Demi Lovato is one of today’s biggest stars, famous for her acting, smash hit songs and the tabloid fodder of her personal life. Given how much the raven-haired beauty has accomplished in her career, people might be wondering about Demi Lovato’s age and if she was born in the 90s.
Demi Lovato was born in the 90s. Though it hardly seems possible for someone so young to have accomplished so much, Lovato grew up in the entertainment industry and started working and honing her skills at a young age.
Read more below about Demi Lovato’s childhood, the 90s as a decade and how Lovato rose to the top to be one of biggest triple threats in the industry.
1990s Nostalgia
Though every decade has its own trends, movies and music, all leaving an indelible mark on pop culture, the 1990s seems to draw nostalgia like no other. Grunge rock, Pogs, chokers and slip dresses, and a television show featuring an anthropomorphic purple dinosaur, are just some hallmarks of the 1990s that people still remember fondly today.
Not only did the 1990s give us a plethora of bad fashion choices and pop culture references, it’s also the decade that gave the world some of the biggest and brightest stars of today. A whole new generation of celebrities was born in the 1990s, including Demi Lovato.
Lovato’s Texas Childhood and Pre-Teen Fame
Demetria “Demi” Devonne Lovato was born on August 22, 1992 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Lovato’s parents divorced when she was 2-years old, and Lovato and her mom relocated to Dallas, Texas.
From a young age, Lovato showed a proclivity towards music and began taking piano lessons at the age of seven and followed suit with guitar lessons a few years later. Around the same time she landed a role on one of television’s biggest hit shows.
Now, given Demi Lovato’s associations with Disney, one might think she got her start in television on the The All New Mickey Mouse Club, a show that introduced the world to fellow superstars Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera and Ryan Gosling, just to name a few. However, Lovato’s first claim to fame was a completely different hit children’s show.
Barney Hits the Airwaves
Barney and Friends was the brainchild of Sheryl Leach, who brought the show to PBS. Leach, a former schoolteacher, wanted to create a show that would entertain her son, who had outgrown the available programming on television at the time.
The show was an instant hit with children and parents alike. When asked to explain the show’s popularity, PBS’ Director of Programming, Alice Cohen, said, “It’s really a simple answer. That is because every single day Barney tells children that he loves them and they’re special and they are smart and they can make friends.”
Barney and Friends aired from 1992-2009 and inspired a tidal wave of merchandise, with everything from VHS tapes, albums, clothing, lunch boxes and, of course, toys. It still remains one of the most popular children’s shows to ever hit the airwaves, and in true fashion, a remake is in the works.
Demi and the Dinosaur
However, it’s not just the show’s lasting popularity that is a part of its legacy, but it was also the start of Demi Lovato’s career. Lovato was cast in the role of Angela and worked on the show for two years.
Not only that, but it’s how Demi Lovato met future BFF and fellow Disney alum, Selena Gomez.
Gomez played Gianna opposite Lovato’s Angela and the duo formed a friendship offscreen, even homeschooling together before they started working for the Disney Channel.
You can watch Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez in a clip from Barney and Friends in the YouTube video below.
Since her time on Barney and Friends, Lovato has gone on to a successful career as an actress and singer, having released six albums and starred in a slew of Disney Channel shows and movies. While her career has lasted well into the 200s, Lovato is still a child of the 90s and her career will always be tied to the decade.