Boy Band Confidential S01E01 (2026)

InfiniteJoy

4 days ago

Transcript

00:00:00Amazing Grace, how sweet the sun

00:00:22Take a back seat, Backstreet Boys

00:00:27Your rivals NSYNC now hold the record for album sales

00:00:3030 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

00:00:57This is the first time I'm talking about it this openly

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

00:01:05I once was lost

00:01:13But now

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

00:01:18I was victimized

00:01:22Was 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?

00:01:43Would I do it?

00:01:43But now I see

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

00:02:08We love our fans, that's why we're here

00:02:17I'll see you later

00:02:39We love our fans

00:02:40We love our fans

00:02:41We love our fans

00:02:42We love our fans

00:02:48y no sé quién es.

00:02:54¿Cómo años ha pasado?

00:02:56Oh, gosh.

00:02:57Bueno, sobre 20 años.

00:02:59Definitivamente, un montón ha cambiado.

00:03:04Aquí es un poco de gracia.

00:03:05Hay un foto.

00:03:06Oh, ahí está, ahí está.

00:03:06¿Qué te veía ahí?

00:03:07Este fue literal aquí.

00:03:09Este fue este shot.

00:03:10Estaba ahí en el alleyway

00:03:11y nosotó.

00:03:13Pero, lo que es lo que es lo que es la TV

00:03:15y ahora es un flat screen.

00:03:17Justo, even simple little things like that

00:03:19I don't know why.

00:03:20It's kind of funny to me.

00:03:22Mi nombre es Joey Fatone.

00:03:24I was in a group called NSYNC.

00:03:28Once we became a group,

00:03:31we were doing a stadium tour.

00:03:3460,000, 70,000 people screaming at you.

00:03:38For the five of us,

00:03:40being able to be that successful

00:03:42doesn't happen very, very often.

00:03:48Yep, too many memories in here.

00:03:51Too many times sweating our asses off.

00:03:57Too many times doing the same song

00:04:00over and over and over and over

00:04:02and over and over and over.

00:04:03And over.

00:04:14From doing Broadway

00:04:16to hosting TV shows

00:04:18to doing films.

00:04:21The Deadpool movie

00:04:22used our hit for their open.

00:04:25Now it's a younger generation.

00:04:27They are learning about NSYNC,

00:04:28which is pretty cool.

00:04:30It's such an amazing experience

00:04:32to be able to go through this life.

00:04:33But when we started,

00:04:35we were young.

00:04:35Chester was 14 years old.

00:04:37I was, what, 17, 18?

00:04:39I just graduated high school.

00:04:40Legit.

00:04:42Now we couldn't grasp everything

00:04:43that was happening around.

00:04:44But now as we get older,

00:04:46you look at life differently.

00:04:48And you realize

00:04:48the industry can be wonderful

00:04:51and can be cool at the same time.

00:04:53Would there ever be a reunion still?

00:04:55I mean, there's always

00:04:56a possibility, of course.

00:04:58Now many of our fans

00:04:58don't know the challenges

00:04:59that we faced.

00:05:00But throughout my career,

00:05:01I met other performers

00:05:03from different groups

00:05:04and started to realize

00:05:05that all these other boy bands

00:05:07had similar experiences

00:05:08that they kept quiet about.

00:05:10And it's time we finally

00:05:11shared their stories.

00:05:34What's up, dude?

00:05:35So how are we feeling

00:05:36about the shoot so far?

00:05:38Well, it's funny

00:05:39because I was up very early.

00:05:40So Joey and I have been talking

00:05:42probably for the past

00:05:43six to eight months

00:05:44about what stories

00:05:45have people not heard?

00:05:48See, we're in entertainment, right?

00:05:50So our job is to portray

00:05:52and to sell

00:05:53not only a fantasy

00:05:54but entertain.

00:05:57Well, in the boy band,

00:05:59there is a side

00:06:00that's not so glamorous.

00:06:01There is a side

00:06:02that's not so sexy.

00:06:05If you're a human being,

00:06:06you struggle.

00:06:07Everybody struggles.

00:06:08It's just magnified

00:06:11when you're in a boy band.

00:06:13I forgot, there's like

00:06:14four or five people

00:06:15I think we're going to get

00:06:16in L.A. next week.

00:06:18And then it's going to be

00:06:19Jeff Timmons at some point.

00:06:22What up?

00:06:23Speaking of the devil,

00:06:25who else has done it so far?

00:06:27Borgen, AJ in L.A.

00:06:29I just want to say hi to you.

00:06:30We're getting, I think,

00:06:32Nick in L.A.

00:06:33What's up, brother?

00:06:34Juan.

00:06:35Okay, speaking.

00:06:36Yeah.

00:06:37Sean.

00:06:38Jeff Timmons.

00:06:39It's one of those things

00:06:40I love to hear

00:06:42other sides of the story.

00:06:43Basically, it's them

00:06:44kind of going through

00:06:45and the kind of

00:06:46trough and tribulations.

00:06:47We've never had the conversation

00:06:48of just going,

00:06:49on how did it feel,

00:06:50what happened,

00:06:51because not many people

00:06:52got to experience

00:06:53something like this.

00:06:54Nick Lachey,

00:06:55take one,

00:06:55even coming back.

00:06:57Eric Estrada,

00:06:58take one.

00:06:59It's kind of long overdue.

00:07:00We've had a bunch of these

00:07:01and we haven't really

00:07:02told this angle.

00:07:07All right.

00:07:09All righty.

00:07:10Easy peasy.

00:07:13These are our billboard awards

00:07:14from 1999.

00:07:16We got four of these.

00:07:18For years,

00:07:19I didn't have any of my awards

00:07:20out in my house

00:07:21because I don't even think

00:07:22I deserve this.

00:07:27AJ is a character in a band.

00:07:30Alex is who I am.

00:07:35Born Alexander McLean,

00:07:37a nerdy kid from Palm Beach,

00:07:38Florida that had a huffy bike,

00:07:41played piano,

00:07:42loved games,

00:07:43loved comic books,

00:07:44but more than anything,

00:07:45loved to perform

00:07:47and sing and dance.

00:07:48There was an amazing theater

00:07:50called the Royal Palm

00:07:51Dinner Theater.

00:07:52One of the first roles

00:07:53that I got

00:07:54was in Snow White.

00:07:57They cast me as Dopey

00:07:58because Dopey was a mute.

00:08:01And I had a speech impediment

00:08:04when I was growing up.

00:08:05I had two, actually.

00:08:06I had a stutter and a lisp.

00:08:08Of course,

00:08:09I get to be the character

00:08:10that doesn't have to say anything.

00:08:12I stole the show.

00:08:17But I think

00:08:18a negative side

00:08:19of that applause

00:08:20is how you would perceive it.

00:08:23Why are they clapping for me?

00:08:25Do I deserve that applause?

00:08:27I didn't do anything special.

00:08:30If I were you,

00:08:31I'd be booing me.

00:08:34Growing up in South Florida,

00:08:36most boys especially

00:08:38would look at you like,

00:08:39why are you not into sports

00:08:40or video games?

00:08:42Yeah, I would get picked on a lot.

00:08:43I got bullied a lot.

00:08:44And it really started

00:08:46to kind of tear me down inside.

00:08:49I definitely struggled

00:08:50with self-esteem

00:08:52my whole life.

00:08:56But I had this ability

00:08:59to perform

00:09:00and acting

00:09:01to bring people joy.

00:09:05I have to do these things

00:09:07to get people to like me.

00:09:09If you look at most of the guys

00:09:11in that era,

00:09:12a lot of the reason

00:09:13why we choose music

00:09:16is this way to communicate

00:09:19and almost like

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

00:09:26I was probably like

00:09:2710 or 11 years old,

00:09:28a little bit older than that.

00:09:29Out comes new kids on the block.

00:09:31We were living in Brooklyn, New York.

00:09:33And I remember this girl,

00:09:35this friend of mine,

00:09:36her name was Deborah.

00:09:36And I used to go to her house

00:09:37and watch all the VHS tapes.

00:09:42Because I didn't want anybody

00:09:43to know, you know,

00:09:44you don't watch a boy band.

00:09:46That's for girls.

00:09:47That's for guys.

00:09:48That's sissy stuff

00:09:49is what they would say.

00:09:50And I was like,

00:09:51I don't know what

00:09:51you're talking about.

00:09:51I'm like,

00:09:53I'm enjoying the performances.

00:09:54I love the songs.

00:09:55But on top of that,

00:09:56look at how many people

00:09:57are in this arena.

00:10:01Like they're performing

00:10:02in arenas right now

00:10:03at that time.

00:10:03And it's like,

00:10:04I would love to do

00:10:05something like that.

00:10:06It was groups like that,

00:10:08new kids or boys to men

00:10:09that we looked up to

00:10:10and showed us

00:10:11what was possible.

00:10:18New Kids on the Block

00:10:20is definitely

00:10:20the OG boy band.

00:10:22They were a worldwide phenomenon

00:10:24that started in the late 80s,

00:10:26sold over 80 million records worldwide.

00:10:29You can never be,

00:10:31you know,

00:10:32fed up with getting awards

00:10:33and being successful

00:10:34and having millions of people,

00:10:36you know,

00:10:36want to buy your records.

00:10:37I was a tour manager

00:10:38for New Kids on the Block

00:10:39and they,

00:10:40from a personality,

00:10:42performance level,

00:10:43can't be beat.

00:10:44Even to this day,

00:10:45I don't care what anybody says.

00:10:47But then when

00:10:47New Kids on the Block

00:10:48decided after four and a half years

00:10:50that they were burnt out.

00:10:51So they wanted to take a break.

00:10:53And that's kind of

00:10:54when Boyz II Men

00:10:55started coming out.

00:10:57Yes,

00:10:58there is a distinction

00:10:58between singer groups

00:10:59and boy bands,

00:11:00but unfortunately,

00:11:01the experiences

00:11:02are very similar.

00:11:03But when I hear people

00:11:06having a lot to say

00:11:08about the group

00:11:09and not really understanding

00:11:10what we had to go through,

00:11:12I personally tell them

00:11:13to fuck off

00:11:15because you don't know.

00:11:17You have no idea,

00:11:18nor will you ever know.

00:11:24We weren't a group

00:11:26that was put together.

00:11:28You know,

00:11:28music put us together.

00:11:29We all lived in,

00:11:30you know,

00:11:31four different places

00:11:32in Philadelphia.

00:11:34My mom had me

00:11:35when she was 19.

00:11:36My dad was 18.

00:11:37So, you know,

00:11:38they was kids.

00:11:40I met up with my dad

00:11:41later on

00:11:42when I was eight years old.

00:11:45You know,

00:11:45I lived in the projects.

00:11:47My mom wasn't

00:11:48in the best way

00:11:49at the time.

00:11:49And my grandmother

00:11:51took me to the trolley stop

00:11:52and she said,

00:11:53I'm going to show you

00:11:54how to do this.

00:11:55She said,

00:11:56get on the trolley.

00:11:57You sit right by the door.

00:11:59If anything happens,

00:12:00I need to be able

00:12:01to run straight off.

00:12:03The hood is the hood,

00:12:04you know what I'm saying?

00:12:05Somebody come on that joint

00:12:07and they want

00:12:08the money change thing.

00:12:10You know,

00:12:11they stick up the trolley.

00:12:15It was scary

00:12:16because I would come home

00:12:17and it'd be some crazy stuff.

00:12:19I'm talking about

00:12:20coming home

00:12:21and laying in my bed.

00:12:25Lift up the mattress.

00:12:26It's like sawed off shotguns,

00:12:28freaking nine millimeters.

00:12:30And guess what I did?

00:12:32Went to sleep.

00:12:34You feel me?

00:12:35That's what it was.

00:12:37So,

00:12:37I had to leave.

00:12:41And once I remember

00:12:43sitting on the bed

00:12:45when I just started crying,

00:12:47crying,

00:12:48and I was praying,

00:12:49I just said,

00:12:51I just want to be a star.

00:12:52And I kept crying it.

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

00:12:57Now,

00:12:58the crazy thing

00:12:59is

00:12:59when you become a star.

00:13:01He didn't,

00:13:02you didn't tell,

00:13:03he didn't tell me

00:13:04that it comes with a lot.

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

00:13:17And that loss

00:13:18changed the trajectory

00:13:19of everything.

00:13:27Growing up,

00:13:28famed the TV show

00:13:30with Leroy

00:13:31and Coco

00:13:32and all of the dancers.

00:13:34And it was just this school

00:13:35that was amazing.

00:13:36I'm like,

00:13:36really?

00:13:37It'd be awesome

00:13:37if there was a school

00:13:38like that, right?

00:13:40In eighth grade,

00:13:41high schools,

00:13:42they start coming

00:13:43to your schools

00:13:44to, you know,

00:13:45solicit you

00:13:46to another place.

00:13:47So,

00:13:48I was sitting there

00:13:49and another school came.

00:13:51And

00:13:51the next thing you know,

00:13:53they put their thing

00:13:54on the screen.

00:13:56They showed Leroy

00:13:57and Coco.

00:13:58And they said,

00:13:59you might know

00:14:00this school

00:14:00from blah, blah.

00:14:02And I was like,

00:14:03fame!

00:14:04You know what I'm saying?

00:14:04I lost my mind,

00:14:06you know what I mean?

00:14:06I want to go to fame.

00:14:11Kappa

00:14:12is an acronym

00:14:13for Creative

00:14:14and Performing Arts.

00:14:15So,

00:14:16if it's anything

00:14:17like the TV show,

00:14:18I need to go.

00:14:19And that's where

00:14:19I met the other guys

00:14:20in a group

00:14:21called Boys to Men.

00:14:23When we first started,

00:14:25I was around 15.

00:14:27Nate,

00:14:27Mike,

00:14:28Mark were 16,

00:14:3017,

00:14:31and Wanya was like 14.

00:14:34What people have to realize

00:14:35is we rehearsed

00:14:37every day

00:14:39for nothing.

00:14:42Nothing!

00:14:43We had nothing!

00:14:44We just went

00:14:45and sang

00:14:46for nothing.

00:14:49It wasn't until

00:14:50we graduated

00:14:51that we snuck backstage

00:14:53to a Will Smith concert.

00:14:55And that's when

00:14:56we met Michael Bivens.

00:14:58Michael Bivens

00:14:59is an artist

00:15:00from the group

00:15:00Bell Biv DeVoe.

00:15:01He was one of the

00:15:02original members

00:15:03of New Edition.

00:15:04They sing for Bivens,

00:15:06and he winds up

00:15:08becoming their manager.

00:15:0989 is when the group

00:15:11was formed.

00:15:1290 is when we got signed.

00:15:1491 we came out.

00:15:17Well, I'll tell you,

00:15:18these guys are hot.

00:15:19Everybody loves them.

00:15:20Women go crazy for them

00:15:21and they're all single.

00:15:23They can harmonize,

00:15:24good singers.

00:15:25Much talent.

00:15:25They're the best.

00:15:26They really are.

00:15:27Boyz II Men,

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

00:15:29They're cool.

00:15:30That's one of the groups

00:15:31that we looked up to,

00:15:32that we strive to be like.

00:15:34I was at a performing arts

00:15:36school in Cincinnati,

00:15:37and we had an acapella group,

00:15:38and so we very quickly

00:15:39started to cover

00:15:41Boyz II Men.

00:15:42There was something

00:15:42about the way that sounded

00:15:44that was on a whole

00:15:44other level than anything

00:15:46I had ever heard arranged

00:15:48or performed

00:15:48in my entire life.

00:15:50Michael Bibbins pushed

00:15:51for us to get on tour.

00:15:53So we were the opening act

00:15:55for MC Hammer.

00:15:56Of course,

00:15:57we don't know what it entails.

00:15:59You know, we just said,

00:15:59oh, goodness,

00:16:00we're going on tour,

00:16:01you know?

00:16:01This is amazing.

00:16:02MC Hammer, wow.

00:16:03You know?

00:16:04When it came time for us

00:16:06to actually go on tour,

00:16:07Michael Bibbins was

00:16:08putting personnel together,

00:16:09and he introduced us

00:16:10to Khalil during the rehearsal,

00:16:12and, you know,

00:16:13big early guy.

00:16:14He used to wear

00:16:15these big gold rings

00:16:17with diamonds on it,

00:16:18this big chain.

00:16:20Khalil Roundtree

00:16:21was our role manager,

00:16:22making sure that travel

00:16:24is taken care of,

00:16:25hotels,

00:16:26making sure we eat.

00:16:28The role manager

00:16:29takes care of all of that.

00:16:31So he was that,

00:16:33and then some.

00:16:34He was also our security.

00:16:37So when it came time

00:16:39for Khalil to role manage us,

00:16:41he needed help.

00:16:42So we called his best friend.

00:16:45Well, Khalil,

00:16:46we grew up a block apart

00:16:47from each other,

00:16:47and we was in,

00:16:49you know,

00:16:49elementary school together,

00:16:51and he was a big gentleman,

00:16:53and I was small,

00:16:54and 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,

00:17:05hook 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

00:17:12with us,

00:17:12showing us how.

00:17:14But those things

00:17:16that you run from

00:17:17in life,

00:17:19they are always going

00:17:20to rear their heads.

00:17:24It's May 1992.

00:17:26We're on a

00:17:27Too Legit to Quit tour,

00:17:28and we were in

00:17:29Chicago, Illinois.

00:17:31I was actually

00:17:32in my girlfriend's room

00:17:34at the Doubletree.

00:17:36She was one of

00:17:37MC Amber's dancers,

00:17:39and we were kicking it,

00:17:41having fun,

00:17:42and I heard, like,

00:17:43a loud door shut.

00:17:48Shawn's girlfriend

00:17:49comes in the room,

00:17:50and she says,

00:17:53Kyle Hill's dead.

00:17:59There was a lot of press,

00:18:01and a lot of news

00:18:02about this,

00:18:04but people don't know

00:18:05what we went through

00:18:06or how we went

00:18:07through things.

00:18:09I get a phone call

00:18:10in my hotel room,

00:18:11and it was Wanya,

00:18:13and he was like,

00:18:13yo, I need you

00:18:14to come somewhere

00:18:15with me.

00:18:16Something happened

00:18:17to Kyle Hill.

00:18:18And we went up

00:18:19to Kyle Hill's room.

00:18:21We got there,

00:18:22it was, like,

00:18:24CSI investigators,

00:18:25they pulled us

00:18:26in the room

00:18:26and sat us down.

00:18:29The police officer

00:18:30said there was

00:18:31people in the hotel.

00:18:33They were looking

00:18:33for the party

00:18:34because MC Hammer

00:18:35was at the hotel,

00:18:37so they were knocking

00:18:37on doors.

00:18:38Kyle Hill would leave

00:18:40his hotel door open

00:18:41just to kind of keep

00:18:43an ear on everything.

00:18:45Kyle Hill's door was open,

00:18:46so instead of knocking,

00:18:49they, two of them,

00:18:50kind 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

00:18:59barges in.

00:19:02Kyle Hill was like,

00:19:03these in my room.

00:19:05He walks out,

00:19:06so then he's like,

00:19:07shit, they've seen

00:19:08the money,

00:19:08he knows the guys

00:19:09are here,

00:19:10let me handle this.

00:19:11You know,

00:19:12he called Quadri,

00:19:13so he was like,

00:19:14these trying to get

00:19:16in my room.

00:19:16So he's like,

00:19:17yo, come,

00:19:17we're gonna get them

00:19:18out the hallway

00:19:18because if they go

00:19:19knock on one of these

00:19:20stupid rooms,

00:19:22talking about us,

00:19:23they gonna open the door.

00:19:24We can't hear that.

00:19:27So Kyle Hill

00:19:28and Quadri grabbed him.

00:19:32So I said,

00:19:33man, come,

00:19:33let's just take him

00:19:34downstairs and get rid of him.

00:19:38And one of the guys

00:19:39had a gun.

00:19:40Bow, bow, bow.

00:19:44I got shot.

00:19:46I felt one,

00:19:48two, three.

00:19:50One of the guys

00:19:50shot Kyle Hill

00:19:51in the head.

00:19:53and they left.

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

00:20:01and I come out

00:20:02the 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.

00:20:16Someone that close to me

00:20:19getting killed

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

00:20:43because that happened to us.

00:20:44We've had people

00:20:45sneak into our dressing rooms

00:20:47and stuff like that

00:20:48so he 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 grow up.

00:21:02We have to become

00:21:03boys to men.

00:21:04Is it difficult

00:21:05to adjust

00:21:06to the fame?

00:21:08It's not difficult

00:21:09because

00:21:09we help each other out,

00:21:11you know?

00:21:12Boys 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.

00:21:21This is our first

00:21:21number one single.

00:21:22It's unnatural.

00:21:24You belong to me.

00:21:26I can't let go.

00:21:29It spends 13 weeks

00:21:31at number one

00:21:32and it becomes

00:21:32a massive hit.

00:21:35I'll Make Love to You,

00:21:36another massive hit

00:21:38replaces

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

00:21:48of boys to men

00:21:49paved the way

00:21:51for other groups

00:21:52to follow

00:21:53in 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's,

00:22:11there was a

00:22:12door that had been

00:22:14reopened

00:22:14for male groups

00:22:16to come in.

00:22:17We could end up

00:22:18doing a deal

00:22:18with Atlantic Records.

00:22:20And then the funny

00:22:20thing is Atlantic 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.

00:22:40They just start fire.

00:22:42Now here's the crazy story

00:22:43about I Swear.

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

00:22:46were not able

00:22:47to really play I Swear.

00:22:49It was like,

00:22:49you know,

00:22:50we have these folks here

00:22:51saying,

00:22:51well,

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

00:22:53you're not black enough,

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

00:22:54and a Mexican boy

00:22:55and your group.

00:22:55And it 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.

00:23:06And it sucked.

00:23:07And 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

00:23:16in 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

00:23:19to open up

00:23:19and kind of look

00:23:20at some old,

00:23:21there's probably

00:23:21NSYNC stuff in here,

00:23:22there's a bunch

00:23:23of other stuff in here,

00:23:23but out of the gate,

00:23:25it looks like

00:23:25it can break in half,

00:23:26a NSYNC microphone,

00:23:28a portable and cordless.

00:23:30All the dolls,

00:23:32Funko.

00:23:33We're pop,

00:23:34vinyl pop guys.

00:23:35How many people

00:23:36have Barbie dolls?

00:23:37Well, this is Christine

00:23:39and she's an NSYNC fan.

00:23:42If, hopefully,

00:23:43you know,

00:23:44your 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

00:23:50yourself per se,

00:23:51but you're selling

00:23:51the product,

00:23:51of 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 starts

00:23:57with the brand

00:23:57that they want to sell

00:23:58and it goes out

00:23:59looking for the individuals

00:24:00to fit that brand.

00:24:02That's when you hear

00:24:02criticism that boy bands

00:24:04are, in quote,

00:24:05manufactured

00:24:06and nobody knows

00:24:08that better than Backstreet.

00:24:22when I was a kid.

00:24:23We left South Florida

00:24:25to move to Orlando

00:24:26to be closer to Nickelodeon

00:24:28and Disney,

00:24:29places that I could

00:24:30potentially work

00:24:31or get jobs.

00:24:32Where did you get it?

00:24:33From this guy.

00:24:34Hi, honey,

00:24:35I'm home.

00:24:35It's a show

00:24:36on Nickelodeon

00:24:38that ended up actually

00:24:38getting picked up

00:24:39by ABC briefly.

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

00:24:46and it 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

00:24:53said local entrepreneur

00:24:54looking to put together

00:24:56a vocal group

00:24:58a la New Kids

00:24:59on the Block

00:24:59meets Boyz II Men.

00:25:00and I looked

00:25:03at my mom

00:25:03and I was like

00:25:05what do you think?

00:25:08Lou Pearlman

00:25:09held 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,

00:25:20sang for him

00:25:21and he signed me

00:25:22on the spot

00:25:23and that was it.

00:25:24So I am the OG.

00:25:26I 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, this 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 Pearlman.

00:25:39Oh no, he'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 was Lou.

00:25:55So it was some

00:25:56godfather moment, right?

00:25:58And then these five guys

00:25:59come in.

00:25:59Five boys.

00:26:01Kevin, Brian, Nick,

00:26:03AJ and Howie.

00:26:05So I was like

00:26:05what's going on with this?

00:26:06So anyways

00:26:07these five guys

00:26:08come in singing

00:26:09and they're singing a cappella.

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

00:26:17looking across the table

00:26:17at Johnny

00:26:18and going

00:26:18ching ching.

00:26:20It'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.

00:26:26That was our

00:26:26very first

00:26:28TV performance

00:26:29ever.

00:26:30The local news

00:26:31in Orlando.

00:26:33AJ was 14.

00:26:34He was the bad boy.

00:26:35Who are you?

00:26:36Howie D.

00:26:36Howie?

00:26:37Howie was the sweet friend.

00:26:39I'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.

00:26:51He 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.

00:26:58And 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.

00:27:0512.

00:27:05Nick and AJ

00:27:06they were the young ones.

00:27:08We'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

00:27:12back to the beginning

00:27:14why I got picked on

00:27:15because I didn't really

00:27:16have any guy friends.

00:27:17All my friends were girls.

00:27:20Hi, how you doing?

00:27:21Luke Pearlman

00:27:23was a peculiar entrepreneur.

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.

00:27:40But you do need

00:27:41a lot of business acumen

00:27:42to create

00:27:43a successful musical act.

00:27:46I always say

00:27:47there's a million

00:27:47artists here.

00:27:49These 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,

00:27:57Luke funded the label.

00:27:59Transcon Records.

00:28:01Luke built a studio

00:28:02so they could record

00:28:03in there.

00:28:04It was Luke's money.

00:28:06The business side

00:28:07of things

00:28:08is very important.

00:28:09Luke Pearlman's company

00:28:11Transcon Records

00:28:12was developing

00:28:13the Backstreet Boys

00:28:14to make them attractive

00:28:15to a record label

00:28:17by acting like

00:28:18a manager or producer.

00:28:20Luke hires Johnny Wright

00:28:21as another manager

00:28:22to train them

00:28:23and book gigs.

00:28:24Luke 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 a stipend

00:28:52every week

00:28:53and then Lou put them

00:28:54all in a house together.

00:29:02It was a beautiful mansion.

00:29:04He had a covered pool.

00:29:06He had the house.

00:29:08He 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 a gaggle of money.

00:29:18I'll never forget

00:29:19he had a Mexican Coke

00:29:21vending machine,

00:29:22glass bottle.

00:29:23It was the best shit

00:29:24in the world.

00:29:25And 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.

00:29:32And you're like,

00:29:32this guy's cool.

00:29:33Well, he's like

00:29:34Tony Stark

00:29:35except minus the tech.

00:29:36Definitely not as good looking

00:29:37as Tony Stark,

00:29:38let's just say that.

00:29:39He was like

00:29:39five Tony Starks in one.

00:29:41He gave gifts.

00:29:43He took them out

00:29:43to 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 Luke Perlman,

00:29:50ever.

00:29:51And I had a vibe about him

00:29:52that I just didn't trust.

00:29:57You know,

00:29:57how you doing?

00:29:58Let's go get a steak.

00:29:59Always had pretty people

00:30:00around him.

00:30:03You had this guy

00:30:04who took

00:30:05three and a half million dollars

00:30:06which he could have

00:30:07put in stock market,

00:30:09could have bought

00:30:09a piece of property

00:30:10and flipped it.

00:30:11He 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

00:30:30from a household

00:30:30where a father

00:30:31isn't present

00:30:32and you have a guy

00:30:33who's hanging out

00:30:35with you,

00:30:36helping you

00:30:37and putting money

00:30:38in your pocket,

00:30:38you kind of gravitate

00:30:40to that person.

00:30:44That was the nickname

00:30:46they gave him.

00:30:47Big Papa.

00:30:49I mean,

00:30:50it was just like

00:30:52parental figure

00:30:53slash like

00:30:54best friend

00:30:55kind of relationship

00:30:58for me.

00:30:59I grew up

00:31:00being raised

00:31:00by my mom

00:31:01and my grandparents.

00:31:03When I was two,

00:31:05my parents divorced.

00:31:06So after my parents

00:31:07split up,

00:31:08my dad picked me up

00:31:09when I was about

00:31:10eight to go see

00:31:12my nana,

00:31:13which was his mom,

00:31:14for her birthday.

00:31:15Now it was the last

00:31:16time I 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.

00:31:24Kevin had lost

00:31:25his father.

00:31:26Unfortunately,

00:31:27before we started,

00:31:28the Axe Reap Boys

00:31:28passed away

00:31:30when he was 19

00:31:31from cancer,

00:31:33he immediately

00:31:33kind of had

00:31:34that relationship

00:31:35with Lou

00:31:36where he did

00:31:36look up to him

00:31:37like a father figure.

00:31:42Then there was

00:31:43a problem.

00:31:44We thought

00:31:45this record,

00:31:46we got it going on,

00:31:47it was going to be

00:31:47a smash.

00:31:48It's a single

00:31:49that we tried to promote

00:31:50in the U.S.

00:31:50and nobody wanted

00:31:51to play it.

00:31:52Music had gone

00:31:53more rock 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

00:32:01the tea.

00:32:02At that point,

00:32:03we're feeling

00:32:05somewhat accomplished.

00:32:06We've won a Grammy,

00:32:07we've won an

00:32:07American Music Award,

00:32:08we've been touring

00:32:09the world,

00:32:10we've been releasing

00:32:11songs and having

00:32:13success.

00:32:15And 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.

00:32:23We're talking to them

00:32:23and trying to give

00:32:24them advice,

00:32:25and they were

00:32:26really cool kids then.

00:32:27And there is

00:32:28no competitions

00:32:29because at the end

00:32:30of the day,

00:32:30the thing that

00:32:32matters first

00:32:34and foremost

00:32:34is hit records

00:32:36because there's

00:32:37a lot of talented

00:32:37people and you

00:32:38can sing their

00:32:39faces off.

00:32:40What's the difference

00:32:40between them and us?

00:32:41Hit records, right?

00:32:47Nobody wanted

00:32:48to play the Backstreet Boys

00:32:49in the United States.

00:32:50So me,

00:32:51being involved

00:32:52with other bands

00:32:53who played

00:32:54all over Europe

00:32:55and the world

00:32:55and keeping

00:32:56my Rolodex

00:32:57of different people

00:32:58that I met

00:32:59along the way,

00:33:00we had booked

00:33:00the Backstreet Boys

00:33:01to play in Germany.

00:33:03I'll ever make you

00:33:06cry,

00:33:07I'll ever stop

00:33:09when it went out,

00:33:12you, I'll get you

00:33:13all over me.

00:33:14One more time.

00:33:15Come on.

00:33:15And you could see

00:33:16the girls in the

00:33:17audience's mouth drop

00:33:18and the place

00:33:19went crazy.

00:33:25And even without

00:33:26social media,

00:33:27just to spread

00:33:28a 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

00:33:32off for us.

00:33:35Their single

00:33:36went to number

00:33:37one in like

00:33:38eight weeks

00:33:39and then it was

00:33:39on.

00:33:44First of all,

00:33:45it is an amazing

00:33:46thing.

00:33:46To have the ability

00:33:47to bring so much

00:33:48joy and happiness

00:33:49to people you may

00:33:51never know

00:33:51on a personal

00:33:52level

00:33:52around the world

00:33:55through music,

00:33:57through performance

00:33:57is a blessing.

00:33:59They did all

00:34:00the TV shows.

00:34:01Hello.

00:34:02We're the Backstreet Boys.

00:34:03Nick, you are

00:34:04the biggest

00:34:05womanizer

00:34:06but now I heard

00:34:08every girl

00:34:09was screaming

00:34:09like Nick,

00:34:10Nick, Nick.

00:34:11We were playing

00:34:1230,000 seat

00:34:13stadiums.

00:34:14So now they're

00:34:15blowing up

00:34:16and now our

00:34:17record label is

00:34:18saying, oh,

00:34:18y'all need to be

00:34:19like them.

00:34:22So I'm like,

00:34:22well, we were out

00:34:23before they were

00:34:24and why can't

00:34:25there be enough

00:34:26room and space

00:34:27for them to be

00:34:29them?

00:34:29They have their

00:34:30lane and they're

00:34:30killing it in their

00:34:31lane and we have

00:34:32our lane and the

00:34:33fan base and we're

00:34:34killing it in our

00:34:35lane.

00:34:37I think it makes

00:34:37you question your

00:34:38talent.

00:34:40Because it's like

00:34:41you must think

00:34:42that I'm not good

00:34:43enough to be me

00:34:44if you're telling

00:34:45me I need to be

00:34:46him.

00:34:51My name is

00:34:52Jeff Timmons.

00:34:53I am the

00:34:53founding member of

00:34:54a group called

00:34:5598 Degrees.

00:34:56Our path was

00:34:56dramatically different

00:34:57than Backstreet and

00:34:59Boyz II Men's path

00:35:00and all for one.

00:35:02I mean, we would

00:35:03have much preferred

00:35:03to have this monster,

00:35:05behemoth label

00:35:06pushed behind us

00:35:07but we didn't have

00:35:08it.

00:35:09We were four kids

00:35:10from Ohio.

00:35:10We moved to North

00:35:11Hollywood the summer

00:35:13of 95 and really

00:35:14for us it was all

00:35:15about all those

00:35:16old school ways of

00:35:17just trying to get

00:35:17out there.

00:35:19We had a motorhome

00:35:21wrapped with our

00:35:21picture and we would

00:35:23do a show and I

00:35:24would drive for six

00:35:25hours to the next

00:35:26city.

00:35:27We'd go to Kinko's,

00:35:28we'd print out our

00:35:29flyers, going up and

00:35:30down the beach just

00:35:31handing out flyers to

00:35:32girls on the beach.

00:35:33Like, all right, how

00:35:33else are we going to

00:35:34get noticed?

00:35:34We literally put the

00:35:35hat down and you sing

00:35:36for money and for

00:35:37food.

00:35:39Show up on a street

00:35:40corner, just sing.

00:35:41We'd go to Taco

00:35:42Bell, sing.

00:35:43We'd go to Fat

00:35:43Burger, sing.

00:35:44Can we get a free

00:35:45burger?

00:35:45We scrapped and

00:35:47clawed our way to

00:35:48stay afloat and then

00:35:49we thought eventually

00:35:50we're going to meet

00:35:51someone in L.A.

00:35:52who's going to know

00:35:52somebody, who's going

00:35:53to know somebody and

00:35:54this is going to get

00:35:54us somewhere.

00:35:56Hey man, I love

00:35:58your baby.

00:36:00And right now you

00:36:01feel like you could

00:36:02never love the game.

00:36:03I had a friend who

00:36:04was a performer in

00:36:05Germany and she's

00:36:06like, there's this

00:36:06group over here that's

00:36:07just blowing up called

00:36:08the Backstreet Boys.

00:36:09And they had not yet

00:36:10broken here in the U.S.

00:36:11Similar group, much

00:36:13more polished.

00:36:14And I remember us

00:36:15going, this is where

00:36:16we're going.

00:36:16If we stick with it,

00:36:17we're going to get

00:36:17more of this.

00:36:18Now we just got to

00:36:19practice and now we

00:36:20just need the

00:36:20opportunity.

00:36:251995, we had the

00:36:26single with Mariah

00:36:28One Sweet Day.

00:36:31It was sweeping, it

00:36:33was emotional, it

00:36:34tugged at your

00:36:36heartstrings.

00:36:37You had these two

00:36:38juggernaut musical acts

00:36:40teaming up.

00:36:41I mean, it was, it was

00:36:42magic.

00:36:44We were nominated for

00:36:45six Grammys and Mariah

00:36:48was so sure.

00:36:50And we did not win one.

00:36:54And we took a year

00:36:56off.

00:36:56It's just tired, bro.

00:36:58We were at each

00:36:58other's throats.

00:36:59We canceled the

00:37:00European tour.

00:37:03And we came home,

00:37:05bro, and nobody was

00:37:07feeling us.

00:37:08Like, people were done

00:37:09with us and with our

00:37:13era of music.

00:37:14And it shifted to the

00:37:16boy bands.

00:37:19And they looked

00:37:20nothing like us.

00:37:22Motown Records, our

00:37:23label in particular,

00:37:25made it painfully

00:37:25obvious that they were

00:37:26done.

00:37:27They were done with us.

00:37:28And the pendulum has

00:37:30shifted.

00:37:31That's right, this

00:37:31song right here,

00:37:32there is more choice

00:37:33because we want to

00:37:34pay tribute to Motown.

00:37:35We signed to Motown

00:37:37Records.

00:37:37And for those of you

00:37:38that don't know, it's

00:37:39a legendary record

00:37:40label that has such

00:37:41great artists like

00:37:43Stevie Wonder, Marvin

00:37:44Gaye, The Four

00:37:45Tops, The Temptation.

00:37:47And right now, it's got

00:37:48great artists like

00:37:49Boyd Timmy.

00:37:54I'd be lying if I

00:37:55didn't say, come on,

00:37:56this is insane.

00:37:58They were the first

00:37:59white band on the

00:38:00black label.

00:38:02They'd give us this

00:38:03song called Invisible

00:38:04Man, and it turns out

00:38:05it was submitted for

00:38:06Boyz II Men by a

00:38:08couple of writers in

00:38:08Vancouver, Canada, and

00:38:09the president of Motown

00:38:11heard it, and he said,

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

00:38:13for Boyz II Men, I want

00:38:1390 Degrees to take this

00:38:14record.

00:38:15This song is called Invisible

00:38:16Man.

00:38:17It's textbook.

00:38:19Do black music with

00:38:22white faces.

00:38:24Pat Boone, The Osmonds,

00:38:27Elvis, they were all

00:38:29doing black music.

00:38:30That is the truth, like,

00:38:31and it's a hard truth.

00:38:32It's no diss to 90 Degrees,

00:38:35NSYNC, Backstreet, any of

00:38:36those guys.

00:38:37Like, they were just kids

00:38:38trying to make it, too.

00:38:40I hate to say it, just

00:38:42crass, but to the average

00:38:47white girl fan, the black

00:38:52groups, oh, I'd him.

00:38:56But the white groups, oh,

00:38:58I'd marry him.

00:39:01Justin Timberlake on my

00:39:02wall, it's more acceptable

00:39:04opposed to a couple of

00:39:05black guys.

00:39:07I can marry Justin.

00:39:09I can bring him to my

00:39:10house.

00:39:10He can have dinner with my

00:39:12family.

00:39:13It's a little harder to

00:39:14bring black ass Sean to

00:39:19rural Arkansas.

00:39:23It's a cutthroat business.

00:39:25They want the next hottest,

00:39:27biggest thing, or the next

00:39:28two acts.

00:39:29They don't give two shit

00:39:29sometimes, record companies.

00:39:31And if they could be that

00:39:32cold-blooded to the biggest

00:39:33music sensation at the time,

00:39:35imagine the power they had

00:39:37over the new artist.

00:39:43The president of Motown, he

00:39:44wanted us to be the white

00:39:45Jodeci.

00:39:47So he was trying to give us

00:39:49that in a crash course.

00:39:50Hey, I want you guys to go to

00:39:52black churches in Harlem on

00:39:53Sundays.

00:39:53Let's dress these guys in

00:39:55Fugu and Fat Farm.

00:39:56I remember going on a train to

00:39:58Rochester, New York, to work

00:40:00with Devontae from Jodeci.

00:40:02And we show up, and Devontae is

00:40:04being fitted for a bulletproof

00:40:06vest in the studio.

00:40:08And I'm looking around, I'm

00:40:09like, do we need a bulletproof

00:40:12vest?

00:40:12What did we just walk into?

00:40:14It does make you question, well,

00:40:16why did you sign us if you didn't

00:40:17want us to be who we are?

00:40:19You're trying to make us into

00:40:20something else.

00:40:21You got to remember, we're a new

00:40:22act.

00:40:23We're not making any money.

00:40:25We don't know what the plan is.

00:40:27And this is our shot.

00:40:28We'll try it.

00:40:29We'll try this.

00:40:30We'll go hang out at Bowery Bar

00:40:31with Russell.

00:40:32We'll do all these things.

00:40:33We'll do whatever we have to do.

00:40:36You go home, you're like, what am I?

00:40:37Who am I?

00:40:38It starts to really mess with you

00:40:39mentally.

00:40:43And for me, it caused a severe

00:40:45depression.

00:40:46But I felt like I was the weakest

00:40:48link in the group.

00:40:50I just didn't feel good about

00:40:51myself, didn't feel good

00:40:52physically.

00:40:53I could not sleep.

00:40:54And my head wasn't right.

00:40:56I felt so worthless.

00:40:58And just the fact that I could not

00:41:00handle all this pressure, that I

00:41:02was like, just end it.

00:41:06And I don't know, for whatever

00:41:07reason, I just thought, no, screw

00:41:10that.

00:41:10Like, just push one more time.

00:41:13Like, just try this last thing.

00:41:15I went to our manager and I said,

00:41:16I need some help.

00:41:17If I don't get some sort of help,

00:41:19I will not be here.

00:41:20Like, this is over.

00:41:21And I mean seriously.

00:41:23So he found a psychiatrist for me

00:41:24to go to.

00:41:25He put me on this Atkins diet,

00:41:27put me on some medication.

00:41:28Within three months, I was, I felt

00:41:30better than ever.

00:41:31And it didn't make this any

00:41:33easier.

00:41:35But at least I felt better that I

00:41:37didn't want to die.

00:41:39You know?

00:41:41So.

00:41:41Thanks for sharing that.

00:41:43At the time, I kept hearing rumblings

00:41:46from the same people who had told me

00:41:48about Lou when I had my first meeting

00:41:50that Lou had another boy band.

00:41:56And every time I would call Lou, I'd say,

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

00:41:59No, I don't have another boy band.

00:42:01No, I don't have another.

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, so I got some of my

00:42:13awards and stuff.

00:42:14I have a storage unit full of stuff.

00:42:17And I would love to have everything

00:42:19out in display if I could.

00:42:21I really would.

00:42:22Because 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 started it all.

00:42:33Disney wanted to make Orlando

00:42:35Hollywood East at one point.

00:42:36You had all the theme parks

00:42:38that at that time had dancers,

00:42:40singers, all levels of performers.

00:42:43Back in the day,

00:42:44I was doing a Beetlejuice show at Universal.

00:42:47And I was in a group with 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 at 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,

00:43:07I don't want to do an audition.

00:43:08Go out and find.

00:43:09And Chris did.

00:43:11Chris brought the guys together.

00:43:13Lou Perlman financially helped that.

00:43:16And Lynn Harless,

00:43:17which is Justin's mom,

00:43:18came up with the name NSYNC.

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 N for Justin.

00:43:28You have S 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.

00:43:36So N-S-Y-N,

00:43:38which was Jason for the other N,

00:43:40and then JC for the C.

00:43:41So that was NSYNC.

00:43:43You're a funny guy.

00:43:44When we started,

00:43:45we were definitely boys.

00:43:47I mean, you had Justin,

00:43:48who 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 between them.

00:43:54Wow.

00:43:55We should look like this.

00:43:59So the five of us got together.

00:44:01We sang.

00:44:01Everything was great.

00:44:02We're going to sign with Transcontinental,

00:44:03which was Lou Pearlman's

00:44:04independent record label.

00:44:06And 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 that quit NSYNC.

00:44:24He was a good friend of mine,

00:44:25and his dad was 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?

00:44:40Hey, look good.

00:44:41How you doing, man?

00:44:42Good to see you.

00:44:43Good to see you, man.

00:44:43You good?

00:44:43Thanks for doing this whole documentary.

00:44:45That's why I have you,

00:44:45so obviously people don't know.

00:44:47It's almost like, you know,

00:44:48the fifth Beatle

00:44:49or whatever the f*** in that sense.

00:44:50But it's more or less, for us,

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

00:44:53that no one's ever really heard before.

00:44:56Hi.

00:44:58So the full story with NSYNC,

00:45:02I had no idea what was going to happen,

00:45:04and also I was a stupid kid.

00:45:06I've never seen a music contract before,

00:45:08so I was smart enough back then

00:45:11to take the contracts to lawyers

00:45:13to review them.

00:45:15And it's like, whoa, whoa, whoa.

00:45:18What, Lou's a member of the band now?

00:45:22Referring both the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC,

00:45:25there was a contract,

00:45:26and the way Lou always structured the companies

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

00:45:32But he was also one-sixth member

00:45:35of the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC.

00:45:38So he got a sixth of their side of the 49.

00:45:42All I can say is,

00:45:43I'm so proud of these guys.

00:45:44Go, go.

00:45:45There's a paragraph where it said,

00:45:47if they do an outside business

00:45:49while they're a member of the Backstreet Boys,

00:45:51management was still entitled to a commission.

00:45:54And Brian said,

00:45:56so you mean if I go and get a 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, yeah,

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

00:46:04that we're helping you promote

00:46:05that's going to bring goodwill

00:46:06into another business,

00:46:08we should get paid for it.

00:46:09The music industry is one of the very few industries

00:46:12where you don't have to go to school for it,

00:46:15yet you're thrown in it,

00:46:17and record contracts.

00:46:19You've never seen any of this words salad in your life.

00:46:26And all of this you learn on the fly.

00:46:28I believe 90% of the artists

00:46:30will sign a horrible record deal

00:46:32just to have one.

00:46:33Unfortunately, this one was real bad.

00:46:37These guys were teenagers.

00:46:39Barely even teenagers.

00:46:4112 years old, 14 years old.

00:46:43For Backstreet Boys,

00:46:45nobody really stopped to think,

00:46:47you boys probably shouldn't sign this

00:46:49until somebody gets 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 from Lou.

00:47:01The only attorney that was in the room

00:47:03when we signed it was his attorney.

00:47:05None of us got attorneys.

00:47:14I've often thought,

00:47:15what if one of our parents

00:47:18did decide to get a lawyer?

00:47:20The lawyer was there,

00:47:21read the contract,

00:47:22and saw that,

00:47:23would Lou have dropped us on the spot?

00:47:25Or would he have changed the contract?

00:47:31I think he would have dropped us.

00:47:33I mean, I found five people.

00:47:34I can find another five people.

00:47:36Exactly.

00:47:36And he did.

00:47:38Bye-bye, everyone.

00:47:40As far as NSYNC is concerned,

00:47:42Lou sat down with us and said,

00:47:43hey, you know what,

00:47:44I love to do this, A, B, C, and D.

00:47:47And I know that I'm going to look out

00:47:48for your best interest.

00:47:49I remember him saying that.

00:47:49If I become a sixth member with you guys,

00:47:51that means we all split it,

00:47:53we'll all share it,

00:47:54but I'm going to look out

00:47:54for your best interest.

00:47:55I'm like,

00:47:56I split five, six ways.

00:47:57It seems pretty reasonable

00:48:00since thinking that's

00:48:01the only thing he's getting.

00:48:02Now, look,

00:48:03obviously you want to make a decision

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

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

00:48:09and you have no money

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

00:48:12and in a business

00:48:13that's a dream to actually achieve,

00:48:16and the fact that someone handed me

00:48:17a piece of paper making it official,

00:48:19you're going to justify in your brain

00:48:22that it's something that's legit.

00:48:24So we signed a deal,

00:48:25the four of us.

00:48:28At that juncture with NSYNC,

00:48:31it didn't feel right,

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

00:48:37JC was pissed.

00:48:39Calling 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 high 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,

00:48:51got my degree,

00:48:52and then a buddy of mine

00:48:54and I went to school with,

00:48:55he was in the mortgage business,

00:48:57and I've been doing that 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.

00:49:09You're going to think about that

00:49:10and have to have those what-if moments.

00:49:14Wow.

00:49:20I don't know.

00:49:21I don't know.

00:49:28So now it was just the four of us,

00:49:29and we were pretty bent out of shape

00:49:31because we were on the verge of doing stuff.

00:49:34So then we tried to find a bass singer.

00:49:40Well, I grew up in a little town

00:49:42called Ellisville, Mississippi.

00:49:44It was a town of 2,000 people,

00:49:46very small country town,

00:49:48a place you didn't lock your doors.

00:49:49You knew every single person in town.

00:49:53You know,

00:49:53you didn't go home

00:49:54until the streetlights came on.

00:49:55That was your sign,

00:49:56and very conservative.

00:49:58I was in church three times a week.

00:50:00It was all about family,

00:50:02and it was all about religion.

00:50:03I was always in choir,

00:50:05singing in church.

00:50:07So you never really had a dream

00:50:08that I could be an entertainer.

00:50:11When I was 16,

00:50:12I had a girlfriend at the time.

00:50:14I was getting ready

00:50:16for my homecoming parade.

00:50:17I got home

00:50:19from helping build the float,

00:50:20and my mom was on the phone

00:50:23with Lou Pearlman

00:50:25and Justin Timberlake

00:50:26and his mom, Lynn.

00:50:27They'd found me through my coach

00:50:28for another show car that I was in,

00:50:30and they're putting this band together

00:50:32and see if you want to be the bass singer.

00:50:34Think about how random that is, though.

00:50:36Somebody randomly calls you

00:50:37out of Mississippi to say,

00:50:38hey, these four guys

00:50:39want to audition you in 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, and that was it.

00:50:47The second time that they called,

00:50:50somehow my mom thought

00:50:52it was okay for us

00:50:53to fly to Orlando

00:50:54and just meet the guys.

00:50:56I was so nervous.

00:50:57These guys were insanely talented.

00:51:04I definitely felt like,

00:51:05you know, imposter syndrome, for sure.

00:51:08I mean, the 16-year-old kids

00:51:09never left their town,

00:51:10all of a sudden pretending

00:51:12they're a great singer,

00:51:13pretending they're a great dancer.

00:51:14I just felt like I was

00:51:15pretending the whole time,

00:51:16which suited me because

00:51:17I was pretending to be

00:51:18a lot of things at the time.

00:51:23Some of my first memories

00:51:24were knowing that I was different.

00:51:26In kindergarten,

00:51:28I remember having, like,

00:51:28a little crush on the boy

00:51:30instead of the girl,

00:51:31and I knew at that time

00:51:33that that was not right.

00:51:34You just knew it

00:51:35from what, you know,

00:51:37people say in the churches,

00:51:38all the jokes made

00:51:39about gay people.

00:51:40So at an early age,

00:51:41you knew that those feelings

00:51:43had to be suppressed.

00:51:46So I hid that part of myself,

00:51:50and the older I got,

00:51:51I did not like myself.

00:51:54It just felt lonely.

00:51:56It felt very lonely.

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

00:51:58because I couldn't talk to anyone.

00:52:00I felt broke

00:52:03when 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 as gay,

00:52:11if to come out even having

00:52:12a girlfriend,

00:52:13that it would really hurt our career,

00:52:16that that needed to be hidden.

00:52:18And so that always translated to 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 all 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

00:53:01in Orlando, Florida.

00:53:02For NSYNC,

00:53:03I started as their personal assistant.

00:53:05I didn't work for Lou

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

00:53:07I worked for the five guys directly.

00:53:10The first time I ever saw them perform,

00:53:11I said,

00:53:12get rid of that kid.

00:53:13He was a good dancer,

00:53:15but he was very nasally.

00:53:18And it was Justin.

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

00:53:20and the music is bumping.

00:53:22I really said that.

00:53:23Boy, I was wrong.

00:53:25Boy, I was wrong.

00:53:28I realized that Lance was gay.

00:53:30We were on the bus

00:53:31and I was making

00:53:32a peanut butter and jelly sandwich

00:53:34and he goes,

00:53:35what are you doing?

00:53:35He goes, no, no, no, no.

00:53:36He grabbed a styrofoam cup

00:53:37and he grabbed the peanut butter

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

00:53:39and then he grabbed jelly.

00:53:41You can't just do peanut 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, try mine.

00:53:50And I try his.

00:53:52I'm like, huh.

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, yeah, Joe.

00:53:59I 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 trigger words,

00:54:11I probably would freeze up

00:54:12and you would just kind of,

00:54:14ooh, kind of like Homer Simpson

00:54:15back into the bushes.

00:54:16You're like,

00:54:16I'm just going to just disappear right now.

00:54:20In the group,

00:54:21it 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 to Lance's house.

00:54:26I pass out in one of his guest bedrooms.

00:54:28I wake up at like 3 o'clock

00:54:29in the morning.

00:54:30I'm like, oh, I got to leave.

00:54:32I go to his bedroom,

00:54:33open up, there'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 straddle

00:54:38on top of him.

00:54:41I was at my computer

00:54:43and my boyfriend at 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 straddle on top

00:54:50and I was like,

00:54:53got quiet.

00:54:54He was like, oh, sorry.

00:54:55I'm like, no, no, no, no, no,

00:54:56come in, come in.

00:54:56I was like, surprise.

00:54:58Bro, I said, honestly,

00:55:00your mom's going to kill you.

00:55:01That's all I said to him.

00:55:03He's like, oh, please,

00:55:04I don't care.

00:55:04I'm like, okay.

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

00:55:07but it was just so nice

00:55:07to hear those words

00:55:09and finally one of the members

00:55:10of your group know

00:55:12and be like, I don't care.

00:55:14He goes, just don't tell anybody.

00:55:16I don't want to tell anybody yet.

00:55:17It's not right.

00:55:17I go, Lance, I love you.

00:55:19I said, you're my brother.

00:55:21You let me know

00:55:21when it's right for you to tell.

00:55:23I'm not saying nothing to the guys

00:55:24because I found out by accident.

00:55:28We were such a family

00:55:29for so many reasons.

00:55:31You know, being fish out of water

00:55:33in this weird situation,

00:55:35it bonds you

00:55:36because you're stuck with each other.

00:55:38Then on top of that,

00:55:39we were the redheaded stepchild.

00:55:42JC!

00:55:46It was kind of like

00:55:47the secret little thing

00:55:48we had with Lou Perlman

00:55:49because of the boys,

00:55:51the Backstreet Boys.

00:55:52You know, they couldn't know about us.

00:55:56I worked for Lou,

00:55:57driving his limo,

00:55:59filling his fridge.

00:56:01I definitely remember

00:56:04being in his office.

00:56:06You know, Backstreet Boys

00:56:07were hitting,

00:56:08and they had started NSYNC

00:56:10without Backstreet Boys knowing

00:56:11and then brought Johnny

00:56:13right in to manage them.

00:56:15And I remember being

00:56:15in a meeting with Lou and Johnny,

00:56:17like, they're talking about

00:56:18how are we going to navigate this.

00:56:20It was pretty intense

00:56:21at that time.

00:56:24For NSYNC,

00:56:25we gave them the same producers,

00:56:26the same writers,

00:56:27took them to Germany.

00:56:28So that was where

00:56:29our strategy was

00:56:30with those two.

00:56:31Hi.

00:56:32Hi.

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.

00:56:40But one day,

00:56:41I fly to Utah

00:56:42to see the Backstreet Boys

00:56:43and be able to 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.

00:57:02Just,

00:57:03why did you do this?

00:57:05Why couldn't you

00:57:05just be happy

00:57:08with us

00:57:09and the way things were?

00:57:11There was a little bit of,

00:57:13oh,

00:57:13should I do this?

00:57:15Because you don't want

00:57:15one group mad

00:57:17that we have another group

00:57:18just the same.

00:57:21They felt we were greedy.

00:57:23I'll say it,

00:57:24I'm guilty.

00:57:25But then when you said

00:57:27at the other side,

00:57:27why should I let someone else

00:57:30get an NSYNC

00:57:31and do the same thing?

00:57:33if you're going to have competition,

00:57:35let it be by two acts

00:57:37that I represent

00:57:38so that I know

00:57:39how to manage the movement

00:57:41so neither one of you

00:57:42are hurt by it.

00:57:44Lou always equated it to this.

00:57:46You have Burger King

00:57:47and McDonald's.

00:57:49And in some cities,

00:57:51Burger King sits right next

00:57:52to McDonald's.

00:57:53People have a choice,

00:57:54but they both survived

00:57:55so you guys can survive.

00:57:56And I said,

00:57:57I'll make that promise to you

00:57:58that you guys will have your lane,

00:58:00they'll have theirs.

00:58:01And that's what I,

00:58:02the word that I kept

00:58:04until we had booked

00:58:05the Backstreet Boys

00:58:06to play the Disney Concert Series.

00:58:10It was like almost two,

00:58:11two years that we were

00:58:12busting our asses

00:58:12to get to nowhere for a while.

00:58:14We did the grind.

00:58:15You know,

00:58:16we did the small little bars

00:58:17and clubs everywhere.

00:58:18And it kept us growing

00:58:19and getting better.

00:58:21And I remember one time

00:58:23NSYNC was opening for us

00:58:24and they, um,

00:58:25they came out and did,

00:58:26I want you back.

00:58:27And it was all,

00:58:27you know,

00:58:28all the choreography was happening.

00:58:29I'm just sitting there like,

00:58:30holy shit,

00:58:31we are

00:58:31it was like,

00:58:33they're never opening

00:58:34for us ever again.

00:58:35This is the first

00:58:36and last time

00:58:37that they will ever

00:58:37open for us.

00:58:40NSYNC was very together

00:58:41in their choreography.

00:58:43I saw boys that were

00:58:44working hard

00:58:44to get their dream.

00:58:45But they needed a break

00:58:46to become popular.

00:58:48Disney wanted to put on

00:58:49a concert

00:58:50in their parks.

00:58:51And we saw that the offers

00:58:53were for Backstreet

00:58:53and Johnny went to the boys

00:58:55and they didn't want to do it.

00:58:56They just felt,

00:58:57why the hell are we doing Disney

00:58:58when we're on the front cover

00:58:59of Rolling Stone?

00:59:00We'll just go ahead

00:59:01and show you

00:59:01why you should.

00:59:04Johnny Wright managed

00:59:05both groups.

00:59:06NSYNC was so polished

00:59:07and ready.

00:59:08They 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

00:59:26at Disney

00:59:26was well-deserved

00:59:27because they were so good.

00:59:28and then boom.

00:59:33And that

00:59:35catapulted them

00:59:36to the top.

00:59:40NSYNC was like

00:59:41hovering at 66

00:59:42with the album.

00:59:44Then the Backstreet Boys album

00:59:46was sitting at 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.

00:59:59Go away from all of it.

01:00:02And that goes

01:00:03from the fans,

01:00:05from the actual

01:00:06principals and artists,

01:00:07from the crew.

01:00:08You get threats.

01:00:10A 17-year-old teenager

01:00:12planned to steal guns

01:00:13to kill five musicians

01:00:14at an arena.

01:00:16All because of NSYNC's

01:00:17popularity with girls.

01:00:19One day

01:00:19we found out

01:00:20there was a bomb threat

01:00:21while we were out on tour.

01:00:22The management

01:00:23of the band

01:00:24are taking this threat

01:00:25very seriously.

01:00:28We love NSYNC.

01:00:29I think it's the best.

01:00:32There was a girl

01:00:33that pulled a gun once.

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 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

01:00:54a 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

01:01:08a hole in the wall

01:01:09or 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 when we first went 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

01:01:25and 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 their own.

01:01:32Unfortunately,

01:01:33there were people out there

01:01:34looking to tear you down.

01:01:37Jake, 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

01:01:44when you're kind of

01:01:44a teen heartthrob band

01:01:47or group, right?

01:01:48I don't think

01:01:48there's anything wrong

01:01:49with a squeaky clean image.

01:01:51I 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.

01:02:01Most people don't know this.

01:02:02I was about 17

01:02:04something like that.

01:02:06Now 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

01:02:14random house

01:02:14in the middle of nowhere

01:02:1530 minutes

01:02:16from where I was living.

01:02:19We got out

01:02:20she banged on the door

01:02:22and she dipped

01:02:23and 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

01:02:32to bother you

01:02:33da da da da

01:02:33and 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?

01:02:39And I was like

01:02:40dad?

01:02:47It was a weird

01:02:49surreal moment.

01:02:50I 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

01:02:59and all 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 that's

01:03:55happening behind the

01:03:56scenes

01:03:58the whole illusion

01:04:00would start

01:04:00to fall apart

01:04:01the fact

01:04:08that NSYNC

01:04:09was actually

01:04:09becoming more

01:04:10and more successful

01:04:11that's when I got

01:04:12the call

01:04:12from Backstreet Boys

01:04:13we need to have

01:04:14a meeting

01:04:14and they're like

01:04:15there's three conditions

01:04:16for you to stay

01:04:17our manager

01:04:18one you have

01:04:19to get rid of Lou

01:04:22you have to cut

01:04:23your management

01:04:23commission in half

01:04:24and you have to

01:04:26get 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 him

01:04:32okay

01:04:33if I'm not working

01:04:34with you and them

01:04:35then I have a

01:04:36responsibility to make

01:04:37them the biggest

01:04:37group in the world

01:04:38and that means

01:04:39I'm going to turn

01:04:40all my guns against

01:04:40you to make them

01:04:42bigger

01:04:44I found out

01:04:45there was a problem

01:04:46with the American

01:04:47Music 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

01:04:57because tonight

01:05:00we need a baby

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

01:05:11put up a 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

01:05:17before 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

01:05:25the 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

01:05:32them to the punch

01:05:36success was my revenge

01:05:37in terms of record

01:05:38sales

01:05:39in terms of their

01:05:39position on the charts

01:05:41NSYNC really gave

01:05:42Backstreet Boys a run

01:05:43for their money

01:05:44and of course

01:05:45there were other acts

01:05:46that followed

01:05:47when they really

01:05:48exploded in popularity

01:05:49and 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

01:06:05we came up with

01:06:06TRL

01:06:07Total 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

01:06:20programming it

01:06:20to see

01:06:22NSYNC

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 whose 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

01:06:51that'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 say

01:06:59who it is

01:07:01it came from Lou

01:07:03and the reason why

01:07:04fans started

01:07:05taking 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 the 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 knife

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 in 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 should 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

01:07:47in 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 going to be rich

01:08:03that's not the case

01:08:05NSYNC

01:08:06sold 10 million albums

01:08:07Lou Pearlman gave them

01:08:0910 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

01:08:26each 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

01:08:29what comes in

01:08:30I want to know

01:08:30what goes out

01:08:31what are we making

01:08:32what's happening

01:08:33what do we lose

01:08:36Lou

01:08:37tripled it

01:08:40Lou is the label

01:08:41then Lou is

01:08:42one 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

01:08:54I learned

01:08:54was recoupable

01:08:56good word kids

01:08:58recoupable

01:08:58remember that

01:09:01recoupables

01:09:02are 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

01:09:22get paid

01:09:23so you know

01:09:24in theory

01:09:25it seems

01:09:25okay this is

01:09:26I guess that's fair

01:09:28but they were like

01:09:29okay well here's

01:09:30the 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'm going

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 grouped together

01:09:46to 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

01:09:59in 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

01:10:37into your 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

01:10:53the Backstreet Boys

01:10:54and NSYNC

01:10:54are two of the more

01:10:55high profile examples

01:10:57of this kind of exploitation

01:10:58but it happens

01:10:59with every single

01:11:01popular group

01:11:0598 Degrees

01:11:06we signed with Motown

01:11:07we got a very

01:11:09nominal advance

01:11:10on our contract

01:11:12we 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

01:11:16we'll take a break

01:11:18and 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

01:11:21at 4am

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

01:11:22a car service

01:11:23back to Brooklyn

01:11:24we'll take the A train

01:11:25back to Brooklyn

01:11:26in the middle of winter

01:11:26four 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

01:11:34early 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 packed with

01:11:41other artists

01:11:42execs

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 then on top of that

01:12:03there was someone

01:12:04was actually skimming

01:12:05money off the top

01:12:07we were at this store

01:12:09called clothes time

01:12:10it was like a clothing store

01:12:11and made an appearance

01:12:12and took pictures all day

01:12:14we were just excited

01:12:15because we got five grand

01:12:17to stand there

01:12:17five grand

01:12:18a thousand dollars a piece

01:12:21we were supposed to have been

01:12:22paid 50 grand for that

01:12:23ultimately

01:12:25we fired them

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 in

01:12:33to get us off the ground

01:12:34and I will forever be grateful

01:12:36but

01:12:36we'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 to 1997

01:12:52Lou Pearlman earns

01:12:5410 million dollars

01:12:55from the Backstreet Boys

01:12:56the members of the band

01:12:58together got

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 talking

01:13:11to Nick and Brian

01:13:12and then all the other guys

01:13:14are talking to each other

01:13:15and other members

01:13:16the one thing Lou didn't want to do

01:13:18is for these guys to sit down

01:13:20and really talk about

01:13:22things about Lou

01:13:23that he might have lied about

01:13:25and then about a week later

01:13:27is when a German attorney

01:13:30sends a notice on behalf of Brian

01:13:33that they're suing me and Lou

01:13:36Brian Luttrell is the first one

01:13:38to launch a lawsuit

01:13:39against Lou Pearlman

01:13:40and shortly thereafter

01:13:42the other members

01:13:44from Backstreet Boys

01:13:45follow suit

01:13:45all five of the BSB lads

01:13:47are suing their former manager

01:13:49Backstreet had their lawsuit

01:13:50against Lou Pearlman

01:13:51and Johnny Wright

01:13:52which started in 1998

01:13:53and then NSYNC

01:13:55filed a lawsuit against 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 two and a half

01:14:03three years

01:14:03that we've been busting our asses

01:14:04I was like listen

01:14:05we need to do this

01:14:06so it 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 the sand

01:14:14and say

01:14:14do you have a contract with me

01:14:16I spent this money

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

01:14:17there wouldn't be no them

01:14:20so they went to battle

01:14:22and then Lou tried 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 nervous

01:14:33you had these guys

01:14:35you know you had Lou

01:14:35and he has all these lawyers

01:14:36and it's like

01:14:37we don't have that money

01:14:38we don't have anybody

01:14:38to back us up like that

01:14:40in that sense

01:14:41we're opening up a can

01:14:42that could mess up our name

01:14:43we might not even have

01:14:44a name NSYNC

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 confident

01:14:54on top of that as well

01:14:56scared in the sense of

01:14:57we didn't know

01:14:57what was going to happen

01:14:58with NSYNC

01:14:59but confident enough

01:15:00that we knew

01:15:01that we were not in 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 to 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 Pearlman

01:15:27so both

01:15:28the Backstreet Boys

01:15:28and NSYNC

01:15:29paid a collective

01:15:31amount of $64 million

01:15:33to settle out

01:15:34of 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

01:15:48big papa

01:15:49he was the one

01:15:51to look for

01:15:52guidance in certain things

01:15:53and

01:15:54it 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

01:16:01and 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 mentality

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

01:16:38um no

01:16:40about halfway through

01:16:41I guess I started

01:16:42to realize

01:16:43that 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 a

01:16:54Latin 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

01:17:02cranking 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

01:17:39and Transcon Records

01:17:41I was in the army

01:17:42I had to be

01:17:4519-ish

01:17:4620

01:17:46and when I got out

01:17:48I was working

01:17:48at Abercrombie & Fitch

01:17:51Nine West Shoes

01:17:52and TGI Fridays

01:17:53as a busser

01:17:55and 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

01:18:02I 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

01:18:31hey 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

01:18:53Backstreet 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

01:19:01and 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?

01:19:24no 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

01:19:36just ungrateful

01:19:36or being greedy

01:19:37there's so many

01:19:38different other

01:19:38like versions

01:19:39of that story

01:19:40that can make

01:19:41total sense

01:19:42what was your little

01:19:4312 year old

01:19:45perspective

01:19:46on what Lou wanted

01:19:48from this?

01:19:50I don't know

01:19:52I guess I never thought

01:19:53about what Lou wanted

01:19:54from it

01:19:56you're working

01:19:57three jobs

01:19:58and you're trying

01:19:58to make something

01:19:59to yourself

01:20:00and you've got

01:20:00no 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

01:20:08you'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

01:20:40first impressions

01:20:41of Lou Browning?

01:20:44I 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

01:20:54they had set up

01:20:56a meeting with Lou

01:20:57so he's like

01:20:58hey you know

01:20:59you 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

01:21:09you're like

01:21:09just some gym shorts

01:21:10on and a guitar

01:21:13you know

01:21:13a shirt and a guitar

01:21:14right?

01:21:16and he's sitting there

01:21:17in front of us

01:21:18on the couch

01:21:18and he's like

01:21:19he starts playing

01:21:19the 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

01:21:38and that's when

01:21:38it all came

01:21:39crashing down

01:21:42there's a lot

01:21:42of 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

01:21:49and

01:21:50I was not

01:21:52the only one

01:21:56I've always

01:21:57just said

01:21:57really nice things

01:21:58about Lou

01:21:58and I'm really

01:21:59grateful

01:22:00but it does feel

01:22:01like there was

01:22:02one member

01:22:03of each group

01:22:03that Lou

01:22:04was grooming

01:22:06including me

01:22:13you're on this

01:22:13roller coaster

01:22:14of never stopping

01:22:15or you think

01:22:18it's never going

01:22:18to stop

01:22:18first time

01:22:20I tried drugs

01:22:21wow this is awesome

01:22:22I was so deathly

01:22:24afraid of being

01:22:24called washed up

01:22:25I was victimized

01:22:27things get a lot

01:22:27darker

01:22:28and a lot more bleak

Boy Band Confidential S01E01 (2026)

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