Christina Aguilera

Christina Aguilera has evolved from a former Mouseketeer and pop princess, into a respected and admired performer who is rising above the majority of her contemporaries.

Christina Maria Aguilera was born on December 18, 1980, in Staten Island, New York. Her parents divorced when she was young and she moved with her mom and sister to the suburbs of Pittsburgh where they lived with her grandmother. Aguilera was known as a performer in her neighborhood, and at a very young age she sang the National Anthem at Steelers and Pirates football games. At age eight Christina was a contestant on Star Search, but she did not win.

Her first big break came when she was made a Mouseketeer on The New Mickey Mouse Club in 1993. She performed with a group of kids who would also make names for themselves, including Britney Spears, 'N Sync’s Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez, Keri Russell, and Ryan Gosling. When The New Mickey Mouse Club ended, Aguilera pursued a career as a solo singer.