4idols Christina Aguilera

Birth name - Christina Maria Aguilera
Nicknames - Chrissy, X-Tina, Christi
Height - 5' 2" (1.59 m)
Date of Birth: December 18, 1980
Place of Birth: Staten Island, New York
Hometown: Wexford, Pennsylvania
Current Residence: Beverly Hills, California
Past Residences: Florida, Texas, Japan, New Jersey
Parents: Fausto & Shelly, Jim (stepfather)
Siblings: Rachel, Michael, Stephanie, Casey
Eye Color: Blue
Musical Influences: Etta James, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey

Christina Aguilera was born December 18, 1980 in New York and raised in Pennsylvania. The urge to entertain came early for Christina with an appearance on TV's Star Search at age 8, talent shows and special singing engagements, and a member of the New Mickey Mouse Club by age 12. When Christina was 14 she toured Japan after dueting with Japanese singer, Keizo Nakanishi, on "All I Wanna Do.

In the two years from the day that she burst onto the world musical landscape, Christina Aguilera has scored four #1 smash hit singles, watched sales of her chart-topping RCA debut album surpass the 12 million mark worldwide, headlined the Super Bowl Half-Time Show, performed for the President, and to top it all off, took home the Grammy for Best New Artist, headlined a mammoth 2000 international tour, released a Spanish language album, and a holiday album of seasonal favorites. Christina Aguilera continues to provide evidence that she is the premier musical voice of her generation. Christina first began performing at age six in school talent shows. At age eight, she appeared on the nationally syndicated 'Star Search,' at ten she sang the National Anthem for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Penguins, and then, at twelve, she joined the ensemble cast of 'The New Mickey Mouse Club,' appearing on the Orlando-based show along with future stars Britney Spears, J.C. and Justin of 'N Sync, and Keri Russell of 'Felicity.' After two years, the show ended and Christina got the opportunity to travel overseas to further hone her musical skills. In 1997, Christina performed in places as far flung as Tokyo, Japan and Brasov, Romania, but always with her eye on the same goal. 'I always wanted to have my own album recorded and released before I graduated high school,' says Christina. She certainly took quick strides toward that goal.

In early 1998, after finishing some demos and shopping for a record deal, Christina auditioned to sing 'Reflection' for Disney's animated film 'Mulan.' The filmmakers needed someone 'who could hit a high E above middle C,' according to Christina, who then cut a one-take demo in her living room singing to a karaoke tape of Whitney Houston's 'I Wanna Run To You.' The demo was rushed to Disney, and within a day, Christina was in a Los Angeles studio recording 'Reflection.' That same week, RCA Records signed her to a record contract. 'Mulan' premiered in June 1998, and 'Reflection' turned into a Top 15 A/C single, with Christina performing it live on 'CBS This Morning' and the 'Donnie & Marie Show.' The single went on to garner a Golden Globe Nomination for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture and Christina the attention of some of the best writers and producers in the industry.

On her self-titled debut album for RCA, those writers and producers helped Christina showcase her special talents. 'I was thrilled to work with so many great writers and producers on my album," says Christina. 'What A Girl Wants' was produced by Guy Roche (Brandy, Cher, Dru Hill, Aaliya, K-Ci & Jo Jo), 'Genie In A Bottle' was produced by ex-System member David Frank and Steve Kipner, and 'Blessed' was penned and produced by Travon Potts (co-writer of Monica's chart topping "Angel of Mine"). Meanwhile, Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers ('N Sync, Boyzone, Brand New Heavies) contributed a pair of tracks, the soul-flavored 'Love For All Seasons' and the rousing 'Love Will Find A Way.' Christina is particularly proud of the album's ballads, such as the Matthew Wilder-produced 'Reflection,' and 'Obvious' written by newcomer Heather Holly, and of course, master tunesmith Diane Warren's smash 'I Turn To You.'

Christina Aguilera's breakthrough year began with her first #1 single 'Genie In A Bottle,' which stayed atop the charts for five consecutive weeks and rocketed the album to #1 upon its release in August 1999. The follow-up single 'What A Girl Wants' reached the coveted first Billboard Hot 100 #1 slot of 2000 (the first #1 hit of the new milleniumand) and helped to push the album into platinum territory many times over.

Among other honors, along with stars like Jodie Foster and Aretha Franklin, Christina was named one of the most fascinating women of 1999 on the 'Ladies Home Journal' CBS-TV special earlier this year. Christina also won 1999's Best New Artist at this year's ALMA Awards, the annual event honoring the best in entertainment from the Hispanic-American community. She graced the covers of many national magazines, including Entertainment Weekly, Teen People and Latina and performed as a musical guest on 'Saturday Night Live,' 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,' 'The Rosie O'Donnell Show,' and was the only female guest performer on VHI's 'Men Strike Back.' She also performed on other TV specials such as 'The Essence Awards,' 'Disney Summer Jams,' and 'People Magazines's 25 Hottest Stars Under 25.'

Other highlights for Christina over 1999 included a duet with blues legend BB King and a solo performance of 'The Christmas Song' for President Clinton on TNT's 'Christmas at the White House' TV special. This led to the President asking Christina to sing the first song on his televised Millenium special from Washington. Christina had to decline due to a prior commitment to perform from Times Square in New York on MTV's New Year's Eve broadcast.

Christina's amazing new year of 2000 began with a great duet performance with Enrique Iglesias at the Super Bowl Half Time Show which also featured Phil Collins and Toni Braxton. What made all her commercial success so much sweeter, were Christina's two Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal performance. In February 2000, Christina's incredible ride to the top reached new heights as Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge and Sara McLaughlan announced that the Grammy for Best New Artist goes to - Christina Aguilera! 'It was an incredible shock for me,' Christina recalls of that amazing night. 'I was completely unprepared. My album had been out the least amount of time compared to everyone else, so I thought there was no way I'd win. But I was overwhelmed, shocked and overjoyed all at the same time.'

As for her national summer 2000 tour, co-sponsored by Sears and Levi's, Christina was equally enthusiastic. 'It's going to be exciting to take my full band and my dancers out on the road,' she says, 'and giving the show an edgy, theatrical vibe. Right now, I'm getting into the creative aspects of planning the show, of covering new ground, doing more blues, soul, and some spectacular choreography.'

Christina recorded a Spanish language album 'Mi Reflejo' released in fall 2000 and a seasonal album ready in time for the holidays. Said Christina, 'I've always been proud of my Ecuadoran heritage. Recording a Spanish album and working with a great producer like Rudy Perez, gave me a chance to explore my Latin side.' As for the Christmas album, Christina was excited about performing with a 70-piece orchestra and the opportunity to record both new and traditional holiday tracks. 'I'm doing a duet with Dr. John on 'Merry Christmas Baby,'' she notes, 'and some new pop Christmas songs with a real R&B edge.'

In the time since her entrance into the music world Aguilera has proven successful in both the English and Latin fields. She released 'Mi Reflejo' an album done entirely in Spanish which she says reflects her father's Ecuadoran roots. Aguilera has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry including BB King, Brian McKnight, Sting, Ricky Martin and most recently Pink, Mya and Lil Kim on their #1 smash 'Lady Marmalade.' Not bad for a 20-year old.

On October 29, 2002, after much delay, Aguilera's second full-length English album, Stripped, was released in the U.S. The majority of Stripped was co-written by Aguilera, and was influenced by many different subjects and music styles, including ballads, gospel, rhythm and blues, pop rock and jazz (on "Impossible", a collaboration with Alicia Keys). The album was not received as well as her debut by most critics, and Aguilera's vocals were overlooked as she began to cultivate a more sexually provocative image. Stripped stayed on the U.S. and UK album charts until well into 2004, and went on to sell four million copies in the U.S., ending up at number ten on Billboard's year-end album chart.

In late summer 2004, Aguilera released two singles. The first, "Car Wash", was a cover of the Rose Royce disco song recorded as a collaboration with rapper Missy Elliott for the soundtrack to the hit film Shark Tale. The second song is also a collaboration, but this time as a second single from one of Nelly's double-release albums, Sweat, titled "Tilt Ya' Head Back". Aguilera copied another legendary look for the video: Marilyn Monroe's. Both singles failed commercially in the U.S., but did considerably better in other parts of the world.

Aguilera's representatives announced that her third full-length English album is due in spring 2006. Similar to Stripped, the album's feel will be completely different from previous efforts, focusing more on her vocal abilities and musical tastes. While interviewed during a post-Oscar party, Aguilera described the album as "a retro blues/jazz/soul record, but a really meaty, gritty, real raw record of soul." She is also working on her second Spanish album.

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