Victoria Beckham biography

Synopsis

Aspiring Dancer

Singer, fashion designer, author, model. Born Victoria Adams on April 17, 1974, in Hertfordshire, England. Since achieving success as a pop singer in the 1990s, Victoria Beckham has become one of the most photographed women in the world. Tabloids seem to follow nearly every move that she and her husband, soccer star David Beckham make. Capitalizing on her broad exposure, Victoria Beckham has built her own brand, consisting of clothing, perfume, and sunglasses.

Raised in an affluent family, Beckham started studying ballet at a young age. She pursued her interest in dance at the Laine Arts Theatre College in Surrey when she was 17. After three years there, Beckham moved to London to try to make it as a dancer. Her lucky break came when she answered an ad seeking energetic and hard-working young women in 1993. Out of the 400 women who applied, Beckham was chosen to part of a new all-female pop music group.

Spice Girls

Created by manager Chris Herbert, the band that would become known as the Spice Girls started rehearsing together. The final line-up came together by mid-1993 and consisted of Melanie Brown, Melanie Chisholm, Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton, and Beckham. The group wanted more creative control and soon broke off with Herbert. They later signed with manager Brian Fuller and got a contract with Virgin Records.

Each of the five members of the Spice Girls developed their own persona: Melanie Brown was known as "Scary Spice"; Melanie Chisholm was "Sporty Spice"; Geri Halliwell was "Ginger Spice"; Emma Bunton was "Baby Spice"; and Beckham was "Posh Spice." They released their debut album, Spice, in 1996 and reached the top of American charts with the catchy dance-pop song "Wannabe" the following year. The follow-up single, "Say You'll Be There," climbed as high as number three on the Billboard 200 chart. The album eventually sold more than 20 million copies worldwide.

The group's "girl power" message attracted a substantial audience, especially young teenage girls. In 1997, they released the second album titled Spiceworld and starred in a film of the same name early the following year. While they scored a hit with the song "2 Become 1," Spice Girls failed to duplicate the success of their debut recording. The film featured cameos by such performers as Elvis Costello, Bob Geldof, and Elton John and had some success at the box office, netting close to $30 million.

Marriage to David Beckham

Behind the scenes, Beckham's personal life was also thriving. She met soccer player David Beckham at a game in 1997, and the two soon became one of Britain's most popular couples, known in the tabloid as "Posh" and "Becks." They got engaged in 1998 and welcomed their first child together, son Brooklyn, in March 1999. That summer, the couple wed in a lavish ceremony at a castle in Ireland. Beckham invited television audiences inside her life with the reality special Victoria's Secrets, which aired on British television in 2000. She has been featured in several other reality programs since then.

Also in 2000, the Spice Girls released the album Forever, which was recorded without Halliwell who had left the group during an earlier tour. Beckham soon went solo, releasing a self-titled album in 2001. She also wrote her autobiography, Learning to Fly (2001), which became a best seller in Britain. Beckham gave birth to another son, Romeo, the following year.

All of Beckham's success has attracted its share of unwanted attention. In 2002, she and her family also made headlines when the authorities uncovered a plot to kidnap Beckham and hold her for ransom. The following year Beckham moved to Madrid, Spain. After 14 years with the Manchester United team, her husband had signed a lucrative deal to play for the Real Madrid team.

Stepping away from the