15-year-old Canadian soul pop sensation Justin Bieber has launched a nationwide competition for fans to win...him! For one night, at least, to play a gig in celebration of the release of his debut single One Time (to be released on 2nd January 2010). Inspired by the amazing response he's had for his music on social network sites such as Youtube, Myspace, and Twitter, he's encouraging his growing army of UK fans to spread the word by helping to win a Justin Bieber gig for their home county.
Justin's story is truly one of the internet age. "I started singing about three years ago," says the Canadian native who grew up an only child in Stratford, Ontario. "I entered a local singing competition called Stratford Idol. The other people in the competition had been taking singing lessons and had vocal coaches. I wasn't taking it too seriously at the time, I would just sing around the house. I was only 12 and I got second place."
In an effort to share his victory with his loved ones, Justin began posting his performance footage online. "I put my singing videos from the competition on YouTube so that my friends and family could watch them," he says. "But it turned out that other people liked them and they started subscribing to them. That's how my manager found me. He saw me on YouTube and contacted my family and now I'm signed!"
What he didn't say is that his impeccable version of songs by artists like Usher, Ne Yo and Stevie Wonder and Justin Timberlake racked up over ten million views as the word of mouth spread. And it was his hero Usher who helped get him his record deal.
Fans around the UK will be asked to vote for their county to host the gig, and he will travel to the place with the most votes for an exclusive live performance.
In addition, the 5 fans who bring in the most votes, by spreading the word amongst their friends, will get to travel to the winning show, wherever it is in the country. They will be able to bring a friend (and a parent or guardian if they're under 18).
Fans should log on to www.justinbieberofficial.co.uk to vote.
Justin's debut single 'One Time' will be released by Mercury Records on 2nd January 2010. His album 'My World' entered the Billboard US album chart at number 6, and will be released here on 18th January.