Sean Penn Profile

Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American film actor and director, also known for his political activsm. He is a two-time Academy Award winner for his roles in Mystic River and Milk, as well as the recipient of a Golden Globe Award for the former and a Screen Actors Guild Award for the latter.

Penn was supposedly engaged to actress Elizabeth McGovern, his co-star in 1984's Racing with the Moon, after which he dated Susan Sarandon. Penn's personal life began to attract media attention when he married pop star Madonna in 1985. The relationship was marred by violent outbursts against the press, including one incident for which he was arrested for assaulting a photographer on a film set; Penn was sentenced to 60 days in jail in mid-1987, of which he served 33 days. It is also alleged that when Penn discovered the paparazzo in his hotel room, he hung him by his ankles from the ninth-floor balcony. Madonna dedicated her third studio album, True Blue to Penn, referring to him in the liner notes as "the coolest guy in the universe". Later in the marriage, Penn was charged with felony domestic assault, a charge for which he pleaded to a misdemeanor. Penn and Madonna divorced in 1989.

He soon began a relationship with Robin Wright, and their first child, a daughter named Dylan Frances, was born in 1991. Their second child, a son named Hopper Jack, was born in 1993. Penn and Wright married in 1996 and lived in Ross, California. The relationship has gone through on-and-off again periods in recent years. Divorce plans and separation have been announced, beginning in December 2007, and again in April 2009, only to be withdrawn, most recently in May 2009. On August 12, 2009, Robin Wright Penn filed for divorce, declaring she has no plans to reconcile.

During a separation from Wright in the mid 1990s, Penn dated singer and songwriter Jewel. He was also the director of the original video for Jewel's hit song "You Were Meant for me"

Recently, Penn has been linked with model Jessica White.

Penn's younger brother, Chris, died from an enlarged heart in his Santa Monica condominium on January 24, 2006.

Along with Johnny Deep, Mick Hucknall, and John Malkovich, Penn was a part-owner of the Parisian restaurant-bar Man Ray.

Kurt Cobain Profile

Kurt Cobain was the lead singer and guitarist for the band Nirvana, whose melodic rock songs bridged punk with pop and sold millions of records in the early 1990s. The stripped-down, amped-up anthem "Smells Like Teen Spirit" made it to the top of the charts in 1991 and helped "grunge" rock unseat Michael Jackson-style pop. (It also helped put Seattle on the musical map -- Cobain was from the sort-of nearby logging town of Aberdeen, Washington.) The band's albums included Bleach (1989), Nevermind (1991) and In Utero

(1993). Nirvana was briefly the hottest band in the world, but Cobain's discomfort with fame, personal demons and battles with drugs quickly caused problems. His status as rock legend was cemented when he committed suicide in 1994, apparently by shooting himself in the mouth with a shotgun.

Extra credit: Cobain married rocker/actress Coutney Love in 1992... The couple had one daughter, Frances Bean, born in 1992... Some fans continue to believe that Cobain was murdered. Though a suicide note was found near Cobain's body, and though the coroner ruled that Cobain's wounds were self-inflicted, these fans feel the suicide was staged, and some also accuse Courtney Love of being involved. This theory has been widely publicized but has never been proved... A 1998 documentary film, Kurt and Courtney, examined their relationship and Cobain's death.

Other rock legends who died young include Tupac Shakur Jim Morrison, and Janis Joplin.

Britney Spears Profile

Britney Spears

Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer and entertainer. Born in Mississippi and raised in Louisiana, Spears first appeared on national television in 1992 as a contestant on the Star Search
program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The New Mickey Mouse Club from 1993 to 1994. In 1997, Spears signed a recording contract with Jive, releasing her debut album ...Baby One More Time in 1999. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and has sold over 25 million copies worldwide. Her success continued with the release of her sophomore album, Oops!... I Did It Again in 2000, which established her as a pop icon and credited for influencing the revival of teen pop in the late 1990s.

In 2001, she released Britney and played the starring role in the film Crossroads. She assumed creative control of her fourth studio album, In the Zone released in 2003, which made her the only female artist of the Nielsen Soundscan era to have her first four albums debut at number one. Her fifth studio album, Blackout was released in 2007. Her sixth studio album, Circus released in 2008, also debuted at number one in the Billboard 200 albums chart.

According to Zomba Label Group and Sony Music, Spears has sold over 85 million records worldwide.She is ranked as the eighth best-selling female recording artist in the U.S. with 35 million copies of her albums certified by the RIAA,and is currently the fifth best-selling artist act of the decade in the country, as well as the top-selling female artist.Spears is also ranked by Forbes 2009 issue as the 13th most powerful celebrity, and with earnings of over $35 million dollars in 2009, the 2nd-highest earning young musician of the year.

Life and music career

Early life, The Mickey Mouse Club, career debut, and Innosense

Britney Spears was born in McComb, Mississippi and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana as a Southern Baptist. parents are Lynne Irene (née Bridges), a former elementary school teacher, and Jamie Parnell Spears, a former building contractor and chef. Spears has two siblings, Bryan and Jamie Lynn. Bryan Spears is married to Jamie-Lynn's manager, Graciella Rivera. Spears was an accomplished gymnast, attending gymnastics classes until age nine and competing in state-level competitions. performed in local dance revues and sang in her local Baptist church choir. Spears entered New York City's Professional Performing Arts School when she was eight. Spears's parents would often argue, and they eventually divorced in 2002.

At age eight, Spears auditioned for the Disney Channel series The New Mickey Mouse Club. Although she was considered too young to join the series at the time, a producer on the show introduced her to a New York City agent.Spears subsequently spent three summers at NYC's Professional Performing Arts School and also appeared in a number of off-Broadway productions. She was an understudy in the 1991 off-Broadway musical Ruthless!. In 1992, she landed a spot on the popular television show Star Search. She won the first round of competition, but ultimately lost. At age eleven, Spears returned to the Disney Channel for a spot on The New Mickey Mouse Club in Lakeland, Florida.She was featured on the show from 1993 to 1994, until she wasAfter the show ended, Spears returned to Kentwood and attended high school for a year.

In 1997, Spears briefly joined the all-female pop group innosense.Later that same year, she recorded a solo demo and was signed by Jive Records. She began a U.S. concert tour sponsored by American teen magazines, and eventually became an opening act for 'N Sync and the Backstreet Boys.

For More Information Visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britney_Spears

Christina Aguilera Biography

Birthday: December 18, 1980
Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Staten Island, NY

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Big Break:

"Geenie In A Bottle"

Christina Maria Aguilera was born to Fausto Wagner Xavier Aguilera who was a Sergeant in the U.S. Army at the time and Shelly Loraine Fidler who was a Spanish teacher. Christina Aguilera comes from Spanish and Irish descent.

Her parents divorced when she was only seven years old. Christina Aguilera and her other siblings lived with their mother in Pennsylvania after the divorce.

Christina’s amazing voice and ability to hit high notes was a sign that this girl would one day be an international superstar. Aguilera's works has earned her a lot of awards including five Grammy Awards.

Christina began dating her current husband, music executive Jordan Bratman back in 2002 and the two married on November 19, 2005. Christina met her future husband, Jordan while she was recording Stripped at an Atlanta studio. He was getting ready to move from Atlanta to Los Angeles, and she was one of the only people that he knew there, so when he arrived, they spent all of their time together. Christina gave birth to a baby boy in 2008 whom she named Max.

Did you know…

• Christina’s father was physically and emotionally abusive and she has ruled out any chance to reunite with him.
• As a child, she was known as "the little girl with the big voice".
• Her first major role in entertainment came in 1993 when she joined the Disney Channel's variety show The New Mickey Mouse Club with: Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Ryan Gosling, JC Chasez and Keri Russell, who are now famous.
• Christina dated Puerto Rican-born dancer Jorge Santos for two years until the relationship ended in September 2001.
• In September 2007, it was revealed that Christina had been blacklisted by famed celebrity photographer David LaChappelle, after he declared her too difficult to work with.
• Christina dyed her hair black in 2003 because she believed that it gave her a more mature look.
• When she was a kid, Christina sang the national anthem at many sport games.
• In 1988, Christina was on Star Search but lost.
• Christina wrote the song I'm OK from her Stripped album about her experiences with being an abused child. The song was dedicated to her father, to let him know that she is OK now, regardless of his abuse.
• Some of Christina's nicknames are Chrissy, X-Tina, and Christi.
• Christina has two Papillion dogs named Stinky and Chewy.
• Christina's favorite colors are turquoise and purple.

Justin Timberlake Biography

Birthday: January 31, 1981

Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Memphis, Tennessee

Hometown: Hollywood, CA

Big Break:

'N Syn

Justin Randall Timberlake was born in Memphis, Tennessee to Randall and Lynn Timberlake. Timberlake grew up in Millington, a small town north of Memphis. His grandfather being a Baptist minister, Timberlake was raised in the Baptist religion, although he considers himself more “spiritual than religious”. In 1985 his parents divorced and both have remarried. His mother runs an entertainment company called Just-in Time Entertainment while his father is a choir director at a Baptist church. In 1997, his half-sister Laura Chwieseni, died shortly after birth, and she is acknowledged in one of her records as “My Angel in Heaven”.

His first attempts at a singing career were on Star Search as Justin Randall. In 1993, he got a taste of fame when he joined The Mickey Mouse Club. There he met Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and JC Chasez. When the show ended in 1995, Timberlake gathered Chasez and Chris Kirkpatrick to be in a new all-male singing group, that eventually became *NSYNC. In 1999 Justin acted as Jason Sharpe in the TV movie Model Behavior.

‘N SYNC formed in 1995 and included members JC Chasez, Lance Bass, Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone, and Justin Timberlake. The group became one of the most popular boy bands in the 1990s. They created five albums which included the fastest-selling album of all time, No Strings Attached. After their last album, Celebrity, the group decided to take time off. After their split, Timberlake began to work on his solo career.

Timberlake transformed from his clean image into a sexier and more mature image. His first solo album, Justified, debuted in 2002. In 2003 he supported the album with Christina Aguilar in their Justified/Stripped Tour. By the end of 2003, Timberlake’s song “Im Lovin’ It” was used by McDonald’s as their theme song. This deal earned Timberlake an estimated $6 million. In 2004, Justin Timberlake performed with Janet Jackson during the halftime show of the Super Bowl XXXVIII. At the end of the performance, Timberlake tore off a part of Jackson’s costume, causing the piece to become detached and exposing her breast. As a result of the incident, Jackson and Timberlake were both banned from the Grammy Awards unless they agreed to apologize on screen at the event. Jackson had already given a public apology, declined to give another one. Timberlake apologized and also received two Grammy Awards. In 2006 he released his second album FutureSex/LoveSound. He was the guest performer for the 2006 Victoria Secret Fashion Show, where he sang Sexyback. In January 2007 he started his FutureSex/LoveShow tour.

Timberlake has also a pursued an acting career. He starred in Model Behavior, On the Line, Edison Force, Alpha Dog, Black Snake Moan, Southland Tales, and voiced King Arthur in Shrek the Third. He has also opened several restaurants in the U.S. He also launched his clothing line William Rast in 2005.

Justin Timberlake dated his high school sweetheart/ pop singer Veronica Finn from 1996-1998. During the Mickey Mouse Club he met Britney Spears. They started a high-profile celebrity relationship which ended four years later in 2002. The breakup influenced Timberlake’s popular single “Cry Me a River.” He has also been linked to actress’s Jenna Dewan and Alysso Milano. In 2003, Timberlake started dating Cameron Diaz and confirmed their split in early 2007.

He was given the sexiest man title in Cosmopolitan and Teen People magazines.

Did you know…

• In May 2007, Justin revealed he was launching his own record label, Tennman Records. He will serve as chairman and CEO of the company.
• In February 2007, it was revealed that Justin has a fear of sharks, snakes and spiders, as well as dying unloved.
• Justin's best friends include Will.i.am from Black Eyed Peas and Timbaland, the producer. He is also good friends with Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.
• In 2006, Justin took voice lessons to learn how to speak in a deeper voice because he lost out on two acting roles because he sounded more like a boy than an "action hero."
• Justin recently auctioned a snowboarding session with him to help benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The winning bidder paid $30,000! Who was the lucky winner? Justin's band-mate from *NSYNC, Lance Bass!
• Justin was featured on the hit single, Where Is The Love? by pop/rap group Black Eyed Peas; however, he was not preset in the music video.
• Justin is a fan of singer Björk.
• Justin collects candles and sports jerseys.
• Justin is reportedly the only one in *NSYNC that doesn't want to make another album.
• Justin won Grammy Awards for Best Pop Vocal Album (Justified) and Best Male Pop Vocal Performan

Madonna

Madonna was a dance major at the University of Michigan before dropping out of college.

From Michigan To New York:

Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone was born August 16, 1958 in Bay City, Michigan. In 1977 Madonna dropped out of college at the University of Michigan to move to New York to study with Alvin Ailey for a career as a dancer. By 1979 she had signed on to dance and sing behind Disco performer Patrick Hernandez who had a major hit with "Born To Be Alive." Upon returning to New York, she helped form the Breakfast Club pop/dance group.

Pop and Dance Success:

Madonna left the Breakfast Club in 1980 to work with drummer Steven Bray. Madonna and Bray soon began shopping their demos to record labels. Sire Records signed Madonna in late 1982. Her first dance single "Everybody" hit #3 on the dance chart. After two more dance hits, her third single, "Holiday," written and produced by Jellybean Benitez, became a pop as well as dance hit.

1985:

The years 1985 and 1986 were years of phenomenal success for Madonna on a number of fronts. Her album Like a Virgin, released at the end of 1984, included the title single, one of the biggest hits of 1985. During 1985 she appeared in her first movie Desperately Seeking Susan, embarked on her first concert tour in support of the Beastie Boys, appeared in the Live Aid concerts to raise money to relieve famine in Africa, and, on her birthday, August 16th, married actor Sean Penn.

1986-1988:

Madonna's next album True Blue continued the string of major pop hits including "Open Your Heart," "Live To Tell," and "La Isla Bonita." Her film career, which had begun in promising fashion, suffered a major setback when her first starring role in Who's That Girl flopped miserably. A remix album You Can Dance appeared in late 1987 but failed to sell well. Without the release of new albums in 1988, some began to see Madonna as a has-been.

'Like a Prayer':

In March, 1989 Madonna released Like a Prayer, one of the most artistically accomplished albums of her career. Released in a hail of controversy over the video for the title song running afoul of both the Roman Catholic Church and Pepsi, the album topped the charts and included "Like a Prayer," and "Express Yourself," two of the biggest hits of Madonna's career. The success was somewhat tarnished by the end of Madonna's marriage to Sean Penn in September 1989.

The 1990's:

Madonna entered the new decade with mixed reviews for her role in the movie Dick Tracy with Warren Beatty. The decade became one of ongoing controversy sparked by Madonna's sense of artistic independence. From her book Sex to notorious tv appearances on The Late Show With David Letterman, Madonna rocked traditional notions of appropriate behavior for a pop star. Among major successes through the period were the songs "Justify My Love" and "Take a Bow," as well as her film role in Evita.

'Ray Of Light' and a New Millenium:

In 1998 Madonna released the album Ray Of Light to the best critical reviews since Like a Prayer. The album embraced the sound of techno in dance music and spawned massive pop hits such as the title track and "Frozen." Madonna eventually won 3 Grammy Awards for the album.

Madonna entered the new millenium with Music, another successful album featuring collaborations with French dance music producer Mirwais. The title song and "Don't Tell Me" were major hit singles. Late in the year Madonna married British film director Guy Ritchie.

In 2002 Madonna appeared in the film Swept Away, directed by her husband, and continued the long string of negative reviews for her acting skills. It was followed by 2003's American Music album and rare negative reviews for her music. The album failed to produce major hit singles in the U.S., but Madonna returned to the spotlight late in the year with an uproar over her performance at the MTV Video Music Awards in which she portrayed a "groom" kissing her "brides" Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears.

With the resilience that has become a trademark of her career, Madonna embarked on the Re-Invention tour in 2004 and had the highest grossing concert tour of the year. She remained in the spotlight with her devotion to Kabbalah, a form of Jewish mysticism, and success as an author of children's books. While working on a new album, Confessions On a Dancefloor, for late 2005, Madonna appeared at the Live 8 concerts to help end poverty, and her performances were cited as highlights of the massive worldwide event.

Madonna's latest album Hard Candy was kicked off with the single " 4 Minutes" a collaboration with Justin Timberlake. With the sigining of a contract with Live Nation, Hard Candy became Madonna's final studio album for Warner Bros. after a 25 year association with the label. The album debuted at #1 in 37 different countries. The final album for Warner Bros. is Celebration, a two disc greatest hits collection to be released in fall 2009. The single "Celebration" preceded the album.