Sometimes Credited As:
Justin Randall
Justin Randall Timberlake Born: Memphis, Tennessee on 1/31/1981
Professions: singer, songwriter, Actor, producer
Biography
A tall, curly-haired Tennessean who went from cowboy hats and
fringed shirts on "Star Search" to cornrows and studded jeans as
*NSYNC's most popular heartthrob, Justin Timberlake may have been
the youngest member of the vocal group, but he certainly made up
for his lack of age and experience with a wealth of energy and
charisma. A childhood pageant winner who scored well during his
1992 "Star Search" appearance but was beat out, Timberlake
recovered with a part as a regular cast member of the popular
Disney Channel variety series remake "The Mickey Mouse Club" from
1993 through 1994 where he was able to show off his natural ease on
the dance floor and potentially great singing voice to good
effect.
A natural born entertainer, Timberlake was in Nashville working on
some vocal tracks when approached by Chris Kirkpatrick to join his
developing singing group. Recommending fellow "MMC" veteran J.C.
Chasez, Timberlake joined Kirkpatrick and well-known Orlando talent
Joey Fatone (along with Lance Bass) in 1995, forming the would-be
supergroup and heading to Europe where they quickly gained fame. It
wouldn't be until 1998 that the group would have domestic success,
but with the release of their self-titled debut that year, their
anonymity was soon behind them. The hit singles "Tearing Up My
Heart", "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You" and "I Want
You Back" launched the group into the charts and into the hearts of
teenaged girls everywhere.
Though their 1998 holiday album was a good seller, legal battles
with manager and accused Svengali Lou Pearlman, led to *NSYNC
hitting a roadblock 1999, stuck in court for the latter quarter of
the year rather than releasing their follow-up album as planned.
Having switched to Jive Records, *NSYNC was in breach of contract
and was sued by Pearlman and BMG Entertainment for $150 million
dollars. A countersuit pointed out the firm's questionable
contracts and practices. The name calling ended in late December
when the two sides finally came to an agreement. Determined to
start fresh in 2000, the group did their best to put aside past
problems and make the most of their next release, the aptly titled
"No Strings Attached".
The album's March release was preceded by a staggering month of
heavy duty promoting, leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that
all record-buyers were aware of the impending best seller. Sporting
a new hipper look, Timberlake emerged more confident than ever and
with his magnetic performances and engaging manner, he was clearly
the frontman of the group in attitude if not always in vocals. When
*NSYNC managed to move 2.4 million records in a single week (more
than doubling the previous honor held by the Backstreet Boys, who
sold 1.13 copies of their 1999 effort "Millennium"), people were
shocked by the unfathomable volume but not by the accomplishment.
With inescapable songs like "Bye Bye Bye" and "It's Gonna Be Me",
"No Strings Attached" was an omnipresent entry into the popular
culture canon of 2000. Timberlake and company proved worthy of the
immense adoration they inspired with remarkably energetic stage
shows that featured almost flawless live vocals, the likes of which
those raised on New Kids on the Block and Milli Vanilli were
certainly not expecting. While the kids screamed, many parents
nodded, thanks to presentations like HBO's "*NSYNC Live at Madison
Square Garden" (2000), which brought the magic home.
Given the daunting task of living up to their big record breaker,
*NSYNC opted to alleviate the pressure with an eclectic and risky
album that reflected their musical interests and aspirations rather
than one that tried to predict what buyers would want. Ironically
named "Celebrity" after the title the five were saddled with and
felt didn't fit, the long-awaited record hit the shelves in
2001.
While Timberlake has opened up his musical horizons, co-writing and
co-producing songs, the very celebrity he doesn't understand has
offered him even more entertainment opportunities. With comedic
experience from the admittedly corny but at times well-observed
"MMC", Timberlake tried a romantic lead in the "Wonderful World of
Disney" production "Model Behavior" (ABC, 2000). While he didn't
exactly bowl audiences over with his acting chops, he would surely
excel in more physical roles that showcased his grace and natural,
almost instinctive, dancing abilities.
Timberlake's public profile reached spectacular new heights in
2001-2002 during his much ballyhoed relationship with the
then-reigning princess of pop music Britney Spears, with much media
attention focused on the publicly proclaimed virgin's
waiting-for-marriage-to-have-sex stance (Spears later admitted to
losing her virginity to Timberlake). The couple also had a
high-profile break-up, conveniently timed to the November 2002
release of his first solo album Justified, a top-selling and
critically respected first outing that gained buzz with songs
focusing on the Britney break-up such as "Cry Me a River," a global
tour with Spears' rival Christina Aguilera, an endearing stint
co-hosting the 2003 MTV Movie Awards with Sean William Scott, and a
high-profile new girlfriend, the older actress Cameron Diaz. The
album earned Timberlake his first Grammy Awards for Best Pop Vocal
Album and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance (for "Cry Me a River")
along with various MTV Video Awards (at the latter the singer beat
out the late Johnny Cash, whom he praised in his acceptance
speech). His solo success cast serious doubt on his return to his
boy band roots.
Timberlake's fame reached a critical mass on February 1, 2004.
While Timberlake was performing a duet with pop star Janet Jackson
during the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXVIII, Timberlake reached
over at the climax of his hit "Rock Your Body"--on the lyric "Gonna
have you naked by the end of this song") and pulled off a breakaway
black leather bustier cup on Jackson's bustier, exposing her right
breast (and sunburst-shaped nipple clamp) on live global
television. The incident incited a massive media frenzy and much
public uproar: broadcaster CBS announced its outrage and disavowed
advance knowledge of the stunt, blaming its corporate sibling and
halftime producer MTV, which had promised a "shocking" show;
Timberlake immediately issued a public apology and called the
incident a "wardrobe malfunction," explaining that a red brassiere
cup under the black bustier intended to cover her breast had
inadvertantly been torn away as well; and the NFL and FCC launched
investigations into the incident. A day after the furor erupted
Jackson announced that she had privately concocted the stunt on her
own and issued her own public regrets in a videotaped apology . In
the wake of "Boobgate"--which to some seemed suspiciously timed as
Jackson had a new album pending after several years of professional
inactivity--Jackson was asked to withdraw from an appearance on the
Grammys to deliver an award to Luther Vandross, although Timberlake
was allowed to perform on the show. It was later revealed that CBS
would have allowed her to appear if she issued another apology from
the Grammy stage, as Timberlake did when he accepted his award. The
various broadcast tlelevision networks also had knee-jerk reactions
to the stunt, with NBC and ABC adding stricter censoring of partial
nudity on series such as "ER" and "NYPD Blue," and ABC issuing the
first-ever five-second broadcast delay on the Academy Awards
ceremony.
A week after the scandal, it was announced that Timberlake would
make his feature film debut opposite Kevin Spacey, Morgan Freeman
and LL Cool J in "Edison" (2005) playing a young journalist who
discovers an elite team of corrupt police.
Family
father:Randall Timberlake
half-brother:Steven, mother:Lynn Harless, step-father: Paul
Harless, step-mother:Lisa Timberlake