Justin Timberlake is a Tennessee-born singer, songwriter, businessman and actor with a net worth of $175 million. He rose to fame as a child and became a household name with the rising fame of 90s boy band N’Sync, and today he’s known for his roles in movies, his famous relationships and his impressive solo singing career.
Justin Randall Timberlake was born on January 31, 1981 in Memphis, to Randall Timberlake and Lynn Harless; he is the only child of the couple. He does, however, have two half-brothers from his father’s second marriage, and a half-sister who died not long after she was born in 1997. As a child, Timberlake was fascinated with Janet Jackson and her energy, which is what inspired him to want to become a singer. His musical career began when he was only 11 when he appeared on Star Search singing country songs under the name Justin Randall.
It was only two short years later in 1993 that Timberlake’s career really began to take off as he starred in the Disney program, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. He was on the show for two years, alongside some of the country’s most famous performers of the past decade. His cast mates on MMCH included Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Ryan Gosling, Keri Russell and even JC Chasez. Two years after his debut on the Clubhouse, Chasez and Timberlake formed a boy band that Lou Pearlman decided to organize. The band took on three more performers, though Chasez and Timberlake were the lead. The band began singing in Europe in 1996 and sold 11 million copies of their debut album “N’Sync,” in 1998, shooting them to fame in America. The band released another album in 2000, a third in 2001 and the band formally disbanded in 2002. Boy bands were becoming a thing of the past and Timberlake was becoming a star all on his own.
Timberlake’s movie career began in 1999 when he starred as a model in the Disney Channel movie Model Behavior. He had a few more roles in small films around that time, but decided to leave the big screen to focus on his singing career at that point. In 2010, Timberlake starred in films such as The Social Network. In 2011 he starred alongside ex-girlfriend Cameron Diaz in Bad Teacher and with Mila Kunis in Friends with Benefits.
Following the breakup of N’Sync, Timberlake got busy in the studio recording music. “Like I Love You,” was his first solo single, which he debuted at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards. It never went higher than 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. He released his first solo album later that year (Justified) that premiered at number 2 on Billboard’s charts. The album sold less than half a million copies in its first week, though it did go on to sell more than 7 million copies across the world. It was on this album the world was given top 10 hits such as “Cry Me a River,” and “Rock Your Body.” In 2003, Justin and former Disney star Christina Aguilera teamed up for the Justified/Stripped Tour, which was hugely successful.
McDonald’s paid Timberlake $6 million in 2003 to record the “I’m Lovin’ It,” theme song the franchise uses in its commercials. It was in 2004 that Timberlake made headlines for his performance at the Super Bowl in which the infamous wardrobe malfunction occurred as he performed live with Janet Jackson. During the halftime performance at Super Bowl XXXVIII on CBS, Jackson’s top malfunctioned when Timberlake pulled off the top of her leather bustier to reveal a red one (to keep in tune with the lyrics being sung) and the red bra also came off, exposing Jackson’s breast. The stars issued an apology, but the Grammy Award board threatened not to let them attend the Grammy’s unless they issued scripted apologies during the program. Timberlake gave his apology in his acceptance speech for the first of two awards he won that night.
Following his Super Bowl experience, Timberlake spent three years starring in less-than-popular movies and collaborating with some of the biggest artists in the world, including The Black Eyed Peas and Snoop Dogg. He also began his own recording company, JayTee Records. In 2006 he released his second solo album FutureSex/LoveSounds, which debuted at number one and produced the hit single, “SexyBack,” along with several collaborations with will.i.am, Snoop Dogg and Three 6 Mafia. In the coming years, Timberlake would sing songs with Timbaland and Nelly Furtado, and Madonna, even performing with Madonna in LA at her Sticky and Sweet Tour.
He made his comeback into his solo career in 2012, creating the album The 20/20 Experience. The album included his hit song with Jay-Z, “Suit and Tie,” as well as “Mirrors,” and it was released in two parts over the coming year. In 2014, he took part in a Michael Jackson song, “Love never Felt So Good,” produced by Timbaland. The bulk of Timberlake’s net worth comes from his singing career. His tours and concerts earn him tens of millions of dollars each year, as do his restaurants, Chi, Destino and Southern Hospitality. He also earns millions each year from his clothing line, William Rast. He is also a minority owner of the Memphis Grizzlies and endorses products such as Sony and Givenchy, who reportedly pay him tens of millions of dollars annually.
Timberlake’s impressive career has earned him dozens of acclaimed awards including Grammys and other titles. In 2009, he was named Teen People’s and Cosmopolitan’s Sexiest Man and he was named the Most Stylish Man in America according to GQ. In 2011 he was included on the AskMen’s annual Most Influential People list as number 46. His personal life has always been of interest to his fans, including past relationships with Britney Spears, Cameron Diaz and Jessica Biel. He wed Biel in 2012 after four years of dating. He enjoys golfing and singing, he does a significant amount of charity work, and his gigs hosting Saturday Night Live are some of the most famous of all time.
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