Celebrity Stats

Hometown museum shows troubled singer's innocent childhood .

Years before her two failed marriages and recent meltdown, Britney Spears was just a normal young girl growing up in small-town America.

While the world watches Britney's steady decline from pop superstardom, a museum in her U.S. hometown has preserved the singer's innocent beginnings.

Britney had a normal upbringing in Kentwood, Louisiana, a small town in the deep south of America renowned for its water with a population of only 2,205.


Born in December 1981 to parents Jamie and Lynne Spears and joining four-year-old brother Bryan, Britney was a born performer and regularly participated in dance and music activities.

Young Britney was a keen gymnast and her sequinned, frilly costumes have been put on show in a reconstruction of the singer's childhood bedroom at the Kentwood Historical and Cultural Arts Museum.

The four-roomed Britney exhibit at the museum was opened after scores of fans began visiting Kentwood to see their idol's humble beginnings.
The rooms include a scale-model of the stage from Britney's 2001 Dream Within A Dream tour, a collection of her numerous awards and a display of photos of Britney with her fans.

The pièce de résistance is the frilly, frou frou near exact replica of Britney's bedroom.

The room includes teddy bears, gymnast costumes and family photos.

In a nod to Britney's four year relationship with Justin Timberlake, the room includes a frame photo of the pop heart-throb and a teddy wearing an 'N Sync jumper, in reference to his former boy band.

Britney started dating Justin in 1998 as she supported 'N Sync on a U.S. tour.

Many of the photos include Britney's late aunt Sandra Covington, who passed away last year after a battle with ovarian cancer.

Some friends claim Sandra's death triggered Britney's stint in rehab last March and her subsequent erratic behaviour.

One photo of a baby Britney with her parents and brother Bryan show how her sons Sean Preston and Jayden James look startlingly similarity to their famous mother.

Britney's parents welcomed a little sister Jamie Lynn in 1991 - who is currently pregnant with her first child - but divorced in 2002 after 27 years of marriage.

The pop star's difficult personal life is appearing to continue on in 2008.

Britney's bizarre behaviour has attracted media attention since she first split from now ex-husband Kevin Federline in November 2006.

Despite spending time in rehab, Britney's troubles appeared to escalate out of control last week when she was stretched out of her California home following a four-hour stand-off with police.

Britney refused to hand her two sons over to ex-husband Kevin, prompting a judge to strip her of her visitation rights.

Britney's custody arrangements with Kevin will be discussed at their next court hearing on January 14.