Official name	Greensboro, North Carolina
Established title	Founded Consolidated
Established date	1808
Settlement type	City
Nickname	Tournament Town,
Imagesize	250px
Image seal	Greensboro_Seal.jpg
Map caption	Location in North Carolina
Map caption1
Coordinates display	inline,title
Coordinates region	US-NC
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name	United States
Subdivision type1	State
Subdivision name1	North Carolina
Subdivision type2	County
Subdivision name2	Guilford
Government type	City Council
Leader title	Mayor
Leader name	Bill Knight (R)
Established title	Year Established
Established date	1808
Unit pref	Imperial
Area total km2	283.0
Area land km2	271.2
Area water km2	11.8
Area total sq mi	131.2
Area land sq mi	126.7
Area water sq mi	4.5
Population as of	2009
Population total	260,083(74th)
Population blank1 title	MSA
Population blank1	714,765
Population blank2 title	CSA
Population blank2	1,581,122
Population density km2	940.5
Population density sq mi	2436
Timezone	Eastern (EST)
Utc offset	-5
Timezone dst	EDT
Utc offset dst	-4
Elevation m	272
Elevation ft	897
Area code	336
Blank name	FIPS code
Blank info	37-28000
Blank1 name	GNIS feature ID
Blank1 info	1020557

Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population, in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. As of the 2000 census, Greensboro was home to 223,891 residents. As of September, 2010, its estimated population was 260,083.

The city is located at the intersection of two major interstate highways (I-85 and I-40) in the Piedmont ("foot of the mountains") region of central North Carolina.

In 2003, the previous Greensboro - Winston-Salem - High Point metropolitan statistical area (MSA) was re-defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, resulting in the formation of the Greensboro-High Point MSA and the Winston-Salem MSA. The 2009 population estimate for the Greensboro-High Point MSA was 714,765. The Greensboro - Winston-Salem - High Point combined statistical area (CSA), popularly referred to as the Piedmont Triad, had an estimated population of 1,581,122 in 2009 making it the 30th largest metropolitan area in the USA. Source: US Bureau of the Census, Annual Estimates of the Population Table CBSA-EST2007-02

In 1808, Greensborough (as was the spelling prior to 1895) was planned around a central courthouse square to succeed the nearby town of Guilford Court House as the county seat. This act moved the county courts closer to the geographical center of the county, a location more easily reached by the majority of the county's citizens.

Much has changed since then. Greensboro has grown to be part of a thriving metropolitan area called the Triad, which encompasses three major cities (Greensboro, High Point, and Winston-Salem) and more than a million people. Greensboro evolved from a small center of government to an early 1900s textile and transportation hub, and today is emerging as one of the South's up-and-coming centers for relocating businesses. Two centuries later Greensboro is still collecting accolades for its beauty and livability. In 2004 the Department of Energy (DOE) awarded Greensboro with entry into the Clean Cities Hall of Fame.

History

Early history

The city was named for Major General Nathanael Greene, commander of the American forces at the Battle of Guilford Court House on March 15, 1781. Although the Americans lost the battle, Greene's forces inflicted such heavy casualties on the British Army of Lord Cornwallis that Cornwallis chose to pull his battered army out of North Carolina and into Virginia. This decision allowed a combined force of American and French troops to trap Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia, where the British were forced to surrender on October 19, 1781, after a 20-day siege, thus ending the military phase of the American Revolution. As such, Greene's successful efforts at weakening the British Army played a key role in securing America's victory over the British.

Greensboro was established near the geographic center of Guilford County, on land that was "an unbroken forest with thick undergrowth of huckleberry bushes, that bore a finely flavored fruit." Property for the future village was purchased for $98, and three north-south streets (Greene, Elm, Davie) were laid out intersecting with three east-west streets (Gaston, Market, Sycamore). The courthouse stood at the center of the intersection of Elm and Market streets. By 1821, the town was home to 369 residents.

In the early 1840s, Greensboro was selected by the state government at the request of then Governor Morehead (whose estate, Blandwood, is located in Greensboro) for inclusion on a new railroad line. The city grew substantially in size and soon became known as the "Gate City" due to its role as a transportation hub for the state. The railroads transported goods to and from textile mills, which grew up with their own mill villages around the city. Many of these businesses remained in the city until the 21st century, when most of them went bankrupt, reorganized, and/or merged with other companies. Greensboro remains as a major textile headquarters city with the main offices of International Textile Group (Cone, Burlington Industries), Galey & Lord, Unifi, and VF Corporation (Wrangler, Lee, North Face, Nautica). The importance of rail traffic continues for the city, as Greensboro serves as a major regional freight hub, and four Amtrak passenger trains stop in Greensboro daily on the main Norfolk Southern line between Washington and New Orleans by way of Atlanta.

, by Alexander Jackson Davis]] Though the city developed slowly, early wealth generated from cotton trade and merchandising led to the construction of several notable buildings. The earliest building, later named Blandwood Mansion and Gardens, was built in 1795. Additions to this residence in 1846 designed by Alexander Jackson Davis of New York City made the house an influential landmark in the nation as America's earliest Tuscan Villa. Other significant estates followed, including "Dunleith" designed by Samuel Sloan, Bellemeade, and the Bumpass-Troy House (now operating as an inn).

American Civil War and final days of the Confederacy

Although Guilford County did not vote for secession, once North Carolina joined the Confederacy some citizens joined the Confederate cause, forming such infantry units as the Guilford Grays. From 1861 to March 1865 the city was relatively untouched by the American Civil War, with the exception of dealing with shortages of clothing, medicines, and other items caused by the US naval blockade of the South. However, in the final weeks of the war Greensboro played a significant role. In April 1865 General P.G.T. Beauregard was instructed by the commanding officer of the Army of Tennessee, General Joseph E. Johnston, to prepare for a defense of the city. During this time, Confederate President Jefferson Davis and the remaining members of the Confederate cabinet had evacuated the Confederate Capital in Richmond, Virginia, and moved south to Danville, Virginia. When Union cavalry threatened Danville, Davis and his cabinet managed to escape by train and reassembled in Greensboro on April 11, 1865. While in Greensboro, Davis and his cabinet decided to try and escape overseas to avoid capture by the victorious Union forces; they left Greensboro and separated. As such, Greensboro is notable as the last place the entire Confederate government met as a group, and Greensboro is thus the "final" capital city of the Confederacy. At nearly the same time, Governor Zebulon B. Vance fled the capital of North Carolina in anticipation of the arrival of Union General William Tecumseh Sherman. For a brief period beginning April 16, 1865, the capital of North Carolina was maintained in Greensboro. After the negotiations were completed at Bennett Place, now in present day Durham, North Carolina, between General Johnston and General Sherman on April 26, 1865, Confederate soldiers stacked their arms and received their paroles in Greensboro, and then headed for home.

Industrialization and growth

In the 1890s, the city continued to attract attention from northern industrialists, including Moses and Ceasar Cone of Baltimore. The Cone brothers established large-scale textile plants, changing Greensboro from a village to a city within a decade. By 1900, Greensboro was considered a center of the Southern textile industry, with large scale factories producing denim, flannel, and overalls. Prosperity brought to the city through textiles resulted in the construction of notable twentieth century civic architecture, including the Guilford County Courthouse, West Market Street Methodist Church by S. W. Faulk, several buildings designed by Frank A. Weston, and UNCG's Main Building designed by Orlo Epps.

During the twentieth century, Greensboro continued to expand in wealth and population. Rapid growth led to construction of grand commercial and civic buildings, many of which remain standing today, designed by hometown architects Charles Hartmann and Harry Barton. Other notable industries became established in the city, including Vicks Chemical Co. (famous for over-the counter cold remedies such as VapoRub and NyQuil), Carolina Steel Corporation, and Pomona Terra Cotta Works. During this period of growth, Greensboro experienced an acute housing shortage. Builders sought to maintain a construction goal of 80 to 100 affordable housing units per year in order to provide homes for workers. Greensboro's real estate was considered "the wonder of the state" during the 1920s. Growth continued through the Great Depression, as Greensboro added an estimated 200 new families per year to its population. The city earned a reputation as a well-planned community, with a strong emphasis on education, parks, and a profitable employment base.

Prosperity brought new levels of development involving nationally and internationally known architects. Walter Gropius designed a factory building in the city in 1944. Greensboro-based Ed Loewenstein contributed designs for projects throughout the region. Eduardo Catalano, and George Matsumoto both brought designs to the city that challenged North Carolinians with modernist architectural concepts and forms.

Civil rights movement

As Greensboro evolved into one of North Carolina's primary cities, changes began to occur within its traditional social structure. On February 1, 1960, four black college students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College sat down at an all-white Woolworth's lunch counter, and refused to leave after they were denied service. Hundreds of others soon joined in this sit-in, which lasted several months. Such protests quickly spread across the South, ultimately leading to the desegregation of Woolworth's and other chains. The original lunch counter and stools where the four first sat are still in their original location, now home to the International Civil Rights Center and Museum (though a section of the counter is also on display at the Smithsonian). The museum opened on February 1, 2010, the 50th anniversary of the sit-ins.

In spite of this period of progress, old wounds had yet to heal. On November 3, 1979, members of the Communist Workers Party (CWP) were holding an anti-Ku Klux Klan rally, when a group of KKK and neo-Nazis caravaned into the Morningside Heights neighborhood where the rally was being held and ambushed the protest. Four local TV news stations filmed the event as it happened. Although a pistol likely was fired by a CWP organizer (allegedly into the air) and the Klan caravan was beaten with sticks prior to stopping, only the anti-Klan protesters were injured and killed. Five CWP members died and seven were wounded. Television footage of the event was shown nationwide and around the world, and the event became known as the Greensboro Massacre. The accused Klansman and neo-Nazis all were acquitted by an all-white jury in two separate criminal trials. In 1985, a civil suit found five police officers and two other individuals liable for $350,000 in damages to be paid to the Greensboro Justice Fund.

In 2007, Greensboro voters elected the first African-American mayor of the city, Yvonne Johnson.

Government

Greensboro is governed under a Mayor-Council system. Bill Knight (R) is the mayor. The City Council Members are: Nancy Vaughn (Unaffiliated), Mayor Pro-Tempore, At Large; Danny Thompson (R), At Large; Robbie Perkins (R), At Large; T. Dianne Bellamy-Small (D), District 1; Jim Kee (D), District 2; Zach Matheny (R), District 3; Mary Rakestraw (R), District 4; and Trudy Wade (R). District 5.

Neighborhoods

Greensboro's earliest neighborhood is College Hill, located between West Market Street and Spring Garden Street, in and around Greensboro College.

Southside is among the oldest neighborhoods in the city and has experienced major redevelopment.

The Aycock and Fisher Park neighborhoods were established in 1895 and 1901, respectively. The Aycock neighborhood features large Queen Anne residences of the turn-of-the-twentieth century, as well as Foursquare, Craftsman, and Colonial Revival styles.

Irving Park, developed in 1911 around the golf course of the Greensboro Country Club, was modelled on nearby Pinehurst by designer John Nolan. The prestigious neighborhood includes large homes on ample lots, and remains popular today.

The Warnersville neighborhood was a once thriving area in south Greensboro. When Urban Renewal was initiated in the mid-1900s, most of the business and homes were destroyed and replaced with new roads and development. However, this area has not recovered still. Remnants of the once booming Ashe St. can be seen behind the Greensboro Urban Ministry on Eugene St.

The urbanization of Greensboro during the early twentieth century was influenced greatly by the popularity of the automobile, which enabled citizens to live farther from the city center in more suburban surroundings. A series of "streetcar suburbs" were established, including Glenwood, Hamilton Lakes, Lake Daniel, Latham Park, Lindley Park, O. Henry Oaks, Rankin, Starmount, Sunset Hills and Westerwood. Many of these neighborhoods include some of the city's finest public parks. Recent neighborhood additions include sprawling large-scale planned unit developments such as Adams Farm, Lake Jeanette, The Cardinal, New Irving Park, and Reedy Fork Ranch.

Sister cities

Greensboro maintains a "sister city" relationship with three cities in order to foster international friendship and cooperation. Montbeliard, Franche-Comté, France Buiucani sector of Chişinău, Moldova Yingkou, China

Geography and climate

Greensboro is located at (36.079868, -79.819416).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 109.2 square miles (283.0 km²), of which, 104.7 square miles (271.2 km²) of it is land and 4.5 square miles (11.8 km²) of it (4.16%) is water.

Greensboro is situated among the gently rolling hills of North Carolina's Piedmont and is situated midway between the state's Blue Ridge and Great Smoky mountains to the west and the Atlantic beaches and Outer Banks to the east. The view of the city from its highest building—the Lincoln Financial tower (commonly known as the Jefferson-Pilot Building)—reveals that the town is populated with large numbers of green trees, lending perhaps another dimension of significance to its name. The city is at the nexus of several major freeways, with Interstates 40, 85, and the planned I-73 passing through its borders.

Thunderstorms are common during the spring and summer months, some being severe in nature. On April, 2 1936, at around 7:00pm, a large, F-4 tornado cut a seven-mile (11 km) swath of destruction through southern Greensboro. 14 people were killed and 144 were injured as the tornado moved through the city, including part of downtown. The storm was part of an outbreak known as the 1936 Cordele-Greensboro tornado outbreak. Strong tornadoes have struck the Greensboro area since then, notably Stoneville, North Carolina on March 20, 1998, Clemmons, North Carolina and Winston-Salem, North Carolina on May 5, 1989 and Clemmons, North Carolina and Greensboro on May 7, 2008.

Crime

In a pattern usually seen within urban areas within the Southern United States, Greensboro tends to have crime levels considerably higher than the national average. For the year of 2006, the city experienced 6,931 overall crimes committed per 100,000 residents; the national average was 4479.3 per 100,000 residents. For that year Greensboro ranked above the national average on every category of violent crime as well as all forms of property crime. For the year of 2008, Greensboro ranked above the national average for all forms of violent crime and property crime. The city also ranked higher on crimes than the North Carolina state averages. There was a total of 15,901 crimes committed for the year of 2008, this is a decrease when compared to the previous year of 2007, that year Greensboro experienced 16,676 total crimes citywide. According to the Congressional Quarterly Press City Crime Rankings 2009-2010, Greensboro holds the 75th highest crime rate out of 393 ranked US cities.

Demographics

The Center for New North Carolinians details more information about Greensboro's ethnic and cultural diversity.

{| class="toccolours" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="float:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em; font-size:95%;" |- ! colspan=2 bgcolor="#ccccff" align="center"| Historical populations |- ! align="center"| Census
year !! align="right"| Population |- | colspan=2|

---

|- | align="center"| 1870 || align="right"| 497 |- | align="center"| 1880 || align="right"| 2,105 |- | align="center"| 1890 || align="right"| 3,317 |- | align="center"| 1900 || align="right"| 10,035 |- | align="center"| 1910 || align="right"| 15,895 |- | align="center"| 1920 || align="right"| 19,861 |- | align="center"| 1930 || align="right"| 53,569 |- | align="center"| 1940 || align="right"| 59,319 |- | align="center"| 1950 || align="right"| 74,389 |- | align="center"| 1960 || align="right"| 119,574 |- | align="center"| 1970 || align="right"| 144,076 |- | align="center"| 1980 || align="right"| 155,642 |- | align="center"| 1990 || align="right"| 183,894 |- | align="center"| 2000 || align="right"| 223,891 |- | align="center"| 2008 || align="right"| 258,671 |-align="center"| 2009 || align="right"| 257,997 |}

As of the census of 2000, there were 223,891 people; 92,394 households; and 53,958 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,138.3 people per square mile (825.6/km²). There were 99,305 housing units at an average density of 948.4/sq mi (366.2/km²). The racial composition of the city was: 55.49% White, 37.40% Black or African American, 4.35% Hispanic or Latino American, 2.84% Asian American, 0.44% Native American, 0.04% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, 2.08% some other race, and 1.71% two or more races.

Of the estimated 92,394 households in the city in 2000, 27.5% included children under the age of 18, 39.8% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% were classified as nonfamily. Of the total households, 32.6% were composed of individuals, while 8.7% reported someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 persons, and the average family size was 2.94 persons.

The age distribution in 2000 was 22.3% under the age of 18, 14.1% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 89.2 males---for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city in 2000 was $39,661, and the median income for a family was $50,192. Males had a median income of $34,681 versus $26,797 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,986. About 8.6% of families and 19.3% of the population in 2000 were living below the poverty line, including 25.8% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.

Asian community

About 4,000 Vietnamese have resettled in the Greensboro area since 1979 as refugees or secondary migrants. They are a diverse population culturally, ethnically, and religiously, and not organized through any broad based structure. The Montagnards (French for "mountain people") are immigrants from a number of different tribes from the Highlands of Vietnam. They had been isolated mountain farmers and hunter-gatherers until the Vietnam War, when the U.S. government recruited them as front-line soldiers for the U.S. Army Special Forces. About 5,000 of the Motagnards have settled in Guilford County making it the largest Montagnard community in the world outside Vietnam. A few hundred Nung, a tribal group from northern Vietnam, also have resettled in the city and are often grouped with the Montagnard tribes.

About 2,000 Korean immigrants, many well established, are represented in Guilford County. The local Chinese Association, comprised primarily of mainland Chinese, has a few hundred members. Ethnic Chinese living in Greensboro number in the thousands.

The Indian immigrant population, estimated to be more than 2,000, is well established in the Greensboro area and has a long history there. Many Indian immigrants are associated with the city's university and medical communities and have formed multiple community organizations. There are an estimated 600 Pakistanis living in the area, as well as an estimated 1,000 Palestinians, with additional thousands in the greater Piedmont Triad region. (Many Palestinians relocated to the area following the war in 1967.) A few hundred Israeli nationals also have relocated to the Triad, particularly for international business purposes.

Latino community

According to the 2002 and 2003 estimates of the Latino population in Guilford County (published by Faith Action Inc.), there was a 4% increase in Latino population between those years, and in 2003 the population was estimated to be 26,981. More than two-thirds of the area's Latino immigrants are from Mexico, though it is thought that all 26 Latin American countries are represented in the region. Most Latino residents have arrived since 1990.

Economic development

Notable companies headquartered in Greensboro include the Honda Aircraft Company, Lorillard Tobacco Company, Kayser-Roth, VF Corporation, Syngenta Crop Protection, Mack Trucks, Volvo Trucks of North America, RF Micro Devices, the International Textile Group, NewBridge Bank, Cook Out, Biscuitville, and Gilbarco Veeder-Root. Greensboro is also a "center of operations" for the insurance company Lincoln Financial Group. Although traditionally associated with the textile and tobacco industries, Greensboro leaders are working to attract new businesses in the nanotech, high-tech and transportation/logistics sectors. The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and North Carolina A&T; State University opened a joint research park, Gateway University Research Park. O'Reilly Auto Parts has recently chosen Greensboro as a location for a large distribution center and expects to hire 400-500 more employees once it is fully open and functional.

Downtown area

Downtown Greensboro has experienced construction investment in recent years with developments such as NewBridge Bank Park, and residential developments and office construction. The Southside neighborhood downtown exemplifies central-city reinvestment as a formerly economically depressed neighborhood that has been redeveloped into an award-winning neotraditional-style neighborhood. Downtown Greensboro also has experienced a dramatic increase in nightlife with the opening of numerous nightclubs, bars and restaurants. The entire redevelopment of the downtown was aided by the 2006 opening of the Elon University School of Law. The law school is credited with bringing student dollars to the downtown both day and at night. Moreover, the influx of nearly 300 highly educated men and women from across the country has added to the cosmopolitanism of the downtown. Additional human capital has been developed by innovative artistic ventures like the Elsewhere Artists Collaborative, which attracts some of the most promising young artists from around the world to live and create in a 24/7 art installation.

Additional downtown attractions include: the Carolina Theater, Triad Stage (Pyrle Gibson Theater), Blandwood Mansion, Center City Park, NewBridge Bank Park, Greensboro Historical Museum, Greensboro Cultural Center, the J. Douglas Galyon Transportation Depot, and the Greensboro Children's Museum. A multi-million dollar greenway loop around downtown is currently under construction. It will be among the first urban greenway loops in the country and will have walking paths, biking paths, parks, recreational facilities, outdoor classrooms, and art show spaces. The project is being built in phases and could take 5 to 10 years to complete and will also connect with the greenway system throughout the city.

Four Seasons/Coliseum Area

Located at 3121 High Point Road, the Four Seasons Town Centre sits just outside the downtown area. It is a multi building complex developed by the Koury Corporation. It includes multiple hotels, most prominently the Koury Convention tower and a shopping mall. Boasting over of flexible meeting space, the Joseph S. Koury Convention Center is the largest convention center between Atlanta, Georgia and Washington, D.C.. In 1990, the convention center opened next to the Holiday Inn Four Seasons (now Sheraton Four Seasons). In 1994 the 28 story hotel tower was constructed atop the Koury Convention Center bringing the room total of the complex to well over 1,000. The Four Seasons Town Center mall sits just behind the convention center and is a popular shopping attraction for the entire piedmont triad.

The Greensboro Coliseum is located . down High Point Road. Many of the city's major events take place between the convention center and the coliseum. A new ACC Hall of Fame and an $18.3 million aquatics center are planned to be built on site starting in 2010.

Airport area

In 1998, FedEx chose to build and operate a $300 million mid-Atlantic air-cargo and sorting hub at Piedmont Triad International Airport, following an intensive competition for the hub among other regions of the state, as well as locations in South Carolina. After the hub announcement, the project faced court battles concerning potential noise and pollution abatements from neighborhoods located near the planned hub site. Nonetheless, the hub opened in 2009 is building on the city's effort to strengthen its position as a transportation, distribution and logistics hub in the Southeast and middle Atlantic regions.

In February 2007, Honda Aircraft Company announced it will develop a multi-million dollar jet airplane facility and world headquarters at Piedmont Triad International Airport. The company will build the new HondaJet at the site, and the first planes are planned to roll off the assembly line in 2010. In 2001, the test flight for the jet took place at the airport.

Education

Institutes of higher education

Bennett College for Women

Elon University School of Law

Greensboro College

Guilford College

Guilford Technical Community College

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

For-profit universities

Brookstone College

DeVry University

ECPI College of Technology

Strayer University

Boarding schools

American Hebrew Academy

Oak Ridge Military Academy

Private education

Greensboro Day School

Our Lady of Grace Catholic School

New Garden Friends School

Caldwell Academy

Public education

High Schools and Middle Colleges

James B. Dudley High School

The Early College at Guilford

Eastern Guilford High School

Greensboro College Middle College

Grimsley High School

Northern Guilford High School

Northeast Guilford High School

Northwest Guilford High School

Walter Hines Page Senior High School

Lucy Ragsdale High School

Ben L. Smith High School

Southeast Guilford High School

Southern Guilford High School

Southwest Guilford High School

Western Guilford High School

Philip J. Weaver Academy

The Academy at Smith

Civil Air Patrol

Located near Greensboro is the Winston Salem Composite Squadron of Civil Air Patrol, the squadron has been previously known as the Triad Composite Squadron. The squadron meets weekly on Thursdays. Cadets (ages 12-21) meet at the Smith Reynolds Airport from 6:25 to 8:30. Senior Members (ages 18+) meet at the Winston Salem Rescue Squad building from 7:00 to 8:30. Civil Air Patrol is a non-profit organization and the official auxiliary of the United States Air Force whose three missions are Cadet Programs, Emergency Services, and Aerospace Education. CAP is for youth ages 12-21 and for adults ages 18 and up.

Cadet Programs

Cadet Programs will involve things like teaching leadership, followership , discipline, integrity, responsibility, and respect to the youth of today. These things are taught in a variety of ways. Some highlights would be encampment, where cadets go to camp for a week and get to do a variety of activities while learning in a safe environment. Another activity to highlight would be the International Air Cadet Exchange (IACE) where a few select cadets out of the country are offered the chance to travel to another country and live with a family there for two and a half weeks, and you will only be required to pay a small amount considering the cost of the whole trip.

Emergency Services

Emergency Services has a wide range of meanings. It can involve something like searching for a missing aircraft in the middle of the woods to something like taking aerial photos of disaster sites for the government and other agencies to use. CAP members learn valuable field survival and searching skills. Through Emergency Services, Civil Air Patrol saves real lives across the country.

Aerospace Education

Finally Aerospace Education. CAP is chartered by the US Congress to teach Aerospace Education to the general public and specifically to members of CAP. This can sometimes involve a hands-on approach such as building a small rocket that you will be allowed to launch into the air or it could involve a hands-off approach in the classroom where you can still learn a lot but in a controlled environment! Another perk that comes with being a member of CAP is they are allowed to fly with one of CAP’s many certified pilots 5 times at no cost to them outside of the annual membership fee which is paid each year.

More Information

More information of CAP can be found at NC082.com, gocivilairpatrol.com, Civil Air Patrol, or by emailing mernc082@gmail.com.

Attractions

The Bog Garden is accessed by an elevated boardwalk that comprises a half-mile of the of trails that wind through a garden of plants and wildlife that thrive in a wetland ecosystem. Bicentennial Garden was developed in 1976 to commemorate the U.S. bicentennial. The garden contains of paved trails, along with outdoor sculptures and a pavilion.

The International Civil Rights Center and Museum, opened in 2010, is located in the building in which the Greensboro sit-ins occurred beginning February 1, 1960. The museum was founded by the Sit-in Movement, Inc. to commemorate the sit-ins and persons involved, as well as other events in the history of the American Civil Rights movement.

Greensboro Center City Park occupies half a city block adjacent to the Greensboro Cultural Center. Sponsored by Action Greensboro, the park features a fountain as well as works by several North Carolina artists.

Greensboro Arboretum was completed as a partnership between Greensboro Beautiful and the City of Greensboro Parks & Recreation Department. It offers an extensive selection of flora for study and enjoyment. The site features 12 permanent plant collections as well as special display gardens with a fountain, overlook, arbor, gazebo, bridges, and viewing benches.

Blandwood Mansion and Gardens is the historic home of former North Carolina Governor John Motley Morehead. Today the site serves as a museum of national architectural and historical significance. It is the earliest example of Tuscan Italianate architecture in the nation, designed by New York architect Alexander Jackson Davis.

World War Memorial Stadium was one of the oldest continuously used professional baseball facilities in the nation before it was replaced by the city's First Horizon Stadium in 2005. The memorial stadium was constructed in 1926 to honor the memory of lives lost during the first World War. It anchors the Aycock Historic District and remains in use by collegiate baseball teams, amateur leagues, and other special events throughout the year. The stadium was home to the Greensboro Bats professional minor-league club until the new First Horizon Park opened and the team became the Greensboro Grasshoppers.

Hagan Stone Park is a scenic 409 acre (1.66 km2) wildlife refuge and family campground owned and operated by the city of Greensboro, North Carolina located on Hagan Stone Park Road off U.S. Highway 421. It is open daily 8 am to sunset, weather permitting. The park has several lakes, camp shelters with charcoal grills, and playgrounds. The park is the home of the Greensboro Invitational Cross Country Meet hosted annually in September by the Greensboro Pacesetters for high school and college athletes.

Greensboro Coliseum Complex was conceived as, and continues to operate as, a multibuilding facility to serve the citizens of Greensboro and the surrounding region by hosting a broad range of activities including athletic and cultural events; concerts, theater and other entertainment; educational activities, fairs and exhibits; and various other public and private events such as conventions, convocations and trade/consumer shows. The coliseum complex has hosted prestigious events such as the collegiate Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) basketball tournament, East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) and American Hockey League (AHL) professional hockey, the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship and Starrcade (1983). Additionally, the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League called the Greensboro Coliseum its temporary home while its permanent venue was being constructed in Raleigh. Since 1959, the coliseum has featured superstars ranging from Elvis to the contemporary R&B; singer Usher. The facility is scheduled to again host ACC Basketball Tournaments (men's and women's) in 2010. It will also host the 2011 United States Figure Skating Championships. The complex has undergone several major renovations, most recently in 1994, enlarging the maximum arena capacity to its current 23,500 seats. There is a proposal under consideration to build the ACC Hall of Champions and Museum adjacent to the coliseum complex, as the ACC was founded in Greensboro in 1953 and currently is headquartered at the Grandover Office Park in south Greensboro.

NewBridge Bank Park is home of the Greensboro Grasshoppers baseball club. Completed in 2005, it hosts additional outdoor events and concerts during the summer months.

Guilford Courthouse National Military Park commemorates the Battle of Guilford Court House, which occurred at the location on March 15, 1781. The battle opened the campaign that led to the America's victory in the Revolutionary War. The British lost a substantial number of troops in the battle, which factored in their surrender at Yorktown (Virginia) seven months later. The battle site remains largely undeveloped with large stone memorials erected early in the twentieth century to memorialize the nationally significant event.

The Natural Science Center of Greensboro is a family oriented, hands-on science museum and planetarium. The zoo reopened in summer 2007 after undergoing extensive renovations.

The Greensboro Children's Museum (GCM) offers hands-on and interactive exhibits, educational programming and special events all year long for children newborn through age ten.

The revitalized downtown Elm Street area is known for its collection of antique shops, art galleries, and restaurants and clubs. Many people attend the First Friday events held each month at the various participating merchants.

Wet 'n Wild Emerald Pointe has 36 rides including Daredevil Drop, one of the nation's tallest water slides, and family rides such as Tropical Drop. The park also features two heavily themed family sections known as Splash Island, and Happy Harbor. Emerald Pointe is also the largest water park in both of the Carolinas. According to Amusement Business magazine, Emerald Pointe boasts the tenth highest annual attendance among American water parks at nearly 500,000 visitors.

Shopping

Greensboro is home to a large variety of retail shopping from well-known national chains to local boutiques and galleries. Four Seasons Town Centre, located on the city's southwest side off I-40, is a three-level regional mall with anchors Belk, Dillard's, and JCPenney. Friendly Center, located off Friendly Avenue is an open-air shopping complex featuring Belk, Macy's, Sears, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, the nation's largest Harris Teeter supermarket, Old Navy, and a multiplex cinema. The Shops at Friendly Center, adjacent to Friendly Center, is home to many specialty retailers and restaurants, many of which that are exclusive to the Triad area, including Anthropologie, the Apple Store, White House Black Market, Sur La Table, REI, Brooks Brothers, Bravo! Cucina Italiana, P. F. Chang's China Bistro, DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse, and Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. Additional shopping centers are located primarily on the West Wendover corridor near I-40 and on Battleground Avenue on the city's northwest side. Recently, "big-box" retailers have clustered at the site of the former Carolina Circle Mall on the city's northeast side and on the city's far south along the newly completed Painter Boulevard (I-85).

Sports

{| class="wikitable" border="1" |- ! Clubs ! Sport ! League ! Stadium |- | Greensboro Grasshoppers | Baseball | South Atlantic League - Northern Division | NewBridge Bank Park |- | Carolina Dynamo | Soccer | USL Premier Development League (PDL) | Macpherson Stadium |- | Triad Rugby Club | Men's Club Rugby | USA Rugby South | Oka T. Hester Park |- | Gate City Roller Girls | Roller Derby | Greensboro Roller Derby | Skate South |}

Arts

Greensboro is home to an active and diverse arts community. Events and venues range from the nationally acclaimed annual Eastern Music Festival to Weatherspoon Art Museum to the cutting edge performances of the Triad Stage theater company.

Carolina Theatre is a performing arts facility that has been a part of downtown Greensboro since 1927. Since the facility's renovation in the 1990s, the theater has served as the home of the Greensboro Ballet, the Community Theatre of Greensboro, the Livestock Players Musical Theatre, Greensboro Youth Symphony and a variety of other local performing arts groups.

City Arts showcases a variety of musical and theatrical productions by The Livestock Players, Greensboro Children's Theatre, the Music Center, Greensboro Concert Band, Philharmonia of Greensboro, Choral Society of Greensboro, and the Greensboro Youth Chorus. Most of these groups participate in the city's annual OPUS Concert Series and the summer "Music for a Sunday Evening in the Park" series.

Community Theatre of Greensboro has presented Broadway and off-Broadway plays and musicals for more than 45 years. The CTG's Studio Theatre is housed in the Greensboro Cultural Center.

Eastern Music Festival brings more than 100 summer performances, from symphonic works to chamber music to recitals by professional and talented students from around the world. The event also hosts the Fringe Festival, showcasing avant-garde and nontraditional music and performances.

Elsewhere Collaborative is a living museum set inside a former thrift store on South Elm Street in downtown Greensboro. Elsewhere is an interactive, evolving environment of objects, creatives, and creations. The living museum hosts events, performances, projects, and productions that activate the 58-year collection and foster communications between creatives and participants.

Greensboro Ballet and School of Greensboro Ballet: A traditional December production of "The Nutcracker" is just one of the many artistic and educational activities offered by the ballet company. The School of Greensboro Ballet is one of a relative few nonprofit ballet schools in the nation.

Cultural Center The Greensboro Cultural Center houses more than 25 visual and performing arts organizations, five art galleries, rehearsal halls, a sculpture garden, privately operated restaurant with outdoor cafe-style seating, and an outdoor amphitheater. Art galleries include the African American Atelier, the Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art, the Greensboro Artists' League Gallery and Gift Shop, the Guilford Native American Art Gallery and the Mattye Reed African Heritage Center Satellite Gallery.

Greensboro Opera Company is a highly-regarded regional opera company founded in October 1981 that has experienced much growth and expansion. Beginning with the production of Verdi's La traviata featuring June Anderson (then a rising young New York City Opera soprano), the company expanded from a single fall production of a major opera in the years 1981-89 to the addition of Sunday matinee performances in the 1990-99 season when, in response to successive sold out productions of Madame Butterfly and Carmen in 1997 and 1998, a second spring opera with two performances was added, beginning in 1999-2000. The company has successfully blended outside and local singers with a full orchestra, manned by members of the Greensboro Symphony, in the pit at their home at Greensboro's War Memorial Auditorium.

Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Dmitri Sitkovetsky, has developed a strong reputation among national musical organizations, including continued exposure on National Public Radio's Performance Today. Sitkovetsky began his career as a violin soloist. He focused on the chamber orchestra repertoire when starting out with the European String Orchestra, a superb group of musicians pulled together by Sitkovetsky. The orchestra performs classical and pops concerts and holds educational programs for young listeners throughout the year.

Reed African American Heritage Museum, located at North Carolina A&T; State University, hosts one of the most acclaimed collections of African culture in the nation. The museum houses more than 3,500 art and craft pieces from more than 30 African nations, New Guinea and Haiti.

Triad Stage is a not-for-profit regional theatre company based in Greensboro's downtown historic district. All productions are created in Greensboro using a combination of local and national talent. The theater company recently was recognized as ‘One of the 50 Best Regional Theatres in America!’ by New York‘s Drama League, ‘Best Live Theatre’ in Go Triad/News & Record The Rhino Times, and was voted ‘2003 Professional Theater of the Year’ by the North Carolina Theatre Conference.

Weatherspoon Art Museum, located at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, houses one of the foremost collections of modern and contemporary art in the Southeast. Composed of six galleries, the museum is nationally recognized for its collection of 20th century American art. The permanent collection also includes lithographs and bronzes by Henri Matisse, and art by celebrated masters such as Willem de Kooning, Henry Ossawa Tanner, John Graham, Pablo Picasso, Robert Rauschenberg, and Andy Warhol.

Notable natives and residents

Born in Greensboro

Richard "Dick" Smith three time Emmy winning composer, guitarist for Earth Wind & Fire, Kenny Loggins, support role in the Academy Award winning film Ray with Jamie Foxx

Patrick Barry, independent filmmaker

Thomas Berry, international spokesman in support of ecology and care of the earth

Inez and Charlie Foxx, African-American rhythm and blues and soul duo known for the 1963 hit "Mockingbird"

Hal "Skinny" Brown, former MLB pitcher, Baltimore Orioles.

Spencer Chamberlain, Singer, Songwriter. Vocalist for Underoath.

Joey Cheek, Olympic gold-medal speed skater

Levi Coffin, noted Quaker educator and abolitionist

Marques Douglas, NFL player for the New York Jets.

Donna Edmondson, Playboy Playmate of the year 1987

Vince Evans, former NFL quarterback.

Joey Hackett, former NFL tight end

O. Henry, short-story writer (actually born in Guilford County, outside Greensboro)

George Holder, USS Anzio crewmember

John Isner, professional tennis player

John Anthony Lennon, composer (b. 1950)

Caroline Lind, 2008 Olympic Women's 8 rowing gold-medal

Dolley Madison, First Lady and wife of President James Madison

Doug Marlette, Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist.

Jack F. Matlock, Jr. U.S. ambassador to the U.S.S.R., 1987–1991

Robert McAdoo, former NBA All-Star and college basketball All-American.

Edward R. Murrow, CBS News Anchor

Fred "Curly" Neal, former Harlem Globetrotter

Ronald Perelman, Billionaire Investor

Eddie Pope, soccer star of Real Salt Lake and the US National Soccer Team

Millard Powers, musician, songwriter, record producer, and grammy nominated recording engineer. Current member of Counting Crows.

George Preddy, World War II ace

Jeff Varner, Survivor contestant ()

Gene White, former NFL defensive back

Kelly Wiglesworth, Survivor contestant ()

Residents

Rex M. Best, Emmy award winning writer for the CBS daytime dramas "The Young and the Restless" and "The Bold and the Beautiful"

Orson Scott Card, author, journalist and professor; several of his books, including Ender's Game and Shadow Puppets feature settings in and around Greensboro.

Eugene Chadbourne, composer and musician

Golda Fried, Novelist, Writer, and Poet

Kay Hagan, United States Senator for North Carolina

H.T. Kirby-Smith, author and poet

Michael Parker, novelist

Garry Peterson, long time drummer of the Guess Who

Ricky Proehl, retired NFL Player

Stanley Tanger, founder of Tanger Factory Outlet Centers

Associated with Greensboro

Ken Jeong, actor, grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina and graduated from Page High School

2004 American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino briefly lived in Greensboro and is from nearby High Point.

1960s American rhythm and blues and soul duo Inez and Charlie Foxx, known for their hit single "Mockingbird", are from Greensboro.

Journalist and true crime author Jerry Bledsoe lives in nearby Asheboro; his regular column appeared for many years in the Greensboro News & Record, and his investigative reporting is featured in the Rhino Times.

Jeff Bostic, NFL player for the Washington Redskins, born in Greensboro, graduated from Ben L. Smith High School

Joe Bostic, |NFL player for the St. Louis (later Arizona) Cardinals, born in Greensboro, graduated from Ben L. Smith High School

Ethan Albright, NFL player for the Washington Redskins (and previously the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills), born in Greensboro, graduated from Grimsley High School

Joseph M. Bryan, businessman and philanthropist, lived in Greensboro until his death in 1995.

Andy Cabic of indie folk band Vetiver lived in Greensboro while a member of indie-rock band The Raymond Brake.

Spencer Chamberlain, current lead vocalist of the band Underoath, was raised in Greensboro.

Billy "Crash" Craddock, country music legend, born and lives near Greensboro.

Rock star and 2006 American Idol contestant Chris Daughtry is from nearby suburban McLeansville and is a resident of nearby Oak Ridge.

Rick Dees, radio personality, graduated from Grimsley High School

Marques Douglas, NFL player for San Francisco 49ers, attended Dudley High School

Barry Farber, radio talk show host, author and language-learning enthusiast. born in Greensboro, and graduated from Greensboro Senior High School (see Grimsley High School).

Brendan Haywood, NBA player for Washington Wizards, attended Dudley High School

Torry Holt, wide receiver for NC State and the St. Louis Rams was born in nearby Gibsonville.

Nationally acclaimed poet Randall Jarrell lived in Greensboro, where he was a professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro until his death in 1965. He is buried near the Guilford College campus.

Haywood Jeffries, Retired NFL player, played for the Houston Oilers.

Frank Lucas, famous heroin dealer, subject of American Gangster motion picture staring Denzel Washington.

Danny Manning, an All-America basketball player for the University of Kansas, attended Page High School in Greensboro.

Edward R. Murrow, famed World War II CBS radio broadcaster and award-winning journalist, was born outside Greensboro.

Dave Muselman, lead guitarist for band Jet Black Stare grew up in Greensboro and graduated from Lucy Ragsdale High School. He is linked to also being in bands with members of both Underoath and Sullivan.

Kyle Petty, Nascar driver and racing commentator lives near Greensboro in Trinity, North Carolina

Lee Petty, Pioneer of Nascar racing. Three time National Champion. Founder of Petty Enterprises, Level Cross, North Carolina, near Greensboro.

Richard Petty, Seven-time Nascar champion lives near Greensboro, in Level Cross, North Carolina

Singer Cat Power (Chan Marshall) lived in Greensboro with her mother as a teenager in the late 1980s.

Charlie Sanders, 2007 |NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end for the Detroit Lions, attended Dudley High School

Ski, Hip-Hop producer and rapper, lived in Greensboro

Tooth and Nail recording artists Sullivan formed and lived in Greensboro

Robert Walden, Pioneer Nascar driver lives near Greensboro

Haywood Jeffires NFL pro bowler. Former wide receiver for the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints. Coach of a Texas semi-pro football team.

Transportation

& Rail Depot]]

Greensboro is served by Piedmont Triad International Airport, which also serves the nearby cities of High Point and Winston-Salem as well as the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. PTI was a hub for the now defunct Skybus Airlines.

Amtrak's daily Crescent, Carolinian and Piedmont trains connect Greensboro with the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Richmond, Raleigh, Charlotte, Atlanta, Birmingham and New Orleans.

Amtrak trains, taxis, local and long-distance buses arrive and depart from the Amtrak station and rail depot located at 236-C East Washington Street. Originally constructed in the early 1920s, the station and depot were renovated in 2004.

The Greensboro Transit Authority offers public bus service throughout the city, including a service called Higher Education Area Transit, or HEAT, which links downtown attractions to area colleges and universities. Regional public transportation throughout the metropolitan area is coordinated by PART, Piedmont Area Regional Transportation.

Interstate highways

Interstate 40 Interstate 85 Interstate 85 Business Interstate 73 Interstate 785 Interstate 840

Interstate 40 and Interstate 85 share the same freeway facility for several miles in the Greensboro area. The consolidated highway, which is now the Interstate 40/Business 85 junction, is located just south of downtown and forms the western end of a stretch of freeway known throughout the region as "Death Valley", a congested and accident-prone stretch of roadway where six major federal and Interstate routes combine into a single freeway facility.

Construction is currently underway on the Greensboro Urban Loop, a freeway that, when complete, will encircle the majority of the city. Sections of this beltway may form the future alignment of Interstate 73. U.S. Highway 29---which travels through the southern, eastern and northern sections of the city before heading northeast toward suburban Reidsville---is a major route in Greensboro and offers freeway access to the more urban and central areas of the city.

Media

Newspapers

The Greensboro News & Record is the primary daily newspaper in Greensboro. The Business Journal, a member of the American City Business Journals chain of business weeklies, is based in Greensboro and covers business across the Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. The Carolina Peacemaker is a news weekly that covers the African-American community. The Rhinoceros Times and Yes! Weekly are free weekly alternative newspapers, and the Hamburger Square Post is a free monthly newspaper.

Broadcast television

Greensboro is a part of the Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point television designated market area and includes the following commercial broadcast stations (listed by call letters, channel number, network and city of license):

WFMY-TV, 2, CBS, Greensboro

WGHP, 8, Fox, High Point

WXII-TV, 12, NBC, Winston-Salem

WGPX, 16, ION, Burlington

WCWG, 20, The CW, Lexington

WUNL-TV, 26, PBS/UNC-TV, Winston-Salem

WXLV-TV, 45, ABC, Winston-Salem

WGSR-TV, 47, Independent, Reidsville

WMYV-TV, 48, MyNetworkTV, Greensboro

WLXI-TV, 61, TCT, Greensboro

Greensboro is also home to the Triad bureau of News 14 Carolina

Documentaries

February One California Newsreel documentary on 1960 sit-in by the Greensboro Four. 88 Seconds in Greensboro PBS Frontline transcript. Reported by James Reston, Jr. Directed by William Cran. Original Airdate: January 24, 1983. Retrieved April 2, 2005. Greensboro Child, documentary about the 1979 Greensboro Massacre and the shadow it cast on the survivors.

See also

1936 Cordele-Greensboro tornado outbreak

I-85 Corridor

Piedmont Triad

References

External links

Official website of Greensboro, North Carolina

Greensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Category:Cities in North Carolina Greensboro Category:Underground Railroad locations Category:County seats in North Carolina Category:Populated places established in 1808

Name	Britney Spears
Years active	1992–present
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Britney Jean Spears
Born	December 02, 1981 McComb, Mississippi,
Genre	Pop, dance-pop
Occupation	Singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, record producer, author, fashion designer, video director
Instrument	Vocals, piano
Label	Jive
Associated acts	The New Mickey Mouse Club
Url

Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 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 within 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 released in 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 under 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 behaviour 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". After embarking on The Circus Starring Britney Spears, she released greatest hits The Singles Collection, which featured U.S. and Canadian number-one single "3".

Spears has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists in the history of contemporary music. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), she is the eighth top-selling female artist in the United States, with 32 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 2000–10 decade by Billboard. In June 2010, Spears was ranked sixth on Forbes list of the 100 Most Powerful and Influential celebrities in the world; she is also ranked as the third most powerful musician in the world.

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, who was born in London, and of distant Maltese 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 a solo 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". In December 1992, she was finally cast in The Mickey Mouse Club, but returned to Kentwood after the show was cancelled. 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 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 from Toni Braxton; she rehearsed for a week and recorded her vocals in a studio with a sound engineer. Spears travelled 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 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." 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 alright 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, among others. 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. "...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 laying 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. 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. 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 of 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. 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. The tour grossed $43.7 million, becoming the second highest grossing tour of 2002 by a female artist, behind Cher's . 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 July 2002, Spears announced she would take a six month break from her career; however, she went back into the studio in October to record her new album. Spears's 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 confirmed that he was in a relationship with Spears, only to deny it later. 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. 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. 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 a Grammy for Best Dance Recording; "Everytime" and "Outrageous". 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, who 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. Shortly after, she released her first fragrance with Elizabeth Arden, Curious, which broke the company's first-week gross for a perfume. , 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, , which consists of eleven remixes. 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. She publicly announced she no longer studied Kabbalah in June 2006, explaining, "my baby is my religion." 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, California. 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." 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 paparazzi Adnan Ghalib.

2008–10: Conservatorship, Circus, and The Circus Starring Britney Spears

and her 27th birthday party.]] 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. 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 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, , 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 3.7 million viewers.

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. 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. It was released on 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.

2010–present: Upcoming seventh album

In March 2010, it was confirmed by Jive Records that Spears had begun recording her seventh studio album. Max Martin and Dr. Luke are set to be the executive producers. Luke stated that he wanted the sound to "get harder" in different ways "and maybe a little more deep into electronic – grimier." On December 2, 2010, Spears announced via her Twitter account that the album will be released in March 2011. The lead single "Hold It Against Me" was premiered on Ryan Seacrest's radio show on January 10, 2011... It was released as a Digital Download exclusively to the iTunes store on January 11, 2011.

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." 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."

Spears possesses the vocal range of a contralto. Her vocal ability has also 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.

Like other dance-oriented pop stars, 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." 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." 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'." 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." 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".

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". 'Britney Spears' has been Yahoo!'s most popular search term for the last four consecutive years, seven times in total. Spears was named as Most Searched Person in the Guinness World Records book edition 2007 and 2009. Spears has also become a major influence among many new artists, including Kristinia DeBarge, Lady Gaga, Little Boots, Selena Gomez & The Scene, Pixie Lott and Miley Cyrus who has cited Spears as one of her biggest inspirations and has also referenced Spears in her hit song "Party in the U.S.A.".

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. She is also mentioned in P!nk's song "Don't Let Me Get Me". 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)

Awards and nominations

See also

Britney Spears filmography

Britney Spears products

List of Britney Spears tours

List of Britney Spears songs

List of best-selling music artists

List of best selling music artists in the United States

List of honorific titles in popular music

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.

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

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

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

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

External links

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