Boy.Band.Confidential.A.Hollywood.Ds.Event.S01E01

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Transcript

00:00:02Amazing grace, how sweet the sun.

00:00:16You guys ready for it?

00:00:18The Backstreet Boys are back from 98 degrees.

00:00:23That's safe.

00:00:24Take a back seat, Backstreet Boys.

00:00:26Your rivals NSYNC now hold the record for album sales.

00:00:30Thirty years ago, they made fun of the word boy band.

00:00:34It's now a badge of honor.

00:00:38A wretch like me.

00:00:49I know it has been a difficult time for you, AJ.

00:00:52It was a horrible experience for me.

00:00:54It's a cutthroat business.

00:00:55This is a scam.

00:00:58This is the first time I'm talking about it this openly.

00:01:01The people that we thought had our backs really didn't have them.

00:01:14I worry just how long their fame and their money will last.

00:01:19And found.

00:01:21I was victimized.

00:01:23Was blind.

00:01:25He was propositioning to these young performers, including me.

00:01:29Has been arrested.

00:01:30He too was assaulted.

00:01:32We had nobody except each other.

00:01:35If I had the chance to do it all over again and end up where I am,

00:01:38would I do it?

00:01:43But now I see.

00:01:47We.

00:01:52We're beautiful.

00:02:00We love our fans, that's why we're here.

00:02:04Oh, my God.

00:02:36ah the stories artists have recorded here NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears,

00:02:41Jonas Brothers, Boyz II Men, 98 Degrees, Eric Carter, Snap, Full Force, Menudo,

00:02:47Galen Brown, and I don't know who that guy is how many years have passed oh gosh well over 20

00:02:57years definitely a lot has changed uh here's actually kind of funny there's a photo oh there

00:03:06it is right there you can see right there this was literally here this was this shot they were

00:03:10standing there in the alleyway and shooting us there but hilarious enough look at the big-ass

00:03:14TV and now it's a flat screen like look at just even just you just even simple little things like

00:03:19that I don't know why it's kind of funny to me my name is Joey Fatone I was in a

00:03:25group called NSYNC

00:03:27once we became a group we were doing a stadium tour 60-70,000 people screaming at you

00:03:38for the five of us being able to be that successful doesn't happen very very often

00:03:48yep too many memories in here too many times sweating our asses off

00:03:57too many times doing the same song over and over and over and over and over and over and over

00:04:07you can't deny that if it wasn't for NSYNC Justin Timberlake wouldn't be the way he is right now

00:04:13wouldn't be doing Broadway to hosting TV shows to doing films

00:04:21the Deadpool movie used our hit for their open now it's a younger generation they're learning about

00:04:28NSYNC which is pretty cool it's such an amazing experience to be able to go through this life

00:04:33but when we started we were young Justin was 14 years old I was what 17 18 I just graduated

00:04:40high

00:04:40school legit now we couldn't grasp everything that was happening around but now as we get older

00:04:46you look at life differently and you realize the industry can be wonderful and can be cool at the

00:04:52same time would there ever be a reunion still I mean there's always a possibility of course

00:04:57now many of our fans don't know the challenges that we faced but throughout my career I met other

00:05:02performers from different groups and started to realize that all these other boy bands had similar

00:05:07experiences that they kept quiet about and it's time we finally shared their stories

00:05:34what's up dude so how are we feeling about the uh the shoot so far well it's funny because I

00:05:39was up

00:05:39very early so Joey and I have been talking probably for the past six to eight months about what stories

00:05:45have people not heard see we're in entertainment right so our job is to portray and to sell not only

00:05:53a

00:05:54fantasy but entertain well in the boy band there is a side that's not so glamorous there is a side

00:06:02that's not so sexy if you're a human being you struggle everybody struggles it's just magnified

00:06:11when you're in a boy band I forgot there's like four or five people I think we're gonna get

00:06:15in LA next week and then it's gonna be Jeff Timmons at some point what up speaking of the devil

00:06:24uh who else has done it so far we're getting AJ in LA I just want to say hi to

00:06:29yourself we're

00:06:31getting I think Nick in LA what's up brother Juan okay sweetings Sean Jeff Timmons it's one of those

00:06:40things I love to hear other sides of the story basically it's them kind of going through and

00:06:45the kind of trials and tribulations we've never had the conversation of just going how did it feel

00:06:50what happened because not many people got to experience something like this I'm Nick Lachey

00:06:55take one you become more Eric Estrada take one it's kind of long overdue we've had a bunch of

00:07:01these and we haven't really told this angle all right all right easy peasy these are our billboard

00:07:14awards from 1999 we got four of these for years I didn't have any of my awards out in my

00:07:21house

00:07:21because I don't even think I deserve this AJ is a character in a band Alex is who I am

00:07:35born Alexander McLean a nerdy kid from Palm Beach Florida that had a huffy bike played piano loved games

00:07:43loved comic books but more than anything loved to perform and sing and dance there was a amazing

00:07:50theater called the Royal Palm dinner theater one of the first roles that I got was in Snow White

00:07:56they cast me as dopey because dopey was a mute and I had a speech impediment when I was growing

00:08:05up I had

00:08:05two actually I had a stutter and a lisp of course I get to be the character that doesn't have

00:08:10to say

00:08:11anything I stole the show but I think a negative side of that applause is how you would perceive it

00:08:23why are they clapping for me do I deserve that applause I didn't do anything special if I were

00:08:31you I'd be booing me growing up in South Florida most boys especially would look at you like why are

00:08:39you not into sports or video games yeah I would get picked on a lot I got bullied a lot

00:08:44and it really

00:08:45started to kind of tear me down inside I definitely struggled with self-esteem my whole life

00:08:56but I had this ability to perform and acting to bring people joy

00:09:05I have to do these things to get people to like me if you look at most of the guys

00:09:11in that era a lot

00:09:12of the reason why we choose music is this way to communicate and almost like

00:09:22it's a call for help

00:09:25I was probably like 10 or 11 years old a little bit older than that

00:09:28out comes new kids on the block we were living in Brooklyn New York and I remember uh this girl

00:09:35this friend of mine her name was Deborah and I used to go to her house and watch all the

00:09:38VHS tapes

00:09:42because I didn't want anybody to know you know you don't watch a boy band this is for girls that's

00:09:47for guys this is that sissy stuff is what they would say and I was like I don't know what

00:09:51you're

00:09:51talking about I'm like I'm enjoying the performances I love the songs but on top of that look at how

00:09:57many

00:09:57people are in this arena like they're performing in arenas right now at that time and it's like

00:10:04I would love to do something like that it was groups like that new kids or boys to men

00:10:09that we looked up to and showed us what was possible

00:10:18new kids on the block is definitely the og boy band they were a worldwide phenomenon that started

00:10:25in the late 80s sold over 80 million records worldwide can never be you know fed up with

00:10:32getting awards and and being successful and having millions of people you know want to buy your records

00:10:37I was a tour manager for new kids on the block and they from a personality performance level

00:10:43can't be beat even to this day I don't care what anybody says but then when new kids on the

00:10:48block

00:10:48decided after four and a half years that they were burnt out so they wanted to take a break

00:10:53and that's kind of when boys to men started coming out yes there is a distinction between singer

00:10:59groups and boy bands but unfortunately the experiences are very similar but when I hear people

00:11:06having a lot to say about the group and not really understanding what we had to go through I personally

00:11:13tell them to off because you don't know you have no idea nor will you ever know

00:11:24we weren't a group that was put together you know music put us together we all lived in

00:11:30you know four different places in Philadelphia my mom had me when she was 19 my dad was 18 so

00:11:38you know

00:11:38it was kids I met up with my dad later on when I was eight years old you know I

00:11:45lived in the projects

00:11:46my mom wasn't in the best way at the time and my grandmother took me to the trolley stop she

00:11:53said I'm

00:11:53going to show you how to do this she said get on the trolley you sit right by the door

00:11:58if anything

00:11:59happens I need to be able to run straight off the hood is the hood you know what I'm saying

00:12:05somebody come on that john and they they want the the the money change thing you know they stick up

00:12:11the

00:12:11they stick up the trolley it was scary because I would come home and it'd be some crazy stuff I'm

00:12:20talking about coming home and laying in my bed lift up the mattress it's like sawed off shotguns

00:12:28freaking nine millimeters and guess what I did went to sleep you feel me that's that's what it was so

00:12:37I had to leave and once I remember sitting on a bed when I just start crying crying and I

00:12:49was praying

00:12:49I just said I just want to be a star and I kept crying it I want to be a

00:12:54star I want to be a star

00:12:57now the crazy thing is when you become a star he didn't you didn't tell you didn't tell me that

00:13:04it comes with a lot

00:13:09I wasn't prepared for loss

00:13:12and that loss changed the trajectory of of everything

00:13:27growing up fame the tv show with Leroy and Coco and all of the dancers and it was just this

00:13:35school

00:13:35that was amazing I'm like really it'd be awesome if there was a school like that right in eighth grade

00:13:41high schools they start coming to your schools to you know solicit you to another place so I was sitting

00:13:48there and another school came and the next thing you know they put this thing on the screen they show

00:13:57Leroy and Coco and they said you might know this school from blah blah and I was like

00:14:02fame you know what I'm saying I lost my mind you know what I mean I want to go to

00:14:07fame

00:14:12Kappa is an acronym for creative and performing arts

00:14:15so if it's anything like the tv show I need to go

00:14:18and that's where I met the other guys in the group called boys to men

00:14:23when we first started I was around 15

00:14:26Nate, Mike, Mark were 16, 17

00:14:30and Wanye was like 14

00:14:34what people don't have to realize is we rehearsed

00:14:37every day for nothing

00:14:42nothing we had nothing

00:14:44we just went and sang for nothing

00:14:49it wasn't until we graduated that we snuck backstage to a Will Smith concert

00:14:55and that's when we met Michael Bivens

00:14:58Michael Bivens is an artist from the group Bell Biv DeVoe

00:15:01he was one of the original members of New Edition

00:15:04they sang for Bivens and he winds up becoming their manager

00:15:0989 is when the group was formed

00:15:1190 is when we got signed

00:15:1491 we came out

00:15:17I'll tell you these guys are hot

00:15:18everybody loves them

00:15:19women go crazy for them and they're all single

00:15:22they can harmonize good singers

00:15:24much talent

00:15:25they're the best

00:15:26they really are

00:15:27boys to men

00:15:28they're the R&B kings

00:15:29they're cool

00:15:30that's one of the groups that we looked up to

00:15:32that we strive to be like

00:15:34I was at a performing arts school in Cincinnati

00:15:37and we had an acapella group

00:15:38and so we very quickly started to cover boys to men

00:15:41there was something about the way that sounded

00:15:43that was on a whole nother level than anything

00:15:46I had ever heard arranged or performed in my entire life

00:15:50Michael Bivens pushed for us to get on tour

00:15:53so we were the opening act for MC Hammer

00:15:55of course we don't know what it entails

00:15:58you know we just said oh goodness we're going on tour

00:16:00you know this is amazing MC Hammer wow

00:16:03you know

00:16:04when it came time for us to actually go on tour

00:16:07Michael Bivens was putting personnel together

00:16:09and he introduced us to Khalil during the rehearsal

00:16:12and you know big early guy

00:16:14he used to wear these big gold rings with diamonds on it

00:16:18this big chain

00:16:20Khalil Roundtree was our role manager

00:16:22making sure that travel is taken care of

00:16:25hotels

00:16:26making sure we eat

00:16:28the role manager takes care of all of that

00:16:31so he was that and then some

00:16:34he was also our security

00:16:37so when it came time for Khalil to role manage us

00:16:40he needed help

00:16:42so we called his best friend

00:16:44well Khalil we grew up a block apart from each other

00:16:47and we was in you know elementary school together

00:16:50and he was a big gentleman

00:16:52and I was small and we just connected

00:16:56like he was a gentle giant

00:16:58and he was loyal

00:17:01he knew what it all entailed

00:17:02and he wanted us to be safe

00:17:03and he protected us

00:17:04hook or crook

00:17:06through it all

00:17:07no matter what

00:17:08if we had to run

00:17:09we had to run

00:17:10and we had to crawl

00:17:10we had to crawl

00:17:11but he was right there with us

00:17:12showing us how

00:17:14but those things that you run from

00:17:17in life

00:17:18they are always going to rear their heads

00:17:24it's May 1992

00:17:26we're on a too legit to quit tour

00:17:28and we were in Chicago, Illinois

00:17:31I was actually in my girlfriend's room

00:17:34at the Doubletree

00:17:36she was one of MC Hammer's dancers

00:17:39and we were kicking it, having fun

00:17:42and I heard like a loud door shut

00:17:48Sean's girlfriend comes in a room

00:17:50and she says

00:17:54Khalil's dead

00:17:59there was a lot of press

00:18:01and a lot of news about this

00:18:04but people don't know

00:18:05what we went through

00:18:06or how we went through things

00:18:09I get a phone call in my hotel room

00:18:11and it was Wanya

00:18:12and he was like

00:18:13yo

00:18:14I need you to come somewhere with me

00:18:16something happened to Khalil

00:18:18and we went up to Khalil's room

00:18:21we got there

00:18:22it was like CSI investigators

00:18:25they pulled us in the room

00:18:26and sat us down

00:18:29the police officer said

00:18:31there was people in the hotel

00:18:32they were looking for the party

00:18:34because MC Hammer was at the hotel

00:18:36so they were knocking on doors

00:18:38Khalil would leave his hotel door open

00:18:41just to kind of keep

00:18:43an ear on everything

00:18:45Khalil's door was open

00:18:46so instead of knocking

00:18:48they two of them kind of like

00:18:50pushed their way in

00:18:53and they saw him

00:18:55counting the tour money

00:18:58so the one guy barges in

00:19:02Khalil was like

00:19:03he's in my room

00:19:04he walks out

00:19:06so then he's like

00:19:07shit

00:19:07they seen the money

00:19:08he knows the guys are here

00:19:10let me handle this

00:19:11you know he called Quadri

00:19:13so he was like

00:19:14these trying to get in my room

00:19:16so he's like

00:19:17yo come

00:19:17we gonna get them out the hallway

00:19:18because if they gonna knock on

00:19:20one of these stupid rooms

00:19:21talking about us

00:19:23they gonna open the door

00:19:24we can't hear that

00:19:27so Khalil and Quadri grabbed him

00:19:32so I said

00:19:33man come

00:19:33let's just take him downstairs

00:19:34and get rid of him

00:19:38and one of the guys had a gun

00:19:40bow bow bow

00:19:44I got shot

00:19:46I felt

00:19:47one

00:19:47two

00:19:48three

00:19:49one of the guys

00:19:50shot Khalil in the head

00:19:53and they left

00:19:59I was in the state of shock

00:20:01and I come out the elevator

00:20:02and I said

00:20:03my friend

00:20:04he's in the elevator

00:20:04he's right there

00:20:05he's dead

00:20:05he's in the elevator

00:20:06he's dead

00:20:06and I couldn't stop saying it

00:20:07and then I fainted

00:20:13I've never experienced

00:20:14anything like that

00:20:15in my life

00:20:15someone that close to me

00:20:18getting

00:20:19killed

00:20:22in such a close proximity

00:20:32the guys that were

00:20:33banging on hotel doors

00:20:35as they say

00:20:36trying to find

00:20:37where the party was at

00:20:38when in reality

00:20:39I really think

00:20:39they were looking for us

00:20:41and Khalil knew that

00:20:42because that happened to us

00:20:44we've had people

00:20:45sneak into our dressing rooms

00:20:47and stuff like that

00:20:47so

00:20:48he really was

00:20:49our protector

00:20:52he was our shield

00:20:54from a lot of the mess

00:20:56that now we're exposed to

00:20:59so now

00:21:00we have to

00:21:01grow up

00:21:02we have to become

00:21:03boys to men

00:21:11boys to men

00:21:12they pull out of the tour

00:21:14but they're back

00:21:15on the same tour

00:21:16a week later

00:21:17and then they're back

00:21:18in the recording studio

00:21:19working on their next hit

00:21:20End of the Road

00:21:29it spends 13 weeks

00:21:31at number one

00:21:32and it becomes

00:21:32a massive hit

00:21:34I'll Make Love to You

00:21:36another massive hit

00:21:37replaces

00:21:38End of the Road

00:21:40at the top

00:21:41of the singles chart

00:21:43and they keep

00:21:44outdoing themselves

00:21:45one after the other

00:21:47the success of

00:21:48boys to men

00:21:49paved the way

00:21:50for other groups

00:21:52to follow

00:21:52in their footsteps

00:21:55however

00:21:56there is a downside

00:21:57to that

00:21:58because

00:21:59they could grow up

00:22:00to boot you out

00:22:02from that spot

00:22:03at the top

00:22:03of the charts

00:22:07thanks to a lot

00:22:08of the groups

00:22:09that came before us

00:22:10like the boys to men

00:22:11there was a door

00:22:12that had been

00:22:14reopened

00:22:14for male groups

00:22:16to come in

00:22:16we could end up

00:22:18doing a deal

00:22:18with Atlantic Records

00:22:19and then the funny

00:22:20thing is

00:22:21Atlantic Records

00:22:22didn't want to put

00:22:22our picture on the cover

00:22:25because our group

00:22:26all for one

00:22:27there's a white guy

00:22:28there's a Mexican guy

00:22:29and two black guys

00:22:30the music industry

00:22:31even still to this day

00:22:32is one of the most

00:22:33like segregated places

00:22:35still

00:22:37we did the hit song

00:22:38I swear

00:22:39they just start fire

00:22:41now here's the crazy story

00:22:43about I swear

00:22:44a lot of the black radio stations

00:22:46were not able to really play

00:22:48I swear

00:22:48it was like you know

00:22:49we have these folks here

00:22:51saying well

00:22:52you're not R&B enough

00:22:52you're not black enough

00:22:53you've got a white boy

00:22:54and a Mexican boy

00:22:55and you're group

00:22:56it wasn't the fans

00:22:59that segregated us

00:23:00or didn't accept us

00:23:02it was more of the people

00:23:03who make business decisions

00:23:05and it sucked

00:23:06and sucks

00:23:08past and present

00:23:12all right

00:23:12so I went in my garage

00:23:15and literally

00:23:15these are bins in my garage

00:23:17I don't even know

00:23:17half the stuff

00:23:17that's really in here

00:23:18so we're just going to

00:23:19open up and kind of

00:23:19look at some old

00:23:21there's probably

00:23:21NSYNC stuff in here

00:23:22there's a bunch of

00:23:23other stuff in here

00:23:23but out of the gate

00:23:25looks like I can break

00:23:25in half

00:23:26an NSYNC microphone

00:23:27portable and cordless

00:23:30all the dolls

00:23:32Funko

00:23:32we're pop

00:23:33vinyl pop guys

00:23:35how many people

00:23:36have Barbie dolls

00:23:37well this is Christine

00:23:38and she's an NSYNC fan

00:23:42if hopefully

00:23:43you know

00:23:43your group

00:23:44does become popular

00:23:45it becomes I guess

00:23:47a brand in some sort

00:23:48because you're

00:23:49not only selling

00:23:49yourself per se

00:23:50but you're selling

00:23:51the product of course

00:23:52which is the music

00:23:53but sometimes

00:23:54it works the other way

00:23:55where the label

00:23:56or manager

00:23:56starts with the brand

00:23:57that they want to sell

00:23:58and it goes out

00:23:59looking for the

00:23:59individuals to fit

00:24:01that brand

00:24:01that's when you hear

00:24:02criticism that boy bands

00:24:04are in quote

00:24:05manufactured

00:24:05and nobody knows

00:24:08that better than

00:24:08Backstreet

00:24:22when I was a kid

00:24:23we left South

00:24:24Florida

00:24:25to move to Orlando

00:24:26to be closer to

00:24:27Nickelodeon and Disney

00:24:28places that I

00:24:29could potentially work

00:24:31or get jobs

00:24:32where did you get it

00:24:33from this guy

00:24:34hi honey I'm home

00:24:35it's a show

00:24:36on Nickelodeon

00:24:37that ended up actually

00:24:38getting picked up

00:24:39by ABC

00:24:40briefly

00:24:41that was a lot of fun

00:24:42it wasn't until

00:24:43this thing called

00:24:44the blue sheet

00:24:44was coming around

00:24:46in the mail

00:24:46it was basically

00:24:47like the classifieds

00:24:48for all the local

00:24:49entertainment

00:24:50and on the final page

00:24:52on the top of it

00:24:52said

00:24:53local entrepreneur

00:24:54looking to put together

00:24:56a vocal group

00:24:58a la New Kids on the Block

00:24:59meets Boyz II Men

00:25:02and I looked at my mom

00:25:03I was like

00:25:05what do you think?

00:25:08Lou Perlman held auditions

00:25:10for the Backstreet Boys

00:25:11and people came out

00:25:12and auditioned for it

00:25:14I was the first one

00:25:16to meet Lou

00:25:18went to his house

00:25:19sang for him

00:25:21and he signed me

00:25:22on the spot

00:25:23and that was it

00:25:23so IMV

00:25:24the OG

00:25:25I helped literally

00:25:27put the band together

00:25:28at that point in time

00:25:29I had a lot of friends

00:25:30saying to me

00:25:31hey

00:25:31this guy

00:25:32who owns all these blimps

00:25:34he wants to meet you

00:25:35and I'm like

00:25:36who is he?

00:25:37his name was

00:25:38Lou Perlman

00:25:38I don't know

00:25:39he's a rich guy

00:25:40he owns the blimps

00:25:41he drives around

00:25:42on Rolls Royce

00:25:43so I decided

00:25:44to go meet him

00:25:46at an Italian restaurant

00:25:47so when I walk in

00:25:48I go into this private room

00:25:50and there's this huge table

00:25:51set up for about

00:25:5214 people

00:25:52and the only person

00:25:54at the table

00:25:54was Lou

00:25:55so it was some

00:25:56godfather moment

00:25:57right?

00:25:58and then these five guys

00:25:59come in

00:25:59five boys

00:26:01Kevin

00:26:02Ryan

00:26:02Nick

00:26:03AJ

00:26:04and Howie

00:26:04so I was like

00:26:05what's going on

00:26:06with this?

00:26:06so anyways

00:26:07these five guys

00:26:08come in singing

00:26:09and they're singing

00:26:09acapella

00:26:10the hair on my arm

00:26:11stood up

00:26:12because their harmonies

00:26:14were perfection

00:26:16and I remember

00:26:16looking across the table

00:26:17at Johnny

00:26:18and going

00:26:18ching ching

00:26:19it's called

00:26:20the Backstreet Boys

00:26:21brand new group

00:26:22what is your name?

00:26:23I'm AJ McLean

00:26:24oh god

00:26:25that was our

00:26:26very first

00:26:28TV performance

00:26:29ever

00:26:29the local news

00:26:31in Orlando

00:26:33AJ was 14

00:26:34he was the bad boy

00:26:35and who are you?

00:26:36Howie D

00:26:36Howie

00:26:37Howie was the sweet friend

00:26:38I'm from Lexington, Kentucky

00:26:40my name's Brian Littrell

00:26:41Brian was the all-American

00:26:42I'm Kevin Richardson

00:26:43Kevin and Brian

00:26:44were related

00:26:46Kevin Richardson

00:26:47kind of like

00:26:48the more mature

00:26:49daddy of the group

00:26:50he was only 22

00:26:52at the time

00:26:53so

00:26:53that sounds weird

00:26:54but now all the fans

00:26:56say that Kevin

00:26:56has daddy vibes

00:26:57and Nick was the baby

00:26:59Nick was 12

00:27:00when I started

00:27:01working with him

00:27:02I'm from Tampa, Florida

00:27:03and I'm Nick Carter

00:27:0412

00:27:05Nick and AJ

00:27:06they were the young ones

00:27:07we're in the process

00:27:08of making an album

00:27:09right now

00:27:09I mean I was excited

00:27:10because one of the

00:27:11many reasons again

00:27:13back to the beginning

00:27:13why I got picked on

00:27:15because I didn't really

00:27:16have any guy friends

00:27:17all my friends

00:27:17were girls

00:27:20how you doing?

00:27:21how you doing?

00:27:21Lou Pearlman

00:27:22was a peculiar

00:27:24entrepreneur

00:27:25he created this

00:27:27transportation company

00:27:28where he would

00:27:29charter blimps

00:27:30it's not like

00:27:32this is a common thing

00:27:33for a blimp entrepreneur

00:27:34to just enter

00:27:36the music industry

00:27:37and start a boy band

00:27:38this doesn't happen

00:27:39but you do need

00:27:41a lot of business acumen

00:27:42to create a successful

00:27:44musical act

00:27:45I always say

00:27:47there's a million

00:27:47artists here

00:27:48these guys have

00:27:50the right marketing

00:27:50promotion and make it

00:27:52because they have

00:27:53the machine around them

00:27:54that helps get them

00:27:55to that

00:27:56with the Backstreet Boys

00:27:57Lou funded the label

00:27:59Transcon Records

00:28:01Lou built a studio

00:28:02so they could record

00:28:03in there

00:28:04it was Lou's money

00:28:06the business side

00:28:07of things

00:28:08is very important

00:28:09Lou Pearlman's company

00:28:11Transcon Records

00:28:12was developing

00:28:13the Backstreet Boys

00:28:14to make them

00:28:15attractive to

00:28:16a record label

00:28:16by acting like

00:28:18a manager or producer

00:28:19Lou hires Johnny Wright

00:28:21as another manager

00:28:22to train them

00:28:23and book gigs

00:28:23Lou enlists vocal coaches

00:28:25music producers

00:28:26and choreographers

00:28:27to create demos

00:28:28and music videos

00:28:29there was an entire machine

00:28:31to break Backstreet Boys

00:28:33into the industry

00:28:34and oftentimes

00:28:36these are things

00:28:36that an artist

00:28:37cannot afford

00:28:38on their own

00:28:39so they rely on

00:28:40someone like Lou Pearlman

00:28:42to pay for things

00:28:43in the early stages

00:28:44that they will then

00:28:46pay them back for

00:28:47later on

00:28:49the early days

00:28:50of Backstreet Boys

00:28:51they got like

00:28:52a stipend every week

00:28:53and then Lou put them

00:28:54all in a house together

00:29:01it was a beautiful mansion

00:29:03he had a covered pool

00:29:06he had the house

00:29:07he had the limousines

00:29:10he had the planes

00:29:1314 year old

00:29:14you're in this house

00:29:15with this guy

00:29:16who's got

00:29:16a gaggle of money

00:29:18I'll never forget

00:29:19he had a

00:29:20Mexican coke

00:29:21vending machine

00:29:22glass bottle

00:29:23it was the best shit

00:29:24in the world

00:29:24and he's got like

00:29:26C-3PO statue

00:29:27and Darth Vader

00:29:28and a screen

00:29:29that comes out

00:29:30of the ceiling

00:29:31to watch movies

00:29:31and you're like

00:29:32this guy's cool

00:29:33well he's like

00:29:34Tony Stark

00:29:34except minus the tech

00:29:36definitely not

00:29:36as good looking

00:29:37as Tony Stark

00:29:38let's just say that

00:29:38he was like

00:29:39five Tony Starks

00:29:40in one

00:29:41he gave gifts

00:29:42he took them

00:29:43out to dinners

00:29:44he was the one

00:29:45that funded everything

00:29:46he drove them around

00:29:47in the limos

00:29:48I never liked

00:29:49Lou Pearlman

00:29:50ever

00:29:50and I had a vibe

00:29:52about him

00:29:52that I just

00:29:53didn't trust

00:29:56you know

00:29:57how you doing

00:29:58well let's go

00:29:58get a steak

00:29:59always had pretty

00:30:00people around him

00:30:03you had this guy

00:30:04who took

00:30:05three and a half

00:30:06million dollars

00:30:06which he could have

00:30:07put in stock market

00:30:08could have bought

00:30:09a piece of property

00:30:10and flipped it

00:30:10he could have done

00:30:11other things

00:30:12that were more secure

00:30:14than putting it

00:30:15into your music career

00:30:17it makes you start

00:30:18to second guess

00:30:20nobody really

00:30:21stopped to think

00:30:22why

00:30:29if you're coming

00:30:29from a household

00:30:30where a father

00:30:31isn't present

00:30:32and you have a guy

00:30:33who hanging out

00:30:35with you

00:30:36helping you

00:30:37and putting money

00:30:37in your pocket

00:30:38you kind of gravitate

00:30:40to that person

00:30:41this is what we call

00:30:42Mr. Big Papa

00:30:43Big Papa

00:30:44that was the nickname

00:30:46they gave him

00:30:47Big Papa

00:30:49I mean it was just like

00:30:52parental figure

00:30:53slash like

00:30:54best friend

00:30:55kind of relationship

00:30:57for me

00:30:58I grew up

00:31:00being raised

00:31:00by my mom

00:31:01and my grandparents

00:31:03when I was two

00:31:04my parents

00:31:05divorced

00:31:06so after my parents

00:31:07split up

00:31:08my dad

00:31:08picked me up

00:31:09when I was about

00:31:10eight

00:31:11to go see

00:31:12my nana

00:31:13which was his mom

00:31:14for her birthday

00:31:15and that was the last time

00:31:16I saw him

00:31:16until I was 17

00:31:19in that moment

00:31:20in that time

00:31:21some of the boys

00:31:22looked up to Lou

00:31:23Kevin

00:31:24had lost his father

00:31:25unfortunately

00:31:26before we started

00:31:28Backstreet Boys

00:31:28passed away

00:31:29when he was 19

00:31:30from cancer

00:31:32he immediately

00:31:33kind of had that

00:31:35relationship with Lou

00:31:36where he did look up

00:31:37to him like

00:31:37a father figure

00:31:41then there was a problem

00:31:44we thought

00:31:45this record

00:31:46we got it going

00:31:47I was going to be a smash

00:31:48the single that we tried

00:31:49to promote in the U.S.

00:31:50and nobody wanted to play it

00:31:52music had gone more

00:31:53rock and grunge

00:31:55so there was no room

00:31:56for a boy band

00:31:57like everybody

00:31:58poo-pooed on it

00:31:59let me tell you

00:32:00let me give you the tea

00:32:02at that point

00:32:03we're feeling

00:32:05you know

00:32:05somewhat accomplished

00:32:06we've won a Grammy

00:32:07we've won an American

00:32:07Music Award

00:32:08we've been touring the world

00:32:09you know

00:32:10we've been releasing songs

00:32:11and having success

00:32:13guys one more shot

00:32:14and one day

00:32:16we got this young group

00:32:17called the Backstreet Boys

00:32:18they went to see

00:32:19what a tour bus

00:32:19looked like

00:32:20we invited them

00:32:21on our tour bus

00:32:21in Orlando

00:32:22we're talking to them

00:32:23and trying to give them

00:32:24advice you know

00:32:25and they were really

00:32:26cool kids then

00:32:27and like

00:32:28there is no competitions

00:32:29because at the end of the day

00:32:30the thing

00:32:31that matters

00:32:33first and foremost

00:32:34is hit records

00:32:36because there's a lot

00:32:37of talented people

00:32:38and you can sing

00:32:38their faces off

00:32:39what's the difference

00:32:40between them and us

00:32:41hit records right

00:32:47nobody wanted to play

00:32:48the Backstreet Boys

00:32:49in the United States

00:32:50so me have being involved

00:32:52with other bands

00:32:53who played all over Europe

00:32:55and the world

00:32:55and keeping my Rolodex

00:32:57of different people

00:32:58that I met along the way

00:32:59we had booked

00:33:00the Backstreet Boys

00:33:01to play in Germany

00:33:13one more time

00:33:15you could see the girls

00:33:16in the audience's mouth

00:33:17drop

00:33:18and the place

00:33:19went crazy

00:33:25and even without

00:33:26social media

00:33:27just the spread

00:33:28of word of mouth

00:33:29like these guys

00:33:29from America

00:33:30or something

00:33:31and then that's

00:33:31when it kicked off

00:33:32for us

00:33:33Love you Backstreet Boys

00:33:35their single went

00:33:37to number one

00:33:38in like eight weeks

00:33:38and then it was on

00:33:40I think they're really great

00:33:41they can sing

00:33:43and they look good

00:33:44first of all

00:33:45it is an amazing thing

00:33:46to have the ability

00:33:47to bring so much joy

00:33:49and happiness

00:33:49to people

00:33:50you may never know

00:33:51on a personal level

00:33:52around the world

00:33:55through music

00:33:56through performance

00:33:57is a blessing

00:33:59they did all the TV shows

00:34:01hello everybody

00:34:01for the Backstreet Boys

00:34:03Nick you are

00:34:04the biggest womanizer

00:34:06but now I heard

00:34:08every girl was screaming

00:34:09like Nick Nick Nick

00:34:11we were playing

00:34:1230,000 seat stadiums

00:34:14so now they're blowing up

00:34:16and now our record label

00:34:17is saying

00:34:18oh y'all need to be like them

00:34:21so I'm like

00:34:22well we were out

00:34:23before they were

00:34:24and why can't there

00:34:25be enough room

00:34:26and space

00:34:27for them to be them

00:34:29they have their lane

00:34:30and they're killing it

00:34:31in their lane

00:34:31and we have our lane

00:34:33and the fan base

00:34:33and we're killing it

00:34:34in our lane

00:34:36I think it makes you

00:34:37question your talent

00:34:40because it's like

00:34:40you must think

00:34:42that I'm not good enough

00:34:43to be me

00:34:44if you're telling me

00:34:45I need to be him

00:34:51my name is Jeff Timmons

00:34:52I am the founding member

00:34:54of a group called

00:34:5498 Degrees

00:34:55our path was

00:34:56dramatically different

00:34:57than Backstreet

00:34:59and Boys to Men's path

00:35:00and all for one

00:35:02I mean we would have

00:35:03much preferred

00:35:03to have this

00:35:05monster behemoth label

00:35:06pushed behind us

00:35:07but we didn't have it

00:35:08we were four kids

00:35:09from Ohio

00:35:10we moved to

00:35:11North Hollywood

00:35:12the summer of 95

00:35:13and really for us

00:35:14it was all about

00:35:15all those old school

00:35:16ways of just trying

00:35:17to get out there

00:35:18we had a motorhome

00:35:21wrapped with our picture

00:35:22and we would do a show

00:35:24and I would drive

00:35:25for six hours

00:35:26to the next city

00:35:27we'd go to Kinko's

00:35:28we'd print out our flyers

00:35:30going up and down the beach

00:35:31just handing out flyers

00:35:32to girls on the beach

00:35:32like alright

00:35:33how else are we gonna get noticed

00:35:34we literally put the hat down

00:35:36and you sing for money

00:35:37and for food

00:35:39show up on a street corner

00:35:40just sing

00:35:41we go to Taco Bell

00:35:42sing

00:35:42we go to Fatburger

00:35:44sing

00:35:44can we get a free burger

00:35:45we scrapped

00:35:46and clawed our way

00:35:47to stay afloat

00:35:48and then we thought

00:35:49eventually

00:35:50we're gonna meet someone

00:35:51in LA

00:35:52who's gonna know somebody

00:35:53who's gonna know somebody

00:35:54and this is gonna get us somewhere

00:36:03I had a friend

00:36:04who was a performer

00:36:05in Germany

00:36:05and she's like

00:36:06there's this group over here

00:36:07that's just blowing up

00:36:08called the Backstreet Boys

00:36:08and they had not yet

00:36:10broken here in the US

00:36:11similar group

00:36:12much more polished

00:36:14and I remember us going

00:36:15this is where we're going

00:36:16if we stick with it

00:36:17we're gonna get more of this

00:36:18now we just gotta practice

00:36:19and now we just need

00:36:20the opportunity

00:36:241995

00:36:25we had the single

00:36:26with Mariah

00:36:28One Sweet Day

00:36:29it was sweeping

00:36:33it was emotional

00:36:34it tugged at your heartstrings

00:36:37you had these two

00:36:38juggernaut musical acts

00:36:40teaming up

00:36:40I mean it was

00:36:42it was magic

00:36:43we're nominated

00:36:45for six Grammys

00:36:46and Mariah was so short

00:36:50and we did not win

00:36:52one

00:36:54we took a year off

00:36:56it's just tired bro

00:36:58we were at each other's throats

00:36:59we cancelled the European tour

00:37:03and we came home bro

00:37:05and nobody was feeling us

00:37:07like people were done

00:37:09with us

00:37:10and with our era

00:37:13of music

00:37:14and it shifted to

00:37:16the boy bands

00:37:18and

00:37:19they look nothing like us

00:37:22Motown Records

00:37:23our label in particular

00:37:24made it painfully obvious

00:37:26that they were done

00:37:26they were done with us

00:37:28and

00:37:29the pendulum has shifted

00:37:30that's right

00:37:31this song right here

00:37:32there is more choice

00:37:33because we want to

00:37:34take tribute to Motown

00:37:35we signed to Motown Records

00:37:37and for those of you

00:37:38that don't know

00:37:39it's a legendary record label

00:37:40that has such great artists

00:37:42like

00:37:43Stevie Wonder

00:37:43Marvin Gaye

00:37:45The Four Tops

00:37:46The Temptation

00:37:46and right now

00:37:48it's got great artists

00:37:49like Boyz II Men

00:37:51anybody like Boyz II Men?

00:37:53yeah

00:37:54I'd be lying

00:37:55if I didn't say

00:37:55come on

00:37:56this is insane

00:37:58they were the first

00:37:59white band

00:38:00on the black label

00:38:02they'd give us

00:38:02this song

00:38:03called

00:38:03Invisible Man

00:38:04and

00:38:05turns out

00:38:05it was submitted

00:38:06for Boyz II Men

00:38:07by a couple writers

00:38:08in Vancouver, Canada

00:38:09and the president

00:38:10of Motown

00:38:11heard it

00:38:11and he said

00:38:12no I don't want this

00:38:12for Boyz II Men

00:38:13I want 90 Degrees

00:38:14to take this record

00:38:14this song is called

00:38:15Invisible Man

00:38:17it's textbook

00:38:19do

00:38:19black music

00:38:21with white faces

00:38:24Pat Boone

00:38:25The Osmonds

00:38:27Elvis

00:38:27they were all doing

00:38:29black music

00:38:29that is the truth

00:38:30like and it's a hard truth

00:38:32it's no diss

00:38:3390 Degrees

00:38:35NSYNC

00:38:35Backstreet

00:38:36any of those guys

00:38:36like

00:38:37they were just kids

00:38:38trying to make it too

00:38:40I hate to say it

00:38:42just crass

00:38:44but

00:38:45to

00:38:46the average

00:38:47white girl

00:38:48fan

00:38:50the black groups

00:38:52oh

00:38:53I'd

00:38:53him

00:38:55but the white groups

00:38:57oh I'd marry

00:38:58him

00:39:01Justin Timberlake

00:39:02on my wall

00:39:02it's more acceptable

00:39:04opposed to

00:39:05a couple of black guys

00:39:07I can marry Justin

00:39:09I can bring him

00:39:09to my house

00:39:10he can have dinner

00:39:12with my family

00:39:13it's a little harder

00:39:14to bring

00:39:15black ass

00:39:16Sean

00:39:17to

00:39:18rural

00:39:20Arkansas

00:39:23it's a cut throat

00:39:24business

00:39:25they want the next

00:39:26hottest

00:39:27biggest thing

00:39:27or the next

00:39:28new act

00:39:29they don't give

00:39:29two shit

00:39:29sometimes

00:39:30record companies

00:39:30and if they can be

00:39:32that cold blooded

00:39:33to the biggest

00:39:33music sensation

00:39:34at the time

00:39:35imagine the power

00:39:36they had over

00:39:37the new artist

00:39:42the president of Motown

00:39:44he wanted us to be

00:39:45the white Jodeci

00:39:46so

00:39:47he was trying to

00:39:48give us that

00:39:49in a crash course

00:39:50hey

00:39:51I want you guys

00:39:51to go to black churches

00:39:52in Harlem on Sundays

00:39:53let's dress these guys

00:39:54in Fugu and Fat Farm

00:39:56I remember going on

00:39:57a train

00:39:58to Rochester, New York

00:39:59to work with Devante

00:40:00from Jodeci

00:40:01and we show up

00:40:03and Devante

00:40:04is being fitted

00:40:05for a bulletproof vest

00:40:07in the studio

00:40:08and I'm looking around

00:40:09I'm like

00:40:10do we need

00:40:11a bulletproof vest

00:40:12what did we just

00:40:13walk into

00:40:14it does make you

00:40:15question

00:40:16well why did you

00:40:16sign us

00:40:17if you didn't want us

00:40:18to be who we are

00:40:18you're trying to make us

00:40:19into something else

00:40:21you gotta remember

00:40:22we're a new act

00:40:23we're not making any money

00:40:24we don't know

00:40:25what the plan is

00:40:26and this is our shot

00:40:28we'll try it

00:40:29we'll try this

00:40:30we'll go hang out

00:40:30at Bowery Bar

00:40:31with Russell

00:40:32we'll do all these things

00:40:33we'll do whatever

00:40:34we have to do

00:40:36you go home

00:40:36you're like

00:40:37what am I

00:40:37who am I

00:40:38it starts to really

00:40:39mess with you

00:40:39mentally

00:40:42and for me

00:40:43it causes severe depression

00:40:46but I felt like

00:40:47I was the weakest link

00:40:48in the group

00:40:50just didn't feel good

00:40:51about myself

00:40:51didn't feel good physically

00:40:52I could not sleep

00:40:53and my head

00:40:54wasn't right

00:40:56I felt so worthless

00:40:57and just the fact

00:40:59that I could not

00:41:00handle all this pressure

00:41:01that I was like

00:41:02just end it

00:41:06and I don't know

00:41:07for whatever reason

00:41:08I just thought

00:41:09no screw that

00:41:10like

00:41:11just push one more time

00:41:12like just try this last thing

00:41:15I went to our manager

00:41:16and I said

00:41:16I need some help

00:41:17if I don't get

00:41:18some sort of help

00:41:19I will not be here

00:41:20like this is over

00:41:21and I mean seriously

00:41:22so he found a psychiatrist

00:41:24for me to go to

00:41:25he put me on this

00:41:26Atkins diet

00:41:27put me on some medication

00:41:28within three months

00:41:30I was

00:41:30I felt better than ever

00:41:31and it didn't make

00:41:32this any easier

00:41:35but at least I felt better

00:41:37that I didn't want to die

00:41:39you know

00:41:40so

00:41:41thanks for sharing that

00:41:43at the time

00:41:44I kept hearing rumblings

00:41:45from the same people

00:41:47who had told me about Lou

00:41:49when I had my first meeting

00:41:51that Lou had another boy band

00:41:55and every time

00:41:56I would call Lou

00:41:57I'd say

00:41:58what's this I'm hearing about

00:41:59no I don't have another boy band

00:42:00no I don't have

00:42:01I don't know what you're talking about

00:42:02people are lying

00:42:03there's another boy band out there

00:42:05but I have nothing to do with them

00:42:12all right

00:42:12so I got some of my wards and stuff

00:42:14and I have a storage unit

00:42:15full of stuff

00:42:16and it's

00:42:17I would love to have everything

00:42:19out in display

00:42:20if I could

00:42:21I really would

00:42:21because it does mean a lot to me

00:42:23it's my life

00:42:24it's a lot of my career

00:42:25it's all of my career

00:42:26what I really started doing

00:42:28this is what really

00:42:30started it all

00:42:33Disney wanted to make

00:42:34Orlando Hollywood East

00:42:35at one point

00:42:36you had all the theme parks

00:42:38that at that time

00:42:38had dancers

00:42:40singers

00:42:41all levels of performers

00:42:43back in the day

00:42:44I was doing a Beetlejuice show

00:42:45at Universal

00:42:47and I was in a group

00:42:48with this kid named Jason

00:42:49and two other friends of mine

00:42:52and then I run into Chris

00:42:54who actually worked

00:42:56at Universal

00:42:57there's always speculations

00:42:59of how the group got together

00:43:01people are going to say

00:43:02so many different things

00:43:03but I will say

00:43:05Lou told Chris

00:43:06basically

00:43:06I don't want to do an audition

00:43:07go out and find

00:43:09and Chris did

00:43:11Chris brought the guys together

00:43:12Lou Perlman

00:43:14financially

00:43:14helped that

00:43:16and Lynn Harless

00:43:17which is Justin's mom

00:43:18came up with the name

00:43:19NSYNC

00:43:21Lynn was like

00:43:22oh y'all names

00:43:23last letter of your first name

00:43:24spells NSYNC

00:43:25and you're like

00:43:26what do you mean

00:43:26it's like

00:43:26well you got

00:43:27N for Justin

00:43:28you have

00:43:29S for Chris

00:43:31C-H-R-I-S

00:43:32so there's N-S-Y

00:43:34you got Joey for the Y

00:43:35so N-S-Y-N

00:43:38which was Jason

00:43:38for the other N

00:43:39and then JC for the C

00:43:41so that was NSYNC

00:43:42you're a funny guy

00:43:44when we started

00:43:45we were definitely boys

00:43:47I mean you had

00:43:47Justin who was 14

00:43:48and you had Chris

00:43:49who was 23, 24 at the time

00:43:51so it's a 10 year gap

00:43:52pretty much

00:43:52between them

00:43:54wow

00:43:54which head look like this

00:43:59so the five of us

00:44:00got together

00:44:01we sang

00:44:01everything was great

00:44:02we're going to sign

00:44:02with Transcontinental

00:44:03which was Lou Pearlman's

00:44:04independent record label

00:44:05and all of a sudden

00:44:06we go to sign

00:44:08and Jason doesn't show up

00:44:10and we're like

00:44:12what happened?

00:44:18Jason

00:44:20that's the guy

00:44:20that quit NSYNC

00:44:24he was a good friend of mine

00:44:25and his dad

00:44:26was my chorus teacher

00:44:28in high school

00:44:29what I want to do

00:44:30is sit with Jason

00:44:31and have a conversation

00:44:32and to hear his side of it

00:44:35what's up?

00:44:36what's up?

00:44:37what up dog?

00:44:38what up dog?

00:44:40look up

00:44:40how you doing man?

00:44:42how you doing man?

00:44:43we're doing this whole documentary

00:44:44that's why I have you

00:44:45so obviously people

00:44:47don't know

00:44:47it's almost like

00:44:48you know

00:44:48the fifth Beatle

00:44:49or whatever the f***

00:44:49in that sense

00:44:50but it's more or less

00:44:50for us

00:44:51it's getting the story across

00:44:53that no one's ever

00:44:54really heard before

00:44:54oh

00:44:55hi

00:44:58so the full story

00:44:59with NSYNC

00:45:01I had no idea

00:45:03what was going to happen

00:45:04and also

00:45:04I was a stupid kid

00:45:05I've never seen

00:45:07a music contract before

00:45:08so I was smart enough

00:45:10back then

00:45:11to take the contracts

00:45:12to lawyers

00:45:13to review them

00:45:15and

00:45:16it's like

00:45:16whoa

00:45:17whoa

00:45:17what

00:45:18Lou's

00:45:19Lou's a member

00:45:19of the band now?

00:45:22referring both

00:45:23the Backstreet Boys

00:45:23and NSYNC

00:45:24there was a contract

00:45:26and the way Lou

00:45:27always structured

00:45:28the companies

00:45:28was he was the 51% owner

00:45:32but

00:45:32he was also

00:45:33one sixth member

00:45:35of the Backstreet Boys

00:45:37and NSYNC

00:45:38so he got a sixth

00:45:39of their side

00:45:40of the 49

00:45:42all I can say

00:45:43is I'm so proud

00:45:43of these guys

00:45:45there's a paragraph

00:45:46where it said

00:45:46if they do an outside business

00:45:49while they're a member

00:45:50of the Backstreet Boys

00:45:51management was still

00:45:52entitled to a commission

00:45:54and Brian said

00:45:55so you mean

00:45:56if I go and get

00:45:57a hot dog stand

00:45:58while I'm in this group

00:45:59you guys get a piece of that

00:46:01and we're like

00:46:01yeah

00:46:02because anything

00:46:02you're using your name for

00:46:03that we're helping you promote

00:46:05that's going to bring

00:46:06goodwill into another business

00:46:07we should get paid for it

00:46:09the music industry

00:46:10is one of the

00:46:11very few industries

00:46:12where

00:46:12you don't have to go to school

00:46:14for it

00:46:15yet

00:46:15you're thrown in it

00:46:16and

00:46:17record contracts

00:46:19you've never seen

00:46:20any of this

00:46:21words

00:46:22salad in your life

00:46:25and

00:46:26all of this

00:46:27you learn on the fly

00:46:28I believe 90%

00:46:30of the artists

00:46:30will sign a horrible

00:46:31record deal

00:46:32just to have one

00:46:33unfortunately

00:46:34this one was real bad

00:46:37these guys were

00:46:38teenagers

00:46:39barely even teenagers

00:46:4112 years old

00:46:4214 years old

00:46:43for Backstreet Boys

00:46:44nobody really stopped

00:46:46to think

00:46:47you boys probably

00:46:48shouldn't sign this

00:46:49until somebody

00:46:49gets a lawyer for us

00:46:51so we did

00:46:53or thought I did

00:46:56unbeknownst to me

00:46:57the attorney that they got

00:46:58was a suggestion

00:46:59from Lou

00:47:01the only attorney

00:47:02that was in the room

00:47:03when we signed it

00:47:03was his attorney

00:47:04none of us got attorneys

00:47:14I've often thought

00:47:15what if

00:47:16one of our parents

00:47:18did decide to get a lawyer

00:47:19the lawyer was there

00:47:21read the contract

00:47:22and saw that

00:47:23would Lou have dropped us

00:47:24on the spot

00:47:25or would he have changed

00:47:27the contract

00:47:31I think he would have

00:47:31dropped us

00:47:32I mean I found

00:47:33five people

00:47:34I can find another

00:47:35five people

00:47:36exactly

00:47:36and he did

00:47:38bye bye everyone

00:47:40as far as

00:47:40NSYNC is concerned

00:47:42Lou sat down with us

00:47:43and said hey

00:47:43you know what

00:47:44I love to do this

00:47:45A, B, C and D

00:47:46and I know that

00:47:47I'm going to look out

00:47:48for your best interest

00:47:48remember I'm saying that

00:47:49if I become a sixth member

00:47:50with you guys

00:47:51that means we all split it

00:47:53we'll all share it

00:47:53but I'm going to look out

00:47:54for your best interest

00:47:55I'm like

00:47:56I split five, six ways

00:47:57that seems pretty

00:47:59pretty reasonable

00:48:00since thinking

00:48:01that's the only thing

00:48:02he's getting

00:48:02now look

00:48:03obviously you want to make

00:48:04a decision

00:48:06that's using your best judgment

00:48:08but when you're out there

00:48:09grinding

00:48:09and you have no money

00:48:11and you're in a competitive

00:48:12landscape

00:48:12and in a business

00:48:13that's a dream

00:48:14to actually achieve

00:48:15and the fact that

00:48:16someone handed me

00:48:17a piece of paper

00:48:18making it official

00:48:18you're going to justify

00:48:20in your brain

00:48:21that it's

00:48:22that it's something

00:48:23that's legit

00:48:24so we signed a deal

00:48:25the four of us

00:48:28at that juncture

00:48:30with NSYNC

00:48:31it didn't feel right

00:48:33so I didn't do it

00:48:37JC was pissed

00:48:38calling me like

00:48:39what are you doing

00:48:40what are you doing

00:48:41and I don't blame them

00:48:43I kind of left them

00:48:43high and dry

00:48:44so I get it

00:48:45I'd be pissed at me too

00:48:49after NSYNC

00:48:50I went back to college

00:48:51she got my degree

00:48:52and then

00:48:53a buddy of mine

00:48:54I went to school with

00:48:55he was in the mortgage

00:48:56business

00:48:56and I've been doing

00:48:58that ever since

00:49:04you're always going to be

00:49:05you know

00:49:05have your what if moments

00:49:07you know

00:49:07it's just human nature

00:49:08you're going to think

00:49:09about that

00:49:10and have to have

00:49:10those what if moments

00:49:20I don't know

00:49:21I don't know

00:49:28so that was just

00:49:28the four of us

00:49:29and we were pretty

00:49:30bent out of shape

00:49:31because we were

00:49:32we were on the verge

00:49:33of doing stuff

00:49:34so then we tried

00:49:35to find a bass singer

00:49:40well I grew up

00:49:40in a little town

00:49:41called Ellisville Mississippi

00:49:44it was a town

00:49:45of 2,000 people

00:49:46very small country town

00:49:47a place you didn't

00:49:48lock your doors

00:49:49you knew every single

00:49:50person in town

00:49:53you know

00:49:53you didn't go home

00:49:54until the street lights

00:49:55came on

00:49:55that was your sign

00:49:56and very conservative

00:49:57I was in church

00:49:58three times a week

00:50:00it was all about family

00:50:02it was all about religion

00:50:03I was always in choir

00:50:04singing in church

00:50:07so you never really

00:50:08had a dream

00:50:08that I could be

00:50:09an entertainer

00:50:11when I was 16

00:50:12I had a girlfriend

00:50:13at the time

00:50:14I was getting ready

00:50:16for my homecoming

00:50:17parade

00:50:17I got home

00:50:18from helping

00:50:20build the float

00:50:20and my mom

00:50:22was on the phone

00:50:23with Lou Pearlman

00:50:24and Justin Timberlake

00:50:26and his mom Lynn

00:50:26they'd found me

00:50:27through my coach

00:50:28for another show car

00:50:29that I was in

00:50:30and they're putting

00:50:31this band together

00:50:31and see if you want

00:50:33to be the bass singer

00:50:34think about how random

00:50:35that is though

00:50:36somebody randomly calls

00:50:37you out of Mississippi

00:50:37to say hey

00:50:38these four guys

00:50:39want to audition you

00:50:40in a group

00:50:40hey tell your mom

00:50:41to come to Florida

00:50:42we'll fly them out

00:50:43my mom was like

00:50:44no I'm not interested

00:50:45and hung up

00:50:45and that was it

00:50:47the second time

00:50:48that they called

00:50:49somehow

00:50:50my mom

00:50:52thought it was okay

00:50:53for us to fly to Orlando

00:50:54and just meet the guys

00:50:56I was so nervous

00:50:57these guys were

00:50:59insanely talented

00:51:03I definitely felt like

00:51:05you know

00:51:06imposter syndrome

00:51:07for sure

00:51:08I mean the 16 year old

00:51:09kids never left their town

00:51:10all of a sudden

00:51:11pretending they're a great singer

00:51:12pretending they're a great dancer

00:51:14I just felt like

00:51:15I was pretending

00:51:15the whole time

00:51:16which suited me

00:51:17because I was pretending

00:51:18to be a lot of things

00:51:19at the time

00:51:23some of my first memories

00:51:24were knowing

00:51:25that I was different

00:51:26in kindergarten

00:51:27I remember having

00:51:28like a little crush

00:51:29on the boy

00:51:30instead of the girl

00:51:31and I knew

00:51:32at that time

00:51:33that that was not right

00:51:34you just knew it

00:51:35from what you know

00:51:36people say in the churches

00:51:38all the jokes made

00:51:39about gay people

00:51:39so at an early age

00:51:41you knew

00:51:41that those feelings

00:51:42had to be suppressed

00:51:46so I hid that part

00:51:48of myself

00:51:50and the older I got

00:51:51I did not like myself

00:51:54it just felt lonely

00:51:56felt very lonely

00:51:57I felt like I was on an island

00:51:58because I couldn't talk

00:51:59to anyone

00:52:00I felt broke

00:52:02when I joined NSYNC

00:52:04it was always alluded

00:52:05that your private life

00:52:06always needed to be hidden

00:52:08if we were to come out

00:52:09as gay

00:52:10if to come out

00:52:11even having a girlfriend

00:52:13that it would really

00:52:14hurt our career

00:52:15that that

00:52:16that needed to be hidden

00:52:18and so

00:52:19that always translated

00:52:20to me

00:52:21it was like

00:52:22never come out

00:52:23never come out

00:52:26this one little thing

00:52:28just destroys

00:52:29all of that

00:52:54I started in the entertainment business

00:52:57back in the 90s

00:52:58and I started with

00:52:59the boy band Craze

00:53:00in Orlando, Florida

00:53:02for NSYNC

00:53:03I started as their

00:53:04personal assistant

00:53:04I didn't work for Lou

00:53:06and I didn't work for Johnny

00:53:06I worked for

00:53:07the five guys directly

00:53:09the first time

00:53:10I ever saw them perform

00:53:11I said get rid of that kid

00:53:13he was a good dancer

00:53:15but

00:53:15he was very nasally

00:53:18and it was Justin

00:53:19I'm rolling down the street

00:53:20and the music is bumping

00:53:21I really said that

00:53:23boy I was wrong

00:53:24boy I was wrong

00:53:28I realized that

00:53:29Lance was gay

00:53:30we were on the bus

00:53:31and I was making

00:53:32a peanut butter and jelly sandwich

00:53:33and he goes

00:53:35what are you doing

00:53:35he goes no no no

00:53:36he grabbed a styrofoam cup

00:53:37and he grabbed peanut butter

00:53:38and put it in the styrofoam cup

00:53:39and then he grabbed jelly

00:53:40you can't just do

00:53:41peanut butter and jelly

00:53:43you have to mix it together

00:53:44it's a different consistency

00:53:45it's a different flavor

00:53:47try it

00:53:48I'm telling you

00:53:49he goes

00:53:50try mine

00:53:50and I try his

00:53:51I'm like

00:53:52I go Lance

00:53:53are you kidding me dude

00:53:54this is the greatest thing

00:53:56I've ever tasted

00:53:56this is unbelievable

00:53:57he goes

00:53:58yeah Joe

00:53:58I told you

00:53:59I said but also

00:54:00this is the gayest thing

00:54:01I've ever done

00:54:02and he looked at me

00:54:03and his whole face turned red

00:54:04and he ran off the bus

00:54:08there was a lot of times

00:54:09where if people said

00:54:10trigger words

00:54:11I probably would freeze up

00:54:12and you would just kind of

00:54:14kind of like Homer Simpson

00:54:15back into the bushes

00:54:16you're like

00:54:16I'm just gonna

00:54:17just disappear right now

00:54:20in the group

00:54:20it was really interesting

00:54:21because I was the first one

00:54:22to find out

00:54:24we go out one night

00:54:25we all go back

00:54:25to Lance's house

00:54:26I pass out

00:54:27in one of his guest bedrooms

00:54:28I wake up at like

00:54:29three o'clock in the morning

00:54:30I'm like

00:54:30oh I gotta leave

00:54:32I go to his bedroom

00:54:33open up there

00:54:33there's nobody in there

00:54:34then I go to his office

00:54:35and I open up the door

00:54:36and he's sitting there

00:54:37and there's a guy

00:54:38straddled on top of him

00:54:41I was at my computer

00:54:43and my boyfriend

00:54:45at the time

00:54:45my very very first boyfriend

00:54:47was sitting on my lap

00:54:48not naked

00:54:49but there's straddled

00:54:50on top

00:54:50and I was like

00:54:53got quiet

00:54:53and he was like

00:54:54oh sorry

00:54:54I'm like

00:54:55no no no no

00:54:55come in come in

00:54:56I was like

00:54:57surprise

00:54:58yo bro

00:54:58I said

00:54:59honestly

00:55:00your mom's gonna kill you

00:55:01that's all I said to him

00:55:03and he's like

00:55:03oh please

00:55:03I don't care

00:55:04I'm like

00:55:04okay

00:55:05and I knew he wouldn't care

00:55:06but it was just so nice

00:55:07to hear those words

00:55:09and finally

00:55:10one of the members

00:55:10of your group

00:55:11know

00:55:12and be like

00:55:13I don't care

00:55:14he goes

00:55:14just don't tell anybody

00:55:15I don't want to tell anybody yet

00:55:17it's not right

00:55:17I go

00:55:18Lance

00:55:18I love you

00:55:19I said

00:55:19you're my brother

00:55:21you let me know

00:55:21when it's right

00:55:22for you to tell

00:55:22I'm not saying nothing

00:55:23to the guys

00:55:24because I found out

00:55:25by accident

00:55:28we were such a family

00:55:29for so many reasons

00:55:31you know

00:55:31being fish out of water

00:55:33in this weird situation

00:55:35it bonds you

00:55:36because you're stuck

00:55:37with each other

00:55:37then on top of that

00:55:39we were the

00:55:41redheaded stepchild

00:55:42JC

00:55:46it was kind of like

00:55:47the secret little thing

00:55:48we had with Lou Pearlman

00:55:49because of the boys

00:55:51the Backstreet Boys

00:55:51you know

00:55:52they couldn't know about us

00:55:56I worked for Lou

00:55:57driving his limo

00:55:59filling his fridge

00:56:01and I definitely

00:56:02remember

00:56:04being in his office

00:56:05you know

00:56:06Backstreet Boys

00:56:07were hitting

00:56:08and they had started

00:56:09in sync

00:56:10without Backstreet Boys

00:56:11knowing

00:56:11and then

00:56:12brought Johnny

00:56:13right in

00:56:14to manage them

00:56:14and I remember

00:56:15being in a meeting

00:56:16with Lou and Johnny

00:56:17like

00:56:17they're talking about

00:56:18how are we going

00:56:19to navigate this

00:56:20it was pretty intense

00:56:21at that time

00:56:24for NSYNC

00:56:25we gave them

00:56:25the same producers

00:56:26the same writers

00:56:27took them to Germany

00:56:28so that was

00:56:29where our strategy

00:56:30was with those two

00:56:32but Lou didn't want

00:56:34the Backstreet Boys

00:56:35to know

00:56:35that he was creating

00:56:37a new band

00:56:37and I was now

00:56:38going to manage NSYNC

00:56:39but one day

00:56:41I fly to Utah

00:56:42to see the Backstreet Boys

00:56:43and be about

00:56:44the video shoot

00:56:45and Kevin and Brian

00:56:46come into my room

00:56:47and they go

00:56:47why did you lie to us

00:56:50and it was very uncomfortable

00:56:52definitely in their mind

00:56:53as a betrayal

00:56:56we all got the wool

00:56:57pulled over our eyes

00:56:58as the entire world knows

00:56:59that was the one

00:57:00biggest question we had

00:57:01just

00:57:03why did you do this

00:57:04why couldn't you

00:57:05just be happy

00:57:07with

00:57:08us

00:57:09and the way things were

00:57:11there was a little bit of

00:57:13oh should I do this

00:57:15because you don't want

00:57:15one group

00:57:16mad

00:57:17that we have

00:57:18another group

00:57:18just the same

00:57:21they felt we were greedy

00:57:23I'll say

00:57:24I'm guilty

00:57:25but then when you said

00:57:26at the other side

00:57:27why should I let

00:57:28someone else

00:57:30get an NSYNC

00:57:31and do the same thing

00:57:33if you're going to

00:57:34have competition

00:57:35let it be by

00:57:36two acts

00:57:37that I represent

00:57:38so that I know

00:57:39how to manage

00:57:40the movement

00:57:41so neither one of you

00:57:42are hurt by it

00:57:44Lou always equated it

00:57:45to this

00:57:46you have Burger King

00:57:47and McDonald's

00:57:49and in some cities

00:57:50Burger King sits right

00:57:51next to McDonald's

00:57:52people have a choice

00:57:54but they both survive

00:57:55so you guys can survive

00:57:56and I said

00:57:57I'll make that promise

00:57:58to you

00:57:58that you guys

00:57:59will have your lane

00:58:00they'll have theirs

00:58:00and that's what I

00:58:02the word that I kept

00:58:03until we had booked

00:58:05the Backstreet Boys

00:58:06to play the Disney

00:58:07concert series

00:58:10it was like almost

00:58:11two years that we were

00:58:11busting our asses

00:58:12to get to nowhere

00:58:13for a while

00:58:14we did the grind

00:58:15you know we did the

00:58:16small little bars

00:58:17and clubs everywhere

00:58:18and it kept us

00:58:19growing and getting better

00:58:21and I remember one time

00:58:22NSYNC was opening

00:58:23for us

00:58:24and they um

00:58:25they came out and did

00:58:26I want you back

00:58:26and it was all

00:58:27you know all the

00:58:28choreography was happening

00:58:29I'm just sitting there

00:58:29like holy shit

00:58:31we are

00:58:32it was like

00:58:33they're never opening

00:58:34for us ever again

00:58:35this is the first

00:58:35and last time

00:58:36that they will ever

00:58:37open for us

00:58:40NSYNC was very

00:58:41together in their

00:58:42choreography

00:58:42I saw boys that were

00:58:44working hard to get

00:58:45their dream

00:58:45but they needed a break

00:58:46to become popular

00:58:48Disney wanted to put

00:58:49on a concert

00:58:50in their parks

00:58:51and we saw that

00:58:52the offers were

00:58:53for Backstreet

00:58:53and Johnny went to

00:58:54the boys and they

00:58:55didn't want to do it

00:58:56they just felt

00:58:57why the hell are we

00:58:58doing Disney

00:58:58when we're on the

00:58:59front cover of

00:58:59Rolling Stone

00:59:00we'll just go ahead

00:59:01and show you

00:59:01why you should

00:59:04Johnny Wright

00:59:05managed both groups

00:59:06NSYNC was so

00:59:07polished and ready

00:59:07they slipped in

00:59:09this is the first

00:59:10concert we did

00:59:11for NSYNC

00:59:19thanks Backstreet Boys

00:59:24that break

00:59:25that they got

00:59:25at Disney

00:59:26was well deserved

00:59:27because they were

00:59:28so good

00:59:28and then boom

00:59:33and that catapulted

00:59:35them to the top

00:59:40NSYNC was like

00:59:41covering at 66

00:59:42with the album

00:59:44then the Backstreet Boys

00:59:46album was sitting

00:59:46at number four

00:59:48and all of a sudden

00:59:49the NSYNC album

00:59:50jumped it

00:59:51and went to number two

00:59:54nobody was bigger

00:59:55than them at that time

00:59:56but there is a side

00:59:57that's not so glamorous

01:00:02and that goes

01:00:03from the fans

01:00:04from the actual

01:00:06principals and artists

01:00:07from the crew

01:00:08you get threats

01:00:09a 17 year old

01:00:11a 17 year old teenager

01:00:12planned to steal guns

01:00:13to kill five musicians

01:00:14at an arena

01:00:15all because of NSYNC's

01:00:17popularity with girls

01:00:19one day we found out

01:00:20there was a bomb threat

01:00:21while we were out on tour

01:00:22the management of the band

01:00:24are taking this threat

01:00:25very seriously

01:00:31there was a girl

01:00:33that pulled a gun

01:00:34once

01:00:35if I didn't let her

01:00:36meet somebody

01:00:37she waved a gun

01:00:38and then she ran away

01:00:41my behavior

01:00:42changed after that

01:00:44you become a more aware

01:00:46you realize that

01:00:47at any moment

01:00:48something could happen

01:00:51you'll see

01:00:52a Bieber cancel a tour

01:00:54you'll see a Shawn Mendes

01:00:55cancel a tour

01:00:56because my mental health

01:00:57needs to come first

01:00:58that was not an option

01:01:00when we were out there

01:01:02you went out there

01:01:03and you did the show

01:01:04and you came back

01:01:05after the show

01:01:05and you broke down

01:01:06and you cried

01:01:07and you kicked a hole in a wall

01:01:08or you did whatever

01:01:09you had to do

01:01:11but you didn't bow out

01:01:12you worked so hard

01:01:13to get there

01:01:13you can't let your foot

01:01:14off the gas

01:01:16this is going to sound

01:01:17super shady

01:01:18but like when we first

01:01:19went out

01:01:19I remember

01:01:19on our first tour

01:01:20someone at the label

01:01:21gave us a book

01:01:22and it was the age of consent

01:01:23in every state

01:01:24in the country

01:01:24and like we kept that book

01:01:26on the tour bus

01:01:28they're hot

01:01:29they're gorgeous

01:01:29we want to see them

01:01:30they have it all

01:01:32unfortunately

01:01:32there were people out there

01:01:34looking to tear you down

01:01:37Dick will you marry me please

01:01:39there will be none of that

01:01:40it's hard to not have

01:01:42a squeaky clean image

01:01:43when you're

01:01:44kind of a

01:01:45a teen heartthrob band

01:01:47or group right

01:01:47I don't think

01:01:48there's anything wrong

01:01:49with a squeaky clean image

01:01:50I mean we're just trying

01:01:51to make our moms

01:01:52and our dads

01:01:53and our families proud

01:01:55in that moment

01:01:56in that time

01:01:57I don't know my dad

01:01:59at all

01:02:00most people

01:02:01don't know this

01:02:02I was about

01:02:0317

01:02:04something like that

01:02:05now at that point

01:02:07I'm already in the band

01:02:08for three years

01:02:12my girlfriend at the time

01:02:13drove me to this random house

01:02:14in the middle of nowhere

01:02:1530 minutes from where

01:02:17I was living

01:02:19we got out

01:02:20she banged on the door

01:02:21and she dipped

01:02:22and just left me there

01:02:25I was pissed

01:02:27and this guy opens the door

01:02:29and I'm like

01:02:30I am so sorry

01:02:31to bother you

01:02:32and he looked at me

01:02:34and I looked at him

01:02:35and it was like

01:02:35oh shit

01:02:36wait

01:02:37and he's like

01:02:38Alex

01:02:38and I was like

01:02:40dad?

01:02:47it was a weird

01:02:48surreal moment

01:02:49I went in

01:02:51we talked for a little bit

01:02:52it was my first time

01:02:53meeting my stepmom

01:02:55he had news articles

01:02:57about Backstreet Boys

01:02:58clippings

01:02:58all these things

01:03:00and I looked at that

01:03:01like okay

01:03:02that's kind of cool

01:03:04that he's keeping up

01:03:05with my career

01:03:06even though

01:03:06we're not speaking

01:03:10and then

01:03:12we exchanged numbers

01:03:13and we had talked

01:03:15about going

01:03:16to have lunch

01:03:18but I got busy

01:03:20too many tours

01:03:21too many albums

01:03:22wasn't able to do it

01:03:23so after that

01:03:25I didn't see him

01:03:26or speak to him

01:03:27for another probably

01:03:2810 years

01:03:33Backstreet Boys

01:03:34those were my boys

01:03:38I just thought

01:03:39they were so

01:03:39effortlessly cool

01:03:42but I had no idea

01:03:45what the Backstreet Boys

01:03:47were going through

01:03:48when I was listening

01:03:49to their music

01:03:50and that's by design

01:03:52because if you were

01:03:53to let the fans in

01:03:54on everything

01:03:55that's happening

01:03:55behind the scenes

01:03:58the whole illusion

01:04:00would start to fall apart

01:04:07the fact that NSYNC

01:04:09was actually becoming

01:04:10more and more successful

01:04:11that's when I got the call

01:04:12from Backstreet Boys

01:04:13we need to have a meeting

01:04:15and they're like

01:04:15there's three conditions

01:04:16for you to stay our manager

01:04:18one you have to get rid of Lou

01:04:22you have to cut your management

01:04:23commission in half

01:04:25and you have to get rid of NSYNC

01:04:28so I said

01:04:29that's an offer

01:04:30I can refuse

01:04:31and that's when

01:04:32I told them

01:04:32okay

01:04:33if I'm not working

01:04:34with you and them

01:04:35then I have a responsibility

01:04:36to make them

01:04:37the biggest group

01:04:38in the world

01:04:38and that means

01:04:39I'm going to turn

01:04:40all my guns against you

01:04:41to make them bigger

01:04:44I found out

01:04:45there was a problem

01:04:46with the American Music Awards

01:04:48dealing with

01:04:49the Backstreet Boys

01:04:49so I said

01:04:50okay

01:04:50I'll give you NSYNC

01:04:51here is NSYNC

01:04:55yeah we'll do it

01:04:56I mean why not

01:04:56we were hungry for it

01:05:02it's crazy

01:05:03how good they were

01:05:05their harmonies

01:05:06were better than

01:05:06Backstreet's harmonies

01:05:07in my opinion

01:05:07sorry boys

01:05:09I found out

01:05:10the Backstreet Boys

01:05:11were going to put up

01:05:12a stadium tour

01:05:13so I called our agent

01:05:14and I said

01:05:15I want to put up

01:05:16a stadium tour

01:05:16two weeks before they do

01:05:20and they shut

01:05:21their stadium tour

01:05:22down to an arena tour

01:05:23because they thought

01:05:24they weren't going to

01:05:25be able to sell the tickets

01:05:28but every move

01:05:29that I found

01:05:30they were doing

01:05:30something first

01:05:31I tried to beat them

01:05:33to the punch

01:05:36success was my revenge

01:05:37in terms of record sales

01:05:39in terms of their

01:05:39position on the charts

01:05:41NSYNC really gave

01:05:42Backstreet Boys

01:05:43a run for their money

01:05:45and of course

01:05:45there were other acts

01:05:46that followed

01:05:47when they really exploded

01:05:48in popularity

01:05:50and you see

01:05:51these rabid groups

01:05:53of fans

01:05:53who were fighting

01:05:55over who was

01:05:55the best boy band

01:05:56it became a race

01:05:58in a sense

01:05:58you know

01:05:59MTV in the 80s

01:06:01and 90s

01:06:02was the go-to place

01:06:03for pop culture

01:06:04we came up with

01:06:06TRL Total Request Live

01:06:08live in the studio

01:06:09with Carson

01:06:10the show was

01:06:12truly programmed

01:06:13by the fans

01:06:14a lot of young girls

01:06:16would call in

01:06:17within the hour

01:06:18screaming

01:06:18because they were

01:06:19programming it

01:06:20to see

01:06:21NSYNC

01:06:23and Backstreet Boys

01:06:24and Hanson

01:06:26where you were

01:06:27on TRL

01:06:28mattered

01:06:29there's only 10 spots

01:06:30can you stay in it

01:06:32it became a competition

01:06:34it was always

01:06:35a mix of Backstreet Boys

01:06:36and NSYNC

01:06:37being number one

01:06:38number two

01:06:38so who's side

01:06:39was bigger

01:06:40boy bands

01:06:40you couldn't like both

01:06:41that's my team

01:06:42and that's your team

01:06:43we're going

01:06:43it was that rivalry

01:06:44it was the Boston Red Sox

01:06:46and the Yankees

01:06:47you can't like both teams

01:06:48sorry

01:06:49like think about it

01:06:50that's really what

01:06:51it became

01:06:51that's what it came down to

01:06:52somebody's genius

01:06:53somebody's a real genius here

01:06:54I hate to say

01:06:55who I think it is

01:06:57I really do

01:06:58I don't even want to

01:06:58say who it is

01:07:01it came from Lou

01:07:03and the reason why fans

01:07:04started taking a side

01:07:06against the other

01:07:06is because

01:07:07he would manufacture stories

01:07:10they're so cute

01:07:11oh my god

01:07:11Backstreet Boys

01:07:12are the best

01:07:13he would say something like

01:07:14hey I was with

01:07:15Backstreet Boys

01:07:16the other day

01:07:16and they said

01:07:17NSYNC really couldn't sing

01:07:18it was more like

01:07:19Lou would kind of

01:07:20twist the night

01:07:21go Backstreet's doing this

01:07:23they look great

01:07:24they look really really good

01:07:25you guys should get

01:07:25in more shape

01:07:26and it was that kind of thing

01:07:27or this band does

01:07:28you know flips

01:07:29maybe you guys

01:07:29should do that too

01:07:30Lou always wanted

01:07:31those two to be at each other

01:07:33or be apart from each other

01:07:35so they would never have

01:07:36that opportunity

01:07:36to sit down

01:07:37and really talk about

01:07:38real things

01:07:40like contracts

01:07:41or money

01:07:42and so

01:07:43to me

01:07:44that's really

01:07:44what his agenda was

01:07:47when those early days

01:07:49of Backstreet Boys

01:07:49and NSYNC

01:07:50they're out there working

01:07:51and they're doing everything

01:07:52and Brinks trucks

01:07:53are coming in

01:07:54to stadiums

01:07:55taking the money away

01:07:56they're thinking

01:07:57alright

01:07:57on the first dividend check

01:07:58that we're supposed to get

01:07:59we're gonna be rich

01:08:03that's not the case

01:08:05NSYNC

01:08:06sold 10 million albums

01:08:07Lou Pearlman gave them 10 grand

01:08:09they should have been millionaires

01:08:17we were heartbroken

01:08:18we were not paying attention

01:08:20to numbers

01:08:20or what we're selling

01:08:21until later on

01:08:25once Lou gave us each a check

01:08:26I'm like

01:08:27I need to know everything

01:08:28show me numbers

01:08:29I want to know what comes in

01:08:30I want to know what goes out

01:08:31what are we making

01:08:32what's happening

01:08:33what do we lose

01:08:36Lou

01:08:37triple dipped

01:08:40Lou is the label

01:08:41then Lou is one of the managers

01:08:43getting paid as that

01:08:44Lou took a percentage

01:08:46of the merch

01:08:47got paid as that

01:08:48Lou took a percentage

01:08:49of the group

01:08:50got paid as that

01:08:53and then the word I learned

01:08:54was recoupable

01:08:56good word kids

01:08:57recoupable

01:08:59remember that

01:09:01recoupables are things

01:09:03that a record label

01:09:04will pay for

01:09:05during that initial process

01:09:06when they're investing

01:09:08in a new artist

01:09:09like transportation

01:09:12dinners out

01:09:13a piece of clothing

01:09:14that they need

01:09:15for a shoot

01:09:17but then when you start

01:09:19to sell records

01:09:19they take that money back

01:09:21before you ever

01:09:21get paid

01:09:23so you know

01:09:24in theory it seems

01:09:25okay this is

01:09:25I guess that's fair

01:09:28but they were like

01:09:29okay well

01:09:29here's the recoup stuff

01:09:30and slapped everybody

01:09:32and showed us

01:09:33a printout

01:09:34of all the stuff

01:09:34and all the money

01:09:35that we owed

01:09:36but I'm looking at it

01:09:38and I go

01:09:39shit I didn't spend that

01:09:41when did we do that

01:09:42I don't remember that

01:09:43the house that was rented

01:09:45if we were a group

01:09:46together to dinner

01:09:46any of the recording sessions

01:09:48the best vocal coach

01:09:49the best this

01:09:50the best that

01:09:51literally tacking on

01:09:5280 million other things

01:09:53that you kept saying

01:09:54that you took care of

01:09:56where

01:09:57I thought you took care of it

01:09:58took care of it

01:09:58in the sense of

01:09:59not recouping it back

01:10:02the one where I was like

01:10:03are you kidding me

01:10:04we were shooting

01:10:05tearing up my heart

01:10:06video in Miami

01:10:07and it was around

01:10:08my birthday

01:10:09it was around me

01:10:09and Justin's birthday

01:10:10and Lou was like

01:10:11I'll buy you guys

01:10:12a gift for your birthday

01:10:13we're like sweet

01:10:13we go to Armani exchange

01:10:15I remember I bought

01:10:16this jacket

01:10:16it was probably like

01:10:17200 bucks

01:10:17250

01:10:19buys it

01:10:20and in the recoup thing

01:10:23was the jacket

01:10:26now you start painting

01:10:27a picture of

01:10:28this guy's really out

01:10:29to screw me

01:10:32but you forget

01:10:33you had this guy

01:10:34who took

01:10:35three and a half million dollars

01:10:36in putting it into

01:10:37your music career

01:10:38but he had that much

01:10:39faith in you

01:10:40and yeah

01:10:40was he based on a deal

01:10:42going to make a lion's share

01:10:43if this worked

01:10:44yeah

01:10:45he should

01:10:46because he took

01:10:47the chance

01:10:48if you

01:10:49fronted a group

01:10:50and hit bombed

01:10:51who takes the loss

01:10:52moi

01:10:52the Backstreet Boys

01:10:54and NSYNC

01:10:54are two of the more

01:10:55high profile examples

01:10:56of this kind of exploitation

01:10:58but it happens

01:10:59with every single

01:11:01popular group

01:11:0590 degrees

01:11:06we signed with Motown

01:11:07we got a very

01:11:08you know

01:11:09nominal advance

01:11:10on our contract

01:11:11we knew that all expenses

01:11:13were recoupable

01:11:14and so we took

01:11:15the opposite approach

01:11:15hey we're not paying

01:11:16for anything

01:11:17we'll take a break

01:11:17and go around the corner

01:11:18to Wendy's

01:11:18and then go back to the studio

01:11:19and then at the end

01:11:20of the session

01:11:20at 4am

01:11:21you know

01:11:21we're not going to get

01:11:22a car service

01:11:23back to Brooklyn

01:11:23we'll take the A train

01:11:25back to Brooklyn

01:11:26in the middle of winter

01:11:27four of us

01:11:27four in the morning

01:11:28standing in the subway station

01:11:30and then we realized

01:11:31it didn't matter

01:11:32you weren't going to see

01:11:33a dime from it anyway

01:11:35early on in Motown

01:11:36we'd show up to the studio

01:11:37and the whole lobby

01:11:39of our studio session

01:11:40we'd packed with

01:11:41other artists

01:11:43execs

01:11:43they're all smoking

01:11:44hanging out

01:11:45drinking

01:11:46ordering food

01:11:47and all that is going

01:11:48on your

01:11:49recoupment budget

01:11:51the only way

01:11:52to ever hold

01:11:53a record label

01:11:54accountable

01:11:54is to audit them

01:11:55what business

01:11:57works like that

01:11:58it's like a street hustle

01:11:59that happens in boardrooms

01:12:02and on top of that

01:12:03there was

01:12:04someone was actually

01:12:05skimming money

01:12:06off the top

01:12:07we were at this store

01:12:09called clothes time

01:12:10it was like a clothing store

01:12:11made an appearance

01:12:12and took pictures

01:12:13all day

01:12:14we were just excited

01:12:15because we got

01:12:16five grand

01:12:17to stand there

01:12:17five grand

01:12:18a thousand dollars

01:12:19a piece

01:12:21we were supposed to have

01:12:22been paid

01:12:2250 grand for that

01:12:23ultimately

01:12:25we fired them

01:12:26hello

01:12:26it's the Backstreet Boys

01:12:28and the management

01:12:29okay

01:12:30sure

01:12:31you put all this money

01:12:32in to get us

01:12:33off the ground

01:12:34and I will forever

01:12:35be grateful

01:12:36but

01:12:37we're the ones out there

01:12:38doing the work

01:12:39we're the ones out there

01:12:40leaving our families

01:12:42blood sweat and tears

01:12:44you should not be getting

01:12:46the same thing we get

01:12:47there's no reason for that

01:12:49from 1993

01:12:50to 1997

01:12:52Lou Pearlman earns

01:12:5410 million dollars

01:12:55from the Backstreet Boys

01:12:57the members of the band

01:12:58together

01:12:59got

01:13:00$300,000

01:13:04now what happened was

01:13:05all the groups

01:13:06we had a little party

01:13:08so I look over

01:13:09and I see Justin

01:13:11talking to Nick

01:13:11and Brian

01:13:12and then all the other guys

01:13:14talking to each other

01:13:15and other members

01:13:16the one thing Lou

01:13:17didn't want to do

01:13:18is for these guys

01:13:20to sit down

01:13:20and really talk about

01:13:22things about Lou

01:13:23that he might have

01:13:24lied about

01:13:25and then

01:13:26about a week later

01:13:27is when

01:13:28a German attorney

01:13:30sends a notice

01:13:32on behalf of Brian

01:13:33that they're suing

01:13:34me and Lou

01:13:36Brian Luttrell

01:13:37is the first one

01:13:38to launch a lawsuit

01:13:39against Lou Pearlman

01:13:40and

01:13:41shortly thereafter

01:13:42the other members

01:13:44from Backstreet Boys

01:13:44follow suit

01:13:45all five of the BSB lads

01:13:47are suing their

01:13:48former manager

01:13:49Backstreet had their

01:13:50lawsuit against Lou Pearlman

01:13:51and Johnny Wright

01:13:52which started in 1998

01:13:53and then

01:13:54NSYNC

01:13:55filed a lawsuit

01:13:56against Lou

01:13:57and only Lou

01:13:58in 1999

01:13:59we need to fight

01:14:00for what we have done

01:14:02throughout these

01:14:02two and a half

01:14:03three years

01:14:03that we've been

01:14:03busting our asses

01:14:04I was like

01:14:04listen we need to do this

01:14:05so it was

01:14:06it was a

01:14:07a very scary

01:14:08and tough decision

01:14:10and then what happened

01:14:11he wanted to draw

01:14:13a line in sin

01:14:14and say

01:14:14do you have a contract

01:14:15with me

01:14:16I spent this money

01:14:16if it wasn't for me

01:14:17there wouldn't be no

01:14:18them

01:14:20so

01:14:20they went to battle

01:14:22and then Lou

01:14:23tried to sue NSYNC

01:14:24for their name

01:14:25it's him desperate

01:14:26to try to hang on

01:14:27to something

01:14:27that he had no right to

01:14:31we were definitely

01:14:32nervous

01:14:33you had these guys

01:14:34you know you had Lou

01:14:35and he has all these

01:14:36lawyers

01:14:36and like we don't

01:14:37have that money

01:14:37we don't have anybody

01:14:38to back us up like

01:14:39that in that sense

01:14:40we're opening up a can

01:14:42that could mess up

01:14:43our name

01:14:43we might not even

01:14:44have a name in sync

01:14:45if he won

01:14:47their careers were

01:14:48back to square one

01:14:49like it was over

01:14:52I was scared

01:14:53but we were

01:14:54confident on top

01:14:55of that as well

01:14:56scared in the sense

01:14:57of we didn't know

01:14:57what was going to

01:14:58happen with NSYNC

01:14:59but confident enough

01:15:00that we knew

01:15:01that we were not

01:15:01in the wrong

01:15:04we went and sat

01:15:05in front of a judge

01:15:06even the way

01:15:07the judge said it was

01:15:08is look

01:15:08if I look at a poster

01:15:10I see five guys on it

01:15:12you're not on that poster

01:15:14so how are you

01:15:14a sixth member

01:15:17but it was all legit

01:15:19and the lawyer

01:15:19said hey

01:15:20this is what we need

01:15:20to do

01:15:21and settle out of court

01:15:23NSYNC won the rights

01:15:23to their name

01:15:24but still had a signed

01:15:26contract with Lou

01:15:26Pearlman

01:15:27so both

01:15:28the Backstreet Boys

01:15:28and NSYNC

01:15:29paid a collective

01:15:31amount of 64 million

01:15:33dollars to settle

01:15:34out of their contract

01:15:38when we split

01:15:39from Lou

01:15:40I think it hurt

01:15:41different levels

01:15:42for each of us

01:15:43it was disappointment

01:15:45100% disappointment

01:15:47he was big papa

01:15:49he was the one

01:15:51to look for

01:15:52guidance in certain

01:15:53things

01:15:54and

01:15:54you kind of

01:15:55screwed us over

01:15:57Backstreet Boys

01:15:57then turned around

01:15:58after they got big

01:15:59and sued you

01:16:00and said

01:16:01you took too much

01:16:02you took too much

01:16:03of their money

01:16:03I don't think

01:16:04they said it

01:16:05as much as

01:16:06the lawyers

01:16:07that got in the middle

01:16:08of it

01:16:09kind of blew it

01:16:10out of proportion

01:16:11in a sense

01:16:11that was Lou's

01:16:12mentality

01:16:13Lou was gonna

01:16:14crank out

01:16:15boy band

01:16:16after boy band

01:16:17and he did

01:16:27what's up

01:16:27I'm Brad

01:16:28I'm Rich

01:16:28I'm Devin

01:16:29and we're that fool

01:16:30I was a member

01:16:31of Take 5

01:16:32when I was 12

01:16:33met Lou

01:16:34at his house

01:16:35did you audition

01:16:36that day

01:16:36did you sing

01:16:37for him that day

01:16:37um no

01:16:40about halfway through

01:16:41I guess I started

01:16:42to realize

01:16:42that oh

01:16:43I guess

01:16:44this has already

01:16:44been decided

01:16:45clearly there was

01:16:46no shortage

01:16:47of boy groups

01:16:49in Orlando

01:16:50to be found

01:16:52now there's

01:16:53a Latin band

01:16:54C-Note

01:16:55he did C-Note

01:16:56and he did

01:16:57girl groups too

01:17:00and they all

01:17:01came from Orlando

01:17:03cranking them out

01:17:04Lou Pearlman

01:17:05bands

01:17:05cookie cutter

01:17:06can't tell them

01:17:07apart

01:17:08maybe the concept

01:17:09the style

01:17:10of where we're

01:17:11going

01:17:11might be

01:17:12clean cut

01:17:12and that could

01:17:13be the commonality

01:17:14every time you

01:17:15make a cake

01:17:17it always tastes

01:17:17good in the end

01:17:19if you make it

01:17:20right

01:17:34my name is

01:17:35Steven Mooney

01:17:35and I was

01:17:36auditioning to be

01:17:37in a boy band

01:17:38and worked with

01:17:39Lou Pearlman

01:17:39in Transcon Records

01:17:41I was in the army

01:17:42I had to be

01:17:4419-ish

01:17:4620

01:17:46and when I got out

01:17:47I was working at

01:17:49Abercrombie & Fitch

01:17:51Nine West Shoes

01:17:52and TGI Fridays

01:17:53as a busser

01:17:54and I got approached

01:17:56by this kid

01:17:56in the mall

01:17:57and he's like

01:17:58hey I'm putting

01:17:59together a boy band

01:18:00and he's like

01:18:01can you sing

01:18:01I was like

01:18:03I've never really

01:18:03tried

01:18:04but I've never been

01:18:05told that I can't sing

01:18:06right

01:18:06that's when he's like

01:18:07come to my house

01:18:08and we'll sing

01:18:09and we'll see

01:18:10what you got

01:18:10and then go from there

01:18:13eventually I ended up

01:18:14at the house

01:18:15of one of Lou's confidants

01:18:16he's one of the guys

01:18:17in the group

01:18:18with Lou

01:18:19I mean there were

01:18:20hundreds of kids

01:18:21at this house

01:18:22and he has

01:18:23everybody sing

01:18:23and then he kicked

01:18:24everybody out of the house

01:18:26except for me

01:18:26and then he put his hand

01:18:28on my shoulder

01:18:28as he was walking me out

01:18:29and he's like

01:18:30hey I want you

01:18:32to meet the big guy

01:18:33I'm like

01:18:33I had no idea

01:18:34what this guy

01:18:35is talking about

01:18:36I had no idea

01:18:37who Backstreet Boys were

01:18:38I had no idea

01:18:39who NSYNC was

01:18:40no idea

01:18:40who Britney Spears was

01:18:41I was fresh

01:18:41out of the army

01:18:42but literally

01:18:43the next day

01:18:44I was at the office

01:18:45at 9 o'clock

01:18:45in the morning

01:18:46meeting Lou Roman

01:18:48when you walk

01:18:49into the glass doors

01:18:50I see pictures

01:18:51of like Britney Spears

01:18:52Aaron Carter

01:18:54Backstreet Boys

01:18:55NSYNC

01:18:56and there's

01:18:57these two

01:18:58big honking doors

01:18:59at the end

01:19:00of this hallway

01:19:00and he opens them up

01:19:03and there's Lou

01:19:04sitting there

01:19:05and he had me

01:19:06sing something

01:19:06acapella himself

01:19:09and that's when

01:19:09he's like

01:19:10you're mine

01:19:11what did you promise?

01:19:13that was going to be

01:19:14to my parents face

01:19:15I was going to be

01:19:16a millionaire

01:19:16in the next year

01:19:18had you at this point

01:19:19heard anything

01:19:20about why

01:19:21Backstreet or NSYNC

01:19:23was suing him?

01:19:23no he never mentioned

01:19:24why

01:19:25and all that stuff

01:19:26was settled out of court

01:19:27right

01:19:27so nobody knew why

01:19:30we haven't been introduced

01:19:31to Backstreet or NSYNC yet

01:19:32so we're just hearing

01:19:33his side of it

01:19:35like that they're just

01:19:36ungrateful

01:19:36or being greedy

01:19:37there's so many different

01:19:38other like versions

01:19:39of that story

01:19:40that can make total sense

01:19:42what was your little

01:19:4312 year old perspective

01:19:46on what Lou wanted

01:19:48from this?

01:19:50I don't know

01:19:51um

01:19:52I guess I never thought

01:19:53about what Lou wanted

01:19:54from it

01:19:56you're working three jobs

01:19:58and you're trying to

01:19:59make something yourself

01:19:59and you've got no direction

01:20:01and somebody comes in

01:20:02like a guardian angel

01:20:03and is just like

01:20:04you're an amazing person

01:20:06you've got incredible talent

01:20:07you've got a great look

01:20:08and I'm going to make you

01:20:10a millionaire

01:20:10based on these things

01:20:11there's no better feeling

01:20:13in the world

01:20:13right?

01:20:15and he's like

01:20:16I have some ideas

01:20:17I'm putting together a band

01:20:18if that's going to work out

01:20:19we'll find something for you

01:20:22but that was sort of

01:20:23the open-ended

01:20:24he's like

01:20:24you're going to come

01:20:25work for me for

01:20:26you know

01:20:27however long it takes

01:20:29he made me his driver

01:20:31he's like

01:20:32JC drove for me

01:20:34Rich drove for me

01:20:35at some point

01:20:36he's like

01:20:36even Brad drove for me

01:20:39what were your first impressions

01:20:41of Lou Brownman?

01:20:43I don't know

01:20:45you know

01:20:46when I was still

01:20:47working for Lou

01:20:48driving his limo

01:20:49I wanted to be a rapper

01:20:50I was 19

01:20:53Rich

01:20:53and this guy Brian

01:20:55they had set up

01:20:56a meeting with Lou

01:20:57so he's like

01:20:58hey you know

01:20:58you guys are doing

01:20:59the same kind of music

01:21:00why don't you just

01:21:00come together

01:21:01as one group

01:21:02and you know

01:21:03I'll sign you

01:21:04and we're like

01:21:05okay you know

01:21:06then he disappears

01:21:07and comes back

01:21:08I'm pretty sure

01:21:09he had like

01:21:09just some gym shorts

01:21:10on and a guitar

01:21:13you know

01:21:13shirt and a guitar

01:21:14right

01:21:16and he's sitting there

01:21:17in front of us

01:21:17on the couch

01:21:18and he's like

01:21:19he starts playing the guitar

01:21:21so it was just

01:21:22kind of a weird

01:21:22a weird time

01:21:27he was kind enough

01:21:28to let me stay

01:21:28in his house

01:21:29as I was like

01:21:29coming up

01:21:30through these things

01:21:34but when I lived

01:21:35at that house

01:21:37and that's when

01:21:38it all came crashing down

01:21:42there's a lot of stuff

01:21:43that happened

01:21:43behind closed doors

01:21:45it didn't feel good

01:21:47something here

01:21:48is not right

01:21:50and I was not

01:21:51the only one

01:21:56I've always just said

01:21:57really nice things

01:21:58about Lou

01:21:58and I'm really grateful

01:22:00but it does feel like

01:22:01there was one member

01:22:03of each group

01:22:03that Lou was grooming

01:22:06including me

01:22:13you're on this rollercoaster

01:22:14of never stopping

01:22:17or you think

01:22:18it's never going to stop

01:22:18first time I tried drugs

01:22:21wow this is awesome

01:22:22I was so deathly afraid

01:22:24of being called washed up

01:22:25I was victimized

01:22:27things get a lot darker

01:22:28and a lot more bleak

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