Hes tall, dark and handsome and exudes chrisma, sex and style from every pore.hes got a voice to die for and has more moves than a chess champion.he was brought up in memphis, tennessee, and from the moment he drew his first breath this boy was destined for superstardom.with southern charm and memphis megnetism, justin timberlake is the brightest singing sensation to hit the world in decades.
Talent like this 
dose not come along often, but amazingly memphis can boast not one, but two musical superstars that fit the above discription.the first of course, is the king :ELVIS PRESLEY, born in nearby tupelo on 8th january 1935, who was discovered and made his home in the city.on a cold winters evening on the last day of january, 46 long years later, a second musical genius arrived:justin randall timberlake, the prince of pop.
at 22, justin has already asserted himself as the worlds most successful male artist of the new millenium, throwing off the shackles of simply being britney spears boyfreind and one fffth of american boyband *nsync, to make his own distinctive mark in music.and who nows whats to come?
Like elvis, music played an important part in justins life while growing up, and he has that same instinct for making black music accessible to all.hes been described by musicians like jummy jam and brian mcknight as a black man trapped inside a white body and the latter, who co-wrote the track never again on the multie platanum justified , has no doubts about justins superstar potential. hes one of the most talented young musical artists we have, he enthuses, adding: he could be the next elvis.
The similaraties to the king dont end there, either, as justins biggest musical influence also came from the church."i got into gospel music and saw a lot of gospel concerts,"he reveals. his producer, multi-talented pharrel williams of the neptunes, thinks it shows:2justin could have been raised in the black church,"he says."hes a great singer,a great talent."justin also admits to being heavily influenced by rnb."theres the big blues appeal that goes through memphis. i mean, its the city of the blues.its bb king. its every thing.elvis, he sang blues .i think its just the whole vibe that went through there.thats where i got the bluesy sound to the way i sing." and its the voice that put him on the road to fame.
(pharrell williams neptunes)
he may only be 22 but justin timberlake has already hit the big time on boath sides of the atlantic. having spent seven years in the lime light as part of a multi platanum boyband*nsync with chart topping hits like 'tearin up my heart' and'girlfreind', and super star selling albums like'no strings attached' and 'celebrity' behind him, justin has branched iut on his own and produced one of the biggest-selling bebut albums of recent times.
The album, aptly entiteled justified, was released in november 2002 by the jive record label and reached number two in the billboard charts behind enimens 8 mile, selling 439,000 copies in the first week. it went multi-platinum shortly afterwards and is destained to become an all-time classic. in the uk, justified entered the charts at number six and steadily climbed to the top spot, spurred on succses by second single 'cry me a river' .the song, which rocked the pop world because of its controversial vidio as mhuch as its musical content,reached number two to match the preformance of his debut single 'like i love you'.
But its not just the sales figure that confirm justins position as planet pops hottest new star.Injustified, he has produced a ground breaking album that proves he has enormous songwriting talent-and the accolades have poured in from critics and fans alike.dubbed "the new maicheal jackson" by many , justin admits micheal has had a huge influence on him both as a preformer and singer. "to say that he dosent inspire me is like walking out on stage with a band aid on my face and saying that i wasent trying to look like nelly," he says.
Remarkably, justified has been described as the album jacko should have made at the hight of his succsess in the 1980s.modesty prevents justin beleaving the conparisons are wholly warrented, but he smilingly confesse, "id have to say im flattered. its nice to be compeared to some one who is a living legend".justins interests was also inspired by jackson, namely michaels sister janet, when he saw her in 1990 rhytem nation tour."i went and saw her at the mid south coliseum and was intrigued with how she worked the stage," recalls justin.
Many also see similarites with robbie williams - most obviously bcause he was another boyband refugee to progress to solo super star status. and indeed ,both robbie and justin exhibit that natural charisma and boyish charm that make them irresistible to every one they meet. yet unlike williams, who struggled manfully in the pop wilderness for two years before rising majestically from the take that ashes, timberlake has found instant success and adoration.
His transformation from pretty boy to sex god has been a smooth one, his urban hip-hop style of music giving him true street cred. and, having co-written all 13 tracks on the album, his songwriting talents are beyond doubt."musically ive been influenced by artists like michael jackson, prince, stevie wonder,"he says. "i also listen to singers like donny hathaway, marvin gaye and al green..."
Critics have been universal in their praise for his first solo album:"a remarkable achievement for one so young","inventive and instant, grindingly raw and sexy, its a truly great record","a kick ass chunk of funky pop" and "this cements justins place as one of pops hottest propaties" are just some of the many plaudits. justin has proved that he is his own person and has a unique style all his own, despite the medias initial insistence that he was just another boyband member trying to manufacture a solo career.
neptunes producer chad hugo has real respect for him."i think people want to put him in a box,a boy band box,or an *nsync box,but hes not like that.hes a real individual and a dope vocalist".
It isnt just the music that has launched justin into the pop stratosphere however-its the whole package that that gives him his unique appeal, as quddus , host of mtvs total request live , appreciates."hes got a flock of girls hollering about how hot he is , hes smart , he can dance -and he really genuinely has a voice. he has all the elements of a dynamic artist.
Even in *nsync timberlake had that extra star quality that marked him as the one to watch, dispite being the bands youngest member .he first showed the world a glipse of his song writing abilities when he penned the monster smash hits 'gone'and 'pop' on the groups latest album celebrity.even at the tender age of 16, with that mop of blonde curly hair and oh-so innocent blue eyes,justin was singled out by the fans to be the center of their attention.
He was regulary mobbed,though he couldnt see what all the fuss was about."honestly, i dont look at my self as sexy.im just havimg fun doing what i love and if some one looks at me in that way its very flattering".he said at the time.he was voted favorite male sex symbol and favorite male proformer in teen best magazines 17th annual teen star awards.freind and felloow band-member jc knows why :"hes got the star quality.when people see justin on stage, they think hes cool".
Neither did justin think*nsync would become such a global pop phenomenon."never in my wildest dreams did i imagine something this big happening," he once said, not foreseeing for a moment that the process would be his own right.
Having grown boy to man with the worlds press watching, justin has shown himself to be mature beyond his years.2002 in a particular was a gruelling and emotional time for him, with the coincidence of his very public and bitter break up with pop princess britney spears and his first solo venture away from his *nsync pals.not only has he come through it a wiser and more rounded person, hes also managed to up his street cred a hundred fold.
And timberlaks appeal is currently stronger than ever.those awards just kept rolling in .hes been one of the top 50 most eligible bachelors in people magazine, and he is currently the pop worlds most wanted cover star, having appeared on the front of top us magazines like rolling stone, vibe ,details,teen people ,seventeen and entertainment.he also has the accolade of being only the second male star to grace the cover of britains own marie claire- the first was david beckham.
Justin timberlake may have it all -a sexy body, great looks, pure talent and a fun loving personality-but he hasent reached the dizzy heights hes now through these qualities alone.two vital ingredients have made him the super star he is.the first is commitment.he admits he has worked his butt off and still keeps up the pressure on himself,as colleagues like chad hugo are quick to point out."hes a really hard worker. he would stay up late every night just to finish up backing vocals."
The singer agrees hes put in the hours. "my mom always said to me, if your gonna do it, dont do it half assed. youve gotta give it 150% and work for it to get factor". that indefinable something extra-charisma,charm,, magic- whatever it is , justin has it by the lorry load."you either have it or you dont ". says his old singing coach , bob westbrook."when he was eight years old he did his first preformance for his school and the girls were screaming for him then just like they do now. he loved the stage , even then"
The road to stardom hasent been an easy one , though.justin has made many sacrifices to achive his a-list celebrity status.being in a pop group means being away from home touring or preforming and thats hard ."i really miss my family .being with my mother , my dad ,my brothers .i hardly ever get to see them any more.sometimes it makes me sad because every time i go home my brothers are a foot taller than the last time i saw them . i want to be their for the years that they grow and find out about life."
He also has to make sure he keeps up his fitness levels and the stamina needed for touring-and there fore spends hours shooting bascket ball and doing push ups ."i dont smoke cos im a singer" he once said , through if you belive the rumours he has been known to let his hair down once in a while.
Rumours aside, theres no doubt whatsoever that justin timberlake has worked hard and made many sacrafices to get to where he is in the po pecking order. and, so far at least, it seems that its all been worth it.
EARLY YEARS!
Its 6.30pm on 31st januaruy 1981. a new life has just begun........but who could have predicted that this little bundle of joy would become one of the worlds most successfull popstars,barely 19 years on?
Justin randall timberlake was born deep in the heart of blues country in memphis, tennessee, the first child to mother lynn and farther randy.
his musical talent was apparent from an early age - at only two years old ,his mum caught him singing along in harmony with the car radio . his pearents would watch in amazment as, when they played alternativly fast and slow records, he would tap his little feet perfectly in time with the music
Justin probably inherited his amazing voice from dad who was a singer in blue grass band."justin was surrounded by music from the day he was born ," he recalled."we never had to teach him how to sing;even as a toddler, he would sing and dance for us. when he was just two or three he would jump on the stage when my band were playing and pretended to play his favorite guitar ."justins clearly remembers this early love for preforming ."if i could talk, i could sing . i was always preforming for somebody." his uncle agrees:"whether he was telling a joke, or dancing in front of every body at christmas, justin was always the entertainer.
Unfortunatly, justins parents divorced when he was very young and both later remarried. his mum wed his stepfarther paul harless, to whom justin is very close, while randy married stepmother lisa;the couple have two boys .his stpbrothers jonathan and steven, call him big baba and justin loves them to bits.he also had a sister called laura katherine who sadly, died at only three minuets old.justin calls her his "angel in heaven".
his perents separation so early in his young life had an understandably traumatic effect on justin, and he and his mother grew incredibally close. she is now his manager and travels the world with her super star son."me and my mum have an understanding,"he explains."were best freinds.she knows me better then anyone, and not a day goes by when i dont talk to her ." he even has a tatoo on his back of an angel holding a banner with her initials on it. his granmother, sadie bomar, explains how close they are. "the divorce was hard on justin. its very confusing for a boy....he couldnt understand why(his daddy) wasnt there any more".
Justin didnt see much of randy while he was growing up, something his dad understandubly now feels bad about:"i lost a lot of quality time with justin which i will always regret ." now they are on good tearms, but justins hetic schudle makes meeting up difficult . "we get on well, but i admit i havent stayed as close as i would have liked to." justins granma belives that "you can never make up for so much lost time from such a crucial period in time."but adds that the family are close and know that no matter how big a star justin becomes they all mean the world to him. and they obviosly do."you have to keep your family close... my mom and my granpearents and my dad all of my family, they all are so, so proud of me. but im still justin to them.im still just that little kid who used to run round acting like a smart alec."
its the closeknit family which seems to keep him grounded. "im close to my mother. im close to my farther and thats defenitly had an impact in my life. so i think that its defanitly been a bonus for me to grow up in such a great home and to still be so close to my family.rest assured, im the same dude."
in those early years, justin went to school like any other kid and had all the same insecuraties."i was always questioning myself in anything and everything. alot of times people think before they act i think you should act before you think.we should just use our hearts and go for it!"his faviorite subject was science and he loathed maths.but his first love was music and uninspired by the schools own curriculum, justin begged his mother to let him have music lessons out side school."there was a music programme, but it was stupid. if it wasnt for me urging my mom to let me have voice lessons and let me do talent shows then i wouldent be here now".
It was this lack of inspired music teaching in schools that prompted the young star to set up the justin timberlake foundation a non profit making group that gives public schools money for music and arts education.he explains,"my insperation for doing this was, back when i was ten or eleven in a public school, i had dreams of being in a pop group or being a super star entertainer, and their was never any music programme that helped my pursue my dreams.so i think this giving back is just to make sure that the kids who have those same dreams get those opportuneaties that i didnt have at such young age.you now kids really are our future"
Justins mother hired vocal coach bob west brook to teach her talented young son how to sing, an arrangement that lasted about three years until he was about 11. justin is very greatful to him for his help."i grew up singing in church, then definite, diffrent way you breath when you sing. and things that have to happen with your body your not used to. he dfinitley taught me those things."
(justin and lance with bob westbrook)
After his pearents divorce, justin and his mom moved to florida and it was their that his career was given a kick start.he began entering talent contests and nabbed top prize for the first time in 'dance like new kids on the block' when he was only eight. when he was ten years old he made a guest apperance on the grand ole opry, a country music show in wich justin sand a southern song to show his heratige."after doing some talent shows, from that moment on, i new preforming was what i wanted to do."he recalls.
(this is justins entrance to his orlando florida home)
The world caught his first glimpse of justin the entertainer on his first ever tv apperance on a programme called star search in nashville. at the age of 11.as fate would have it justin failed to go all the way, dispite being awarded three and a quarter stars. nether the less he re doubled his efforts, certain hed succed one day soon.
The big break that would change his life finally came in 1992, when justin auditioned for the new mickey mouse club(mmc),a varity show on the disney channel that launched in 1989."i was called in with 200 other kids who had been chosen from 20,000 across america. it was a big deal."he beat the other young hopefuls to become one of 20 regular presenters and it was here he met *nsync band member jc(joshua scott chasez)and sheared his first on screen kiss with britney spears.
(mickey mouse club)
It was also here that he first met christina agularia,though back then he had no inkling that just 10 years later he would embark on a massive tour with her,much to the irratation of his now ex-girlfreind britney.justins keen to down play any controversy, though."christinas got one of the most amazing voices iv ever heard,"he said in 2003."that home girl can sing.she can release a song like dirrty and get every body talkin and then release a song like beautiful and say look this is why im standing here.thats the christina i met on the show and thats the christina you will see 10 years from now."
christina and justin.
Justin spent two happy years as one of the mousekeeters before the show was axed in 1994.he then returned to memphis with his mom lynn. he is philosophical about mmcs clouser."it was a fluke...if i would of won star search one time i would have never made the audition.i just think every thing happens for a reason. i think god has his master plan and hell lay it out for you.but you have to walk that road."
Back in memphis justin returned to EE jeter elementry school-but being a regular kid was hard to get used to."i had a good year and a half to be a snotty nose kid-right after the mickey mouse club ended.i was at home from 13,to the summer after when i was 14 and a half. i got so boared and down about every thing. i started to get a little rebellious. i didnt really get in trouble, but i wasnt focusing like i could.i didnt have the inspration that music gave me. thats my place in the world thats were i belong."
Though he says he got caught experementing with alcohol and smoking, he seemed to be able to avoid the fallout."we'd get caught and make sure someone else got the blame for it."justin was an acheiver acadimacally, too, scoring straight A marks."i once got a B i seventh grade. i was mad. i was swelled up.i couldnt belive it."both teachers and students liked him.
(this is the cover of justin timberlakes book)
Young master timberlakes dreames of becoming a super star still burned bright, however, so did his talent.his grade school teacher rene ernest, who went on to work as part of *nsyncs managment team, spoted his amazing ability immediatly."justin was involved in my gifted students programme.when i first met him he'd been away with the mickey mouse club,and i heard he was a star and a kind of pompous,but he was wonderful."
She has no doubts that his succses was no accident."justin observes the machanics of life.he gets the reputation of being snobby or elitist, but it isnt that-hes just very shy.and hes extreamly competative, if he carnt win, or figure how to win,hes not going to play.its not a negative thing at all;its just that he likes to conquer things in life."its seems hes always been an achever; he was presedent of his middle schools beta club and president of the student club at junior high school.
(justins cover to rock your body single)
It wasnt all work, though, as justin was one of those characters always game for a laugh."i wasent the type of class clown who was always in trouble," he insists "i think i was a ferris bueller type of clown. i some how found a way not to get in trouble."he had his darker moments and like any teenager, came in for his fair share of school boy taunts."i hated my hair."he recalls"that was the thing everybody teased me about.they called me brillo pad.i was always trying to straighten it or cut it off.i couldnt deal with it.in second grade, i took paper siccors and cut it all uneven. i was like i carnt stand this!snip snip snip.thats the only time i ever got a real spanking."
(justin with afro hair)
Through out this time justin kept intouch with his old mousekeeter mates, and it was in a round about way that *nsync was formed."jc and i got chatting when we were on the mmc show and discovered that we both wanted to be in a band.i mentioned it to chris[christopher alan kirkpatrik] who was an old buddy from auditioning," justinnow recalls. chris was working at universal studios with a guy called joey (joseph anthoney fatone jr)who also happened to be an old mate of justins and it didnt take long for him to be involved.
Together the four some had a great vocal range...but if their vision of puting a band together that could sing a cappella and transport five part harmonies into pure pop were to become a reality, they would need a good bass.step foward justins old vocal coach bob westbrook, who gave the boys a number of a young lad who loved to sing.The quartet had just found their 'missing voice' as soon as they heard his first few notes, and the quintet was formed. "i was really into singing and some freinds encoraged me to sing in the school choir,which is how the others heard about me," revealed the lucky lance(real name james bass).
from left to right(jc,joey,justin,lance,chris)
So they had a group but what about the name? the boys really struggled, playing around with diffrent ideas but never coming up with something that suited them.it was actually justins mum that came up with the name *nsync after idily remarking that when it comes to their harmonies the boys were really "in sync". the phrase struck a cord with the guys, but they wernt convinced until justins mum played around with their names and formed nsync from the last letter of each of their names-justiN,chriS,lansteN and jC.she had to cheat abit with lance he explains:"thats how i got my nickname the last letter of my real name diddent fit in so, they all made a big joke of calling me lansten... and it kinda stuck."
Justin was only 14 when *nsync formed and still at high school,so he had to study by day and practise his dance moves by night.joey would get off work at nine in the evening and they'd rehearse in a disused wearhouse until midnight wherever and whenever they could.but it wasent long before the work paid off."we did are demo package as fast as we could'" justin recalls"and thats when we got in touch with our management"
Everything from the poster printing, the outfits, the order of songs and the choreography was done by the five alone."it was very rough, but we did it are selves,"agrees chris.the demo had a few original tracks and a funky cover version of the beatles song 'we can work it out'.the boys had no doubt that they would soon be flying high."from day one, i knew it was going to work, said lance."the first time we sang together i was like this is it!"
*NSYNCs phenomenal success meant that justin could barley fit school work into his hectic schedule , and he was put on a fast - track study programme specifically designed for perfomers and competitive athelets. at the time justin could said"its hard to make my self study when the other guys are hangin out and having fun, but i want to finish school as soon as possible so i can focus my full attention on my entertainment career."and finish school he did. justin graduated from high school via mail, a year early , in 1998. hed always intended to go back to futher education when he got the chance but, with the prospect of internatinal success, wads of cash, and doing a job he loves , there seems little chance of that now.
And why should he?only five years after graduating, justin is one of the worlds wealthiest and most respected music stars - and theres no college in the world that can teach you that!
*N SYNC
It was 1996 when *nsyncs world collided with that of jhonny wright, the mastermind behind groups like the backstreet boys and new kids on the block.and after that timely collision, they set off on a new path to fame and fortune from which they have never looked back.after receving a call from partner lou 'big papa' pearlman recommending he check out a new band, jhonny flew to orlando to see what all the fuss was about."i disscovered a band who really could sing and had a chemistry or aura about them", he recalls.
Wright landed them a record deal with german-based company bmg - so it was off to europe to start recording their first album. justin had just turned 15 and, though he was still the baby of the band, he worked just as hard as the other guys at perfecting the choreography and belting out those tunes. their debut album *nsync was released
