Mafans Club: Celebs

Angelina Jolie

2008-02-04T01:51:00.000-08:00

Name : Angelina Jolie
Full Name : Angelina Jolie Voight
Date Of Birth : 4 June 1975
Place Of Birth : Los Angeles, California
Spouse : Billy Bob Thornton (May 2000-present)(actor, director, writer)Jonny Lee Miller (1996-1999)(actor)
Profession : Actress

Angelina Jolie is the daughter of Academy Award-winning actor Jon Voight, and former actress/model Marcheline Bertrand. Jon Voight separated from Bertrand when Jolie was 1, remained in California while the family lived on the East coast. ''He was the perfect example of an artist who couldn't be married,'' she says. ''He had the perfect family, but there's something for him that's very scary about that.'' Jolie, is her middle name. Ultimately, she decided to use it because, she says, ''I love my father, but I'm not him''. Read More...

Angelina Jolie Biography

Christina Aguilera

2008-01-14T21:21:00.000-08:00

Cristina Aguilera Biography

Britney Spears

2007-11-27T05:19:00.000-08:00

Britney Jean Spears was born in rural Louisiana (Kentwood) on December 2, 1981, to Jamie and Lynne Spears. As a child, Britney attended dance classes, and she was great at gymnastics, winning many competitions and the like. But, most of all, Britney loved to sing. At age 8, Britney tried out for "MMC" (1989), but was turned down due to her young age. This directed her to an off-Broadway show, "Ruthless", for a 2-year run as the title character. At age 11, she again tried for "MMC"(1989) and this time made it as a mouseketeer along side many stars of today (Justin Timberlake and J.C. Chasez of N*Sync and Ryan Gosling). Her big break, however, came when she was signed as a Jive Recording Artist in the late 90s. With the release of her debut album, "...Baby One More Time" in early 1999, Britney became an international success, selling 13 million copies of "Baby" and 9 million (as of July 2001) of her sophomore album, "Oops!...I Did It Again," released in May of 2000. Read More...

Britney Spears Biography

Janet Jackson

2007-11-26T01:06:00.000-08:00

Janet Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana, daughter of Katherine Esther (née Scruse) and Joseph Walter Jackson.[4] She is the youngest of nine children. The family was of lower-middle-class and devout Jehovah's Witnesses. By the time she was a toddler, Janet's older brothers: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael had already begun to perform on stage at nightclubs and theaters as the Jackson 5. In March 1969, the group signed with Motown Records, and by the end of the year the group recorded the first of their four consecutive number-one singles. The Jackson 5's success allowed the entire family to move to the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles, California in 1971. The Jacksons settled in a gated mansion that they referred to as "Hayvenhurst."
As a young child, Janet's career aspiration was to be a jockey. However, after the Jackson 5's success began to diminish, Joseph decided to bring use the rest of the children in the act. On April 9, 1974, Janet made her debut performance at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, alongside her eight older siblings. Janet quickly became a standout in the show, winning over crowds and critics with impersonations of Cher, Marie Osmond, Toni Tennille and Mae West.
In 1976, the Jackson family's Vegas act had caught the attention of CBS president Fred Silverman. The network was desperately trying to find a new variety act to replace its recently defunct The Sonny & Cher Show. Debuting on June 16, 1976, The Jacksons became the first television variety show starring an African-American family. The series lasted two seasons. As the 1980s began, Janet continued her career in television, in the sitcoms: Good Times, A New Kind of Family and Diff'rent Strokes, as well as the primetime drama Fame.

Rihanna poses before a benefit for UNICEF

2007-10-24T00:04:00.000-07:00

Biography

Rihanna was born in Saint Michael, Barbados as the oldest child to Ronald Fenty, her Barbadian Black father, and Monica Fenty, her GuyaneseBlack mother.She has two younger brothers named Rorrey and Rajad. Rihanna went to Charles F. Broome Memorial School, a primary school in Barbados, and then on to one of Barbados' Grammar (older secondary) schools, the Combermere School, where she formed a musical trio with two of her classmates. In 2004, she won the Miss Combermere Beauty Pageant and performed in the Colours of Combermere School Show, singing Mariah Carey's "Hero". At the age of 15, Rihanna received her big break when one of her friends introduced her to music producer Evan Rogers, who was vacationing in Barbados with his wife. Rogers, along with his partner, Carl Sturken, helped Rihanna record material in the U.S. which was sent to various recording companies. One copy of Rihanna's work was sent to Jay-Z, who eventually signed her to Def Jam Records. Rihanna cites Alicia Keys, Beyoncé Knowles and her Caribbean background as major musical influences.

Rihanna also stated in an interview that her friend and former Island Def Jam record label artist Fefe Dobson was someone that she admired and looked up to, having a fellow artist writing, singing, and performing the music she truly loves.

Shakira in Humburg

2007-09-28T04:49:00.000-07:00

Anna Kournikova & Enrique

2007-09-21T02:57:00.000-07:00

Britney Spears Biography

2007-02-04T02:56:00.000-08:00

Date of Birth: 2 December 1981

Place of Birth: Kentwood, Louisiana, USA
Birth Name: Britney Jean Spears
Nickname: Brit Pinkey
Height: 5' 4" (1.63 m)

Born on 2 December 1981 in the small town of Kentwood, Louisiana, to parents Jamie and Lynne Spears, Britney is their second child of three. Her older brother Brian was born in April 1977 and her younger sister, Jamie-Lynn was born in April 1991. From a young age, Britney was always fixing to be a star with idols such as Madonna, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, the young Britney could always be heard singing, no matter what else was going on around her. After taking extensive dance and vocal lessons and performing in numerous talent shows and fairs, Britney auditioned for _"The All New Mickey Mouse Club (1989 TV series) [1989-1994]"_ when she 8, however she was too young to get the part. Instead, Britney, her mother and baby sister moved to New York where she starred in several TV adverts and an off broad-way play "Ruthless", where she was under-study with Natalie Portman. Her love of music and dance took over and 2 years later she auditioned for a part in Mickey Mouse again and this time won the part along with Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake. As a Mouseketeer, Britney received extensive training in dance, drama and singing and had to grow up a lot during that time. However, after the show was canceled two years later, Britney returned home and did "the normal teenager thing", attending pool parties and she was also the homecoming Queen. As a young teenager, Britney soon grew restless again and this time was desperate to become a star yet again. Again, she traveled to New York and sent out demo tapes to various labels including Sony and Mercury, but was turned down. It was Jive Records that finally took the young Britney on and set out on making her the star she is today.

She hit the studio with writers/producers such as Max Martin and Eric Foster White and the result was her debut album. In late 1998, Jive released her debut single "(Hit me) Baby one more time" which was a pop hit around the Globe, accompanied by the sixteen year old first of many controversial acts - the video, which featured Britney dressed in a Catholic Schoolgirl Uniform, baring her midriff, which was soon to become her trademark. Nonetheless, the single was a smash worldwide and Britney was instantly a Household name. She toured with popular boy band N*Sync and the single shot to the top of the charts for 3 weeks. Her debut album was released a few months later in early 1999 and like the single took to the top of the album charts, where it remained number one for six weeks. The album has now sold millions worldwide and is officially 14 x platinum in the US.

Her next controversial act, after the video, was to take the cover of Rolling Stones magazine in a suggestive pose, but as Britney mania took off, the 17 year-old became more and more popular. Appealing to young girls, teenage boys and older men, Britney was on her way, yet nobody could have predicted at that time the impact she would have on Pop Culture. The second single, "Sometimes" was released in June 1999 followed on by the top 10 hit "Crazy" in September and "from the bottom of my broken heart" soon after. Britney ended 1999 selling over 10 million copies of her debut and as the Billboard Top Female Pop Artist (singles and albums), Top New Pop Artist, Top Billboard 200 album Artist and Top 100 singles Artist - female. The American Awards, MTV and Teen Choice awards soon began rolling in and in early 2000 Britney was nominated for two Grammy awards.At just 18, Britney released her second album in 2000, the #1 smash "Oops! I did it again" and single of the same title, which topped the singles chart for 5 weeks. Smash singles "Stronger" and "Lucky" followed, but it was around this time that Britney was beginning to raise more than a few eyebrows. It seemed some people weren't too happy with the message she was sending their impressionable young children. On one hand, Britney was the perfect picture of innocence, declaring herself a Virgin until marriage yet on the other hand, she was sexually charged and provocative, with performance such as the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000, when her costume made her appear scantily-clad. As the young woman was growing up, it seemed there was an internal conflict between her, her management and her mother, all pulling her in different directions. Yet the image the public saw was a gorgeous young woman, beautifully dressed and damn close to perfection, often labeled the "Pop Princess" around the world.

Still, the awards kept rolling in and in early 2001 Britney struck a lucrative deal with Pepsi-Cola for Sponsorship and advertising. The 19 year-old was growing up fast, with the media constantly fixed on what she was and wasn't doing, her "rivalry" with former fellow Mouseketeer Christina Aguilera and also her blossoming relationship with N*Sync heartthrob Justin Timberlake. Britney was keen that people saw her as a growing woman as she began to ready the public for her next LP release in late 2001.

In November, she hit the top 10 with the sexually charged "I'm a slave 4 u" which took a completely different turn in musical direction from her previous singles and in the same month released her third LP, self-titled "Britney" which shot to the top of the albums charts, breaking records for a female artist. Her performance of "Slave" at the MTV VMA's caused outrage among animal rights campaigners, as she performed with a live giant Snake and wearing little herself. It was a far cry from the Britney of just three years ago, and perhaps the critical moment when what some people would say "she started going downhill". Sales of her third album, while impressive, where not nearly as high as her former releases, perhaps due to the increase of new pop female singers flooding the market, yet Britney, still incredibly popular, carried on. In early 2002, the 20 year-old Britney released "I'm not a girl, not yet a woman", taken from the soundtrack of her debut movie Crossroads (2002/I) which was released in February that year. She soon after hit the charts with "Overprotected" and also toured Worldwide on the "Dream within a dream tour". Yet it seemed it was all getting too much for Britney, her four year relationship with Timberlake ended suddenly and very publicly and she soon announced she was to take 6 months off, after all, she had achieved so much by such a young age and in such a short space of time. Her star was by no means fading, with "Forbes" declaring her "The Worlds most powerful celebrity" in mid-2002.While she may have been on a break from her career, she was by no means breaking from the media, who followed her relentlessly, even more keen to track her down and find out what she was up to. Britney was increasingly letting her pop princess crown slip, admitting she had lost her sacred virginity to Timberlake, outside of marriage. Britney could also be seen smoking and drinking to excess on wild nights out and famously breaking down in tears while being interviewed by Diane Sawyer about her parents (who were recently divorced) and her bitter split from Timberlake. Britney was linked to men such as Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit and openly kissed Colin Farrell at a movie premiere.

However, she seemed to get herself back together for her new album released in late 2003. In a blitz of publicity which included the infamous "Like a Virgin" performance and Madonna kiss at the MTV Video Music Awards in August that year. The new album "In The Zone" was a bid to be seen as a woman and caused controversy with songs on it such as "Breathe on me" and "Touch of my hand" - which was about masturbation - however, the appeal of Britney was still there and the album topped the Billboard 200 albums charts. The first single to be lifted was "Me against the music" a club hit that featured pop icon Madonna and singing with her was a dream come true for Britney. Now 22, it seemed Britney was in a lot more control over her career, yet her personal life still seemed to be slipping. In January 2004, Britney got "married" to childhood friend Jason Alexander in a Las Vegas ceremony. The incident shocked the world, especially when the marriage was annulled 55 hours later and was described as "a joke taken too far" by her management.

Britney soon released one of her biggest singles, "Toxic" which topped various charts around the world including the UK and Canadian singles charts. The single was a smash-hit and silenced any critics that said Britney no longer had what it took to make a comeback. She soon began her highly publicized and overtly sexual "Onyx Hotel Tour" which was canceled a few months later after Britney damaged her knee during a video shoot and had to receive medical treatment. Other singles off the album included the Gold Selling "Everytime", which topped the UK singles charts and like usual, also carried a fair amount of controversy for its video, which allegedly depicted the star committing suicide after a fight with her boyfriend, played by Stephen Dorff ; however, this was "changed" to an accident in which she drowns yet reincarnates. It was around this time that Britney began dating Kevin Federline, a former back up dancer who she had taken on tour with her a few months previously. The snag here was that Kevin came with baggage - in the form of an "ex" girlfriend, heavily pregnant "Moesha" (1996) actress Shar Jackson and their young child. Britney and Kevin soon became engaged and in September 2004 were married in a secret ceremony, soon after the birth of Kevin's second child. That same month, Britney released a single off her upcoming "Greatest Hits" album (released in November 2004) a cover of Bobby Browns 1988 hit "My Prerogative".Britney was a changed woman, no longer concerned with what the public thought of her or her appearance, she parted ways with her manager who she had had since she was 13, and was increasingly stepping out looking more "trailer trash" than Multi-Millionaire. In February 2005, Britney won her first Grammy for the single "Toxic" as Best Dance Recording. Just two months later, it was announced Britney was pregnant her first child. A reality TV Series "Britney & Kevin: Chaoti" (2005), which featured the pair getting to know each other the previous year, leading up to their wedding aired on UPN and eventually got a world wide audience, despite harsh criticism. In September 2005, Britney evolved yet again, this time as a devoted wife and mother, with the birth of her first child, a Son, which she named Sean Preston. In November that year, she released a remix album "B in the mix, the Remixes".

Looking back over the last seven years of this remarkable ladies career and life, it really is hard to imagine what the face of Pop would look like without her.

Angelina Jolie Biography

2007-02-04T00:53:00.000-08:00

Full Name : Angelina Jolie Voight
Date Of Birth : 4 June 1975
Place Of Birth : Los Angeles, California
Height : 5'7
Hair : Brown
Eyes : Blue
Father : Jon Voight
Mother : Marcheline Bertrand
Brother : James Haven Voight
Spouse : Billy Bob Thornton (May 2000-present)(actor, director, writer)Jonny Lee Miller (1996-1999)(actor)
Profession : Actress

Angelina Jolie Detailed Biography
Angelina Jolie is the daughter of Academy Award-winning actor Jon Voight, and former actress/model Marcheline Bertrand. Jon Voight separated from Bertrand when Jolie was 1, remained in California while the family lived on the East coast. ''He was the perfect example of an artist who couldn't be married,'' she says. ''He had the perfect family, but there's something for him that's very scary about that.'' Jolie, is her middle name. Ultimately, she decided to use it because, she says, ''I love my father, but I'm not him''.

Angelina began training and performing at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute at around 12. She was seen in several stage productions at the Institute. She worked as a professional model in London, New York and Los Angeles, and has also appeared in music videos for such artists as the Rolling Stones, Meat Loaf, Lenny Kravitz, Antonello Venditti and The Lemonheads. In addition, she has acted in five student films for the USC School of Cinema, all directed by her brother, James Haven. She landed her first feature film starring part in HACKERS, about a group of high school computer hackers. Previously, she had roles in independent features Gathering Evidence and Oh No, Not Her.Angelina was married to her co-star from Hackers, Jonny Lee Miller. The marriage took place in May of 1996 where she wore black rubber clothes (although they are now divorced). She has a extensive dagger collection (likes knives) and has several tattoos (one is the Japanese word for death on her shoulder). Today Angelina splits her time between New York and Los Angeles.

Christina Aguilera Biography

2007-02-03T23:37:00.000-08:00

Teen pop diva Christina Aguilera was born December 18, 1980 in Staten Island, NY; the careers of her military father and musician mother ensured that the family traveled the globe before finally settling in Wexford, PA. By the time she was five, Christina knew all the songs from The Sound of Music and performed them at neighborhood block parties. It wasn't long before Christina Aguilera was performing the National Anthem at professional sporting events in the area. The youngster first began performing in area talent shows. At age eight, Aguilera appeared on the syndicated television series Star Search.

At ten she sang the National Anthem for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Penguins. When Christina Aguilera was 10, she also went to an open audition for The Mickey Mouse Club. She didn't make the cut, but two years later Disney invited her back. She got a part and became a Mouseketeer working with now-famous co-stars like Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez (of *NSYNC ) and Keri Russell from Felicity. Christina Aguilera sang, danced and performed her heart out during her two years on the show.

During her Mouseketeer days, Christina Aguilera caught the eye of manager Steve Kurtz, who requested a demo tape to send to RCA exec, Ron Fair. Amazed by her voice and beauty he offered her a record deal when she was 15. As luck would have it, around the same time he received a call from a friend who worked at Disney who was looking for someone to sing Reflection, the lead song in the upcoming animated Mulan flick. His first thought was his new singer Christina Aguilera. She got the gig and the song was eventually nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture.

After two years on the show, Christina traveled overseas to further hone her musical skills. She recorded the duet "All I Wanna Do" with Japanese pop star Keizo Nakanishi. Aguilera's first pop music success came in Japan thanks to a smash duet "All I Wanna Do".

And later, Christina almost caused a riot at Romania's Golden Stag Festival when she waded into the crowd of 10,000 while performing her two-song set on a bill which included Sheryl Crow and Diana Ross.
Upon returning to the States in early 1998, Christina auditioned to sing "Reflection," a track which appears on her debut album, for Disney's animated film "Mulan." The film makers needed someone "who could hit a high E above middle C" according to Christina, who then cut a one-take demo in her living room singing to a karaoke tape of Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Run To You." The demo was rushed to Disney, and within hours, Christina was in a Los Angeles studio recording "Reflection." That same week, RCA Records signed her to a record contract. "Mulan" premiered in America in June 1998, and "Reflection" became a Top 15 US single.

On her self-titled debut album for RCA in 1999, Christina showcased her many talents. From the sparkling upbeat dance-pop of the "Genie In A Bottle" to the soulful gospel strains of "So Emotional" and the awe-inspiring ballad "I Turn To You," Christina's powerful voice intertwined themes of finding one's own identity with the uncertainties of growing up. The album, which Christina says was very scripted for her, leaving her with little real involvement, fitted in with the popular music of the time to reap high sales.
October 2000 saw the release of "My Kind Of Christmas," a soulful collection of sacred carols, holiday pop classics, and newly written songs for the season. Said Christina, "I wanted to bring a real R&B edge to some of these songs. Making the album really unleashed the soul in me. I'd say it's an all-around feel-good album."
Christina was established fully in the industry, having three top 50 US albums, including a massive selling #1, and she said at the time, "It's been quite a roller-coaster ride but I think I've grown and learned a lot about myself. In this business, it's often all about hype, record sales, and parties, and it can be easy to get lost in believing in all that. But I try to monitor myself on a regular basis. The greatest thing is being able to touch peoples' lives. I know that's a greater accomplishment than selling records. I simply love what I'm doing everyday".

However, this joy was not to be for long and after having her heart broken for the first time and experiencing a close to breakdown stage in her life through stress, Christina went off and decided to be normal and rebuild her life. In that time she wrote as a way of relaxing and as therapy and set about recording a new album in 2002. The product, which was postponed and postponed as it was not "perfect" was finally released in October. With a very strong promotional campaign, the lead single "Dirrty" managed to be a worldwide hit. Combining a killer hip-hop hook and R&B chorus, the track hit #1 in the UK, and the only country where it underperformed was in America, where the single did not take off at radio, only reaching #48 in the national Billboard charts. Unbroken by the lack of love America was showing "Dirrty," Christina released "Stripped," her first album in over 2 years where it debuted at #2.
Aguilera topped the pop charts with the single "Genie in a Bottle." Christina Aguilera sold over 10 million copies worldwide in just under a year and turned its namesake into a superstar. She followed this successs with performances at the Super Bowl XXXIII Halftime Show and for President Clinton, and won a Best New Artist Grammy. Just over a year after she released her debut album, Aguilera released Mi Reflejo, a collection of Spanish-language songs, as well as a holiday album.

"Mi Reflejo," Christina's first Spanish language album, was a recording project very close to her heart. Her second album, produced by Latin music master Rudy Perez (Luis Miguel, Julio Iglesias) and recorded in Miami, the album included several new songs as well as five smash English language hits of Christina's, translated and re-recorded especially for the new album. Executive producer Ron Fair, producer Rudy Perez, and Christina sifted through more than 300 songs before making their final selections. Said Christina, "It's very cool for me personally, because it gives me a chance to explore my Latin side, something I've wanted to do for a long time, even before I was signed. I love the Spanish language, which opens up a whole new musical arena for me. This will make my grandparents proud."
Christina Aguilera has had a huge impact on the international music scene since 1999. A huge American story (three #1 smash hit singles, performing for the US President, taking home a Grammy for Best New Artist and a mammoth summer/autumn 2000 tour) has been reflected in her worldwide, and more specifically, her UK profile. Her debut album "Christina Aguilera" has sold thousands, peaking at #14 in the UK album charts, and produced some hugely enjoyable singles, including the two top 3 hits "Genie In A Bottle" and "What A Girl Wants," and it is of course near impossible to avoid the ludicrous media circus which follows her around.
"When you're seventeen years old, green and inexperienced, you're grateful for any guidance and direction you can get." Says Christina on her rocket sled ride to the top following the 1999 release of her eponymously-titled debut album, with its string of consecutive chart toppers, including "Genie In A Bottle" and "What A Girl Wants." It was a feat she would repeat the following year with Mi Reflejo, the smash Spanish language version of her debut, followed by her hit holiday release, My Kind Of Christmas.
Christina is an eclectic, seasoned artist and every single from "Stripped" - in fact every single song on the album - is different, reflecting this. From the jazz soul of "Walk Away" to the rock of "Fighter," to the beautiful ballad "Cruz" and the neo-soul of "Impossible," not to mention the R&B of "Get Mine, Get Yours," no two tracks sound the same. Feeling more "real" and safe inside her own skin, Christina's new image is her most personal and most real.
The sixteen new tracks that comprise Stripped, including her sensational debut single, "Dirrty," showcases an unadorned, unfettered and fearlessly outspoken artist who has liberated herself, her soul and her music on an album that is as much a declaration of independence as it is a convincing demonstration of her fierce and original talent. Simply put, this is the real deal.
Recorded over an eighteen-month stretch, with Christina firmly at the helm every step of the way, Stripped slowly but surely took shape, not only as an exercise in breathtaking stylistic diversity but as a resonant and revealing look into the mind and emotions of a young woman on the verge of personal and professional liberation.
The result is resonant and revealing original tracks that decisively shred Christina's squeaky clean persona, even as they set the stage for a career that, millions of albums and concert tickets later, is only now just getting started.
The proof is all over Stripped, from the opening notes of "Impossible," the smoky ballad by Alicia Keys, to the romantic revelations of "Can't Hold Us Down," featuring the persuasive production of Scott Storch; from the soaring affirmations of "Beautiful," to blistering licks of "Make Over," to the superheated funk of "Dirrty," featuring Redman and Rockwilder. "I loved 'Let's Get Dirty,'" Christina reveals, "So I asked Rockwilder to put something together kind of like that for me." She laughs. "What I got was a little too close, but then I figured, 'Why not?' The track is like an answer song to the original, only from a female point of view."
As much excitement and surprise as a first listening to Stripped might generate, there are other textures, urgent, honest and unguarded, that emerge with time. "Everything I sing about in 'I'm OK' is real," she asserts. "I took it right out of my life and I'm singing it right to my Dad." While another Stripped standout, "Can't Hold Me Down," may at first sound like payback to a certain superstar rapper, for Christina that's hardly the point. "I haven't got time for all that," is her retort. "I'm more interested in helping girls stand up for themselves. That's what the song is about - double standards and how we're supposed to look and act a certain way just to please men. If I have any influence as an entertainer, I want it to be optimistic and uplifting, to make this world a little better place to live."
For Christina Aguilera, it all begins by getting real. "This music is who I am," she confidently asserts. "You can take it or leave it, but I'm not going to change, not for anyone." In the end, she says, it's a tribute to the millions of worldwide fans who have made her a household name. "Fans grow up, too," she smiles. "We're all reaching out for something more real and if we really want it, we're going to find it. This album is for anyone who really wants it."