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Born in Staten Island, NY December 18, 1980
December 18, 1980
Aguilera was born in Staten Island, New York, to Fausto Wagner Xavier Aguilera, a Sergeant in the U.S. Army at the time and Shelly Loraine Fidler, a Spanish teacher. Aguilera's father is Ecuadorian born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, while her mother is of Irish descent (Christina's maternal grandmother emigrated from County Clare.) Her father, Fausto, was stationed at Earnest Harmon Air Force Base in Stephenville, Newfoundland, Canada and Japan. Aguilera lived with her father and mother until she was seven years old.
When Aguilera's parents divorced, her mother took her, and her younger sister Rachel, to her grandmother's home in Wexford, Pennsylvania, a White-collar suburb outside of Pittsburgh. According to both Aguilera and Fidler, her father was very controlling, as well as physically and emotionally abusive. She later wrote about her difficult childhood in the songs "I'm OK" in Stripped, and "Oh Mother" in Back to Basics. Although her father has written to Aguilera, she has ruled out any chance to reunite with him. Since then, Fidler has married a paramedic named Jim Kearns, and changed her name.
Appearance on Star Search
March 15, 1990
On March 15, 1990, she appeared on Star Search singing Etta James' "A Sunday Kind of Love," but lost the competition. Soon after losing on Star Search, she returned home and appeared on Pittsburgh's KDKA-TV's Wake Up with Larry Richert to perform the same song. People remarked that the then ten-year-old "sounded 20."
The New Mickey Mouse Club
January 1, 1993
Her first major role in entertainment came in 1993 when she joined the Disney Channel's variety show The New Mickey Mouse Club. Her co-stars included Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Ryan Gosling, and Keri Russell, the show lasted another year until its cancellation. According to the documentary Driven, Aguilera's co-stars called her "the Diva." One of her most notable performances was of Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing."
Records First Song, "All I Wanna Do"
January 1, 1994
At the age of fourteen, Aguilera recorded her first song, "All I Wanna Do," a hit duet with Japanese singer Keizo Nakanishi.
In 1997, she represented the United States at the "Golden Stag" International Festival with a two-song set which included Sheryl Crow and Diana Ross.
Sings "Reflection" for Soundtrack of "Mulan"
January 1, 1998
She was then selected to record the song "Reflection" for the Disney production of Mulan (1998). Recording "Reflection" led to Aguilera earning a contract with RCA Records the same week. "Reflection" peaked within the top twenty on the Adult Contemporary Singles Chart, and it was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for "Best Original Song" in 1998.
Debut Album Released
August 24, 1999
Under the exclusive representation of Steve Kurtz, Aguilera's self-titled debut album Christina Aguilera was released on August 24, 1999. It reached the top of the Billboard 200 and Canadian album charts, selling eight million copies in the U.S. and over 14 million copies worldwide. The album is also included in the Top 100 Album of All Time list of The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) based on US sales.
Her singles "Genie in a Bottle," "What a Girl Wants" and "Come on Over Baby (All I Want Is You)" topped the Billboard Hot 100 during 1999 and 2000, and "I Turn to You" reached #3. According to the album's songwriters who appeared on the documentary Driven, Aguilera wanted to display the range and audacity in her voice during the promotion of the album, and performed acoustic sets and appeared on television shows accompanied only by a piano. She ended the year on MTV's 2 Large New Year's Special, as she performed and was MTV's first artist of the millennium.
Wins "Best New Artist" Grammy
January 1, 2000
Christina wins Grammy for "Best New Artist" in 2000, and is nominated for a "Best Female Pop Vocalist" Grammy for "Genie In A Bottle".
Releases Spanish Album "Mi Reflejo"
September 12, 2000
Later in 2000, Aguilera first emphasized her Latin heritage by releasing her first Spanish album, Mi Reflejo on September 12, 2000. This album contained Spanish versions of songs from her English debut as well as new Spanish tracks.
Though some criticized Aguilera for trying to "cash in" on a Latin-music boom that included Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, and Marc Anthony, the album still managed to peak at #27 on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Latin album charts.
In 2001, it won Aguilera a Latin Grammy Award for "Best Female Pop Vocal Album." The album went Gold in the US and sold 3 million worldwide. She also won the World Music Award as the best selling Latin artist that year.
Christina Sues Manager, Steve Kurtz
October 1, 2000
Although Aguilera's debut album was very well received, she was dissatisfied with the music and image her management had created for her. Aguilera was marketed as a bubblegum pop singer because of the genre's upward financial trend. She mentioned plans of her next album to have much more depth, both musically and lyrically. Aguilera's views of Steve Kurtz's influence in matters of the singer's creative direction, the role of being her exclusive personal manager and overscheduling had in part caused her to seek legal means of terminating their management contract.
In October 2000, Aguilera filed a Breach of Fiduciary Duty lawsuit against Kurtz for improper, undue and inappropriate influence over her professional activities, as well as fraud. According to legal documents, Kurtz did not protect her rights and interests. Instead, he took action that was for his own interest, at the cost of hers. The lawsuit came about when Aguilera discovered Kurtz used more of her commissionable income than he was allotted, and had paid other managers to assist him. She also petitioned the California State Labor Commission to nullify the contract. After terminating Kurtz's services, Irving Azoff was hired as her new manager.
Kurtz countersued later that month for breach of contract, claiming that the singer violated the same agreement she had sued to void. In the lawsuit, he included others close to Aguilera, alleging their intent to sabotage his business relationship with her. He also singled out Azoff for being in violation of the terms of Kurtz's contract. During this time, while she was also working on her second album, she later revealed that she was betrayed by several friends, and hit rock bottom. She used her then-upcoming album as therapy, saying "this record saved me from insanity.
"Best Pop Collaboration" Grammy for "Lady Marmalade"
January 1, 2001
In 2001, Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya, and Pink were chosen to remake Labelle's 1975 single "Lady Marmalade" for the film Moulin Rouge! and its soundtrack. The single Missy Elliott produced hit number one on the Hot 100 for five weeks and reached number one in eleven other countries, and it earned all four performers a Grammy Award for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals."
Aguilera's appearance in the music video was compared to that of Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider. The video won two MTV Video Music Awards including Video of the Year in 2001, where Aguilera accepted the award saying, "I guess the big hair paid off."
Christina Sues over Release of "Just Be Free"
August 1, 2001
That year a single emerged into record stores called "Just Be Free", one of the demos Aguilera recorded when she was around fifteen years old. When RCA Records discovered the single, they advised fans not to purchase it. Months later, Warlock Records was set to release Just Be Free, an album which contains the demo tracks.
Aguilera filed a breach of contract and unfair-competition suit against Warlock and the album's producers to block the release. Instead, the two parties came to a settlement to release the album. Aguilera lent out her name, likeness and image for an unspecified amount of damages. Many of the details of the lawsuit remain confidential. When the album was released in August 2001, it had a photograph of Aguilera when she was fifteen years old.
Second Album, "Stripped" Released
October 29, 2002
On October 29, 2002, after much delay, Aguilera's second full-length English album, Stripped, was released, selling more than 330,000 copies in the first week and peaking at #2 on the Billboard 200. Unlike previous work, the album showcased Aguilera's raunchier side. The majority of Stripped was co-written by Aguilera (who had recently signed a global music publishing contract with BMG Music Publishing), and was influenced by many different subjects and music styles, including rhythm and blues, gospel, soul, balladry, pop rock, and hip hop. The majority of the album was produced by Scott Storch and singer-songwriter Linda Perry who produced her more personal records. Rockwilder and singer Alicia Keys also contributed a track each.
Upon initial release, the album was very well-received by critics, although Aguilera's vocals were overlooked as she began to cultivate a more sexually provocative image. After the release of the album, she took part in photoshoots for magazines, many of these photographs featured her nude or semi-nude. Her cover for Rolling Stone, featured the singer only wearing boots and a well-placed electric guitar. It was during this time Aguilera referred to herself as "Xtina," even getting a tattoo of her nickname on the back of her neck and several piercings.
Feuds with Other Artists
January 1, 2003
In 2003, Aguilera was in several public feuds with other musicians including Pink, who had worked with her on "Lady Marmalade." The singer mocked Aguilera on stage by using a blow-up doll during her tour. Kelly Osbourne also remarked that Aguilera was, "one of the most disgusting human beings in the world," and spat on her car. Later that year at the MTV Europe Awards where Aguilera was hosting, Osbourne commented on the red carpet calling her a "cow," Aguilera was later seen throwing darts at a picture of Kelly during the telecast. Several years later however Aguilera purchased The Osbourne house from Sharon and Ozzy which seemed to have ended their feud.
"Car Wash" and "Tilt Ya Head Back" Released
July 31, 2004
n late summer 2004 Aguilera released two singles. The first, "Car Wash," was a remake of the Rose Royce disco song recorded as a collaboration with rapper Missy Elliott for the soundtrack to the film Shark Tale. The second song was also a collaboration, but this time as a second single from one of Nelly's double-release albums, Sweat, titled "Tilt Ya Head Back." Both singles failed commercially in the U.S., but did considerably better in other parts of the world.
Christina Marries Marketing Exec Jordan Bratman
November 19, 2005
Aguilera began dating American Jewish music marketing executive Jordan Bratman in 2002. Their engagement was announced in February 2005, and they married on November 19, 2005, in a Napa Valley estate. In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Aguilera revealed that she and Bratman enjoy being nude on Sundays, saying, "You have to keep marriage alive, spice it up." The story received so much attention that following the news supermodel Heidi Klum told Degeneres that she and her husband would consider doing the same ritual.
Christine Poses Nude for GQ Magazine
May 1, 2006
n May 2006 she posed nude for a Marilyn Monroe-inspired photoshoot in GQ magazine where she re-created several photographs done by Monroe and spoke about her marriage to Bratman. In the issue she also expressed disappointment in fellow singer Mariah Carey, saying, "She was never cool to me to the point that one time we were at a party, I think she got really drunk, and had really derogatory things to say to me." Carey then released a statement saying, "It is sad yet predictable that she would use my name at this time to reinvent past incidents for promotional gain." Aguilera responded saying, "My intentions were not to upset Mariah with any statements published or taken out of context. I have all the respect in the world for her."
Third Album, "Back to Basics" Released
August 15, 2006
Aguilera's third English studio album, Back to Basics, released August 15, 2006, debuted at #1 in the U.S., the U.K. and eleven other countries. The critically-acclaimed lead single "Ain't No Other Man" was a substantial success, reaching #2 on the United World Chart, #6 in the U.S., and #2 in U.K. Aguilera described the double CD as "a throwback to the 20s, 30s, and 40s-style jazz, blues, and feel-good soul music, but with a modern twist."
Producers on the album included DJ Premier, Kwamé, Linda Perry, and Mark Ronson. One track, "F.U.S.S.", was written as a response to the animosity between Aguilera and Scott Storch during the recording of Stripped. In the interview with Maxim, she said, "That’s a way of burying my experience with him. We did great work on Stripped... When I tried to work with him again, he made uncalled-for demands. It was disappointing that someone would get affected like that."
She received writing credit for the album and was the executive producer. The follow-up singles did very well in different regions, "Hurt" in Europe and "Candyman" in the Pacific. She co-directed both music videos, the former with Floria Sigismondi who directed her "Fighter" video, and the latter, "Candyman," with director/photographer Matthew Rolston which was inspired by The Andrews Sisters. Back to Basics sold over 4.5 million copies worldwide as of 2007
The "Back to Basics Tour"
September 1, 2006
The "Back to Basics Tour" began late 2006 in Europe followed by a 41-date North American tour in early 2007. After this, she toured Asia and Australia, where it was supposed to end on August 3, however she canceled her dates in Melbourne and her final two in Auckland due to an illness. Her extravagant arena tour included cabaret, three-ring circus and juke joint sets and 10 piece costumes designed by Roberto Cavalli. It was the most successful US tour by a female in 2007. In early 2008, she released her concert DVD Back to Basics: Live and Down Under.
"Shine A Light" Performance with Mick Jagger
April 4, 2008
In 2008 she appeared in the Martin Scorsese documentary Shine A Light which chronicles a two day Rolling Stones concert in New York City's Beacon Theatre. The film features Aguilera performing "Live With Me" alongside Mick Jagger. Shine A Light premiered at the Berlin Film Festival on February 7 and was released worldwide on April 4.
