Justin Timberlake

Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American actor, businessman, record producer and singer-songwriter. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, he appeared in the television shows Star Search and The New Mickey Mouse Club as a child. In the late 1990s, Timberlake rose to prominence as the lead singer and youngest member of the boy band 'N Sync, whose launch was financed by Lou Pearlman. During the group's hiatus, Timberlake released his solo studio albums Justified (2002) and FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006); the former spawned hits "Cry Me a River" and "Rock Your Body", while the latter debuted atop the U.S. Billboard 200 and produced the Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles "Sexy Back", "My Love", and "What Goes Around... Comes Around". With each album exceeding sales of seven million copies worldwide, he was established as one of the most commercially successful singers. From 2007 through 2012, Timberlake focused on his acting career, effectively putting his music career on hiatus; he held starring roles in the films The Social Network, Bad Teacher, In Time and Friends with Benefits. In 2013, he resumed his music career with his third album The 20/20 Experience (2013), which was preceded by lead single "Suit & Tie". The 20/20 Experience (2 of 2) is scheduled for release in September. Timberlake's work has earned him six Grammy Awards and four Emmy Awards. His other ventures include record label Tennman Records, fashion label William Rast, and the restaurants Destino and Southern Hospitality. --- Timberlake was born on January 31, 1981 in Memphis, Tennessee, to parents Lynn Harless (née Bomar) and Randall Timberlake. He grew up in Shelby Forest, a small community between Memphis and Millington. His paternal grandfather, Charles L. Timberlake, was a Baptist minister, and Timberlake was raised Baptist, though now considers himself more "spiritual than religious". Timberlake's parents divorced when he was three; his mother remarried when he was five. Timberlake's father has two children from his second marriage to Lisa Perry, Jonathan (born 1993) and Steven Robert (born August 14, 1998). His half-sister Laura Katherine died shortly after birth on May 14, 1997, and is mentioned in his acknowledgments in the album *NSYNC as "My Angel in Heaven." At the age of 11, Timberlake appeared on the television show Star Search, performing country music songs as "Justin Randall." In 1993 and 1994, he was a cast member in The Mickey Mouse Club, where his castmates included future girlfriend and pop superstar Britney Spears, future tourmate Christina Aguilera, future bandmate JC Chasez, and future movie actor Ryan Gosling.  In 1995, Timberlake recruited Chasez to be in an all-male singing group, organized by boy band manager Lou Pearlman, that eventually became 'N Sync. The boy band 'N Sync formed in 1995, and began its career in 1996 in Europe; Timberlake and Chasez served as its two lead singers. In 1998, the group rose to prominence in the United States with the release of their debut studio album *NSYNC, which sold 11 million copies and included hit single "Tearin' Up My Heart". In late 1999, Timberlake made his acting debut in the Disney Channel movie Model Behavior. He played Jason Sharpe, a model who falls in love with a waitress after mistaking her for another model. It was released on March 12, 2000. The rise of his own stardom and the general decline in the popularity of boy bands led to the dissolution of 'N Sync. Band member Lance Bass was openly critical of Timberlake's actions in his memoir Out of Sync. Chasez also stated several times that the reunion will probably never happen, and he went on to repeat this statement in 2011 and 2012. Chris Kirkpatrick and Joey Fatone, however, have said that a reunion is possible, with both saying that anything could happen in the future. In August 2002, Timberlake performed at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards, where he premiered his debut solo single "Like I Love You"; it peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. His debut solo studio album Justified was released in November and debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 439,000 copies, fewer than previous 'N Sync releases. It went on to sell over three million copies in the U.S. and more than seven million copies worldwide. --- In early 1999, Timberlake began dating fellow former The New Mickey Mouse Club cast member and recording artist Britney Spears. Their high-profile relationship ended abruptly in March 2002; the breakup influenced the lyrics and theme of Timberlake's hit "Cry Me a River". In April 2003, he began dating actress Cameron Diaz soon after they met at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. After much speculation of breakups throughout their relationship, the couple split in December 2006, shortly after Diaz introduced Timberlake as the evening's musical guest on Saturday Night Live. In January 2007, they denied allegations of an alleged affair between Timberlake and Scarlett Johansson, with whom he had shot the music video for his song "What Goes Around... Comes Around". In January 2007, Timberlake began dating actress Jessica Biel, with whom he had been photographed on multiple occasions; the couple initially refrained from publicizing their relationship. Timberlake and Biel separated in March 2011; he later proposed to her in the mountains of Jackson, Wyoming in December. The couple married on October 19, 2012 at the Borgo Egnazia resort in Fasano, Italy.