At the time when most teenage girls were discovering boys and shopping, Carnie Wilson already had a successful career as a singer. Her life has been in the media spotlight almost since infancy, and Wilson has developed a sort of love/hate relationship with the media attention.Wilson was born in Bel Air, California on April 29, 1968. She is the daughter of famed Beach Boy singer and songwriter Brian Wilson and his first wife, Marilyn Rovell. Her childhood was difficult because of her father’s struggle with both drugs and mental illness. She started her pop career as a teenager with her sister Wendy and their friend Chynna Phillips. Phillips was the daughter of other famous musicians, John and Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas. The group released their first album in 1990 and found success with singles like "Hold On," "Release Me," "You’re in Love" and "Impulsive." The band broke up for the first time in 1993 before later reuniting in 2004.In 1993, Wilson and sister Wendy released a Christmas album titled Hey Santa! and teamed up with their father to make an album in 1997, The Wilsons. Around the same time, Wilson had her own talk show on TV called Carnie!, which stayed on the air only a short time. Since, she has appeared as TV shows like That 70s Show, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and Celebrity Fit Club. Wilson’s weight has also been a topic of concern for the singer and actress. At one point in her career, she weighed close to 300 lbs at only 5’3". Performers such as Chris Farley on Saturday Night Live did skits involving Wilson’s weight. She broadcast her gastric bypass surgery over the internet in 1999 and subsequently lost 150 lbs. With the birth of her daughter, Lola, with husband Rob Bonfiglio in 2005, Wilson again fought weight gain. She has written books chronicling her personal struggle.The birth of her daughter also brought about another musical side of Wilson and she released A Mother’"Lola Sofia" and "A Mother’s Prayer." She released a Christmas CD in 2007 titled Christmas with Carnie. It features holiday favorites like "White Christmas," "Sleigh Ride" and "Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree" as well as a song written by her husband, "Warm Lovin’ Christmastime." She has also appeared in two reality shows in 2008, Gone Country and Celebracadabra.