Justin spent most of his childhood living in the small town of Shelby Forest. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee on January 31, 1981. He had a great childhood - he tried his luck on celebrity shows, went on live television, and even played in his school's Junior Olympic Basketball team. He was good at sports, but his heart was always set on becoming an entertainer. He asked his mother to book him singing lessons - the smartest choice he could make.
Justin Timberlake is originally from the South - specifically, Memphis, Tennessee. He was born January 31, 1981, which makes him currently 37 years old. He has worked as an actor, singer, songwriter, dancer, and record producer - meaning he can dabble in any kind of art.
Justin had to suffer a fate shared with many other teenagers - his parents divorced during his time with them. Their names are Lynn and Charles Randall, and Justin is their only child. Justin's father worked as a Baptist church choir director.
Although Justin is an only child, he did eventually get three siblings. Only two of them are alive though - his half-brothers Jonathan (born September 12, 1993) and Stephen (born August 14, 1998). He also had a half-sister that shortly after birth.
Even from a young age, the thing that made Justin the happiest was being able to entertain his parents. He used to perform Jackson 5 dances in his parent's living room, which made his mom laugh. Those were the first moments when he knew that he wanted to become an entertainer.
Justin is not the first of his family to make a career in music. His uncle used to be in a bluegrass band (a type of American roots music, including traditional Irish, Scottish and English music), while his grandfather taught him how to play the guitar.
Singing wasn't Justin's only potential career choice. It seems the singer is multi-talented, as he also did pretty good while in his Junior Olympic basketball team. While he was good at the sport, he still begged his mom to get him voice lessons.
Since his dad already worked with the church choir, Justin used the opportunity to practice his singing. The times he was with the church choir were one of the first times he ever sang. He credits Memphis Jazz and blues as the foundation of his musical taste.
If you have ever listened to Justin Timberlake's music, you would notice a lot of influence from classic 1920s and 1950s singers. He says that he was originally inspired by Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire, and Dean Martin. That explains a lot about his elegant style.
Justin had always wanted to appear live on television, and luckily, he got the opportunity at a young age. As a child, he had a guest appearance on the show Star Search. The above screen capture is from that show - you can see how happy he is.
Appearing on the Star Search show was not enough for young Justin. He also eventually made it to Disney, where he joined the Mickey Mouse club revival as a full-on cast member. This fulfilled his dream of being able to sing and dance in front of a large crowd.
Justin wasn't always a solo singer. Before he got famous, he joined a boy band back in 1995. The band was centered around pop music, and it was called NSYNC. They became a smash hit during the 90s, and young girls from all over the world loved them.
The boy band Justin was a member of, NSYNC was managed by a man named Lou Pearlman. Lou also managed several other bands, but he was eventually caught embezzling (withholding) money from these bands and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Justin's time with the NSYNC boy band only lasted for about years. He left the band and started singing solo back in 2002. That made his career growth even larger, meaning he never tried joining another band ever again. His first solo album was "Justified."
Back in the late 90s, Justin's relationship with pop sensation Britney Spears was one of the biggest sensations in the pre-internet media. They dated for about 4 years, from 1998 to Justin's solo career beginning in 2002. They met on the set of Mickey Mouse Club.
After his breakup with Britney Spears, Justin was voted as America's Most Eligible Bachelor. The title came at a great time, as his spirits were surely down about breaking up with the first love of his life. Justin's career continued to grow over the year.
