ON THIS DAY: Feb. 23, 2000, Christina Aguilera wins best new artist at Grammy Awards

PITTSBURGH — Known as “the little girl with the big voice,” Christina Aguilera exploded into the national spotlight with her best new artist trophy at the 2000 Grammy Awards on Feb. 23, 2000.

Aguilera’s powerful four-octave vocal range had already piqued the interest of critics and fans with earlier performances on “Star Search” and “The New Mickey Mouse Club.”

Locally, the Wexford resident made frequent appearances to sing the National Anthem at major league sporting events, most notably at the 1992 Stanley Cup Finals and Super Bowl XLV in 2011.

After making her concert debut in 1999 at Lilith Fair, Aguilera signed with RCA records and released her first album. The lead single, “Genie in a Bottle,” roared to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart and camped there for five consecutive weeks.

Though often compared to her fellow Mickey Mouse Club alum, Britney Spears, it was Aguilera who took home top honors at the 42nd Grammys, largely on the strength of “Genie in a Bottle.”

Aguilera went on to release seven more albums through 2018, experimenting with various musical styles and earning even more top 10 singles. She has also starred as a coach in six seasons of NBC’s singing competition television series “The Voice.”

OTD: 18-year-old Christina Aguilera on PCNC OTD: 18-year-old Christina Aguilera on PCNC

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