Justin Timberlake is one of the most famous pop stars to date — there’s no arguing that. He might be one of the biggest stars, but he didn’t get that way overnight. Justin’s career started when he was just a child where he appeared on Star Search and The Mickey Mouse Club. From then on, opportunities came knocking for Justin, as he became a member of NSYNC and they went on to become one of the most successful boy bands of their time.
Justin’s career only flourished from there, with a solo career and other opportunities to move up in Hollywood. He had a few high profile romances, and he became the talk of many tabloids, but that’s the price of fame that he was willing to pay.
Here’s everything we know about Justin Timberlake's rise to fame.
14 He Started Off Singing In A Church Choir
When Justin was growing up, he was brought up in a rather religious household. Being raised a Baptist had many benefits for Justin, as he attended church a lot. As a result, he got involved with the church choir and grew up singing with them, which ultimately started off his love for music.
13 His Family Was A Big Influence
Not only was church a big influence on Justin, but his family was too. His grandfather was the one to teach Justin how to play the guitar, and Justin’s uncle also played in a bluegrass band. His father also always played bands like the Eagles and Queen and his grandfather Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash for Justin to listen to, giving Justin his musical influences.
12 He Was On Star Search
In 1992, Justin Timberlake was just 11 years old. It was also when Justin began to pursue his music career. He appeared on the talent search show Star Search. He performed under his first and second name — Justin Randall — and actually lost to another singer named Anna Nardona who actually didn’t know she beat Justin Timberlake until years later.
11 He Was A Part Of The Mickey Mouse Club
The following year, Justin’s career only continued to grow. He became a cast member of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Being a part of the show was a huge honor, and he was even among other future superstars, as Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, and Ryan Gosling were his fellow cast-mates.
10 He Became A Member Of NSYNC
Being on the Mickey Mouse Club did wonders for Justin as his talents were now known. Justin, along with JC Chasez and Chris Kirkpatrick joined forces to start a group. The guys added in Joey Fatone and Lance Bass, and sure enough, NSYNC was born right before our very eyes, and little did they know that they’d take over the world.
9 NSYNC Took The World By Storm
NSYNC made their debut with their self-titled album on March 24, 1998. The initial release of the album wasn’t fantastic, however, their debut single, “I Want You Back” debuted at No. 39 on the Billboard chart. The band would soon catch on, and slowly become one of the most famous boy bands in the world.
8 Justin Emerged As The Band's Leader
When you would see NSYNC perform, it’s easy to see that Justin quickly emerged as the group’s leader. Justin was only 17 when the band released their debut album — the youngest in the band — but that didn’t matter when it came to his leadership role. He took on lead vocals, and eventually became the face of the band.
7 He Made His Acting Debut In 2000
We all know that Justin excelled in the music world, therefore, he decided that he wanted to take a shot at acting, too. In 2000, he made his big acting debut in a made for TV movie called Model Behaviour. He played a male model named Jason Sharp where he got mixed up in a mess when his model girlfriend and a normal girl switched places.
6 He Infamously Dated Britney Spears
When you’re trying to become a high profile celebrity, that means you’re going to have to have some high profile relationships. In 1999, Justin started dating his fellow Mouseketeer and fellow pop star, Britney Spears. The two were the talk of Hollywood and were definitely an “it” couple that everyone was rooting for. Unfortunately, the two broke up in 2002.
5 NSYNC Took A Hiatus
Much to the dismay of fans everywhere, NSYNC decided that they were going to go on hiatus in 2002. They assured fans that the hiatus was only temporary, however, the band still haven’t reunited or made new music together to this day, making the hiatus more permanent.
4 He Launched His Solo Career
After the announcement of NSYNC’s hiatus, Justin decided that he wanted to go off and pursue his own solo career. That same year, he debuted his first solo single “Like I Love You” and then his own solo album, Justified. He made his first solo performance debut at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards.
3 He Finally Won A Grammy
Even though Justin had a lot of success with NSYNC, it wasn’t until he was a solo artist that he finally got a Grammy Award. He won two Grammy awards for his debut solo work; one for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for “Cry Me A River” and Best Pop Vocal Album for Justified. NSYNC had been nominated several times, but they never won.
2 He Took On Big Acting Roles
After his tiny TV movie debut, Justin moved on to bigger and better roles. He was in movies like Alpha Dog and Richard Kelly’s Southland Tales, however, his biggest role had to be Sean Parker the founder of Napster in The Social Network. These roles proved that Justin could do well in the music world and the movie world.
1 Still One Of The Biggest Pop Stars Today
Justin had come a long way since his days in the Mickey Mouse Club. He’s worked hard and definitely earned his place in Hollywood. Although he’s not as active as he used to be, he’s still arguably one of the biggest pop stars today, and has made a huge impact on pop music as we know it.