Despite not yet being 40, Britney Spears has already been famous for more than half her life. She was one of the 'Disney kids' - a whole stable of young entertainers who got their big break as a 'Mouseketeer' with the company before being handpicked for fame. Spears was a natural choice - she was attractive, could dance, and had a distinctive voice. The fact that someone decided to dress her as a schoolgirl for her first video, 'Baby One More Time' may have been tasteless in hindsight, but the song made her an international star from day one.
Spears' time at the top hasn't been free of trouble - she's struggled with mental health issues, divorce, and messy headlines for much of the past decade - but she always seems to come out on top, with a loyal army of supportive fans. In terms of sales and success, she's one of the biggest female stars of all time - and the pride of Louisiana!