Jamie Spears

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"James Spears" redirects here. For the American Union general, see James G. Spears.

Jamie Spears
Born
James Parnell Spears

(1952-07-06) July 6, 1952 (age 71)
Kentwood, Louisiana, U.S.
EducationKentwood High School[1]
OccupationRetired construction business owner
Spouses
Debbie Sanders Cross
​
​
(m. 1972; div. 1975)​
​
​
(m. 1976; div. 2002)​
Children

James Parnell "Jamie" Spears (born July 6, 1952)[a] is a retired construction business owner.[5] He is the father of Bryan Spears, Britney Spears, and Jamie Lynn Spears.

Early life[edit]

James Parnell Spears was born to June Austin Spears,[6] and Emma Jean Spears (née Forbes).[7] When Jamie was five years old, his mother gave birth to his younger brother Austin, who died after only three days. After Austin's death, his mother attempted suicide on three separate occasions during James childhood.[8] Despite obstacles established by the early tragedy, James did well in school, and in the eight grade, while attending Kentwood High School he made the honor roll.[1]

When James was only 14 years old, his mother, who had been struggling to overcome the loss of her son Austin, left their family home in Kentwood, resulting in her being declared missing.[8] Emma arrived at Roberts Cemetery, the burial place of Austin, in Osyka, Mississippi around 3:30pm on Sunday, May 29, 1966.[8] Her body was found by a caretaker about 10:30am, Monday, May 30, at the grave of Austin. According to the coroner, J.L. Glover, Emma had taken a 12-gauge shotgun aimed it at her chest and pulled the trigger with the big-toe of her right-foot.[8]

He also survived a car accident that killed a football teammate aged 17.[9][10] His upbringing was difficult, as his daughter Jamie Lynn wrote in her memoir: "My father was raised by an abusive father who made unreasonable demands of his son in all aspects of his life. Daddy was forced to practice sports for hours at a time—past the point of exhaustion. For basketball, Paw-Paw June made Daddy shoot one hundred shots after practice. Daddy loved basketball, but his father made him abandon the court for the football field. He followed his father’s directive to play college football, knowing all along he would have been much more impactful as a basketball player."[11]

Career[edit]

In the mid-1970s, Spears worked as a welder and boilermaker.[5][12] In the 1980s, Spears ran a successful construction business, and he and Lynne decided to build and own a health and wellness spa.[5][13] He became well-known for developing businesses, including the first gym in their area in Louisiana.

In Jamie Lynn's memoir Things I Should Have Said, she claimed her father "...had a seafood restaurant called Granny's, known for crawfish and shrimp. At some point he gave it to Bryan, who eventually sold it."[12] The restaurant, which was located at 401 3rd Street in Kentwood, LA, was owned by James' maternal grandmother Lexie Mae Thompson-Pierce. In March 1993, Lexie Mae by "Act of Donation" gave Bryan Spears the land the restaurant was situated on valued at an estimated $20,000.[14]

Conservatorship controversy[edit]

Main article: Britney Spears conservatorship dispute

Spears came to prominence as a public figure in 2019 with the rise of a movement to terminate his daughter's conservatorship, dubbed #FreeBritney.[15] This movement garnered support from a number of celebrities, including Cher, Paris Hilton, and Miley Cyrus, as well as the nonprofit organization American Civil Liberties Union.[16][17][18][19] On April 22, 2019, fans protested outside the West Hollywood City Hall to demand Britney's release from the psychiatric facility where she had been staying since Spears's illness in January.[20]

During a May 2019 hearing, Judge Brenda Penny ordered "an expert evaluation" of the conservatorship.[21] In September 2019, Britney's ex-husband Kevin Federline obtained a restraining order against Spears following an alleged physical altercation between Spears and one of Britney's sons.[22] Britney's longtime care manager, Jodi Montgomery, temporarily replaced Spears as her conservator of the person on September 10, 2019.[23] In the same month, a hearing resulted in "no decisions made" about the conservatorship arrangement.[24]

In August 2020, Spears called the #FreeBritney movement "a joke" and its organizers "conspiracy theorists".[25] On August 17, 2020, Britney's court-appointed lawyer submitted a court filing that documented her desire to have her conservatorship altered to reflect "her current lifestyle and her stated wishes", to instate Montgomery as her permanent conservator, and to replace Spears with "a qualified corporate fiduciary" as conservator of her estate.[26] Four days later, Judge Penny extended the established arrangement until February 2021.[27] In November 2020, Judge Penny approved Bessemer Trust as co-conservator with Spears of his daughter's estate.[28] A documentary focusing over his daughter's career and Spears's conservatorship over her, Framing Britney Spears, premiered on FX in February 2021.[29] The same month, Jamie Spears' lawyer Vivian L. Thoreen spoke to Good Morning America in her client’s defense, saying that she understands "that every story needs a villain, but people have it so wrong here. This is a story about a fiercely loving, dedicated, and loyal father who rescued his daughter from a life-threatening situation. People were harming her and they were exploiting her. Jamie saved Britney’s life."[30]

On June 23, 2021, Britney gave testimony regarding her father, stating that he sent her to a rehab and mental facility against her will in January 2019. She also stated that she is afraid of him and that he has committed "conservatorship abuse". Britney said he should not be able to walk away and that he should go to jail for his actions.[31] On September 7, 2021, Spears filed a petition to end the conservatorship over his daughter.[32] Judge Brenda Penny suspended Spears as conservator on September 29, 2021.[33] On November 12, 2021, the conservatorship was terminated by Judge Penny following Britney's public testimony in which she accused her management team and family of abuse.[34][35]

In September 2022, Britney's former husband Kevin Federline said in an interview with 60 Minutes, that he 100 percent believed the conservatorship saved her life, saying: "When Jamie took over (the conservatorship), things got into order. He saved her life."[36][37][38] Spears' grandson Jayden Federline stated in the same interview that his grandfather only had good intentions, saying: "He was trying to be like any father, like, pursue his daughter’s dream of being a superstar, working and doing all these concerts and performing. But I think some people are just, like, ceasing to realize how much he cares about her."[39] Spears has not given interviews, except in December 2022, when he told UK's The Mail on Sunday: "Not everybody's going to agree with me. It's been one hell of a time. But I love my daughter with all my heart and soul. Where would Britney be right now without that conservatorship? And I don't know if she'd be alive. I don’t. For protecting her, and also protecting the kids, conservatorship was a great tool. Without it, I don't think she would have got the kids back."[40][41]

Personal life[edit]

Spears' first wife was Debbie Sanders Cross, who remains his friend.[10] In July 1976, he married his second wife, Lynne Irene Bridges. She filed for divorce in 1980, requesting a temporary restraining order, fearing that he would "become angry when he is served with these papers" and harass or harm her, "especially if he has been drinking alcoholic beverages, as he has done in the past." However, they reconciled, and Britney was born the following year.[10]

Jamie and Lynne Spears divorced in May 2002[42] and reconciled without remarrying around 2010.[43][44] They were seen still united in 2014,[45] but were evidently completely separated by 2020. They have three children: son Bryan Spears (born 1977) and daughters Britney Spears (born 1981) and Jamie Lynn Spears (born 1991). They also have five grandchildren.[46]

Spears struggled with alcohol later in life and eventually went to rehab in 2004.[47][48] He suffered a near-fatal colon rupture in November 2018.[49] Spears underwent emergency surgery and was hospitalized for 28 days.[50] In October 2023, People magazine reported that Spears was hospitalized with a bacterial infection, and has been recovering in an infectious disease outpatient facility. In December 2023, it was reported that one of his legs was amputated due to infection.[50][51]

Filmography[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2008 Britney: For the Record Himself Documentary film
2013 I Am Britney Jean Himself
2016 Jamie Lynn Spears: When the Lights Go Out Himself

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Official sources stated he was born on June 6, 1952.[2][3] Other sources claim he was born in 1953.[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Honor Roll". The Kentwood Commercial. Kentwood, Louisiana. February 11, 1966.
  2. ^ Smith, George R. (1980). Ball Families of the South. Watson. p. 27. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  3. ^ Ball, Henry Fletcher (1992). Bartholomew's Children: Southern Ball Family. Henington Publishing Company. p. 77. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  4. ^ "Britney Spears Biography". Yahoo! Movies. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved December 18, 2010. Brother Bryan Spears. Born c. 1977 ... Father Jamie Spears. Born c. 1953 ... Mother: Lynne Spears. Born c. 1955
  5. ^ a b c Day, Nate (June 23, 2021). "What to know about Jamie Spears, Britney Spears' dad who star ripped during conservatorship testimony". Fox News. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  6. ^ "Obituary: June A. Spears, Sr". Enterprise-Journal. McComb, Mississippi. December 18, 2012.
  7. ^ "Ancestry of his daughter, including James Spears". Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  8. ^ a b c d "Find Body At Grave Of Infant Son". Tangi Talk. Amite City, Louisiana. June 1, 1966.
  9. ^ "Rites To Be Held For David Easley". Kentwood News. Kentwood, Louisiana. November 12, 1970. p. 1.
  10. ^ a b c Day, Liz; Stark, Samantha; Coscarelli, Joe (June 22, 2021). "Britney Spears Quietly Pushed for Years to End Her Conservatorship". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  11. ^ Spears, Jamie Lynn (2022). Things I Should Have Said. Learning about my father's childhood helped me understand him better. Daddy's upbringing was difficult. My grandfather, Paw-Paw June, was a physical man who used his hands to solve problems. Maw-Maw Jean was a good woman in a difficult situation. In those days women didn't leave their husbands. When Daddy was fourteen, his baby brother died, and soon after so did his mother. Paw-Paw June eventually married Maw-Maw Ruth, but Great-Granny Lexie, Jean's mother, took part in raising Daddy too. Despite the women's efforts, my father was raised by an abusive father who made unreasonable demands of his son in all aspects of his life. Daddy was forced to practice sports for hours at a time—past the point of exhaustion. For basketball, Paw-Paw June made Daddy shoot one hundred shots after practice. Daddy loved basketball, but his father made him abandon the court for the football field. He followed his father's directive to play college football, knowing all along he would have been much more impactful as a basketball player.
  12. ^ a b Spears, Jamie Lynn. Things I Should Have Said. My daddy was well known for developing businesses and was good at every job he took on. He worked in construction and welding. He also had a seafood restaurant called Granny's, known for crawfish and shrimp. At some point he gave it to Bryan, who eventually sold it. Daddy even opened the first gym in our area, and it was a big hit. I remember my sister taught classes there too. Eventually big business came to Louisiana and the gym closed. He spent years working as a welder and a boilermaker. He did whatever he needed to do to support the family the best way he knew how.
  13. ^ Crabtree, Erin (July 9, 2021). "Britney Spears' Family Members: Parents, Siblings, Kids, More". Us Weekly. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  14. ^ "Act of Donation By Lexie Mae Thompson Pierce to Bryan James Spears". March 14, 1994.
  15. ^ Jacobs, Julia (May 17, 2019). "What Is Actually Happening With Britney Spears?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 17, 2019. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  16. ^ Milton, Josh (September 1, 2020). "Cher sides with Britney Spears as she weighs in on conservatorship". PinkNews. Archived from the original on September 3, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  17. ^ White, Adam (August 25, 2020). "Paris Hilton 'heartbroken' over Britney Spears conservatorship battle: 'It's not fair to be treated like a child'". The Independent. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  18. ^ Willman, Chris (May 6, 2019). "Miley Cyrus Calls to 'Free Britney!' Spears at Memphis Concert". Variety. Archived from the original on March 29, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  19. ^ Kirkpatrick, Emily (August 24, 2020). "The ACLU Is Ready to Help Free Britney". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  20. ^ "Britney Spears' Fans Demand Release of Pop Star from Psychiatric Facility". Variety. April 22, 2019. Archived from the original on April 23, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  21. ^ "Britney Spears appears in court over conservatorship, judge orders evaluation". USA Today. May 10, 2019. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  22. ^ Dasrath, Diana (September 5, 2019). "Kevin Federline files complaint alleging altercation between his son and Britney Spears' father". NBC News. Archived from the original on October 30, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  23. ^ D'Zurilla, Christie (September 10, 2019). "Britney Spears' dad, Jamie Spears, is out as her conservator — at least for now". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 4, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  24. ^ "The Latest: No rulings, no Britney Spears at court hearing". Associated Press. September 19, 2019. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  25. ^ Kaufman, Amy (August 1, 2020). "Britney Spears' father calls #FreeBritney followers 'conspiracy theorists'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 3, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  26. ^ Coscarelli, Joe (August 18, 2020). "Britney Spears Seeking Substantial Changes to Conservatorship". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 23, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  27. ^ Coscarelli, Joe (August 21, 2020). "Britney Spears Conservatorship to Remain As Is Until 2021". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 4, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  28. ^ Dalton, Andrew (November 10, 2020). "Lawyer: Britney Spears fears father, wants him out of career". Associated Press. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  29. ^ Grisafi, Patricia (February 5, 2021). "'Framing Britney Spears' on FX shows how the singer gets used for everyone else's purposes". NBC News. Archived from the original on February 6, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  30. ^ "Jamie Spears "Saved Britney's Life," His Lawyer Claims in New Interview". Vanity Fair. February 25, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  31. ^ Cheri Mossburg (June 24, 2021). "Read the full transcript of Britney Spears' court hearing statement". CNN. Archived from the original on September 6, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  32. ^ Dalton, Andrew (September 7, 2021). "Britney Spears' father files to end court conservatorship". Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 8, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  33. ^ Richwine, Lisa (September 29, 2021). "Britney Spears' father suspended as conservator, judge cites toxic situation". Reuters. Archived from the original on January 15, 2022. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  34. ^ "Britney Spears released from 13-year conservatorship". BBC News. November 13, 2021. Archived from the original on November 13, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  35. ^ Coscarelli, Joe (November 12, 2021). "Britney Spears Conservatorship Has Been Terminated: Live Updates". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  36. ^ "'Saved her life': Britney's ex-husband speaks on conservatorship". NZ Herald. August 26, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  37. ^ "Kevin Federline Says He's Supportive of Jamie Spears, Thinks He 'Saved' Daughter Britney's Life". Peoplemag. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  38. ^ "Britney Spears' Ex-Husband Kevin Federline Says Her Dad Jamie 'Saved' Her | Entertainment Tonight". www.etonline.com. August 8, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  39. ^ Kaufman, Gil (September 6, 2022). "Kevin Federline Breaks Silence on Ex Britney Spears' Conservatorship: 'I Wasn't Involved in Any of It'". Billboard. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  40. ^ Duff, Seamus (December 18, 2022). "Britney Spears' dad Jamie claims he saved her life with conservatorship". mirror. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  41. ^ "Britney Spears' dad insists 13-year conservatorship saved her life". ABC7 Los Angeles. December 18, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  42. ^ "Britney's Next Act" Archived September 16, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. People. September 2, 2002. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
  43. ^ "Britney Spears's Divorced Parents Reconciling" Archived March 10, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. People. November 15, 2010. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
  44. ^ "Report: Britney Spears' parents reconciling" MSNBC. November 16, 2010. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
  45. ^ "Jamie Watson, husband of Jamie Lynn Spears along with Lynn Spears, Jamie Spears, mother and father of Pop Star Britney Spears and her little sister Jamie Lynn Spears". ImageCollect. June 8, 2014. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  46. ^ "Britney Spears – Lynne Spears: 'Family Troubles Are In The Past'" Archived July 28, 2022, at the Wayback Machine. contactmusic.com. October 9, 2008. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
  47. ^ Spears, Lynne; Craker, Lorilee (2008). Through the Storm. Thomas Nelson Inc. p. 51. ISBN 978-1-59555-156-6. Archived from the original on October 2, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  48. ^ "Britney Spears' Ups and Downs With Dad Jamie Spears Over the Years". Us Magazine. Archived from the original on February 19, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2021. Jamie eventually went to rehab in 2004 after Britney urged him to seek help.
  49. ^ Coscarelli, Joe (January 4, 2019). "Britney Spears Announces 'Indefinite Work Hiatus,' Cancels Las Vegas Residency". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 29, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  50. ^ a b "Britney Spears' Father Hospitalized with Bacterial Infection, Now in Outpatient Facility". Peoplemag. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  51. ^ "Britney Spears' Father Jamie Spears Had Leg Amputated: Sources".

Sources[edit]

External links[edit]

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