A Star is Born

As we look back at SXSW one more time, we recall a moment on Saturday’s A&R panel when an audience member asked label execs what artist they regretted passing on. Sony Music’s Michael Caplan admitted he’d passed on Britney Spears while he was at Epic. “She came in and warbled, ‘I Will Always Love You.’ She had a bad complexion, small boobs, I couldn’t wait for her to get out of my office."

However, Jive’s Jeff Fenster viewed a young Britney quite differently. Her package contained a one-song demo on cassette and professional photos, including a wholesome shot of her in a cropped top, sitting on a picnic blanket with a puppy. “She was the all-American girl you just wanted to defile and do bad things to,” he said. All we can say, given that Britney was probably around 15 or 16 at the time, is Eeewwwwwwwww.