TIMELINES:

Gary

Clark, Jr.

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It is hard to believe that Justin Timberlake has been entertaining fans for more than two decades. The singer and film actor began his career at The Mickey Mouse Club, along with a few other alums you might recognize like Britney Spears, Ryan Gosling and Christina Aguilera. Since then, Justin Timberlake has contributed memorable moments not only in music, as a solo artist and as a member of the pop group, *NSYNC, but has also left a mark on pop culture. From his infamous Super Bowl moment with Janet Jackson, to his frequent appearances in The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and as an honorary member of the “5 Timers Club” on Saturday Night Live. The Grammy Award winning musician is still going strong with his latest studio album release, “Man of the Woods.” Hard working and dedicated to his craft, Justin just makes it look easy while doing it all in style.

Justin Timberlake was born on January 31, 1981 in Memphis, Tennessee. He showed an interest in music early on, singing in the Baptist church choir. He came from a musical family. His uncle played bluegrass and his grandfather was the first to teach Justin guitar. Justin’s Grandfather, a large influence in his life, introduced him to Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash. His father would play him songs from the Eagles and Queen, adding to a variety of genres Justin would listen to and later on in his career would be influenced by. The music that was home to Memphis was the blues, and Justin listened a lot to B.B. King as a child. All of these musical influences seem to converge into one in his albums.

In the early 90s Justin would sign on to be in Disney’s The Mickey Mouse Club. From 1993 to 1995, he acted and sang in the popular T.V. show, along with many other future stars like JC Chasez. Both would go on to be members of the 90s pop group, *NSYNC. The boy band became one of the biggest acts in the world in the 90s into the early 2000s. With hits like “I Want You Back”, “Bye Bye Bye”, and “Tearin’ Up My Heart,” the band would go on to sell over 30 million copies.

"If you put out 150%, then you can always expect 100% back. That's what I was told as a kid, and it's worked for me so far."

Justin Timberlake

There was no denying who the stand out artist of the group was and Justin wanted to see if he could have success as a solo artist. So he embarked in a solo career in 2002, teaming up with super producer Timberland. The first single “Like I Love You” with its catchy guitar riff and hip hop beat, would be the preemptive strike to the album “Justified.” The album would go on to sell 7 million copies worldwide and would garner critical success, solidified by two Grammy wins for Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. The same year Justin would be part of a performance that was all people could talk about and a moment in TV history that won’t be forgotten. While performing with Janet Jackson at the Super Bowl, Justin accidentally ripped off a portion of Jackson’s outfit revealing her bare breast to the world. A moment that cemented the phrase, “wardrobe malfunction” into the American vocabulary. In 2005, he started his own record company, JayTee Records and released his second album, “FutureSex LoveSounds.” The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts.

In 2006 Justin began acting in movies like “Alpha Dog” (2006) and “Black Snake Moan” (2006). He also lent his voice to the character King Arthur in the 2007 animated hit, “Shrek the Third.” A string of movies followed, but his most notable performance came in “The Social Network” (2010), where he played Sean Parker. He went on to show his comedic side in movies like “Bad Teacher” (2011) with Cameron Diaz, In Time (2011) and “Friends with Benefits” (2011) with Mila Kunis. Hi comedic side would be in full display on Saturday Night Live. He would go on to be a frequent guest, showing his versatility and talent.

In 2013, he would return to his lifelong passion, music, with “The 20/20 Experience,” which brought the hit single, “Suit & Tie” featuring Jay-Z. A joint tour would follow, selling out stadiums. In January 2018, Timberland dropped his first single “Filthy.” This being the first song of his soon to be released studio album, “Man of the Woods.” In collaboration with legendary producers Timbaland and Pharrell Williams, the album is set to be released in early February, shortly after his return to the Super Bowl stage. He is set to be the headliner for Super Bowl LII and we can’t wait to see what he’ll have in store for us next. Will he reference the “wardrobe malfunction” or give us something new to talk about.  

In 2012, Justin married Jessica Biel, an entertainment power couple. There is no questioning Justin Timberlake is a man of many talents. A singer and actor that is versatile in both fields. We love the music, the movies and the style. We can’t help but see what he’ll do next, we know it will no doubt be just plain cool.