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10 Celebrities Who Incredibly Started Their Successful Careers On Star Search

Young artists today may try out for a competition program on television since there are so many of them if they want to obtain their big break. For instance, dancers have "American Idol," singers have "So You Think You Can Dance," and innumerable aspiring models have sought to be on "America's Next Top Model" throughout the years. But in the early 1980s to the middle of the 1990s, a program offered a one-stop shop for people looking to become famous, and that show was "Star Search."
All ages of performers participated in separate categories, including singers, models, comedians, and dancers. A panel of judges then evaluated their performances. The winner and the next round's participants were determined by who obtained the most ratings that were closest to four stars.
Ed McMahon served as the program's host throughout its initial run from 1983 until 1995. The show was again reintroduced from 2003–2004 before being canceled. Many well-known musicians, actresses, and comedians participated in the competition, and some even won.
Which celebrities were on the show, how did they do, and how did it affect their subsequent careers? Today, scroll down for a better picture of celebrities who got famous from star search.

#1 Brad Garrett

Source: fanpop

The event included a category for comedians in addition to a competition for aspiring vocalists. Brad Garrett, who won the award for the first time in 1984, was the final result. He would go on to have a fruitful career in stand-up comedy in addition to playing the enduring character of Robert Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond.
Garrett, one of the most well-known cast members of Everybody Loves Raymond, got his big break on the talent competition show through Star Search. Right after winning, he would go on to make an appearance on Johnny Carson's late-night program, showcasing himself to an even larger audience than Raymond did. Surprisingly, Ray Romano, his co-star, also made a brief cameo on Star Search. Garrett now contributes to the Big Shot production on Disney+.

#2 Beyoncé Knowles

Source: mic

Beyoncé participated in Girl's Tyme on Star Search in 1993 before becoming famous in Destiny's Child. She and Kelly Rowland later joined the new Destiny's Child group, and the rest is history even if the group didn't make it to a second episode.
Bey has won 28 Grammy awards and received more than 70 nominations, including for her work with her husband Jay-Z, and as a member of Destiny's Child. She also entered the acting world when a number of her songs were often featured in movies and television. She has had quite the return story since she has subsequently been cited as stating the song she sang on Star Search was "not good"

#3 LeAnn Rimes

Source: imdb

Rimes, who won the competition as the best junior vocalist in 1991 at the age of eight, is one of the few superstars who are still well-known today. She was catapulted to great popularity by the program, as seen by the rapid chart success of songs like "How Do I Live" and "Blue" shortly after she won.
In addition to her performance on the program, Rimes also won season four of The Masked Singer, joining a group of other very gifted champions and runner-ups.

#4 Usher

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Another example of how the program gets it right is Usher, who won the award for the best young vocalist when he first appeared on the program in 1991. A well-known A&R representative and record label executive, L.A. Reid, was impressed by his performances, which led to a record deal. Since then, Usher has enjoyed tremendous success, garnering eight Grammy nominations and twenty-two trophies.
Along with his successes as a performer, Usher has also achieved success as a panelist on The Voice and a competitor on Dancing With The Stars. He was declared the show's winner, thus Star Search was obviously onto something.

#5 Britney Spears

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Britney Spears' widely publicized and sad conservatorship struggle, as well as the accompanying Netflix documentary, have brought her back to the forefront of public celebrity conversation. Britney Spears made one of her earliest television performances on Star Search. As a 10-year-old vocalist, she had an appearance on the program in 1992.
Blake McIver Ewing, most known for his role in Full House, won the junior vocalist category instead of her, therefore she didn't get the prize. Her loss did not discourage her, as she went on to become one of the most well-known pop performers of all time and has received eight Grammy nominations.

#6 Dave Chappelle

Source: imdb

Another comic, Dave Chappelle, gained popularity by participating in Star Search in 1993 as a 19-year-old. Lester Barrie finally triumphed over him. Chappelle has undoubtedly had the more successful career, even if Barrie has had a good career and has shared the stage with notable figures like Martin Lawrence and the Wayans Brothers.
Chappelle, who is regarded as one of the greatest stand-up comedians of all time, has won five Emmys, and three Grammys, and had several specials and series air on television and stream on Netflix during his career.

#7 Justin Timberlake

Source: twitter

Even while many people think JT's career took off when he joined the boy band NSYNC in 1995, Justin's career actually dates back longer. He made his Star Search debut in 1992 as Justin Randall, an 11-year-old country singer.
Although he was unable to declare victory, it seems that was for the best. Justin asserts in his memoir that he would never have visited the Mickey Mouse Club, the location of the NSYNC audition. Since then, he has gone on to garner thirty-nine Grammy nominations and ten wins, and he is also one of the well-known singers who have also appeared in movies.

#8 Aaliyah

Source: twitter

Aaliyah Dana Haughton, better known as the legendary R&B singer Aaliyah, participated in Star Search as a performer in 1990 when she was just 10 years old. It served as an excellent dress rehearsal for what would eventually become a hugely successful career, even if she would not go on to accomplish anything significant in the program.
She would sing alongside another renowned voice, Gladys Knight, not too long after her appearance on the show, which helped her acquire momentum in the music business. By the age of twelve, she would go on to acquire a record deal, and at the age of fifteen, she would put out a platinum album.

#9 David Archuleta

Source: pandagaul

Teenage heartthrob David Archuleta won best junior vocalist on Star Search in 2003, the only season of the relaunch of the old program, before finishing in second place on American Idol in 2008. Since his appearance on the program, Archuleta has gone on to have one of his songs, "Crush" score at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and make appearances in TV series including Hannah Montana and iCarly.
It takes a lot of skill to finish in the top two of the most difficult singing contests in the US, but Archuleta achieved it with ease. After taking a break, Archuleta is back in the music business and will release three new singles in the summer of 2021.

#10 Christina Aguilera

Source: viajarconmusica

Christina Aguilera, a member of The Voice's judging panel, debuted on Star Search in 1990 when she was nine years old. Despite finishing in second place, her appearance on the program sparked the beginning of her career. Later that year, she sang the National Anthem at the NHL Stanley Cup Finals, and she later collaborated with Justin Timberlake on The Mickey Mouse Club.
She has received five Grammy awards for her solo music career out of a total of twenty nominations. Her career took off quite rapidly because her 1998 first album produced three number-one songs. She kept moving forward after losing on Star Search.
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