Britney Spears book: 7 revelations about her childhood in Louisiana

Britney Spears has lifted the lid on her childhood in Louisiana in her new memoir.

The highly anticipated book - The Woman In Me - was released around the globe on Tuesday, 24 October. Excitement was building in recent weeks for the release after a series of salatious details were revealed in advance.

But the early sections of the memoir focus on Britney's childhood in Kentwood, Louisana, and her early forays into the showbiz world. National World has purchased a copy of the book and will be providing coverage over the coming days.

During the first chapters of The Woman In Me, Spears reveals the tragic origin behind her middle name - Jean - and her family's history of tragedies, on both sides. However that is not the only revelation in the first third of the book.

Here are 7 of the biggest details about her childhood in the book:

First time she was “touched” by music 

Spears recalls that the first time she had “shivers down my spine” was when she overheard the family’s housekeeper - which they would hire when times were “better financially” - singing gospel music. 

Britney writes: “The housekeeper sang gospel music, and it was literally an awakening to a whole new world. I’ll never forget it.” 

Britney “loved” hiding in cabinets 

Spears says that aside from spending time with her great-grandmother Lexie, her favourite thing to do as a child was “hiding in cabinets”. She theorises that she must have wanted her family to “look for me”. 

Spears writes: “At my aunt’s house I always disappeared. Everyone would mount a search for me. Just when they’d start to panic, they'd open a cabinet door and there I’d be.

“For years that was my thing - to hide.” She later contrasts her desire to hide with her love of performing and being a “little entertainer”. 

Britney explains: “I wanted to hide, but also I wanted to be seen. Both things could be true.”

Spears would make music videos inspired by pop stars 

Britney reveals that she would shoot “silly music videos” for Mariah Carey songs in her friend’s backyard. “By age eight, I thought I was a director,” she adds. 

Britney worked in a restaurant aged nine

After unsuccessfully auditioning for The All New Mickey Mouse Club aged eight, Spears returned to Louisiana and ended up working in her great-grandmother’s restaurant. Britney explains: “I went to work, waiting tables at Lexie’s seafood restaurant, Granny’s Seafood and Deli, to help out. The restaurant had a terrible, fishy smell. 

“...Out on the floor, at age nine, I was cleaning shellfish and serving plates of food while doing my prissy dancing in my cute little outfits.”

Spears played basketball growing up 

Britney writes: “People imagine I was a cheerleader, but I never was. I danced a little bit on the side, but at school I wanted to play ball, so I did in spite of my height. 

“I had this huge number 25 jersey, way too big for me.I was a little bitty mouse zipping around out there.” 

Close bond with her brother 

Britney discusses how a serious accident which left her older brother Bryan in a “full body cast” helped to forge a close childhood bond between the siblings. She explains: “The accident made me much closer to my brother. Our bond was formed out of my sincere, genuine recognition of his pain. 

“Even as a very little girl, I knew that - between the accident and how hard our dad was on him - my brother had a difficult life. I wanted to bring him comfort.” 

Started driving age 13 

Britney reveals that her mom would have her drive the car sometimes and writes: “I started driving when I was thirteen, too”.