In a move meant to convince the skeptics among us that Britney Spears really is on her way back to fame and fortune...or at least, a different kind of fame than she's been getting lately, it has just been revealed that the singer has been reunited with her estranged former manager Larry Rudolph. The two parted ways about a year ago, once Britney's downward spiral of substance abuse and psychotic breaks became obvious and worrisome. However, daddy Spears has reportedly stayed on good terms with Rudolph, and has finally persuaded him to return at the helm of Britney's wobbly career.

Now that the pop singer has been cleaning up her act, behaving professionally again and gaining back some of her long-lost credibility, it's easy to see that getting Rudolph back as a manager was pretty much the next logical step. After all, he was the one who discovered the teenage Britney and helped her build a career as an internationally acclaimed pop star. He was also in charge of handling Britney's passage from energetic, midriff-baring teen to the over-sexualized nymph she was before her marriage, divorce and subsequent descent into madness.

Rudolph and Britney parted ways after Britney's first rehab stint at the Promises clinic, after which she came public accusing him of conspiring with her parents to get her committed without a serious reason. There was some truth in her statements, in the sense that Britney's parents did indeed trust Rudolph more than they trusted anyone in her entourage, and asked for his help getting Britney's behavior under control. He apparently stayed in touch with Britney's dad and has now been persuaded to return and help put Brit's career back on track.

Larry Rudolph has a pretty impressive track record as a personal manager. In addition to Britney, he also represented other musicians such as Justin Timberlake, 98 Degrees, Nick Lachey, The Backstreet Boys, Jessica Simpson, O-Town, Toni Braxton, Brooke Hogan and DMX. In addition to his current company Reigndeer Entertainment, Larry Rudolph has recently founded Total Entertainment and Arts Marketing, whose aim is reportedly to work with clients the likes of Avril Lavigne, Madonna, Bon Jovi and so on. Which, come to think about it, is a much better crowd and way batter company for the Britster than a washed-out paparazzi and a shady film producer.