Christina Aguilera Biography

Christina Aguilera, singer

Birthdate: December 12, 1980

Birthplace: Staten Island, NY

Sign: Sagittarius

Grammy Award winning singer Christina Maria Aguilera was born on December 12, 1980 in Staten Island, New York. Her parents, Shelly Loraine Fidler, a Spanish teacher, and Fausto Wagner Xavier Aguilera, a sergeant in the U.S. Army divorced and her mother took her and younger sister Rachel to their grandmother's home in Pennsylvania. According to her, her father was very controlling and abusive. She has ruled out any chance to reunite with him.

Aguilera had aspired to be a singer even as a child. Her influences include "The Sound of Music," Whitney Houston, Madonna, Aretha Franklin, Etta James, and Nina Simone. She was known locally as "the little girl with the big voice." She entered in local talent shows and competitions.

In VH1's presentation "Driven," it was stated that her peers became jealous of her and would subject her to ridicule. They had gone too far when they vandalized their house and slashed the family car's tires. The family had eventually relocated to another house in the Pittsburgh area and made her talents a secret.

In 1990, she joined "Star Search" but lost. After that, she performed the same song she sang at the competition to KDKA-TV's "Wake Up with Larry Richert." She had garnered praise for her vocal skills citing that the ten-year-old "sounded 20."

In 1993, she joined Disney Channel's variety show "The New Mickey Mouse Club," her first major role. Her co-stars include some of the industry's top acts: Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Keri Russell, Ryan Gosling, Rhona Bennett, and Britney Spears. The show was canceled in 1994.

In 1998, she was chosen to record "Reflection" for the Disney film "Mulan." The successful single was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song.

Her debut album entitled "Christina Aguilera" was released in 1999. It sold 8 million copies in the U.S. and over 14 million worldwide. The album is included in the Top 100 Album Of All Time list by the Recording Industry Association of America.

In 2002, Aguilera released her second album "Stripped," which featured a different image. She displayed a more sexually provocative image, which had led her vocals to be overlooked. The majority of the songs were co-written by Aguilera. This was the time when Aguilera referred to herself as "Xtina" and tattooed her newfound nickname on the back of her neck.

After her sexy image came the old Hollywood glamour look. Aguilera took on a Marilyn Monroe look. Her "Back To Basics" album, released in 2006, went to #1 in thirteen countries. She described the album as a "throwback to the 20s, 30s, and 40s-style jazz, blues, and feel-good soul music, but with a modern twist.

She began dating music marketing executive Jordan Bratman in 2002 and in November 2005, they married in a Napa Valley estate. On January 12, 2008, Aguilera gave birth to Max Liron Bratman in Los Angeles, California. She had announced that her baby inspired her to do a new album, which would be "short and sweet" and "completely different" from "Back To Basics."