Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer and actor who came to fame as the front man of the pop band *NSYNC. In 2002, Timberlake released his debut solo album. Justified went on to sell over 7 million copies worldwide and solidified Timberlake's position as a pop superstar. In 2004, Justified was honored with two Grammys. Timberlake's second album is due for release in summer 2006.
Timberlake was born in Memphis, Tennessee to Randall Timberlake (the son of a Baptist minister) and Lynn Harless. His career began after a childhood stint on the American television talent show Star Search, when he became a cast member of The New Mickey Mouse Club teenage variety show. His co-stars on the show included fellow pop singers Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, actors Ryan Gosling and Keri Russell as well as *NSYNC bandmate JC Chasez.
Justin Timberlake is famous for his falsetto singing, heard on songs such as "Like I Love You", and "Cry Me A River". Timberlake is in fact a a lyric baritenor with a very high tessitura (think Stevie Wonder) but sings falsetto on the majority of his songs. He is most noted for singing in light voice and fluidly moving into falsetto in high passages. It has been reported that he has been taking singing lessons to deepen his voice, but this is as yet unconfirmed.
In 2002 Justin Timberlake performed his debut single Like I Love You at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards. The performance was criticized for his poor vocals, Michael Jackson-like dancing, and the fact that the rappers Clipse's microphones were too low in pitch. Despite these initial misgivings, Timberlake swiftly gained a legion of ardent fans and his debut album Justified sold over 439,000 copies in its first week of release.