to the outcry commenting, "What's the big deal? I have strong morals. [...] I'd do it again. I thought the pictures were fine. And I was tired of being compared to Debbie Gibson and all of this bubblegum pop all the time." Shortly before, Spears had announced publicly she would remain a virgin until marriage. On June 28, 1999, Spears began her first headlining ...Baby One More Time Tour in North America, which was positively received by critics, but generated some controversy due to her racy outfits. An extension of the tour, titled Crazy 2k, followed in March 2000. Spears premiered songs from her upcoming second album during the show.

''Oops!... I Did It Again'', her second studio album, was released in May 2000. It debuted at number one in the US, selling 1,3 million copies, breaking the SoundScan record for the highest debut sales by any solo artist. The album sold over 20 million copies worldwide. Rob Sheffield of ''Rolling Stone'' said that "the great thing about ''Oops!'' – under the cheese surface, Britney's demand for satisfaction is complex, fierce and downright scary, making her a true child of rock & roll tradition." The album's lead single, "Oops!... I Did It Again", peaked at the top of the charts in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and many other European nations. The album as well as the title track received Grammy nominations for Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, respectively.

The same year, Spears embarked on the Oops!... I Did It Again World Tour, which grossed $40.5 million; she also released her first book, ''Britney Spears' Heart-to-Heart'', co-written with her mother. On September 7, 2000, Spears performed at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. Halfway through the performance, she ripped off her black suit to reveal a sequined flesh-colored bodysuit, followed by heavy dance routine. It is noted by critics as the moment that Spears showed signs of becoming a more provocative performer. Amidst media speculation, Spears confirmed she was dating 'N Sync member Justin Timberlake.

2001–03: ''Britney'', ''Crossroads'' and ''In the Zone''

In February 2001, Spears signed a $7–8 million promotional deal with Pepsi, and released another book co-written with her mother, entitled ''A Mother’s Gift''. Her third studio album, ''Britney'', was released in November 2001. While on tour, she felt inspired by hip hop artists such as Jay-Z and The Neptunes and wanted to create a record with a funkier sound. The album debuted at number one in the ''Billboard'' 200 and reached top five positions in Australia, the United Kingdom and mainland Europe and sold over 12 million copies worldwide. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic called ''Britney'' "the record where she strives to deepen her persona, making it more adult while still recognizably Britney. [...] It does sound like the work of a star who has now found and refined her voice, resulting in her best record yet." The album was honored with two Grammy nominations—Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Overprotected"— and was listed in 2008 as one of ''Entertainment Weekly'''s "100 Best Albums from the Past 25 Years". The album's first single, "I'm a Slave 4 U", became a top-ten hit worldwide.

Spears's performance of the single at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards featured a caged tiger and a large albino python draped over her shoulders. It was harshly received by animal rights organization PETA, who claimed the animals were mistreated and scrapped plans for an anti-fur billboard that was to feature Spears. To support the album, Spears embarked on the Dream Within a Dream Tour. The show was critically praised for its technical innovations, the ''pièce de résistance'' being a water screen that pumped two tons of water into the stage. The tour grossed $43.7 million, becoming the second highest grossing tour of 2002 by a female artist, behind Cher's Farewell Tour. Her career success was highlighted by ''Forbes'' in 2002, as Spears was ranked the world's most powerful celebrity. Spears also landed her first starring role in ''Crossroads'', released in February 2002. Although the film was largely panned, most critics actually praised Spears's acting. ''Crossroads'', which had a $11 million budget, went on to gross over $57 million worldwide.

In June 2002, Spears opened her first restaurant, Nyla, in New York City, but terminated her relationship in November, citing mismanagement and "management's failure to keep her fully apprised". In July 2002, Spears announced she would take a six month break from her career; however, she went back into the studio in November to record her new album. Spears' relationship with Justin Timberlake ended after three years. In December 2002, Timberlake released the song "Cry Me a River" as the second single from his solo debut album. The music video featured a Spears look-alike and fueled the rumors that she had been unfaithful to him. As a response, Spears wrote the ballad "Everytime" with her backing vocalist and friend Annet Artani. The same year, Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst said that he was in a relationship with Spears. However, Spears denied Durst's claims. In a 2009 interview, he explained that "I just guess at the time it was taboo for a guy like me to be associated with a gal like her." Spears opened the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards with Christina Aguilera, performing "Like a Virgin". Halfway through they were joined by Madonna, with whom they both kissed. The incident was highly publicized.

Spears released her fourth studio album, ''In the Zone'', in November 2003. She assumed more creative control by writing and co-producing most of the material. ''Vibe'' called it "A supremely confident dance record that also illustrates Spears's development as a songwriter." NPR listed the album as one of "The 50 Most Important Recording of the Decade", adding that "the decade's history of impeccably crafted pop is written on her body of work." ''In the Zone'' sold over 609,000 copies in the United States and debuted at the top of the charts, making Spears the first female artist in the SoundScan era to have her first four studio albums to debut at number one. It also debuted at the top of the charts in France and the top ten in Belgium, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands. ''In the Zone'' sold over 10 million copies worldwide. The album produced the hit singles: "Me Against the Music", a collaboration with Madonna; "Toxic"—which won Spears her first and only Grammy for Best Dance Recording; "Everytime" and "Outrageous".

2004–07: Compilation albums, motherhood, personal struggles and ''Blackout''

On January 3, 2004, Spears married childhood friend Jason Allen Alexander at The Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada. The marriage was annulled 55 hours later, stating that Spears "lacked understanding of her actions". She began The Onyx Hotel Tour in support of ''In the Zone'' in March 2004. On June 8, 2004, Spears fell and injured her left knee during the music video shoot for "Outrageous". She was taken immediately to a local hospital, where doctors performed an MRI scan and found floating cartilage. The following day, Spears underwent arthroscopic surgery. She was forced to remain six weeks with a thigh brace, followed by eight to twelve weeks of rehabilitation, which caused The Onyx Hotel Tour to be canceled. During 2004, Spears became involved in the Kabbalah Centre through her friendship with Madonna.

In July 2004, she announced her engagement to American dancer Kevin Federline, whom she had met three months before. The romance received intense attention from the media, since Federline had recently broken up with actress Shar Jackson, who was still pregnant with their second child at the time. The initial stages of their relationship were chronicled in Spears's first reality show ''Britney & Kevin: Chaotic''. They held a wedding ceremony on September 18, 2004, but were not legally married until three weeks later on October 6 due to a delay finalizing the couple's prenuptial agreement. Shortly after, she released her first fragrance with Elizabeth Arden, ''Curious'', which broke the company's first-week gross for a perfume. In October 2004, Spears announced she would be taking another career break to start a family. ''Greatest Hits: My Prerogative'', her first greatest hits compilation album, was released in November 2004. Spears's cover version of Bobby Brown's "My Prerogative" was released as the lead single from the album, reaching the top of the charts in Finland, Ireland, Italy and Norway. The second single, "Do Somethin'", was a top ten hit in Australia, the United Kingdom and other countries of mainland Europe. Worldwide, ''Greatest Hits: My Prerogative'' sold over 5 million copies. In late 2004, Spears went on KIIS-FM radio in Los Angeles, CA to play a new demo titled "Mona Lisa." The demo was to be the first single from an upcoming album called the "Original Doll." However, Spears' label later cancelled the album for unknown reasons. Spears gave birth to her first child, Sean Preston Federline, on September 14, 2005.

In November 2005, she released her first remix compilation, ''B in the Mix: The Remixes'', which consists of eleven remixes. It has sold over 1 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best selling remix albums of all time. In February 2006, pictures surfaced of Spears driving with her son Sean, on her lap instead of in a car seat. Child advocates were horrified by the photos of her holding the wheel with one hand and Sean with the other. Spears claimed that the situation happened because of a frightening encounter with paparazzi, and that it was a mistake on her part. The following month, she guest-starred on the ''Will & Grace'' episode "Buy, Buy Baby" as closeted lesbian Amber Louise. She publicly announced she no longer studied Kabbalah in June 2006, explaining, "my baby is my religion." Two months later, Spears posed nude for the cover of ''Harper's Bazaar''. The picture was heavily compared to Demi Moore's August 1991 ''Vanity Fair'' cover. She gave birth to her second child, Jayden James Federline, on September 12, 2006. On November 7, 2006, Spears filed for divorce from Federline, citing irreconcilable differences. Their divorce was finalized in July 2007, when the couple reached a global settlement and agreed to share joint custody of their children. Spears's aunt Sandra Bridges Covington, with whom she had been very close, died of ovarian cancer in January. On February 16, 2007, Spears stayed in a drug rehabilitation facility in Antigua for less than a day. The following night, she shaved her head with electric clippers at a hair salon in Tarzana, Los Angeles. She admitted herself to other treatment facilities during the following weeks. After completing a month-long program at Promises, she wrote on her website, "I truly hit rock bottom. Till this day I don't think that it was alcohol or depression. [...] was like a bad kid running around with ADD." In May 2007, she produced a series of promotional concerts at House of Blues venues, titled The M+M's Tour. Spears lost physical custody of her children to Federline on October 1, 2007. The reasons of the court ruling were not revealed to the public.

Her fifth studio album, ''Blackout'', was released in October 2007. It debuted at the top of charts in Canada and Ireland, number two in the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200,—held off from the top spot by Eagles's ''Long Road out of Eden''— France, Japan, Mexico and the United Kingdom and the top ten in Australia, Korea, New Zealand and many European nations. In the United States, Spears became the only female artist to have her first five studio albums debut at the two top slots of the chart. ''Blackout'' sold over 3.1 million copies worldwide. Peter Robinson of ''The Observer'' said that "Britney has delivered the best album of her career, raising the bar for modern pop music with an incendiary mix of Timbaland's ''Shock Value'' and her own back catalogue." Dennis Lim of ''Blender'' commented, "Spears’s fifth studio album is her most consistent, a seamlessly entertaining collection of bright, brash electropop." ''Blackout'' won Album of the Year at MTV Europe Music Awards 2008 and was listed as the fifth Best Pop Album of the Decade by ''The Times''. Spears performed the lead single "Gimme More" at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. The performance was panned by many critics. David Willis of BBC stated her performance would "go down in the history books as being one of the worst to grace the MTV Awards". Despite the backlash, the single rocketed to worldwide success, peaking at number one in Canada and the top ten in almost every country it charted. The second single "Piece of Me" reached the top of the charts in Ireland and reached the top five in Australia, Canada, Denmark, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The third single "Break the Ice" was released the following year and had moderate success due to Spears not being able to promote it properly. In December 2007, Spears began a relationship with paparazzo Adnan Ghalib.

2008–10: Conservatorship and ''Circus''

On January 3, 2008, Spears refused to relinquish custody of her sons to Federline's representatives. She was hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, after police that arrived at her house noted she appeared to be under the influence of an illicit substance. The following day, Spears's visitation rights were suspended at an emergency court hearing, and Federline was given sole physical and legal custody of the children. On January 31, 2008, Spears was committed to the psychiatric ward of Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and put on 5150 involuntary psychiatric hold. The court placed her under temporary conservatorship of her father James Spears and attorney Andrew Wallet, giving them complete control of her assets. Spears was released on February 6, 2008. Her parents expressed disappointment and concern at the decision to release her. The following month, she guest-starred on the ''How I Met Your Mother'' episode "Ten Sessions" as receptionist Abby. She received positive reviews for her performance, as well as bringing the series its highest ratings ever. In July 2008, Spears regained some visitation rights after coming to an agreement with Federline and his counsel. On September 7, 2008, Spears opened the MTV Video Music Awards with a pre-taped comedy sketch with Jonah Hill and an introduction speech. She won Best Female Video, Best Pop Video and Video of the Year for "Piece of Me". A 60-minute introspective documentary, ''Britney: For the Record'', was produced to chronicle Spears' return to the recording industry. Directed by Phil Griffin, ''For the Record'' was entirely shot in Beverly Hills, Hollywood, and New York City during the third quarter of 2008. Main shooting began on September 5, 2008, two days before Spears' appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards. ''For the Record'' was broadcast on MTV on November 30, 2008 to 5.6 million viewers for the two airings on the premiere night. MTV reported that Spears' documentary garnered on average, the highest rating in its Sunday night timeslot, in the network's history.

Her sixth studio album ''Circus'', was released in December 2008. It received positive reviews from critics; according to the music review aggregation of Metacritic, it garnered an average score of 64/100. ''Circus'' debuted at number one in Canada, Czech Republic and the United States, and inside the top in many European nations. In the United States, Spears became the youngest female artist to have five albums debut at number one, earning a place in the ''Guinness Book of World Records''. She also became the only act in the Soundscan era to have four albums debut with 500,000 or more copies sold. ''Circus'' became one of the fastest-selling albums of the year, and has sold 4 million copies worldwide. Its lead single, "Womanizer", became her first number one in the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 since "...Baby One More Time" and topped the charts in countries such as Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Norway and Sweden. It was also nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Dance Recording. In January 2009, Spears and her father James obtained a restraining order against her former manager Sam Lufti, ex-boyfriend Adnan Ghalib and attorney Jon Eardley—all of whom, court documents claim, had been conspiring to gain control of Spears's affairs. The restraining order forbids Lutfi and Ghalib from contacting Spears or coming within 250 yards of her, her property or family members. Spears embarked on The Circus Starring Britney Spears in March 2009. With a gross of U.S. $131.8 million, it became the fifth highest grossing tour of the year.

She released her second greatest hits album, ''The Singles Collection'' in November 2009. "3" became her third number one single in the US, and was the first song to debut at the top of the charts in three years. Later that month, she released an application for iPhone and iPod Touch titled "It's Britney!". In May 2010, Spears's representatives confirmed she was dating her agent Jason Trawick, and that they had decided to end their professional relationship to focus on their personal relationship. Spears designed a limited edition clothing line for Candie's, which was released in stores in July 2010. On September 28, 2010, she made a cameo appearance on a Spears-themed tribute episode of American TV show ''Glee'', titled "Britney/Brittany". Spears approved of the episode, although her appearances received mixed reviews from critics. The episode drew ''Glee'''s second largest audience, as well as the show's highest ratings ever.

2011–present: ''Femme Fatale''

In March 2011, Spears released her seventh studio album ''Femme Fatale''. Max Martin and Dr. Luke executive produced the album and the album's first single "Hold It Against Me". The single debuted at number-one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. This gave Spears her fourth number-one single on the chart, and made her only the second artist in history to have two consecutive singles debut at number-one, after Mariah Carey. The album peaked at number one in the United States (selling 276,000 copies in its first week), Canada, and Australia, and peaked inside the top ten on nearly every other chart. The album's peak in the United States ties Britney with Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson for the third-most number ones among women. As of March 9, 2012, ''Femme Fatale'' has sold 883,000 copies in the United States and 2.2 million worldwide and has been certified platinum by the RIAA. The album received positive critical reviews after its release, receiving a score of 67 on Metacritic, her highest critical score since ''Oops!... I Did It Again,'' with many critics naming the album one of Spears's best. In April 2011, Spears appeared in a remix to the song "S&M;" by Rihanna after Rihanna asked her fans via Twitter who they wanted her to collaborate with. The song reached number one in the US in mid-April 2011, giving Spears her fifth number one on the chart. In early May, Spears' second single from ''Femme Fatale'', "Till The World Ends", reached number three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and had ninety-eight million audience impressions on the ''Billboard'' chart, granting Spears the highest weekly audience of her 13-year chart career.

''Femme Fatale's'' third single "I Wanna Go" reached the top forty on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in June 2011. Among females in the last thirteen years, Spears now has the third-most top forty hits, with twenty-one. In August, the single managed to reach the top-ten on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, which is the first time for Spears to have three songs from one album in the top-ten. On the week ending September 24, 2011, "I Wanna Go" moved 2–1 on the mainstream top 40, becoming her sixth number-one on that chart (making her tied for third all-time) and her first number-one and third top-ten pop song for ''Femme Fatale.'' Spears now has the longest span of number ones on the mainstream top 40, with a length of twelve years, seven months, and four days. In October 2011, the music video for ''Femme Fatale'' fourth single "Criminal" caused controversy when British politicians criticized Spears for using replica guns while filming the video in an area of London that had been badly affected by the 2011 England riots. Members of the Hackney London Borough Council felt Spears "promoted gun violence" and suggested that Spears apologize and make a donation to a Hackney charity. Spears's management briefly responded, stating, "The video is a fantasy story featuring Britney's boyfriend, Jason Trawick, which literally plays out the lyrics of a song written three years before the riots ever happened." Later that month, due to her continued popularity, Spears became the seventh artist to gain one billion cumulative views on her Vevo account. On ''Billboard''s 2011 Year-End list, Spears was fourteen on the Artists of the Year, due to being 32 on ''Billboard'' 200 artists and 10 on ''Billboard'' Hot 100 artists. Additionally, many critics, including those at ''Rolling Stone,'' named "Till the World Ends" one of the best songs of 2011.

On March 2011, Spears announced that she would tour throughout the United States during summer 2011. The Femme Fatale Tour opened June 16 at the Power Balance Pavilion in Sacramento, California to positive reviews. Many critics noted that Spears sang more of the concert live in response to lip-synching accusations during The Circus Starring Britney Spears, and that the dancing is some of her best in years. The first ten US dates of the tour grossed $6.2 million, landing the fifty-fifth spot on Pollstar's Top 100 North American Tours list for the half-way point of the year. The tour ended on December 10, 2011 in Puerto Rico after 79 performances. A concert special of the tour was filmed in 2D and 3D in Canada on August 13 and 14. It premiered on November 12 on Epix, receiving mixed reviews. It was released to DVD on November 21 and sold 19,000 copies, debuting at no. 2 on the US ''Billboard'' DVD Chart behind Lady Gaga's ''The Monster Ball Tour: At Madison Square Garden.'' Since its release, the DVD has been certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and Gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).

On June 15, 2011, it was announced by ''Billboard'' that the RCA/Jive Label Group would be splitting, with Jive Records being fully moved under RCA Records staying intact. In August it was announced that Spears had officially joined the RCA's roster. During the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards on August 28, 2011, MTV played tribute to Spears with a group of young female dancers that memorialised Britney's music videos, performances, and style. Following which, Spears accepted the MTV Video Vanguard Award from Lady Gaga, who said that "industry wouldn't be the same without [her]". On September 9, 2011, Spears announced her second remix album, ''B in the Mix: The Remixes Vol. 2'', which was released on October 7, along with the tracklist. On October 7, RCA Music Group announced it was disbanding Jive Records along with Arista Records and J Records. With the shutdown, Spears (and all other artists previously signed to these three labels) will release her future material on the RCA Records brand.

On December 16, Spears confirmed her engagement to her long-time boyfriend Jason Trawick, her former manager. Spears revealed her three-carat diamond ring at a party in Las Vegas on December 17. According to RCA's Joe Riccitelli the executive vice president of promotion for RCA Records, told U.S. radio station Hot 99.5 that Britney is taking time off in 2012. However, on January 30, 2012, will.i.am confirmed that he recorded a track with Spears, set to be included on his upcoming fourth studio album, ''#willpower'' (2012). It was also reported that Simon Cowell was in talks with Spears for her to join the new season of the ''The X-Factor''. According to ''Billboard'' and ''The Hollywood Reporter'', Trawick negotiated Spears' contract with the show, which was later approved by conservatorship judge Reva Goetz. Melanie Bromley of E! Online reported that Cowell and the producers agreed to pay the singer $15 million payday, and also added that Trawick would serve as a new producer of the show. The contract is still unsigned. Spears also teamed up with Hasbro to release an exclusive version of Twister Dance, which will include a remix of "Till the World Ends". The singer also participated on a commercial, which was directed by Ray Kay, to promote the game.

Artistry

Musical style and performance

Following her debut, Spears was credited with leading the revival of teen pop in the late 1990s. ''The Daily Yomiuri'' reported that "[m]usic critics have hailed her as the most gifted teenage pop idol for many years, but Spears has set her sights a little higher-she is aiming for the level of superstardom that has been achieved by Madonna and Janet Jackson." Rob Sheffield of ''Rolling Stone'' wrote: "Britney Spears carries on the classic archetype of the rock & roll teen queen, the dungaree doll, the angel baby who just has to make a scene." Rami Yacoub who co-produced Spears's debut album with lyricist Max Martin, commented, "I know from Denniz Pop and Max's previous productions, when we do songs, there's kind of a nasal thing. With N' Sync and the Backstreet Boys, we had to push for that mid-nasal voice. When Britney did that, she got this kind of raspy, sexy voice." Following the release of her debut album, Chuck Taylor of ''Billboard'' observed, "Spears has become a consummate performer, with snappy dance moves, a clearly real-albeit young-and funkdified voice ... "(You Drive Me) Crazy", her third single ... demonstrates Spears's own development, proving that the 17-year-old is finding her own vocal personality after so many months of steadfast practice." Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic referred to her music as a "blend of infectious, rap-inflected dance-pop and smooth balladry." Spears later commented, "With ''...Baby One More Time'', I didn't get to show my voice off. The songs were great, but they weren't very challenging".

''Oops!...I Did It Again'' and subsequent albums saw Spears working with several contemporary R&B; producers, leading to "a combination of bubblegum, urban soul, and raga." Her third studio album, ''Britney'' derived from the teen pop niche, "[r]hythmically and melodically ... sharper, tougher than what came before. What used to be unabashedly frothy has some disco grit, underpinned by Spears' spunky self-determination that helps sell hooks that are already catchier, by and large, than those that populated her previous two albums." Guy Blackman of ''The Age'' wrote that while few would care to listen to an entire Spears album, "[t]he thing about Spears, though, is that her biggest songs, no matter how committee-created or impossibly polished, have always been convincing because of her delivery, her commitment and her presence. For her mostly teenage fans, Spears expresses perfectly the conflicting urges of adolescence, the tension between chastity and sexual experience, between hedonism and responsibility, between confidence and vulnerability."

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Spears possesses a soprano vocal range; her vocal ability however has been criticized, often drawing unfavorable comparison to her pop rival, Christina Aguilera. Critic Allan Raible derides her overdependence in Circus on digital effects and the robotic effect it creates. "She’s never been a strong vocalist..." writes Raible, "Could she handle these songs with stripped down arrangements and no vocal effects? More importantly, would anyone want to hear her attempt such a performance? Does it matter? No. The focus is still image over substance." Her image and persona are also often contrasted to Christina Aguilera. David Browne of ''Entertainment Weekly'' observed "Christina Aguilera may flash skin and belly button, but in her music and manner, she's too eager not to offend — she's a good girl pretending to be bad. Spears, however, comes across as a bad girl acting good ... Spears' artificial-sweetener voice is much less interesting than the settings, yet that blandness is actually a relief compared with Aguilera's numbing vocal gymnastics. In contrast, Allmusic comments: "Like her peer Christina Aguilera, Britney equates maturity with transparent sexuality and the pounding sounds of nightclubs ... Where Christina comes across like a natural-born skank, Britney is the girl next door cutting loose at college, drinking and smoking and dancing and sexing just a little too recklessly, since this is the first time she ''can'' indulge herself. Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine notes, "The disparity between Aguilera and Spears can't be measured solely by the timbre and octave range of their voices ... [Aguilera's] popularity has never reached the fever pitch of Britney's."

It has been widely reported that Spears lip-syncs in concert. Author Gary Giddins wrote in his book ''Natural selection: Gary Giddins on comedy, film, music, and books'' (2006) that "among many other performers accused of moving their lips while a machine does the labor are Britney Spears, Luciano Pavarotti, Shania Twain, Beyoncé, and Madonna." Rashod D. Ollison of ''The Baltimore Sun'' observes: "Many pop stars ... feel they have no choice but to seek vocal enhancement. Since the advent of MTV and other video music channels, pop audiences have been fed elaborate videos thick with jaw-dropping effects, awesome choreography, fabulous clothes, marvelous bodies. And the same level of perfection is expected to extend beyond the video set to the concert stage. So if Britney Spears, Janet Jackson or Madonna sounds shrill and flat without a backing track, fans won't pay up to $300 for a concert ticket." Giddins adds, "it was reported Britney Spears fans prefer her to lip-sync—despite her denials of doing so (contradicted by her own director)—because they expect flawless digitalization when they pay serious money for a concert."

In Australia, NSW Fair Trading Minister Virginia Judge has advised disclaimers be printed on any ticket for concerts which contain any prerecorded vocals. She commented: "There could have been some instances where people actually go and purchase a ticket thinking that they're going to have a live performance ... for some people that means that everything is live, it's fresh, it happens instantaneously, it's not something that's been pre-recorded. You want to make sure that they're actually paying for what they think they're getting." Noting on the prevalence of lip-syncing, ''Los Angeles Daily News'' reported "in the context of a Britney Spears concert, does it really matter? Like a Vegas revue show, you don't go to hear the music, you go for the somewhat-ridiculous spectacle of it all". Similarly, Aline Mendelsohn of the ''Orlando Sentinel'' remarked: "Let's get one thing straight: A Britney Spears concert is not about the music ... you have to remember that it's about the sight, not the sound." Critic Glenn Gamboa comments her concert tours are "like her life—a massive money-making venture designed to play up her talents and distract from her shortcomings with a mix of techno-tinged sex appeal and disco-flavored flash. And, like her life, it is, more or less, a success.

Influences

Throughout her career, Spears has drawn frequent comparisons to Madonna and Janet Jackson, in terms of vocals, choreography and stage presence, citing both as influences in her work. She has also named Michael Jackson as a source of inspiration. According to Spears: "I know when I was younger, I looked up to people... like, you know, Janet Jackson and Madonna. And they were major inspirations for me. But I also had my own identity and I knew who I was, you know." In the 2002 book ''Madonnastyle'' by Carol Clerk, she is quoted saying: "I have been a huge fan of Madonna since I was a little girl. She's the person that I've really looked up to. I would really, really like to be a legend like Madonna."

Many critics have argued that Spears should not be considered in the same league of talent as Jackson or Madonna. Journalists Erika Montalvo and Jackie Sheppard of the ''Rocky Mountain Collegian'' observed "[s]ome may argue that Spears is not only a good recording artist but also an important cultural icon." However, in examining her level of skill as an artist, it is questioned that "[a]lthough she has been classified among female elites such as Janet Jackson and Madonna, what does Ms. Spears really have in common with these divas of rock?" Joan Anderman of ''The Boston Globe'' remarked that "[t]hirteen costume changes in 90 minutes won't bless her with Madonna's intelligence or cultural barometer. An army of cutting-edge R&B; producers won't supply her with Janet Jackson's sense of humor or sincere smile ... Britney's heroes aren't great singers. But they're real singers. Spears sounds robotic, nearly inhuman, on her records, so processed is her voice by digital pitch-shifters and synthesizers."

Reporter Ed Bumgardner commented her transition from teen pop start to adult sex symbol with her third studio album ''Britney'' "takes its cues from two other successful performers—Madonna and Janet Jackson—both of whom she brazenly rips off and both of whom, like Spears, are passable singers, at best." Critic Shane Harrison wrote: "From the minimalist thump and "Nasty" feel of "I'm a Slave 4 U" to the scattered quotes in "Boys", [''Britney''] feels like [Spears's] attempt at 'Control'."

Citing Jackson's resolve to incorporate personal and social issues into her work and Madonna's ability to constantly redefine the boundaries of socially acceptable material in the industry, Spears's catalog ultimately pales in comparison, because "[w]hile Jackson and Madonna wrote their own music about subjects of importance, [Spears's] music sounds like an upbeat version of either, 'I want to grow up but the media won't let me,' or 'Here kitty, kitty, I'm wearing my underwear outside of my leather pants'-type ballads." In contrast, Guy Blackman argues that although "no one would argue that Spears is some kind of pioneering pop auteur, there’s still a lot to like about her back catalogue. During her world-conquering peak, she was just about as cutting edge as you could get in the world of global pop superstardom. Spears didn’t just work with big names, she gave big names their names, and maintained her high currency in the world’s most fickle industry for years, when most aspiring starlets are lucky to manage months."

After meeting Spears face to face, Janet Jackson stated: "she said to me, 'I'm such a big fan; I really admire you.' That's so flattering. Everyone gets inspiration from some place. And it's awesome to see someone else coming up who's dancing and singing, and seeing how all these kids relate to her. A lot of people put it down, but what she does is a positive thing." Madonna's respect for Spears has also been a subject of observation. Santiago Fouz-Hernández and Freya Jarman-Ivens, authors of ''Madonna's drowned worlds: new approaches to her cultural transformations, 1983-2003'' (2004) note that the most well known cross-generational relationship exists between Spears and Madonna in which "the entertainment newsmedia almost became obsessed with their relationship of mutual admiration." The biographers also report "[s]ome observers of popular culture, however, feel that the comparisons between the two artist are meaningless and fail to recognize Madonna's unique contribution: Madonna was never 'just another pop star' whereas Britney can more easily be seen as a standard manufactured pop act."

Legacy

Spears became an international pop culture icon immediately after launching her recording career. ''Rolling Stone'' magazine wrote: "One of the most controversial and successful female vocalists of the 21st century," she "spearheaded the rise of post-millennial teen pop ... Spears early on cultivated a mixture of innocence and experience that broke the bank". She is listed by the ''Guinness World Records'' as having the "Best-selling album by a teenage solo artist" for her debut album ''...Baby One More Time'' which sold over thirteen million copies in the United States. Melissa Ruggieri of the ''Richmond Times-Dispatch'' reported, "She's also marked for being the best-selling teenage artist. Before she turned 20 in 2001, Spears sold more than 37 million albums worldwide". As of 2011, she has sold over 100 million albums worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. She was also ranked as the fourth VH1's "50 Greatest Women of the Video Era" show list, ahead of most of her contemporaries and only behind veterans like Madonna, Janet Jackson, and Whitney Houston. Spears is also recognized as the best-selling female artist of the first decade of the 21st century, as well as the fifth overall. In December 2009, ''Billboard'' magazine ranked Spears the 8th Artist of the 2000s decade in the United States.

Spears is also known for her iconic performances and music videos. The music video for her debut single, "...Baby One More Time", was ranked number one on ''TRL's'' Final Countdown of the most iconic music videos. On the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, before performing "Oops!... I Did It Again", the singer appeared behind a backlit screen, and descended a spiral staircase and started performing "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", while wearing a tuxedo. After performing a shortened version of the track, she tore the tuxedo off, revealing a skin-tight flesh-coloured outfit. The following year, Spears performed her single "I'm a Slave 4 U". Jocelyn Vena of MTV summarized the performance, saying, "draping herself in a white python and slithering around a steamy garden setting – surrounded by dancers in zebra and tiger outfits – Spears created one of the most striking visuals in the 27-year history of the show." She also duetted "The Way You Make Me Feel" with pop singer Michael Jackson on his 30th anniversary concert a few days earlier. During the opening of the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards on August 27, 2003, Spears joined Madonna, Christina Aguilera, and Missy Elliott. Halfway through the performance, Madonna kissed Spears and Aguilera on the lips. The kiss between Spears and Madonna generated strong reaction from the media. This performance was listed by ''Blender'' magazine as one of the twenty-five sexiest music moments on television history. MTV listed the performance as the number-one opening moments in the history of MTV Video Music Awards. In 2011, Spears was honored with the MTV Video Vanguard Award, for having made a profound effect on the MTV culture.

Barbara Ellen of ''The Observer'' has reported: "Spears is famously one of the 'oldest' teenagers pop has ever produced, almost middle aged in terms of focus and determination. Many 19-year-olds haven't even started working by that age, whereas Britney, a former Mouseketeer, was that most unusual and volatile of American phenomena — a child with a full-time career. While other little girls were putting posters on their walls, Britney was wanting to be the poster on the wall. Whereas other children develop at their own pace, Britney was developing at a pace set by the ferociously competitive American entertainment industry". In 2011, Adam Markovitz of ''Entertainment Weekly'' commented on the cultural significance of Spears' voice and music. "We don't ask a whole lot from Britney Spears as an entertainer...we'll still send her straight up the charts simply because she's Britney. She's an American institution, as deeply sacred and messed up as pro wrestling or the filibuster. Musically, though, Spears will always have to measure up to her own gold standards of pop euphony: the operatic slither of 2004's 'Toxic' and the candied funk of 2000's 'Oops!...I Did It Again.' Spears is no technical singer, that's for sure. But backed by Martin and Dr. Luke's wall of pound, her vocals melt into a mix of babytalk coo and coital panting that is, in its own overprocessed way, just as iconic and propulsive as Michael Jackson's yips or Eminem's snarls." 'Britney Spears' was Yahoo!'s most popular search term between 2005 and 2008, and has been in a total of seven different years. Spears was named as Most Searched Person in the ''Guinness World Records'' book edition 2007 and 2009.

Spears has been cited as a musical inspiration by contemporary artists. Gwyneth Paltrow's character on 2010 drama film ''Country Strong'' was inspired on the singer's public meltdown. According to film director Shana Fest, "that's where this movie came from. I mean, I was seeing what was happening in the media to Britney Spears. I think it's tragic how we treat people who give us so much, and we love to see them knocked down to build them back up again, to knock them down again." Nicki Minaj has cited Spears as a major influence on her career, and commented, "the fact that she came back out with just so much fire inspires me, and it inspires young women and people all over the world. It just inspires you. A lot of my fans feel like they are the underdog and feel like they are the people who aren’t ever accepted for themselves, or who are laughed at or poked fun at forever. It just goes to show that once you keep at whatever it is you’re doing, people may not like you, people may not love you, but they will have to respect you at the end of the day. And that respect is all that matters." Lana Del Rey revealed that she is compelled by Spears in an interview with MTV, saying, "I'm not really interested in a ton of female musicians but there is something about Britney that compelled me – the way she sings and just the way she looks." Del Rey also said that the "Toxic" music video is a main inspiration of her work. During the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, Lady Gaga said that Spears "taught us all how to be fearless, and the industry wouldn't be the same without her." Miley Cyrus credits Spears as her biggest inspiration, and has referenced the singer in her hit song "Party in the U.S.A." (2009). Spears' personal breakdown was also cited as an inspiration for Barry Manilow's album "''15 Minutes''".

Spears has also become a major influence among many new artists, including Demi Lovato, Katy Perry, Kristinia DeBarge, Little Boots, Marina and the Diamonds, Pixie Lott, and Selena Gomez & the Scene. In 2007, Beyoncé Knowles also expressed her love for Spears in an interview with ''TRL Italy'', saying, "I love Britney, I'm a fan of hers. I like her new album ['Blackout']." Fergie of The Black Eyed Peas revealed to ''The Hollywood Reporter'' that she was happy with Spears' return to the music industry, and continued, "It's amazing. For this many years being in the business, and everything she's been through, it's wonderful to see her make this huge of a comeback. Really, it's a beautiful thing." Simon Cowell explained that he is "fascinated by [Britney]. The fact that she’s one of the most talked about – not just pop stars – but people in the world today, means that you’ve got this star power. [...] She’s still hot, she’s still having hit records and she’s still controversial, there’s a reason for that." Bebo Norman wrote a song about Spears, called "Britney", which was released as a single. Boy band Busted also wrote a song about Spears called "Britney", which was on their debut album. Richard Cheese called Britney Spears "a remarkable recording artist" and also went on to say that she was "versatile" and what the industry calls an "artist". ''People'' magazine and MTV reported that October 1, 2008, the Bronx's John Philip Sousa Middle School, named their music studio in honor of Britney Spears. Spears herself was present during the ceremony and donated $10,000 to the school's music program.

Discography

''...Baby One More Time'' (1999)

''Oops!... I Did It Again'' (2000)

''Britney'' (2001)

''In the Zone'' (2003)

''Blackout'' (2007)

''Circus'' (2008)

''Femme Fatale'' (2011)

Filmography

+Films	! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
2000		Flight attendant	Cameo appearance
2002	''Austin Powers in Goldmember''	Herself	Cameo appearance
2002		Lucy Wagner	Teen Choice Awards
2004	''[[Fahrenheit 9/11''	Herself	Cameo appearance Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress

+Television	Year	Title	Character
1993–1994	''The Mickey Mouse Club''	Various Roles (Series regular)
1999	''The Famous Jett Jackson''	Herself
1999	''Sabrina the Teenage Witch''	Herself
1999	''The Famous Jett Jackson''	Herself
1999	''Kenan & Kel''	Herself
1999	''Médico de familia''	Herself
1999	''Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree''	Herself
2000	''The Simpsons''	Herself
2000	''Saturday Night Live''	Herself
2002	''Stages: Three Days in Mexico''	Herself
2002		Donner (voice)
2002	''Saturday Night Live''	Herself (host)
2003	''Punk'd''	Herself
2004	''Britney & Kevin: Chaotic''	Herself
2006	''Will & Grace''	Amber-Louise (1 episode)
2008	''How I Met Your Mother''	Abby (2 episodes)
2008	''Britney: For the Record''	Herself
2010		Herself

Tours

...Baby One More Time Tour (1999–2000)

Oops!... I Did It Again World Tour (2000–01)

Dream Within a Dream Tour (2001–02)

The Onyx Hotel Tour (2004)

The M+M's Tour (2007)

The Circus Starring Britney Spears (2009)

Femme Fatale Tour (2011)

See also

Britney Spears products

Honorific nicknames in popular music

List of best-selling music artists

List of best-selling music artists in the United States

Notes

References

Further reading

Dennis, Steve (2009). ''Britney: Inside the Dream''. Harper Collins. ISBN 978-0007317516.

Peters, Beth (1999). ''True Brit: The Story of Singing Sensation Britney Spears''. Ballantine Books. ISBN 978-0345436870.

Scott, Kieran (2001). ''I was a Mouseketeer!.'' Disney Press. ISBN 978-0786844708.

Smith, Sean (2006). ''Britney The Unauthorized Biography of Britney Spears.'' Pan Macmillan. ISBN 978-0330440776.

Spears, Britney (2000). ''Britney Spears's Heart to Heart''. Three Rivers Press. ISBN 978-0609807019.

Stevens, Amanda (2001). ''Britney Spears: the illustrated story.'' Billboard Books. ISBN 978-0823078677.

External links

Category:1981 births Category:21st-century actors Category:Actors from Louisiana Category:American child singers Category:American dance musicians Category:American dancers Category:American female pop singers Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American music video directors Category:American people of English descent Category:American people of Maltese descent Category:American people of Sicilian descent Category:American pop singers Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American stage actors Category:American television actors Category:Baptists from the United States Category:Child pop musicians Category:English-language singers Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Innosense members Category:Jive Records artists Category:RCA Records artists Category:Living people Category:Mouseketeers Category:Musicians from Louisiana Category:Parklane Academy alumni Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:People from Kentwood, Louisiana Category:Sony BMG artists Category:World Music Awards winners

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