Born December 2, 1981, Britney Spears is one of the most well-known recording artists in the world. Born in McComb, Mississippi and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child and released her debut album in 1999. She is credited with the revival of teen pop in the late 1990s, and her much publicized personal life was tabloid fodder for years. Spears has sold over 100 million albums worldwide, and she is already the 8th top-selling female artist in the United States. In 2010 she was ranked 6th on the Forbes list of the 100 Most Powerful and Influential celebrities in the world.