Early life and family Lynne Irene Bridges is believed to have been born around 1955 in
Magnolia, Mississippi Spears' maternal great-grandfather, Edward Portell, had immigrated to the United Kingdom from
Malta while the country was a colony of the
British Empire. Spears has an older brother, Barry "Sonny" Bridges (b. 1951). Their older sister Sandra Bridges Covington (1947–2007) died of
ovarian cancer. In July 1976, she married
Jamie Spears. They divorced in May 2002. They have three children: son
Bryan Spears (born 1977) and daughters
Britney Spears (born 1981) and
Jamie Lynn Spears (born 1991). In 1991, Lynne along with daughters Britney and Jamie Lynn moved to a sublet apartment in
New York City, when Britney began attending
Professional Performing Arts School. Her husband Jamie and son Bryan stayed in Kentwood. Britney soon began appearing on
The Mickey Mouse Club (1993–1996), but it was canceled on its second season, and they returned to Kentwood. == Career ==