EXCLUSIVEChristina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake & More Celebs Who Got Their Start On Star Search
Jan. 23 2022, Published 12:03 a.m. ET
These music icons have always known they were born to be stars!
Christina Aguilera (1990)
Even as a child, Christina Aguilera had impressive pipes — which is why she was known around her Pennyslvania neighborhood as "the little girl with the big voice." In 1990, at age 9, she got to prove it by belting out Etta James' "A Sunday Kind of Love" on Star Search.
Though she was eliminated in the semi-final round, it got her noticed. Three years later, she landed a role on The Mickey Mouse Club, and in 1999, she released her first album, which peaked at No. 1 and went eight times certified platinum. So she really did win in the end.
Justin Timberlake
In 1992, the Memphis native, who went by the name "Justin Randall" performed Alan Jackson's "Love's Got a Hold on You" while wearing a ten-gallon hat.
His dreams of country stardum weren't meant to be (he lost!), but the next year, Justin Timberlake landed a gig on The Mickey Mouse Club, and two years later joined the boyband NSync. However, solo stardom didn't come until 2002 when JT dropped his wildly popular debut album Justified.
Britney Spears
"I found out what [I was] supposed to do at an early age," Britney Spears once said of her childhood. She proved that at age 10, when she sang "Love Can Build a Bridge" on the competition series.
Even though she was beat out by another contestant, the spotlight came calling anyway in 1993 with a role on The Mickey Mouse Club. Six years later, she released Baby One More Time, which went on to become one of the best-selling albums of all time thanks to hit like, "...Baby One More Time" and "Sometimes." The rest, as they say, is pop history.
LeAnn Rimes
Before LeAnn Rimes' turn on Star Search, where she performed "Don't Worry 'Bout Me," the Mississippi-born songstress was already playing local talent shows and had almost landed the lead role in a Broadway revival of Annie.
However, after her episode aired (she actually won!), she decided to pursue a career in country music. In 1997, at age 14, she made history when she became the youngest person to ever win a Grammy, taking home awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Country Vocal Performance for her hit song "Blue."
Beyonce
What were those judges thinking? In 1993, Beyoncé performed with her then-girl group "Girls Tyme" (which included Kelly Rowland!), but they lost to an all-male rock band.
After cutting two members and changing their name, Destiny's Child landed a deal with Columbia Records. The group's first big hit, 1997's "No, No, No," transformed them into household names, but it was Beyonce's 2003 solo endeavor, Dangerously in Love, that cemented her place as one of the most iconic performers in pop and R&B.
