Canadian Justin Drew Bieber was born in London, Ontario, the son of Pattie Mallette and Jeremy Bieber. Pattie became pregnant when she was 18 years old, and raised him as a single mother. Justin is of French-Canadian (mother) and German, Irish, Scottish, and English (father) descent. As a child, Bieber showed a strong interest in music, teaching himself to play many instruments. When he was 12, he entered a local talent competition, and placed second. His mother posted his performance on YouTube, and continued to post other clips of Bieber singing.
The videos soon built up a fan following, and caught the attention of talent agent Scooter Braun. Braun was able to secure an impromptu audition with Usher Raymond, who was impressed and helped Bieber to sign a record deal. His first single, "One Time", was a worldwide hit and was certified Platinum in Canada and the United States. This was followed by Bieber's debut album, "My World", which was an international smash. He also released a successful concert film, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (2011).
Bieber continues with a hugely successful music career and has tried his hand at acting, including guest starring in an episode of Les experts (2000). He has a large and loyal fan-base, who are said to have "Bieber Fever" and are nicknamed "Beliebers".
