8 Musicians Who Got Their Start on 'Star Search'

Find out what these celebs said about their Star Search experience…

Britney Spears may be one of the most well known performers to have gotten their start on Star Search. In 1992, Britney made her television debut at just 10-years-old, performing a cover of Eva Tanguay’s “I Don’t Care.” She ended up making it to the second round but lost out to another young singer named Marty Thomas.

“I smiled and hugged him politely, and as I walked off, Ed [McMahon] wished me luck. I kept it together until I got backstage -- but then I burst into tears. Afterward, my mom got me a hot fudge sundae,” Britney wrote in her memoir, The Woman In Me.

Back in 1993, Beyoncé was in a hip hop group called Girl Tyme alongside several other young performers named LaTavia, Nina, Nikki, Kelly and Ashley. The group, who were managed by Bey’s father Mathew Knowles, ended up losing out to rock group Skeleton Crew.

“It was wonderful to be a kid and be on television. We told all of our friends  so we were so devastated when we lost…The second we got backstage we just bawled and bawled. They took us to Disney World and it was all good. It was like nothing ever happened,” she said on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

When Justin Timberlake was just 11 years old, he performed on Star Search under the name Justin Randall. Looking back on the experience, Justin says he quickly learned that not everything was as it seemed in show business. While he had auditioned with a soul song, producers decided they wanted Justin to lean into a country persona -- even though that wasn’t true to who he was.

“It was my first lesson in show business,” he said on The Graham Norton Show. “I certainly wanted to be on the show…We get there and they’re like, ‘We want you to do [‘Loves Got A Hold On You’ by Alan Jackson] and we’re going to pick the outfit.’ And I was like, ‘Ohhh, this isn’t a talent show. It’s a TV show.’ But it was a wonderful experience…it was my first hip shake on TV!”

Christina Aguilera was nine years old when she competed on Star Search. It was her grandmother who recognized her early talent and signed her up for the show. Her rendition of “Sunday Kind of Love” took her to the semifinals before she was sent home.

“At that age, I always sang songs meant for older people. That fit my personality -- I had pain to sing about. If there had been a show like The Voice, I would have gone on it. It would have been amazing to be coached by a mentor,” she told W magazine.

LeAnn Rimes was only eight years old when she took the Star Search stage. While she ended up losing in the second round, she said it taught her a lesson about failure -- and she ended up getting to go to Disney World.

“I won my first time and I lost my second time. It was my first lesson in losing which is pretty good at eight. I went back and I cried and then I remember my godmother telling me she was gonna take me to Disney World. I was fine after that, it was all good,” LeAnn told Entertainment Weekly.

When Usher was a preteen, he was in a group called Nu Beginning, which he eventually left to pursue a solo career. He ended up landing a spot on Star Search when he was just 13. While he didn’t take home a prize, his performance did catch the attention of music executive L.A. Reid. It wasn’t long before he was signed to LaFace Records.

Alanis Morissette competed on Star Search when she was 14 years old, but ended up not winning against her competitor. Looking back, Alanis says she remembers it being a scary experience, but during that time, she found a love for the city of Los Angeles.

“I just remember being terrified and a guy named Chad won and I had a big crush on him. It was fun. LA was…I was very wide-eyed about the whole city of Los Angeles at that time. It was my first kind of love affair with the city,” Alanis shared during a Canadian Music Week interview.

Sutton Foster appeared on Star Search as a teenager, but she didn’t win. She ended up competing against another teen named Richard H. Blake, and he won by less than a point. Richard has now gone on to become a successful Broadway actor, so Sutton says they often cross paths.

“I lost! I lost to this guy Richard Blake, who’s now a Broadway performer. So now every time I see him I give him squinty eyes, ’cause he beat me by a quarter star,” Sutton shared.