Born March 1, 1994, in Stratford, Canada to a single mother,
Justin Bieber took second place in a local talent competition but
turned into a YouTube phenomenon. He signed a record contract with Usher
and became the first solo artist to have four singles enter the Top 40
before the release of a debut album. His record "My World" has gone
platinum in several countries. He lives and works in Atlanta.
Pop star Justin Bieber was raised by a single mom in the small town of Stratford. Bieber, whose debut album
My World
hit stores in November 2009, is a true overnight success, having gone
from an unknown, untrained singer whose mother posted YouTube clips of
her boy performing, to a budding superstar with a big-time record deal,
all in just two years.
Bieber always had an interest in music. His mother gave him a drum
kit for his second birthday and, as he tells it, he was "basically
banging on everything I could get my hands on."
But it was an obscure talent contest in his hometown, in which the
12-year-old Bieber finished second that put him on the road to
superstardom. As a way to share his singing with family, Justin and his
mom began posting clips of Bieber performing covers of
Stevie Wonder,
Michael Jackson, and Ne-Yo on YouTube.
Within months, Justin was an Internet sensation, with a large
following of fans, and an eager manager arranging for the teenager to
fly to Atlanta to consider a record deal. There, Bieber had a chance
meeting with Usher, who eventually signed the young singer to a
contract.
Bieber's first single, "One Time," went certified platinum in
his native Canada shortly after its release in May 2009. His album
My World matched that success, selling more than 137,000 copies within a week of hitting stores. Bieber broke into the
Billboard Top 10 in early 2010 with "Baby," which also featured Ludcris. Bieber soon released
My World 2.0 (2010), which offered his growing fan base ten new songs.
In 2011, Bieber took to the big screen in the concert documentary
Never Say Never.
His fans crowded movie theaters to catch him in action on stage and get
a glimpse of his life behind the scenes. The movie, which eventually
earned more than $73 million at the box office, also had guest
appearances by
Kanye West,
Miley Cyrus
and Bieber's musical mentor Usher. That same year, Bieber released an
album featuring his own take on such holiday classics as "All I Want For
Christmas Is," his duet with
Mariah Carey.
Bieber had his biggest hit single to date in April 2012 with "Boyfriend." The song appears on his latest album
Believe released in June.
Teen idol Justin Bieber broke the hearts of many of his young
female fans in 2010 when he started dating television actress and
singer
Selena Gomez.
It hasn't been easy for Gomez to be Bieber's girlfriend. She has been
accosted by some of his devoted followers. There were even death threats
against her posted on Twitter after the pair was photographed kissing
while on vacation in 2011.
