Jaden Smith

Jaden Smith was born in Malibu, California, on July 8, 1998. His parents are the actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith, and singer Willow Smith is his younger sister. Smith made his acting debut in the 2006 film The Pursuit of Happyness. He subsequently starred in remakes of The Karate Kid and The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Acting Pedigree

Actor Jaden Christopher Syre Smith was born on July 8, 1998 in Los Angeles, California. Smith has an exceptional acting pedigree. His father, Will Smith, has starred in such films asIndependence Day, Men in Black and Ali and is one of the world's most successful and popular actors. His mother, Jada Pinkett Smith, is also a highly successful actress who has starred in The Nutty Professor, The Matrix trilogy and Collateral. Despite their celebrity status, Smith's parents have attempted to give him a normal upbringing.

Speaking about raising Jaden and his siblings (older half-brother Trey and younger sister Willow), Jada Pinkett Smith said, "We want them to see the reality of life and have a normal experience of having to stand in line and get tickets." The Smith children volunteer regularly at orphanages and nursing homes and donate their belongings to charity. "My kids are very willing to give things away because they understand that they have such abundance; they don't have to hoard," their mother says.

Smith studies with a tutor and, acting career notwithstanding, experiences the normal joys and grievances of any young boy. His favorite subject is math—"because I'm good at it," Smith says—and his favorite activity is "hanging out with my friends." He calls himself a "mama's boy" but complains that his little sister bullies him and his parents always take her side.

Child Star

Alongside his seemingly normal childhood, Smith enjoys a second life as an emerging Hollywood star. He made his acting debut in 2003, at the tender age of 6, on All of Us, a UPN show created by Will and Jada Pinkett Smith and based on their own blended family. Not long after, Jaden made his big screen debut in the The Pursuit of Happyness (2006). Based on a true story, The Pursuit of Happyness depicts the life of Christopher Gardner, a homeless salesman whose intelligence and perseverance eventually allow him to become a wealthy stockbroker.

Starring opposite his real-life dad, Jaden portrayed Gardner's son, Christopher Jr., who is forced to live on the streets with his father. The young Smith won universal acclaim for his nuanced and heartwarming performance. The New York Times called him "likable in the extreme," and he won an MTV Movie Award for Breakthrough Performance.

In 2008, Smith struck out on his own to make his first performances in projects not involving his parents. In April of that year, he guest starred in an episode of the Disney Channel's popular show The Suite Life of Zach and Cody. Next, he appeared oppositeKeanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly in a remake of the classic science fiction thriller The Day the Earth Stood Still, earning a Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor.

Smith landed his biggest role to date in 2010, starring alongside Jackie Chan in a remake of the 1984 coming-of-age classic, The Karate Kid. Smith plays Dre Parker, a 12-year-old Detroit native who moves to China to study martial arts with a kung fu master, so that he can face down the bullies who torment him. The film was a box-office smash,

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Justin Bieber

Synopsis

Born in 1994 in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, to a single mother, Justin Bieber took second place in a local talent competition at a young age and later turned into a YouTube phenomenon. He signed a record contract with Usher and became the first solo artist to have four singles enter the Top 40 before the release of a debut album. His record "My World" has gone platinum in several countries. He lives and works in Atlanta.

Childhood

Born on March 1, 1994, in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, Justin Bieber was raised by a single mom in the small town of Stratford. Bieber, whose debut album, My World, hit stores in November 2009, is a true overnight success, having gone from an unknown, untrained singer whose mother posted YouTube clips of her boy performing, to a budding superstar with a big-time record deal, all in just two years.

Bieber always had an interest in music. His mother gave him a drum kit for his second birthday and, as he tells it, he was "basically banging on everything I could get my hands on."

But it was an obscure talent contest in his hometown, in which the 12-year-old Bieber finished second that put him on the road to superstardom. As a way to share his singing with family, Justin and his mom began posting clips of Bieber performing covers of Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Ne-Yo on YouTube.

Within months, Justin was an Internet sensation, with a large following of fans, and an eager manager arranging for the teenager to fly to Atlanta to consider a record deal. There, Bieber had a chance meeting with Usher, who eventually signed the young singer to a contract.

Career Highlights

Bieber's first single, "One Time," went certified platinum in his native Canada shortly after its release in May 2009. His album My Worldmatched that success, selling more than 137,000 copies within a week of hitting stores. Bieber broke into the Billboard Top 10 in early 2010 with "Baby," which also featured Ludcris. Bieber soon released My World 2.0 (2010), which offered his growing fan base ten new songs.

In 2011, Bieber took to the big screen in the concert documentaryNever Say Never. His fans crowded movie theaters to catch him in action on stage and get a glimpse of his life behind the scenes. The movie, which eventually earned more than $73 million at the box office, also had guest appearances by Kanye West, Miley Cyrus and Bieber's musical mentor Usher. That same year, Bieber released an album featuring his own take on such holiday classics as "All I Want For Christmas Is," his duet with Mariah Carey.

Bieber had his biggest hit single to date in April 2012 with "Boyfriend." The song appears on his latest album Believe released in June.

Personal Life

Teen idol Justin Bieber broke the hearts of many of his young female fans in 2010 when he started dating television actress and singerSelena Gomez. It hasn't been easy for Gomez to be Bieber's girlfriend. She has been accosted by some of his devoted followers. There were even death threats against her posted on Twitter after the pair was photographed kissing while on vacation in 2011.

While still only in his teens, Bieber has survived his first public scandal. A woman filed suit against Bieber in 2011, claiming that he was the father of her child. But a DNA test proved that the young pop star was not the father and the woman dropped her lawsuit. Bieber sang about the scandal in the song "Maria."

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Carrie Underwood

Synopsis

Born on March 10, 1983, in Muskogee, Oklahoma, Carrie Underwood had put aside her singing dreams for a degree in broadcast journalism, but everything changed after she auditioned for American Idol during her senior year at Northeastern State University. She won the show's fourth season in 2005, and went on to win multiple Grammy, Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music awards. In 2008, at age 26, Underwood became the youngest member of the Grand Ole Opry. Her hit albums include Carnival Ride, Play On and Blown Away.

Early Life

Carrie Marie Underwood was born on March 10, 1983, in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Since winning the famed musical talent show American Idol in 2005, Underwood has emerged as one of the most popular female performers in country music today. She was born and raised on a farm. "I had a very happy childhood full of the wonderful simple things that children love to do," Underwood stated on her website. "Growing up in the country, I enjoyed things like playing on dirt roads, climbing trees, catching little woodland creatures and, of course, singing."

After graduating from high school, Underwood attended Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. There, majored in broadcast journalism, having put aside her dreams of becoming a singer. During her senior year, in 2004, Underwood decided to try out for American Idol. Not only did she pass that audition, Underwood went on to become the winner of the show's fourth season.

Commercial Success

Her debut album, Some Hearts (2005), was certified triple platinum, making it the fastest-selling female country album since the introduction of the Nielsen SoundScan in 1991. Her first single, "Inside Your Heaven," hit the top of the Billboard charts.

With "Jesus, Take the Wheel," Underwood hit the top of the country charts. The song proved to be a critical success as well, winning Underwood the Academy of Country Music Award for single record of the year; the Country Music Association Award for single of the year; and two Grammy Awards, for best female country vocal performance and best new artist, in 2006.

In contrast to her softer-sounding material, Underwood also had great success with "Before He Cheats," a tale about a straying ex-boyfriend. The single won Underwood a Grammy for best female country vocal performance and a CMA Award for single of the year in 2007. That same year, Underwood released her follow-up album,Carnival Ride (2007). It reached the top of the album charts and scored several No. 1 country hits, including the singles "Last Name" and "All-American Girl."

Grand Ole Opry Inductee

On May 10, 2008, at the age of 26, Underwood was inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry by country star Garth Brooks, becoming the youngest member of the Grand Ole Opry. Later that year, in September 2008, Underwood won the CMA Award for female vocalist of the year—for the third consecutive time—forCarnival Ride. She was nominated for album of the year, but lost the award to George Strait. Underwood also hosted the CMA Awards with fellow country star Brad Paisley.

In Recent Years

In February 2009, Underwood won a Grammy Award (best female country vocal performance) for her song "Last Name"—her fourth Grammy in three years. In November 2009, she received two more CMA Award nominations, for female vocalist of the year and musical event of the year. She also hosted the event for the second time.

Afew weeks before hosting the CMA Awards, Underwood released her third studio album, Play On, three songs from which went on to earn a No. 1 spot on the charts: "Cowboy Casanova," "Temporary Home" and "Undo It." The singer followed that success with Blown Away, released in May 2012, which had sold more than 1.4 million copies by the following year. The album's hits include "Blown Away," "Good Girl" and "Two Black Cadillacs." 

In May 2013, it was announced that Underwood would be performing the Sunday Night Football theme song, taking over the coveted role for fellow country star Faith Hill, who performed "Waiting All Day for Sunday Night" for the past six seasons of the weekly television broadcast. Underwood will reportedly sing a new version of Hill's song.

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