Justin Bieber: First Step 2 Forever: My Story

By Justin Bieber and Robert Caplin

“An account of his sixteen-year-old life . . . interspersed with lyrics, tweets, and numerous full-bleed photographs of Bieber in all his brown-eyed glory.” —Publishers Weekly

“It’s a big, big world

It’s easy to get lost in it . . .”

—Justin Bieber, “Up”

I love those lines in the lyrics. Sometimes I feel like that’s what everyone’s expecting. My world got very big, very fast, and a lot of people expect me to get lost in it. I grew up in a small town in Canada. I taught myself to sing in front of my bedroom mirror and to play guitar on a hand-me-down. My mom posted my first videos on YouTube. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I’d sell millions of records, sing for the president of the United States and sell out a massive arena tour. So no, I’m not lost. Not at all. If anything, onstage in front of my fans, I’m home. I’m found. And that’s what this book is about: my journey, from singing and busking on the sidewalk in Stratford, Ontario, to performing and showing my appreciation to millions of fans all over the world for making this dream a reality.

My music and lyrics give a glimpse of what’s in my heart, but I think this book is a window into my world. This is my gift to you, the fans who’ve supported and been with me on this amazing journey every step of the way.

“A love letter to his legion of screaming girl fans.” —Entertainment Weekly

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Oct 12, 2010
• ISBN: 9780062039750

Justin Bieber

Born in Stratford, Ontario, Justin first broke into the music industry when music manager Scooter Braun spotted his performances on YouTube and then joined forces with superstar Usher to sign thirteen-year-old Justin to a record deal with Island Def Jam Music Group. Justin's latest number 1 album, Believe, came out in June 2012. It follows his number 1 Christmas album, Under the Mistletoe, which was Justin's third number 1 debut in just 18 months. This incredible achievement makes Justin the youngest artist in Billboard history to have a holiday album enter at number 1 and then first solo artist in Billboard history to chart three number 1 albums before his 18th birthday. Prior to Under the Mistletoe, Justin's first album My World 2.0 debuted at number 1 in the charts and featured the single 'Baby', which remains the number 1 most-viewed YouTube video, with currently over 700 million views. Never Say Never: The Remixes, the soundtrack to the highest domestic-grossing concert film in US history, also entered at number 1 in 2011. Just Getting Started is Justin's second book, following on from the international bestseller First Step 2 Forever: My Story.

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JUSTIN BIEBER

First Step 2 Forever: My Story

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CONTENTS

Cover Page

Title Page

A Special DM to the Greatest Fans in the World!

1 Let’s Get This Show on the Road

2 A Secret Musician

3 The Stratford Star

4 YouTube: My First Million

5 The Start of a New Life

6 Welcome to My World

7 Just the Beginning

Thank You

About the Author

Copyright

About the Publisher

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A SPECIAL DM TO THE GREATEST FANS IN THE WORLD!

How can I begin to thank you for making this journey possible? Every one of you is My Favorite Girl for a different reason, because each of you is special in your own way. Everywhere I go, whatever I do, I try to connect with as many of you as possible. If you’re up front at a concert, I might reach out and hold your hand. If you show up outside the arena after the show, you might get soaked in one of our epic water fights. You might just be talking to your friends on Twitter saying you have a one-in-a-million chance of reaching me and now I’m following you. My dreams used to be a one-in-a-million chance as well, but as I said in the song, never say never. I never forget that none of this would have happened without you. That’s why I want to share this story with you: so you can experience the journey with me, all the highs and lows, the laughter and the tears. You were there from the beginning. Now, as you see what I saw and feel what I felt, I hope you’ll believe that big dreams really can come true. I’m living mine every day. Thanks to you.

LUV YAH, JUSTIN

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CHAPTER 1

LET’S GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD

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HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT

TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2010

9:45 A.M.

Rolling into the XL Center, I feel like I ought to have skates on my feet.

Hey! I elbow my grandpa in the ribs. Can’t you just smell the hockey?

He laughs. Oh, yeah.

In less than forty hours, the XL Center will be jammed to the rafters with almost twenty thousand screaming fans, but right now the venue is just begging for a Zamboni.

A Zamboni is that huge tank-like thing they drive around to even out the ice during halftime at a hockey game. It melts the top layer, which almost immediately refreezes as smooth as glass. But I can’t believe I have to describe what a Zamboni is. It’s like describing something you’ve known since the day you were born.

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A lot can change in three years... it’s unreal

Being a Canadian, hockey is our thing. We have it in our blood.

Sometimes they let a celebrity guest a war hero, beauty-pageant winner, local news anchor, or whatever – ride in the Zamboni. And, until three years ago, that was my definition of celebrity: somebody who gets to ride around in the Zamboni. My definition of a rock star was somebody who gets to ride around in a tour bus.

A lot can change in three years.

When I was twelve, my manager, Scott Scooter Braun, saw a YouTube video of me performing in a local talent show. When I was fourteen, we joined forces with the recording artist Usher, who was not only one of my heroes but helped introduce me to the world. A few months after my fifteenth birthday, my first single dropped. Now I’m sixteen and about to launch my first tour as a headliner.

IT’S UNREAL.

The My World Tour will hit eighty-five cities in the US and Canada – connecting with almost two million fans – all in less than six months. My backup singers, Legaci, my dancers, band and a huge crew are all on the ride with me. It takes eight buses and a whole fleet of eighteen-wheelers to move all the people and equipment.

WOW!

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The My World Tour will hit eighty-five cities – connecting with almost two million fans – all in less than six months

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I make my way across the bus garage with my grandparents, Bruce and Diane Dale, and Kenny Hamilton, personal security ninja and frequent victim of my Xbox 360 powers of annihilation. My mom, Pattie Mallette, teeters along behind us, rocking skinny jeans and high heels. Mom is a trip and she sacrificed everything for me.

Scooter has already been at the venue for hours, shooting hoops with the roadies and backup dancers between frantic cellphone calls. Scooter’s the mastermind behind the operation and he and the team wrestle all the details into place: media stuff, like interviews and photo requests; logistical stuff, like who’s going where in which bus; and of course crucial life-dependent matters, like making sure I don’t eat any pizza the day of the show (singers aren’t supposed to have dairy before a show, but we all know I’m a rule breaker. Pizza is just so good!). Scooter’s always strategizing – he treats life like chess, always eight moves ahead. The dude’s a beast.

With a quick fist bump wassup to Kenny and hugs for me and Mom, he leads us through the backstage catacombs to the arena where the tour riggers are craning in a huge steel-framed hot air balloon basket.

Nice. Kenny and I nod our approval.

This thing is designed to fly me out over the crowd during the song Up, starting upstage about thirty feet in the air, then floating out over their heads, gliding on waves of energy and noise, dipping not quite low enough for them to touch, but close enough for me to see all those beautiful faces. I really hope my fans are gonna go crazy when they see it. But then the gondola makes a noise like a Chevy grinding through a guardrail. It lurches to a halt. Jerks to the left. Wobbles to the right.

I’m like, Whoa, dude! That’s not supposed to happen.

High in the catwalks, the fly riggers debate back and forth on their walkie-talkies in hushed voices. Not cool. But, just when I start to experience some talkback from the big breakfast in my stomach, I feel a reassuring arm around my shoulders. Scooter’s girlfriend, Carin, is standing beside me. Carin is helping out on tour – but really she is here to help me and Scooter navigate this crazy time in our lives. She’s a major part of our support system, and always has my well-being at the front of her mind.

Don’t worry, she says. It’ll be cool. Safety comes way before special effects. You know that.

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Yeah, I know, I tell her. But I don’t want to have to cut any of the tricks. The show is so awesome. I just want it to go perfect.

It will, says Mom. It’s going to be amazing.

Totally amazing, Carin agrees. Look. I think they’ve got it.

The steel gondola recovers its balance, soaring smoothly again, along with music from the soundboard.

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It’s a big, big world. It’s easy to get lost in it...

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I love that line in the lyrics. Sometimes I feel like that’s what everyone’s expecting. My world got very big, very fast, and based on a lot of sad examples from the past, a lot of people expect me to get lost in it. I’m always getting asked the same two questions: How did you get started? and How do you stay grounded?

Standing there in the XL Center, I can see the answers to both: I’m surrounded by super-smart, super-talented, extremely good people who love me and watch out for me every step of the way. They don’t let me lose sight of where I came from or where I’m going. And they don’t let me get away with any crap. The success I’ve achieved comes to me from God, through the people who love and support me, and I include my fans in that. Every single one of you lifts me a little bit higher.

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The success I’ve achieved comes to me from God...

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"My world got very big, very fast, and based on a lot of sad examples from the past, a lot

Reviews for Justin Bieber

[br14lirug · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Let me tell you, before I read this I was not a belieber........ I picked it up for an assignment, we had to read a book that we would never read on our own. I must say I am still not a fan but I might respect him a little more than I did before. He had many inspirational quotes and song lyrics that I like: "YOU HAVE TO LET YOURSELF DO STUFF YOU'RE NOT GOOD AT." The book was full of pictures and with very few words on the pages made it really easy to fly through. the book shows a deep insight on his life and the challenges he faced to get where he is today. This book explains how he got his start in the music business. Throughout this book he gives people advice from not only what he taught himself and to his beliebers to use as well. This book was like a backstage pass into what he goes through all the time. He started off his career on YouTube by posting videos all the time for other family members to see. One of my favorite quotes he used was, “Music is the universal language no matter the country we are born in or the color of our skin. Bring us all together”.I would recommend this book to people who actually enjoy reading about him or like to read biographies in general.

[br13emmi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was about Justin Bieber growing up and becoming famous. He describes how he grew up in Stratford Canada, His family was very poor and he lived with only his mom, because his dad had left him when he was a little boy. This book tells a lot about how hard his life was when he was a little boy. He used to sing and play guitar on the street to save up money himself to go on a vacation to disney with his mom. One day Justin decided to enter a singing contest called Stratford Star. He made it to the finals but he didn't win. He came in second place, but his mom put it on YouTube for his whole family to see and it ended up getting really popular. Even someone named Scooter Brawn saw this video. Scooter helps singers become discovered. Scooter introduced Justin to Usher and he sang to him. He was very impressed and decided to sign Justin. When Justin was becoming popular he started creating albums and going on tour. When he went on tour he had so many special affects for his fans, and he never wanted to let them down by not using them. He never wanted to not come to a concert either even if he was sick because he didn't want to let anyone down, or make them feel like he didn't care.Overall I would recommend tis book to someone else and I thought it was a very interesting story on how Justin grew up to be an amazing pop singer.

[ctmslyni · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is about Justin Biebers journey to becoming a popstar. Overall I give this book 3 stars. Obviously this book was written for his fans who craved anything and everything "Justin Bieber". Honestly I picked up this book for a quick and easy read, which I guess is what I got, so I cant be too upset.This gives you little insight on his real personal life, it is just merely things you could google about him. Not to mention his writing is not very, well, good.I dont think reading this book was any benefit. It is just another thing for J.Biebs fans to add to their collection. ALso, the cheesy moral, "never say never", didnt really help this book much either. THat is why I gave this book a rating of 3 stars.

[ctmsvesz · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

 Justin Bieber: First Step 2 Forever was a great book overlooking what Justin went through to get his start into the music industry. Justin and his mom went through so much just to get a little start. When I read this book I really learned a lot that I didn’t know about him. He and his mom had to sell their house and move in with his grandparents until they found a new home in Atlanta, Georgia. Now, if you didn’t know Justin was discovered over the internet on Youtube. The reason why his video was on there was so that the rest of his family could see what an amazing job he did performing in his hometowns talent show. His book also talked about his concerts and special effects and how he was also a great, fun, and energetic person to be around.While I was reading this book I felt like I was in the commotion that he had gone through. It felt like I could feel his pain when he broke his foot walking down the ramp in front of 12,000 screaming fans, and that I could picture him working through his pain to finish the song he had been singing. The pictures throughout the book also helped me understand what was going on throughout the book and what his life was like, (which isn’t bad). This book was also very inspiring. I have had my experiences with the stage and the audience, (which both were not very big) but could still relate to what he had gone through during his show(s). The book was inspiring because it showed me that there is nothing to be afraid about going on stage and doing something you love. It also inspired me to try out for my schools drama club. I really did love this book.If you read this book I hope you enjoy it because I know for a fact that I did. If you like to be inspired and also want to read about how Justin was very courageous I encourage you to read this book. Thank you for reading, and enjoy your read of Justin Bieber: First Step 2 Forever.

[klmesoftly · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

For my carmate's benefit on the road I did a dramatic reading of this "100% official!" "autobiography." It was as hilarious as one would expect, and weirdly endearing at parts. (He seems to feel things very intensely - after failing his driver's permit exam he walks home in the rain screaming "I hate you"s at passing cars, and there's also a section in the book where he refers to critics of his "One Less Lonely Girl" music video as "puppy haters who don't care about girls' feelings." Like I said, hilarious.) I'm not sure I've quite caught the Bieber Fever at this juncture, but I do smile on seeing his overexposed little face in the media now.

[mariaht_16 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In my opinion i thought this book was pretty interesting as it was an autobiography. It felt as though we got to go through and also witness what he was seeing, his emotions and what his thoughts were unlike non authorised biographies on the teen sensation. This book is really genuine as this autobiography didn't come out like a stuck up celebrity who thought he was better than anyone else but he shared some of his deepest thoughts, the bad times and the good times and truly did write this book for his fans. If you are a Justin Bieber fan as I am, I guarantee you will not want to put the novel down. Not only does it share information and the back story to his fame but it includes amazing, gorgeous exclusive pictures of the teen heartthrob himself!As most of Justin Bieber fans are females the book I assume would be targeted at girls but i recommend not only females to read this but also males as it is an truly inspiring book that teaches young people to never give up on their dream and go for what you believe in. Never say never, anything is possible. Justin Bieber’s First Steps To Forever is a book that will definitely keep young readers entertained as it uses easy everyday words and some slang words which are used in this generation, has humour and also a little learning. Justin talks about his hometown Canada and shares facts about his favourite sport hockey. So go out and grab this book to read, it’s amazing!! (I love Justin Bieber )

[ninansara1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I absolutely love Justin Bieber. Therefore, I absolutely love this book. It was just amazing!

[green1s_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was good, meant to target teenage girls, and was filled with pictures. If you are a fan, then this book is great to read!

[xxleenie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Justin's First Step 2 Forever was breathtaking. The photographer took photos of Justin and his friends perfectly and it was in the right angle, it was just PERFECT. What I love about this book is that the book is like a diary. Justin tells his life story of what happened before all the fame and gives his feelings, thoughts, opinions and emotions during the different stages he went through. I didn't read many books about celebrities that are 16 and write their own books about their whole journey of their life. Justin tried to keep the book more intresting by putting in some of his jokes, some slang words and some funny stories. Since Justin was from Canada he mentioned many things about Canadians and try to let everyone know some cool facts about Canada and some of them are quite funny. The book talked about many positive things about his life but nobody's perfect and he had some conflicts. He had many problems after getting his manager. Which was getting a record deal because many people had said he had a really good voice but you had to have a television show like the Disney Channel. Justin didn't get much action going on for six months but one weekend Justin's manager flew him to Atlanta and he met up with Usher and everything was back on track. EVERYONE should read this book because it just shows how just about anyone can do anything if you NEVER SAY NEVER and always try. Justin would havr gaven up many times during some points of his life, but he didn't now he is the PRINCE OF POP :). This book will just blow yor minds away and maybe you will get inspired by him.