1
00:00:09,009 --> 00:00:10,344
What's up, Jesse?

2
00:00:14,815 --> 00:00:16,159
In the 90s, the music industry
transformed talented boys

3
00:00:16,183 --> 00:00:17,494
in a new generation
of teen idols.

4
00:00:17,518 --> 00:00:19,753
- Are you ready?
- The Backstreet Boys are back!

5
00:00:19,820 --> 00:00:21,722
- We are LFO!
- 98 Degrees.

6
00:00:24,725 --> 00:00:27,094
They lost their place,
Backstreet Boys.

7
00:00:27,194 --> 00:00:30,864
Their rivals, NSYNC, now hold
record album sales.

8
00:00:30,931 --> 00:00:34,234
30 years ago, they made fun of the expression
"boy band".

9
00:00:34,801 --> 00:00:37,004
Now it's a source of pride.

10
00:00:43,310 --> 00:00:48,949
But fame comes at a high price...

11
00:00:50,484 --> 00:00:52,953
I know it's been a moment
hard for you, AJ.

12
00:00:53,020 --> 00:00:54,397
It was an experience
horrible for me.

13
00:00:54,421 --> 00:00:55,956
It's a cruel business.

14
00:00:56,023 --> 00:00:58,358
- Craziness!
- This is a scam.

15
00:00:58,458 --> 00:01:01,028
This is the first time I speak
about it so openly.

16
00:01:01,628 --> 00:01:04,031
The people we thought
who supported us,

17
00:01:04,097 --> 00:01:05,399
They actually didn't care.

18
00:01:15,542 --> 00:01:18,645
Now how long will the fame
and money will last.

19
00:01:21,782 --> 00:01:23,050
I was a victim.

20
00:01:25,919 --> 00:01:28,922
He made indecent proposals
to these young artists,

21
00:01:28,989 --> 00:01:30,090
including me.

22
00:01:30,157 --> 00:01:31,291
He was arrested.

23
00:01:31,358 --> 00:01:33,060
He was also attacked.

24
00:01:33,126 --> 00:01:35,062
We only had each other.

25
00:01:36,129 --> 00:01:37,889
If I had the chance to do
all over again,

26
00:01:37,931 --> 00:01:39,800
and get to where I am...

27
00:01:41,001 --> 00:01:42,603
would I do?

28
00:01:43,370 --> 00:01:45,205
They've talked before...

29
00:01:45,606 --> 00:01:47,274
But never like this.

30
00:01:52,946 --> 00:01:54,314
What a beautiful thing!

31
00:01:56,917 --> 00:01:59,019
Backstreet Boys!

32
00:02:01,722 --> 00:02:03,690
We love our fans.
That's why we're here.

33
00:02:10,130 --> 00:02:14,468
BOY BANDS:
THE DARK SIDE OF FAME

34
00:02:22,209 --> 00:02:26,546
{\an8}ORIGINAL RECORDING STUDIO
FROM NSYNC AND BACKSTREET BOYS

35
00:02:37,557 --> 00:02:38,959
Oh, the stories...

36
00:02:39,826 --> 00:02:41,328
Artists who recorded here:

37
00:02:41,495 --> 00:02:43,764
NSYNC, Backstreet Boys,
Britney Spears, Jonas Brothers,

38
00:02:43,830 --> 00:02:46,566
Boyz II Men, 98 Degrees,
Aaron Carter, Snap,

39
00:02:46,700 --> 00:02:49,736
Full Force, Menudo,
Galen Brown...

40
00:02:49,803 --> 00:02:51,304
And... I don't know
who is that guy.

41
00:02:55,909 --> 00:02:56,977
How many years have passed?

42
00:02:58,111 --> 00:03:00,013
Oh, my God!
Well over 20 years.

43
00:03:01,314 --> 00:03:02,949
A lot has changed.

44
00:03:05,786 --> 00:03:07,521
It's actually kind of funny.
There's a photo.

45
00:03:07,587 --> 00:03:10,323
Oh, it's right there. You can see it well.
This was literally here.

46
00:03:10,824 --> 00:03:11,824
That was that photo.

47
00:03:11,858 --> 00:03:14,661
They were there in the alley
and photographing us there.

48
00:03:15,328 --> 00:03:18,165
But the funniest thing is that TV
huge now is a flat screen.

49
00:03:18,465 --> 00:03:21,068
Like, look...
Even simple things like that.

50
00:03:21,134 --> 00:03:22,836
I don't know why.
It's kind of funny to me.

51
00:03:24,438 --> 00:03:26,373
My name is Joey Fatone.

52
00:03:26,473 --> 00:03:28,308
{\an8}I was in a group
called NSYNC.

53
00:03:30,143 --> 00:03:32,546
After we became a group,

54
00:03:33,814 --> 00:03:35,549
we did a stadium tour.

55
00:03:36,583 --> 00:03:39,252
60 thousand, 70 thousand people
screaming at you.

56
00:03:41,188 --> 00:03:43,090
For the five of us,

57
00:03:43,156 --> 00:03:47,828
being so successful doesn't happen
frequently.

58
00:03:50,864 --> 00:03:52,766
Yeah... Too many memories here.

59
00:03:54,468 --> 00:03:57,104
Often breaking a sweat.

60
00:03:59,973 --> 00:04:01,875
Often the same

61
00:04:01,975 --> 00:04:06,346
song over and over...

62
00:04:11,017 --> 00:04:14,321
Can't deny
that without NSYNC,

63
00:04:14,387 --> 00:04:16,857
Justin Timberlake wouldn't be
who he is today.

64
00:04:16,923 --> 00:04:18,792
It wouldn't be on Broadway,

65
00:04:18,859 --> 00:04:22,629
presenting TV shows
nor acting in films.

66
00:04:24,297 --> 00:04:27,167
The movie "Deadpool" used
our success at the opening.

67
00:04:28,769 --> 00:04:30,070
Now a new generation

68
00:04:30,203 --> 00:04:32,372
is discovering NSYNC,
which is pretty cool.

69
00:04:33,306 --> 00:04:36,376
It's an incredible experience
being able to live it all.

70
00:04:36,810 --> 00:04:38,311
But when we started,
we were young.

71
00:04:38,445 --> 00:04:39,946
Justin was 14 years old.

72
00:04:40,814 --> 00:04:42,482
I was, I don't know, 17, 18?

73
00:04:42,549 --> 00:04:44,618
Recent high school graduate.
In truth.

74
00:04:45,252 --> 00:04:47,587
At that time,
We didn't understand what was going on.

75
00:04:47,954 --> 00:04:51,024
But, getting older,
We look at life differently.

76
00:04:51,124 --> 00:04:53,627
And you realize
that the industry can be

77
00:04:53,727 --> 00:04:56,229
incredible and cruel at the same time.

78
00:04:56,296 --> 00:05:00,867
- Would a meeting still take place?
- There's always a chance, of course.

79
00:05:00,934 --> 00:05:03,570
But many fans don't know the
challenges we face.

80
00:05:03,637 --> 00:05:04,504
But during my career,

81
00:05:04,638 --> 00:05:07,474
I met artists
from other groups.

82
00:05:07,641 --> 00:05:10,343
And I realized that all the others
boy bands passed

83
00:05:10,410 --> 00:05:13,513
for the same and remained silent.

84
00:05:13,580 --> 00:05:16,016
It was time to finally
let us tell your stories.

85
00:05:34,901 --> 00:05:36,469
{\an8}ON THE PHONE WITH YOUR MANAGER

86
00:05:36,503 --> 00:05:38,972
{\an8}- Tell me.
- Is everything okay there?

87
00:05:39,039 --> 00:05:41,942
How are we with the filming?
so far?

88
00:05:42,008 --> 00:05:44,044
Well, it's funny,
because I woke up really early.

89
00:05:44,110 --> 00:05:48,381
{\an8}Joey and I have been talking
in the last six to eight months

90
00:05:48,448 --> 00:05:50,717
{\an8}about which stories people
haven't heard yet.

91
00:05:52,252 --> 00:05:54,087
See, we work
with entertainment, right?

92
00:05:54,154 --> 00:05:57,290
Our job is to portray
and sell

93
00:05:57,390 --> 00:06:00,126
not just fantasy,
but entertainment.

94
00:06:01,628 --> 00:06:05,432
But in a boy band
there is a not very glamorous side.

95
00:06:05,565 --> 00:06:08,735
There is a side that is not so sexy.

96
00:06:09,236 --> 00:06:11,504
If you are human,
you have difficulties.

97
00:06:11,538 --> 00:06:12,839
Everyone suffers.

98
00:06:12,939 --> 00:06:17,210
Only even more
when you're in a boy band.

99
00:06:17,677 --> 00:06:21,648
I forgot, we will have 4-5 people
in LA next week.

100
00:06:22,249 --> 00:06:24,517
And then Jeff Timmons,
at some point.

101
00:06:25,886 --> 00:06:26,953
{\an8}What's up?

102
00:06:27,020 --> 00:06:31,191
{\an8}Speaking of the devil,
Who else has done this so far?

103
00:06:31,524 --> 00:06:33,026
Let's welcome AJ to LA.

104
00:06:33,093 --> 00:06:34,361
{\an8}I just want to say hello.

105
00:06:35,128 --> 00:06:37,264
I think we're going to have Nick in LA.

106
00:06:37,330 --> 00:06:39,232
{\an8}- What's up, brother?
- He speaks.

107
00:06:39,332 --> 00:06:40,400
{\an8}OK, high speed.

108
00:06:41,301 --> 00:06:42,302
{\an8}Shawn...

109
00:06:42,702 --> 00:06:43,937
{\an8}Jeff Timmons.

110
00:06:44,004 --> 00:06:47,941
{\an8}I like listening to others
sides of the story.

111
00:06:48,008 --> 00:06:51,978
Basically, they passed
through trials and tribulations.

112
00:06:52,045 --> 00:06:53,847
We never had the
conversation of asking:

113
00:06:53,947 --> 00:06:55,348
"How was it? What happened?"

114
00:06:55,448 --> 00:06:58,785
{\an8}Because few people
they were able to experience something like this.

115
00:06:58,885 --> 00:07:00,020
Nick Lachey. Take one.

116
00:07:01,588 --> 00:07:03,456
Erik Estrada. Take one.

117
00:07:03,990 --> 00:07:05,191
It's past time.

118
00:07:05,258 --> 00:07:07,827
We've done several of these,
and we didn't explore that angle.

119
00:07:12,499 --> 00:07:13,767
All good.

120
00:07:13,833 --> 00:07:14,834
All good?

121
00:07:14,901 --> 00:07:16,102
Easy.

122
00:07:17,904 --> 00:07:21,174
These are our prizes
of 1999 Billboard.

123
00:07:21,274 --> 00:07:22,876
We won four of those.

124
00:07:23,243 --> 00:07:26,513
For years, I didn't leave any of the
my awards displayed at home,

125
00:07:26,579 --> 00:07:28,581
because I thought that
didn't deserve it.

126
00:07:32,485 --> 00:07:35,722
{\an8}A.J. is a character in a band.

127
00:07:35,822 --> 00:07:37,157
Alex is me.

128
00:07:40,593 --> 00:07:42,329
I was born as Alexander McLean,

129
00:07:42,429 --> 00:07:44,364
a nerdy boy,
from Palm Beach, Florida,

130
00:07:44,431 --> 00:07:48,401
who had a Huffy bike,
played the piano, loved games,

131
00:07:48,468 --> 00:07:50,971
{\an8}I loved comic books,
but, more than anything,

132
00:07:51,071 --> 00:07:53,907
{\an8}I loved acting, singing and dancing.

133
00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:57,944
There was an amazing theater called
Royal Palm Dinner Theater.

134
00:07:58,044 --> 00:08:02,148
One of the first roles that
I got it in Snow White.

135
00:08:02,749 --> 00:08:06,686
They cast me as Dopey,
because Dunga was mute

136
00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:10,523
and I had speech problems
when I was a child.

137
00:08:10,590 --> 00:08:11,630
I had two, actually.

138
00:08:11,758 --> 00:08:13,693
I stuttered
and had a lisp.

139
00:08:13,827 --> 00:08:17,330
Of course, I was the character
that I didn't need to say anything.

140
00:08:17,964 --> 00:08:19,232
I stole the scene.

141
00:08:23,103 --> 00:08:28,475
But I think the negative side of
applause is how you perceive it.

142
00:08:29,642 --> 00:08:31,378
Why are you applauding me?

143
00:08:31,678 --> 00:08:33,513
Do I deserve this applause?

144
00:08:33,913 --> 00:08:35,482
I didn't do anything too much.

145
00:08:36,282 --> 00:08:38,018
If I were you,
would be booing me.

146
00:08:39,886 --> 00:08:44,190
Growing up in South Florida,
most boys,

147
00:08:44,257 --> 00:08:48,228
I looked at you like: Why not?
Do you like sports or video games?

148
00:08:48,328 --> 00:08:50,764
Yeah, I was a lot of fun.
I suffered a lot of bullying.

149
00:08:50,864 --> 00:08:55,201
And it started
shaking me inside.

150
00:08:55,335 --> 00:09:00,440
I always had problems with
self-esteem throughout life.

151
00:09:02,575 --> 00:09:06,212
{\an8}But I had the ability to act

152
00:09:06,279 --> 00:09:09,616
{\an8}and bring joy to people.

153
00:09:11,718 --> 00:09:15,155
I have to do these things
for people to like me.

154
00:09:16,389 --> 00:09:18,691
{\an8}For many at the time,

155
00:09:18,725 --> 00:09:22,262
{\an8}much of the reason
why we choose the music

156
00:09:22,328 --> 00:09:25,131
{\an8}is that it is a form
to communicate,

157
00:09:25,198 --> 00:09:26,633
and it's almost like...

158
00:09:28,635 --> 00:09:30,003
a request for help.

159
00:09:32,505 --> 00:09:35,675
I was about 10 or 11 years old,
a little older than that.

160
00:09:35,742 --> 00:09:37,410
Then New Kids appears
on the Block.

161
00:09:37,744 --> 00:09:39,412
We lived in Brooklyn,
in New York.

162
00:09:39,479 --> 00:09:43,283
I remember a friend,
her name was Deborah.

163
00:09:43,349 --> 00:09:45,652
I went to her house and watched
to all VHS tapes.

164
00:09:49,222 --> 00:09:51,491
I didn't want anyone to know.

165
00:09:51,558 --> 00:09:53,626
You don't watch a boy band.
It's a girl thing.

166
00:09:53,726 --> 00:09:56,563
That's not for boys.
It's a "sissy" thing, they said.

167
00:09:56,930 --> 00:09:58,865
And I thought, "I don't know
what are you talking about.

168
00:09:59,599 --> 00:10:02,635
I'm enjoying the presentations.
I love the songs.

169
00:10:02,702 --> 00:10:05,805
And besides, look
how many people in this arena."

170
00:10:07,941 --> 00:10:10,210
They performed in
arenas at that time.

171
00:10:10,310 --> 00:10:13,046
And I thought, "I would love
do something like that."

172
00:10:13,513 --> 00:10:16,282
There were groups like that,
New Kids or Boyz II Men,

173
00:10:16,316 --> 00:10:19,252
that we admired and
showed what was possible.

174
00:10:26,326 --> 00:10:29,796
{\an8}New Kids on the Block is,
undoubtedly the original boy band.

175
00:10:29,829 --> 00:10:33,666
{\an8}They were a worldwide phenomenon
which began in the late 80s,

176
00:10:33,733 --> 00:10:36,536
and sold more than 80 million
of records around the world.

177
00:10:36,769 --> 00:10:42,175
We never get tired
to win prizes and be successful.

178
00:10:42,242 --> 00:10:44,911
Having millions of people wanting
buy your records.

179
00:10:44,978 --> 00:10:46,946
I was a tour manager
from New Kids on the Block.

180
00:10:47,113 --> 00:10:49,315
{\an8}And they,
in terms of personality

181
00:10:49,415 --> 00:10:51,651
{\an8}and performance, they are unbeatable

182
00:10:51,684 --> 00:10:54,554
until today.
It doesn't matter what they say.

183
00:10:54,821 --> 00:10:56,656
But then, New Kids on the Block
decided,

184
00:10:56,723 --> 00:10:58,958
after four and a half years,
that were sold out.

185
00:10:59,192 --> 00:11:00,660
So they wanted a break.

186
00:11:01,494 --> 00:11:03,930
That's when Boyz II Men
began to emerge.

187
00:11:05,098 --> 00:11:07,767
{\an8}Yes, there is a distinction between
vocal groups and boy bands.

188
00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:11,171
{\an8}But, unfortunately, the experiences
they are very similar.

189
00:11:11,404 --> 00:11:17,243
But when I hear people
talking a lot about the group,

190
00:11:17,343 --> 00:11:22,315
without understanding what we went through,
I personally don't care.

191
00:11:23,082 --> 00:11:24,951
Because you don't know.

192
00:11:25,618 --> 00:11:27,720
You have no idea.
Nor will they ever.

193
00:11:32,825 --> 00:11:35,895
We were not an assembled group.

194
00:11:36,062 --> 00:11:37,430
Music brought us together.

195
00:11:37,564 --> 00:11:42,135
We all lived in four places
different in Philadelphia.

196
00:11:42,936 --> 00:11:45,538
My mother had me at 19.
My father was 18.

197
00:11:46,005 --> 00:11:47,574
They were children.

198
00:11:48,541 --> 00:11:52,245
I found my father later,
when he was eight years old.

199
00:11:53,746 --> 00:11:55,548
I lived
in a housing complex.

200
00:11:55,648 --> 00:11:58,017
My mother wasn't
in its best phase at the time.

201
00:11:58,051 --> 00:12:01,354
My grandmother took me
to the tram stop.

202
00:12:01,421 --> 00:12:04,324
She said, "I'll show you
how to do that."

203
00:12:04,424 --> 00:12:06,960
She said, "Get on the tram.
Sit near the door.

204
00:12:07,527 --> 00:12:11,130
If something happens,
you have to run straight from there."

205
00:12:11,864 --> 00:12:14,200
The street is the street.
Did you understand?

206
00:12:14,234 --> 00:12:18,972
Someone gets on the tram
and wants to steal the money.

207
00:12:19,205 --> 00:12:21,741
They rob the tram.

208
00:12:24,010 --> 00:12:28,448
It was scary, because I arrived
at home and there was madness.

209
00:12:28,514 --> 00:12:30,984
I'm talking about arriving
home and lie in bed.

210
00:12:33,886 --> 00:12:37,290
Lift the mattress and see
sawed-off shotguns.

211
00:12:37,390 --> 00:12:39,092
Several 9mm.

212
00:12:39,125 --> 00:12:40,827
And guess what I did?

213
00:12:41,494 --> 00:12:42,629
I was going to sleep.

214
00:12:42,929 --> 00:12:44,063
Got it?

215
00:12:44,330 --> 00:12:45,999
That was it.

216
00:12:46,065 --> 00:12:48,034
So I had to leave.

217
00:12:50,670 --> 00:12:53,506
I remember one day,
sitting on the bed,

218
00:12:54,941 --> 00:12:56,542
I started crying.

219
00:12:56,643 --> 00:12:58,711
Crying.
And I was praying.

220
00:12:58,778 --> 00:13:01,314
I just said, "I want
be a star."

221
00:13:01,581 --> 00:13:04,951
And I kept crying.
"I want to be a star."

222
00:13:06,686 --> 00:13:10,456
The crazy thing is that when
you become a star,

223
00:13:11,157 --> 00:13:15,128
they don't tell you it's coming
with a lot of things.

224
00:13:19,365 --> 00:13:21,467
I wasn't ready
for loss.

225
00:13:26,906 --> 00:13:31,210
And this loss changed
the trajectory of everything.

226
00:13:35,982 --> 00:13:38,618
I grew up watching
to the program "Fame"

227
00:13:38,651 --> 00:13:42,388
with Leroy and Coco
and all the dancers.

228
00:13:42,422 --> 00:13:44,424
And it was just this school
which was incredible.

229
00:13:44,490 --> 00:13:48,127
Like, it would be great if it existed
a school like that, right?

230
00:13:48,995 --> 00:13:52,231
In the ninth year,
high schools

231
00:13:52,332 --> 00:13:55,768
start to go their own way
recruit you elsewhere.

232
00:13:56,302 --> 00:13:59,038
I was there and another
school came.

233
00:13:59,138 --> 00:14:04,110
Then, suddenly, they put
their stuff on screen.

234
00:14:05,111 --> 00:14:06,979
They showed
Leroy and Coco.

235
00:14:07,013 --> 00:14:10,216
They said, "Maybe you
get to know the school of..."

236
00:14:10,283 --> 00:14:12,685
And I shouted: "Fame!"

237
00:14:12,719 --> 00:14:16,489
Did you understand? I went crazy.
He knows? I want to go to Fame.

238
00:14:20,259 --> 00:14:24,163
Kappa is the acronym for arts
creative and performative.

239
00:14:24,230 --> 00:14:27,834
{\an8}So, if it's like the series,
I need to go.

240
00:14:27,900 --> 00:14:31,404
And it was there that I met the
others from the group Boyz II Men.

241
00:14:32,805 --> 00:14:35,575
When we started,
I was about 15 years old.

242
00:14:35,808 --> 00:14:39,612
Nate, Mike and Mark were 16, 17.

243
00:14:40,213 --> 00:14:41,848
And Wanya was like 14.

244
00:14:43,783 --> 00:14:45,184
People need to know

245
00:14:45,218 --> 00:14:50,623
we rehearsed every day,
for free.

246
00:14:51,324 --> 00:14:53,526
Nothing!
We had nothing.

247
00:14:53,593 --> 00:14:56,696
We were going to sing for free.

248
00:14:58,898 --> 00:15:02,869
Only after graduation,
that we managed to get in

249
00:15:02,902 --> 00:15:04,704
in the show dressing room
by Will Smith.

250
00:15:04,737 --> 00:15:06,406
And that's when we met
Michael Bivins.

251
00:15:08,007 --> 00:15:10,943
Michael Bivins is an artist
from the Bell Biv DeVoe group.

252
00:15:11,043 --> 00:15:13,646
{\an8}He was one of the members
New Edition originals.

253
00:15:13,713 --> 00:15:15,715
{\an8}They sing for Bivins.

254
00:15:15,782 --> 00:15:18,885
And he ends up turning
their manager.

255
00:15:18,985 --> 00:15:21,421
The group was formed in 1989.

256
00:15:21,554 --> 00:15:24,157
In 1990 we signed a contract.

257
00:15:24,223 --> 00:15:26,159
In 1991 we released our album.

258
00:15:26,826 --> 00:15:28,327
I'll tell you,
These guys are awesome.

259
00:15:28,428 --> 00:15:29,128
Everyone loves them.

260
00:15:29,195 --> 00:15:31,564
Women go crazy for them
and they are all single.

261
00:15:32,765 --> 00:15:35,468
They harmonize well,
They are good, talented singers.

262
00:15:35,535 --> 00:15:36,769
They are the best.
They really are.

263
00:15:36,803 --> 00:15:38,805
Boyz II Men,
They are the kings of RandB.

264
00:15:38,871 --> 00:15:39,972
They're cool.

265
00:15:40,006 --> 00:15:44,277
{\an8}It's one of the groups we admired.
And we tried to be like them.

266
00:15:44,377 --> 00:15:47,413
{\an8}I studied at a school
of performing arts in Cincinnati

267
00:15:47,480 --> 00:15:49,048
{\an8}and we had a group
from singing to cappella,

268
00:15:49,115 --> 00:15:52,018
{\an8}then we started
covering Boyz II Men.

269
00:15:52,051 --> 00:15:55,154
{\an8}There was something in that sound
which was on a level

270
00:15:55,188 --> 00:16:00,359
{\an8}than anything arranged
or played that I have ever heard in my life.

271
00:16:00,793 --> 00:16:03,329
Michael Bivins pushed
for us to go on tour.

272
00:16:03,663 --> 00:16:06,132
So we went to the show
MC Hammer opening.

273
00:16:06,466 --> 00:16:08,935
Of course, we didn't know
what that implied.

274
00:16:08,968 --> 00:16:11,013
You know, we just thought:
"My God, there's a tour going on!"

275
00:16:11,037 --> 00:16:14,440
You know, that's incredible.
MC Hammer, wow, you know.

276
00:16:14,907 --> 00:16:17,643
When it's time to go on tour,

277
00:16:17,677 --> 00:16:19,846
Michael Bivens assembled the team.

278
00:16:19,912 --> 00:16:23,015
And he introduced us
Khalil at rehearsal.

279
00:16:23,082 --> 00:16:25,351
And, you know, a big guy
and corpulent.

280
00:16:25,418 --> 00:16:27,887
He wore big gold rings,

281
00:16:27,987 --> 00:16:30,256
with diamonds
and a huge chain.

282
00:16:30,723 --> 00:16:33,192
Khalil Rountree was
our team manager.

283
00:16:33,259 --> 00:16:38,764
He took care of trips,
hotels and our food.

284
00:16:38,831 --> 00:16:41,434
The tour manager
takes care of everything.

285
00:16:41,834 --> 00:16:45,171
So he was that
and much more.

286
00:16:45,238 --> 00:16:46,973
It was also our safety.

287
00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:51,377
When Khalil
became our manager,

288
00:16:51,777 --> 00:16:52,778
he needed help.

289
00:16:53,846 --> 00:16:55,481
We called his best friend.

290
00:16:55,615 --> 00:16:58,484
{\an8}Khalil and I grew up
one block from each other.

291
00:16:58,584 --> 00:17:01,954
{\an8}We study together
in elementary school.

292
00:17:01,988 --> 00:17:03,823
He was a great gentleman.

293
00:17:03,890 --> 00:17:06,292
I was little and we connected.

294
00:17:07,260 --> 00:17:09,562
He was a gentle giant.

295
00:17:09,629 --> 00:17:11,063
And he was loyal.

296
00:17:12,331 --> 00:17:13,575
He knew what
all that entailed.

297
00:17:13,599 --> 00:17:14,643
I wanted us to be safe.

298
00:17:14,667 --> 00:17:19,272
He protected us, in a way
or another, no matter what.

299
00:17:19,672 --> 00:17:20,949
If we needed to run,
we ran.

300
00:17:20,973 --> 00:17:22,317
If we needed to crawl,
we crawled.

301
00:17:22,341 --> 00:17:24,243
But he was there with us,
showing how.

302
00:17:26,012 --> 00:17:30,182
But what you
run away from life

303
00:17:30,383 --> 00:17:32,952
will always find you.

304
00:17:35,721 --> 00:17:38,057
It's May 1992.

305
00:17:38,124 --> 00:17:40,026
We are on tour
"Too Legit to Quit".

306
00:17:40,059 --> 00:17:41,961
And we were in Chicago,
Illinois.

307
00:17:43,029 --> 00:17:47,366
I was actually in the room
from my girlfriend at Doubletree.

308
00:17:48,234 --> 00:17:50,436
She was one of
MC Hammer dancers.

309
00:17:51,237 --> 00:17:53,205
And we were enjoying,
having fun.

310
00:17:54,106 --> 00:17:57,109
And I heard a door slam loudly.

311
00:17:59,645 --> 00:18:03,082
Shawn's girlfriend walked into the
room and said:

312
00:18:05,051 --> 00:18:06,485
"Khalil has died."

313
00:18:10,056 --> 00:18:13,392
There was a lot of stuff in the press
and lots of news about it.

314
00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:15,895
But people don't know

315
00:18:15,962 --> 00:18:18,397
what we went through, nor
how we deal with all of this.

316
00:18:19,465 --> 00:18:21,701
{\an8}I received a connection
in my hotel room.

317
00:18:22,268 --> 00:18:26,505
{\an8}It was Wynye. He said:
"Hey, come with me somewhere."

318
00:18:26,906 --> 00:18:28,341
Something happened to Khalil.

319
00:18:28,774 --> 00:18:30,710
And we went up to the room
from Khalil.

320
00:18:32,111 --> 00:18:33,479
We got there.

321
00:18:33,546 --> 00:18:35,881
It was like CSI, researchers.

322
00:18:36,015 --> 00:18:39,051
They took us to a room
and they sat us down.

323
00:18:40,252 --> 00:18:43,723
The policeman said there were people
in a hotel.

324
00:18:43,789 --> 00:18:45,391
They were looking for the party.

325
00:18:45,458 --> 00:18:47,059
Because MC Hammer
I was at the hotel.

326
00:18:47,627 --> 00:18:49,195
Then they knocked on doors.

327
00:18:49,228 --> 00:18:52,765
Khalil left the door
of the room open.

328
00:18:52,798 --> 00:18:55,701
Just to keep an eye on everything.

329
00:18:55,768 --> 00:18:56,845
Khalil's door was open.

330
00:18:56,869 --> 00:19:02,408
So instead of hitting,
the two forced entry.

331
00:19:04,710 --> 00:19:08,114
And they saw him counting
tour money.

332
00:19:09,315 --> 00:19:11,617
Then a guy broke in.

333
00:19:13,586 --> 00:19:15,855
{\an8}Khalil: "This is my room."

334
00:19:16,255 --> 00:19:17,523
He leaves.

335
00:19:17,590 --> 00:19:19,725
Then he thinks: "Wow."
They saw the money.

336
00:19:19,792 --> 00:19:21,160
He knows that
the guys are here.

337
00:19:21,227 --> 00:19:22,762
Let me solve it.

338
00:19:22,828 --> 00:19:24,730
He called Qadree.

339
00:19:24,764 --> 00:19:27,466
{\an8}He said, "They are
trying to get into my room."

340
00:19:27,566 --> 00:19:29,869
Then he says, "Come.
Let's get them out of the hall.

341
00:19:29,935 --> 00:19:33,305
Because if they hit
in a room of idiots..."

342
00:19:33,339 --> 00:19:34,607
Speaking of us...

343
00:19:34,740 --> 00:19:36,909
"They will open the door.
This cannot happen."

344
00:19:38,778 --> 00:19:41,480
So Khalil and Qadree
they grabbed them.

345
00:19:43,516 --> 00:19:44,817
So I said, "Man, let's go."

346
00:19:44,884 --> 00:19:47,286
Let's take them down
and get rid of them.

347
00:19:49,755 --> 00:19:51,357
And one of the guys had a gun.

348
00:19:56,095 --> 00:19:57,196
I got shot.

349
00:19:58,097 --> 00:20:00,466
I felt one, two, three.

350
00:20:01,634 --> 00:20:03,836
One of the guys shot
in Khalil's head.

351
00:20:05,337 --> 00:20:06,472
They left.

352
00:20:06,572 --> 00:20:08,407
THE SHOOTER,
CHRISTOPHER BABBINGTON,

353
00:20:08,441 --> 00:20:11,243
LATER, HE WAS ARRESTED
AT HIS HOUSE THAT DAY.

354
00:20:11,544 --> 00:20:13,179
I was in shock.

355
00:20:13,212 --> 00:20:14,313
And I get out of the elevator.

356
00:20:14,346 --> 00:20:16,215
And I said:
"My friend, he's in the elevator.

357
00:20:16,315 --> 00:20:18,260
He's right there. He's dead.
He's in the elevator. He's dead."

358
00:20:18,284 --> 00:20:20,886
And I didn't stop saying it.
And then I passed out.

359
00:20:25,157 --> 00:20:26,792
I've never experienced anything like this.

360
00:20:26,826 --> 00:20:28,060
In my life.

361
00:20:28,094 --> 00:20:29,729
Someone so close to me,

362
00:20:30,329 --> 00:20:32,531
being killed...

363
00:20:34,767 --> 00:20:36,869
so close.

364
00:20:37,436 --> 00:20:39,004
CHRISTOPHER BABBINGTON
HE WAS CONDEMNED

365
00:20:39,071 --> 00:20:40,482
FOR INTENTIONAL HOMICIDE
AND SERIOUS BODILY INJURY

366
00:20:40,506 --> 00:20:41,373
WITH FIREARMS.

367
00:20:41,407 --> 00:20:44,210
THE COURT SENTENCED HIM TO 2 PENALTIES
14 YEARS IN PRISON.

368
00:20:44,376 --> 00:20:47,813
The guys who were knocking
on bedroom doors,

369
00:20:47,947 --> 00:20:50,416
as they say,
trying to find where the party was.

370
00:20:50,483 --> 00:20:52,651
In fact, I think they
they were looking for us.

371
00:20:53,252 --> 00:20:55,020
And Khalil knew it.

372
00:20:55,421 --> 00:20:56,722
Well, that happened to us.

373
00:20:56,789 --> 00:20:59,959
People have already infiltrated
in our dressing rooms and such.

374
00:21:00,025 --> 00:21:02,828
He was our protector.

375
00:21:05,397 --> 00:21:07,166
He was our shield

376
00:21:07,233 --> 00:21:10,436
against a lot of confusion
to which we are now exposed.

377
00:21:11,937 --> 00:21:15,207
So, we have to grow.

378
00:21:15,274 --> 00:21:17,243
We have to become men.

379
00:21:17,376 --> 00:21:20,379
Is it difficult to adjust to fame?

380
00:21:20,479 --> 00:21:24,483
It's not, because we help each other,
you know.

381
00:21:24,683 --> 00:21:27,019
Boyz II Men dropped out of the tour.

382
00:21:27,086 --> 00:21:30,022
But they come back the same
in a week.

383
00:21:30,055 --> 00:21:31,724
And then they're back
in the studio,

384
00:21:31,824 --> 00:21:33,726
recording the next
hit, "End of the Road".

385
00:21:33,793 --> 00:21:35,127
It's our first No. 1 single.

386
00:21:35,161 --> 00:21:36,996
It's unnatural

387
00:21:37,062 --> 00:21:39,265
You belong to me

388
00:21:39,331 --> 00:21:42,368
I can't leave you

389
00:21:42,401 --> 00:21:44,804
Spends 13 weeks in #1.

390
00:21:45,070 --> 00:21:47,206
And it became a huge success.

391
00:21:47,873 --> 00:21:49,175
"I'll Make Love to You".

392
00:21:49,208 --> 00:21:53,012
Another huge success takes
"End of the Road"

393
00:21:53,145 --> 00:21:55,047
from the top of the charts.

394
00:21:56,182 --> 00:21:59,685
And they surpass themselves
one after the other.

395
00:22:00,686 --> 00:22:03,989
The success of Boyz II Men
paved the way

396
00:22:04,056 --> 00:22:07,626
for other groups
follow in his footsteps.

397
00:22:09,195 --> 00:22:11,430
But there is a catch to this.

398
00:22:11,530 --> 00:22:17,369
Because they could grow
and take you off the top of the charts.

399
00:22:20,472 --> 00:22:23,642
Thanks to many groups
who came before us,

400
00:22:23,676 --> 00:22:24,977
like Boyz II Men.

401
00:22:25,077 --> 00:22:30,482
A door was reopened to
male groups enter.

402
00:22:30,616 --> 00:22:33,385
We could make a deal
with Atlantic Records.

403
00:22:33,519 --> 00:22:34,887
And the funniest thing is:

404
00:22:34,987 --> 00:22:37,389
Atlantic Records does not
I wanted our photo on the cover.

405
00:22:39,024 --> 00:22:40,593
Because our group, All-4-One.

406
00:22:40,626 --> 00:22:42,761
There's a white one.
There's a Mexican.

407
00:22:42,828 --> 00:22:43,996
And two black people.

408
00:22:44,029 --> 00:22:45,898
The music industry,
even today,

409
00:22:45,931 --> 00:22:49,235
is one of the places
more segregated.

410
00:22:51,003 --> 00:22:52,671
We released the hit "I Swear".

411
00:22:54,073 --> 00:22:55,241
They just catch fire.

412
00:22:55,307 --> 00:22:57,943
Now,
the crazy story of "I Swear".

413
00:22:58,010 --> 00:23:02,748
Many black radio stations
they could play "I Swear."

414
00:23:02,848 --> 00:23:06,285
There were people saying:
"Roces aren't RandB enough."

415
00:23:06,318 --> 00:23:07,358
They're not black enough.

416
00:23:07,386 --> 00:23:09,506
You got a white boy
and a Mexican in your group."

417
00:23:10,289 --> 00:23:16,161
It wasn't the fans who
segregated or did not accept.

418
00:23:16,328 --> 00:23:19,198
There were more people
who make business decisions.

419
00:23:19,965 --> 00:23:20,933
And it sucked.

420
00:23:20,966 --> 00:23:21,967
And it sucks.

421
00:23:22,635 --> 00:23:24,036
Past and present.

422
00:23:26,105 --> 00:23:28,040
Right.
So I went to my garage.

423
00:23:28,107 --> 00:23:31,010
And literally, they are boxes
in my garage.

424
00:23:31,043 --> 00:23:32,754
I don't even know half the things
what's inside.

425
00:23:32,778 --> 00:23:35,114
So let's just open up
and take a look,

426
00:23:35,214 --> 00:23:36,882
there are probably things
from NSYNC here,

427
00:23:36,982 --> 00:23:38,159
there's a lot of
other things here.

428
00:23:38,183 --> 00:23:40,920
But right away, it seems like
this could break in half,

429
00:23:40,986 --> 00:23:44,556
an NSYNC microphone,
a portable and wireless.

430
00:23:44,623 --> 00:23:46,892
All dolls. Funko.

431
00:23:46,926 --> 00:23:49,662
We are, we are doll fans
vinyl pop.

432
00:23:49,695 --> 00:23:51,864
How many people are there
Barbie dolls?

433
00:23:51,931 --> 00:23:54,833
Well, that's Christie,
and she is a fan of NSYNC.

434
00:23:56,235 --> 00:24:00,172
If your group, hopefully,
become popular,

435
00:24:00,272 --> 00:24:02,608
turn, say,
a brand of some kind.

436
00:24:02,641 --> 00:24:07,313
You don't just sell yourself,
but also the product, the music.

437
00:24:08,347 --> 00:24:09,982
But sometimes
it works the other way around.

438
00:24:10,049 --> 00:24:11,383
Where the record label or manager

439
00:24:11,483 --> 00:24:13,052
starts with the brand
you want to sell,

440
00:24:13,118 --> 00:24:16,455
and look for people to fit in
on this brand.

441
00:24:16,855 --> 00:24:18,791
That's when you hear criticism
what boy bands are they from

442
00:24:18,891 --> 00:24:20,859
in quotation marks, manufactured.

443
00:24:21,193 --> 00:24:23,729
And no one knows that
better than Backstreet.

444
00:24:37,676 --> 00:24:40,179
{\an8}When I was a child,
we left south florida

445
00:24:40,612 --> 00:24:41,580
{\an8}to Orlando,

446
00:24:41,613 --> 00:24:43,983
{\an8}to get closer
from Nickelodeon and Disney.

447
00:24:44,016 --> 00:24:47,052
Places where I could
work or get jobs.

448
00:24:47,086 --> 00:24:49,188
- Where did you get it?
- This guy.

449
00:24:49,521 --> 00:24:50,923
"Hi, Honey, I'm Home!"

450
00:24:50,990 --> 00:24:53,625
It's a Nickelodeon show
which ended up being broadcast

451
00:24:53,726 --> 00:24:56,328
on ABC soon.

452
00:24:56,428 --> 00:24:57,428
It was pretty fun.

453
00:24:57,930 --> 00:24:59,832
It was only when this thing,
"The Blue Sheet",

454
00:24:59,932 --> 00:25:02,034
arrived in the mail.

455
00:25:02,134 --> 00:25:03,969
It was basically like
the classifieds

456
00:25:04,069 --> 00:25:05,571
of all local entertainment.

457
00:25:05,637 --> 00:25:09,041
And on the final page,
At the top it said:

458
00:25:09,074 --> 00:25:13,312
"Local businessman seeks
put together a vocal group.

459
00:25:13,379 --> 00:25:16,215
"A la New Kids on the
Block meets Boyz II Men."

460
00:25:17,883 --> 00:25:19,885
I looked at my mother and thought:

461
00:25:21,487 --> 00:25:22,921
What do you think?

462
00:25:24,323 --> 00:25:27,226
{\an8}Lou Pearlman auditioned
for the Backstreet Boys.

463
00:25:27,493 --> 00:25:29,161
{\an8}And the people came
do the tests.

464
00:25:30,529 --> 00:25:33,565
I was the first to know
Lou.

465
00:25:34,533 --> 00:25:36,869
I went to his house,
I sang to him.

466
00:25:37,236 --> 00:25:39,238
And he hired me
on time. And that was it.

467
00:25:39,304 --> 00:25:41,907
So I'm the OG.

468
00:25:41,940 --> 00:25:43,909
I literally helped
putting together the band.

469
00:25:44,276 --> 00:25:47,112
At that time, friends told me:

470
00:25:47,179 --> 00:25:51,116
"The owner of the airships
wants to see you."

471
00:25:51,150 --> 00:25:52,384
And I: "Who is he?"

472
00:25:53,419 --> 00:25:54,520
His name is Lou Pearlman.

473
00:25:55,187 --> 00:25:57,298
I don't know, he's a rich guy.
He owns the airships.

474
00:25:57,322 --> 00:25:58,590
He rides a Rolls Royce.

475
00:25:59,525 --> 00:26:03,662
{\an8}So I decided to find him
in an Italian restaurant.

476
00:26:03,762 --> 00:26:05,731
When I entered,
I went to a private room.

477
00:26:06,165 --> 00:26:08,867
There was a huge table
set up for about 14 people.

478
00:26:09,234 --> 00:26:11,236
And the only person
at the table was Lou.

479
00:26:11,804 --> 00:26:13,772
It was like a moment
"Godfather", right?

480
00:26:13,972 --> 00:26:15,941
And then five guys come in.

481
00:26:16,008 --> 00:26:17,008
Five boys.

482
00:26:17,676 --> 00:26:20,913
Kevin, Ryan, Nick, AJ
and Howie.

483
00:26:20,946 --> 00:26:22,915
So I thought:
"What's going on?"

484
00:26:23,015 --> 00:26:26,919
Anyway, these five guys
They enter singing a cappella.

485
00:26:26,952 --> 00:26:28,192
It raised the hairs on my arms.

486
00:26:29,321 --> 00:26:31,790
Because the harmonies
they were perfections.

487
00:26:32,558 --> 00:26:36,562
I remember looking at Johnny
and think: "It's money!".

488
00:26:36,695 --> 00:26:39,131
It's the Backstreet Boys,
a brand new group.

489
00:26:39,198 --> 00:26:40,899
- What is your name?
- I'm AJ McLean.

490
00:26:40,966 --> 00:26:42,034
Oh my God.

491
00:26:42,101 --> 00:26:47,039
It was our first
presentation on TV.

492
00:26:47,072 --> 00:26:49,041
In the local Orlando newspaper.

493
00:26:49,842 --> 00:26:51,877
AJ was 14 years old.
He was the bad boy.

494
00:26:51,944 --> 00:26:53,045
- And who are you?
- Howie D.

495
00:26:53,078 --> 00:26:55,280
- Howie?
- Howie was the sweet friend.

496
00:26:55,347 --> 00:26:56,648
I'm from Lexington, Kentucky.

497
00:26:56,682 --> 00:26:57,816
My name is Brian Littrell.

498
00:26:57,883 --> 00:26:59,151
Brian was the "good guy."

499
00:26:59,251 --> 00:27:02,154
- I'm Kevin Richardson.
- Kevin and Brian were related.

500
00:27:02,855 --> 00:27:07,659
Kevin Richardson was like
the mature dad of the group.

501
00:27:08,127 --> 00:27:11,563
He was only 22 years old.
So it seems strange.

502
00:27:11,597 --> 00:27:14,566
But today the fans say
that Kevin has a dad vibe.

503
00:27:15,067 --> 00:27:16,135
And Nick was the youngest.

504
00:27:16,168 --> 00:27:18,770
Nick was 12 years old
when I started with it.

505
00:27:19,171 --> 00:27:21,340
I'm from Tampa, Florida.
And I'm Nick Carter.

506
00:27:21,673 --> 00:27:23,242
12 years.
Nick and A.J.

507
00:27:23,308 --> 00:27:24,309
They were the youngest.

508
00:27:24,877 --> 00:27:26,612
We are recording a
album right now.

509
00:27:26,645 --> 00:27:29,348
I was excited
for several reasons.

510
00:27:30,082 --> 00:27:32,351
Again, returning to
reason for me to be provoked.

511
00:27:32,384 --> 00:27:34,153
Because I didn't have
many male friends.

512
00:27:34,253 --> 00:27:35,653
All of mine
friends were girls.

513
00:27:37,656 --> 00:27:38,656
Hey how's it going?

514
00:27:39,024 --> 00:27:42,761
Lou Pearlman was a
quirky businessman.

515
00:27:42,861 --> 00:27:45,531
He created this
transport company

516
00:27:45,631 --> 00:27:47,699
where he chartered airships.

517
00:27:48,267 --> 00:27:52,337
It's not common
that an airship entrepreneur

518
00:27:52,404 --> 00:27:55,340
simply enter the industry
and form a boy band.

519
00:27:55,407 --> 00:27:56,775
That doesn't happen.

520
00:27:57,609 --> 00:28:00,279
But you need
lots of business vision

521
00:28:00,379 --> 00:28:02,848
to create a group
successful musical.

522
00:28:03,715 --> 00:28:06,051
I always say there is a
million artists here.

523
00:28:06,552 --> 00:28:09,655
These guys got the promotion
right and are successful.

524
00:28:09,688 --> 00:28:11,623
Because they have
the structure around them,

525
00:28:11,723 --> 00:28:13,659
that helps them get there.

526
00:28:13,992 --> 00:28:16,228
With the Backstreet Boys,
Lou financed the record label

527
00:28:16,762 --> 00:28:18,130
Transcon Records.

528
00:28:18,997 --> 00:28:21,600
Lou built a studio
for them to record there.

529
00:28:22,768 --> 00:28:23,769
It was Lou's money.

530
00:28:24,369 --> 00:28:27,105
The business side
is very important.

531
00:28:27,739 --> 00:28:30,342
Lou Pearlman's company,
Transcon Records,

532
00:28:30,375 --> 00:28:31,510
was developing

533
00:28:31,543 --> 00:28:34,713
the Backstreet Boys to make them
attractive to a record company.

534
00:28:34,780 --> 00:28:37,482
By acting as such.
Like a businessman or producer.

535
00:28:37,549 --> 00:28:38,884
Lou hires Johnny Wright

536
00:28:38,984 --> 00:28:41,787
to manage, train
and schedule shows.

537
00:28:41,853 --> 00:28:45,324
Lou recruited vocal coaches,
producers and choreographers.

538
00:28:45,357 --> 00:28:47,893
To create demos and music videos.

539
00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:51,930
There was a whole structure for
launch the Backstreet Boys.

540
00:28:52,764 --> 00:28:57,169
And often, artists
they cannot pay for it alone.

541
00:28:57,236 --> 00:29:03,108
So depend on someone like
Lou to pay for everything at the beginning.

542
00:29:03,375 --> 00:29:06,912
They will then reimburse you.
Later.

543
00:29:07,913 --> 00:29:11,717
In the beginning the Backstreet Boys,
they received a weekly allowance.

544
00:29:12,184 --> 00:29:13,986
And Lou put them to live
all together in one house.

545
00:29:20,459 --> 00:29:22,427
It was a beautiful mansion.

546
00:29:22,461 --> 00:29:23,661
It had an indoor pool.

547
00:29:25,230 --> 00:29:27,733
He had the house.
There were limousines.

548
00:29:28,967 --> 00:29:30,569
There were planes.

549
00:29:32,004 --> 00:29:33,438
At 14 years old

550
00:29:33,505 --> 00:29:36,808
you're in a guy's house
who has a lot of money.

551
00:29:36,842 --> 00:29:40,946
I will never forget. He had
a Mexican Coke machine.

552
00:29:40,979 --> 00:29:42,114
Glass bottle.

553
00:29:42,247 --> 00:29:43,715
It was the best stop in the world.

554
00:29:43,782 --> 00:29:47,419
And he has statues of
C-3PO and Darth Vader.

555
00:29:47,886 --> 00:29:50,222
A screen that descends from the
ceiling to watch movies.

556
00:29:50,322 --> 00:29:51,957
And you think: "What an angry guy!"

557
00:29:52,024 --> 00:29:54,760
It's like Tony Stark,
just without the technology.

558
00:29:55,060 --> 00:29:57,729
Much less attractive
than Tony Stark. Let's say it like this.

559
00:29:57,796 --> 00:29:59,564
He was five
Tony Starks in one.

560
00:30:00,532 --> 00:30:03,101
He gave gifts.
I took them to dinner.

561
00:30:03,568 --> 00:30:05,570
He financed everything.

562
00:30:05,671 --> 00:30:07,572
He took them in a limousine.

563
00:30:08,040 --> 00:30:10,342
I never liked Lou Pearlman.
Never.

564
00:30:10,375 --> 00:30:12,811
And I had a feeling about
He was the one I didn't trust.

565
00:30:16,014 --> 00:30:18,317
Like, “How are you?
Let's have a steak.

566
00:30:18,383 --> 00:30:20,152
There were always people
beautiful all around.

567
00:30:22,988 --> 00:30:25,557
There was this guy who took
3.5 million dollars

568
00:30:25,657 --> 00:30:27,893
that he could have
invested in the stock market.

569
00:30:27,959 --> 00:30:30,028
Could have bought
a property and resold.

570
00:30:30,295 --> 00:30:33,265
He could have done
something safer

571
00:30:33,899 --> 00:30:36,501
than investing in your music.

572
00:30:37,169 --> 00:30:38,970
It makes you question.

573
00:30:39,771 --> 00:30:42,741
Nobody stopped to think:
Why?

574
00:30:47,346 --> 00:30:50,649
{\an8}If you come from a family
where the father is not present,

575
00:30:50,682 --> 00:30:54,453
{\an8}and there's a guy who goes out with you,

576
00:30:54,519 --> 00:30:57,222
helps you and gives you money,

577
00:30:57,322 --> 00:30:59,424
you become attached to that person.

578
00:30:59,925 --> 00:31:01,893
That's what we call "Mr. Big Papa."

579
00:31:01,993 --> 00:31:03,395
- Big Papa Lou.
- Big Papa.

580
00:31:03,628 --> 00:31:05,597
That was the nickname they gave him.

581
00:31:05,697 --> 00:31:07,132
Big Papa.

582
00:31:08,266 --> 00:31:13,271
{\an8}He was like a father figure

583
00:31:13,472 --> 00:31:17,008
and a best friend to me.

584
00:31:17,876 --> 00:31:20,846
I grew up being raised by
my mother and my grandparents.

585
00:31:22,481 --> 00:31:25,384
When I was two years old,
my parents got divorced.

586
00:31:25,450 --> 00:31:27,018
After the divorce
of my parents,

587
00:31:27,119 --> 00:31:29,921
my father picked me up
when I was about 8 years old,

588
00:31:29,988 --> 00:31:34,059
to see my grandmother
on her birthday.

589
00:31:34,092 --> 00:31:35,360
That was the last time I saw him.

590
00:31:36,061 --> 00:31:37,496
Until the age of 17.

591
00:31:38,497 --> 00:31:42,467
At that time,
some boys looked up to Lou.

592
00:31:42,934 --> 00:31:44,770
Kevin had lost his father,

593
00:31:44,836 --> 00:31:47,839
unfortunately, before
let's start Backstreet Boys

594
00:31:47,939 --> 00:31:51,143
he passed away from cancer when
he was 19 years old.

595
00:31:51,777 --> 00:31:55,113
He soon developed
this relationship with Lou,

596
00:31:55,147 --> 00:31:58,617
saw him as a father figure.

597
00:32:01,119 --> 00:32:02,754
Then a problem arose.

598
00:32:03,889 --> 00:32:06,291
We put faith in the record
and made it happen.

599
00:32:06,358 --> 00:32:07,426
It was going to be a blast.

600
00:32:07,492 --> 00:32:09,661
It's a single we tried
promote in the USA.

601
00:32:09,728 --> 00:32:11,396
And nobody wanted to play.

602
00:32:11,596 --> 00:32:14,499
The music turned
more rock and grunge.

603
00:32:14,599 --> 00:32:16,568
{\an8}So there was no space
for a boy band.

604
00:32:16,668 --> 00:32:18,470
{\an8}Everyone was dismissive.

605
00:32:18,537 --> 00:32:20,972
Let me tell you.
Let me give you the ruffle.

606
00:32:22,207 --> 00:32:25,610
{\an8}At this point, we are
feeling half accomplished.

607
00:32:25,644 --> 00:32:27,913
{\an8}We won a Grammy,
an American Music Award.

608
00:32:27,979 --> 00:32:29,548
{\an8}We were traveling the world.

609
00:32:29,614 --> 00:32:33,485
You know, we were launching
songs and having success.

610
00:32:33,552 --> 00:32:35,053
- Guys, one more chance.
- Okay.

611
00:32:35,086 --> 00:32:37,646
And one day, we got this
young group, the Backstreet Boys.

612
00:32:37,923 --> 00:32:39,758
They wanted to see what it was like
a tourist bus.

613
00:32:39,925 --> 00:32:42,527
We invite them to our
tour bus in Orlando.

614
00:32:42,561 --> 00:32:45,096
We are talking to them and
trying to give advice, you know.

615
00:32:45,163 --> 00:32:47,065
And they were fine kids
cool back then.

616
00:32:47,098 --> 00:32:48,767
And, like, there's no competition.

617
00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:54,573
Because at the end of the day,
what matters most

618
00:32:54,606 --> 00:32:55,807
These are the hits.

619
00:32:56,308 --> 00:32:59,377
Because there are a lot of talented people
and you can rock singing.

620
00:32:59,744 --> 00:33:01,413
What's the difference
between them and us?

621
00:33:01,546 --> 00:33:02,814
The hits, right?

622
00:33:06,885 --> 00:33:10,388
Nobody wanted to touch
the Backstreet Boys in the USA.

623
00:33:10,722 --> 00:33:13,291
So I got involved
with other bands

624
00:33:13,391 --> 00:33:15,794
who played across Europe
and the world.

625
00:33:16,061 --> 00:33:19,898
And keeping my contacts
who I've known in my life.

626
00:33:19,965 --> 00:33:21,466
By the way,
we had hired

627
00:33:21,566 --> 00:33:22,901
the Backstreet Boys to Germany.

628
00:33:34,145 --> 00:33:35,981
Once again.
Let's go!

629
00:33:36,047 --> 00:33:38,717
You could see the girls
audience with their jaws dropped.

630
00:33:38,750 --> 00:33:40,552
And the place caught fire.

631
00:33:46,191 --> 00:33:49,160
And even without social media,
just word of mouth.

632
00:33:49,261 --> 00:33:51,696
These guys from the USA
or something like that.

633
00:33:51,796 --> 00:33:53,665
That's where everything
it started for us.

634
00:33:56,334 --> 00:33:59,371
Their single reached the top
in about 8 weeks.

635
00:33:59,437 --> 00:34:00,772
And then it started.

636
00:34:00,805 --> 00:34:02,274
I think they're great.

637
00:34:02,307 --> 00:34:05,043
They sing well and are beautiful.

638
00:34:05,577 --> 00:34:07,145
To begin with, it's sensational.

639
00:34:07,212 --> 00:34:10,348
Being able to bring so much
joy and happiness

640
00:34:10,415 --> 00:34:13,585
who you don't even know
on a personal level.

641
00:34:13,718 --> 00:34:19,124
For the world, for music,
for performance,

642
00:34:19,190 --> 00:34:20,258
It's a blessing.

643
00:34:20,292 --> 00:34:21,860
They did all
the TV programs.

644
00:34:21,893 --> 00:34:24,195
- Hello.
- We are the Backstreet Boys.

645
00:34:24,229 --> 00:34:27,499
Nick, you are the biggest womanizer.

646
00:34:27,566 --> 00:34:32,170
{\an8}But now I heard all the girls
shouting "Nick"!

647
00:34:32,237 --> 00:34:35,440
We played in stadiums
of 30 thousand seats.

648
00:34:35,473 --> 00:34:36,875
And now they are exploding.

649
00:34:37,542 --> 00:34:41,179
And now the record company says:
"Roces have to be like them."

650
00:34:43,248 --> 00:34:43,915
And I'm like:

651
00:34:43,982 --> 00:34:45,850
"Well, we
I was already active before them."

652
00:34:45,884 --> 00:34:50,388
And why can't there be
space for them to be who they are?

653
00:34:50,455 --> 00:34:53,058
They have their way
and they are rocking this path,

654
00:34:53,158 --> 00:34:54,359
and we have our way,

655
00:34:54,392 --> 00:34:56,494
a fan base and we are
tearing our way.

656
00:34:58,330 --> 00:34:59,998
I think it makes you
doubt your talent.

657
00:35:01,399 --> 00:35:04,970
Because it's like you think
that I'm not good enough,

658
00:35:05,036 --> 00:35:08,506
to be myself, if it's
Telling me I need to be him.

659
00:35:12,644 --> 00:35:14,245
My name is Jeff Timmons.

660
00:35:14,279 --> 00:35:17,248
I am the founding member
from the group 98 Degrees.

661
00:35:17,315 --> 00:35:19,417
Our path was
extremely different

662
00:35:19,517 --> 00:35:21,987
by Backstreet and Boyz II Men,

663
00:35:22,053 --> 00:35:23,421
and All-4-One.

664
00:35:23,955 --> 00:35:25,256
We would have preferred much more

665
00:35:25,357 --> 00:35:29,527
have a giant record label
supporting us,

666
00:35:29,561 --> 00:35:32,230
But we didn't have it.
We were four kids from Ohio.

667
00:35:32,263 --> 00:35:35,433
We moved to North
Hollywood in the summer of '95.

668
00:35:35,500 --> 00:35:37,178
And in fact, for us,
it was all a question

669
00:35:37,202 --> 00:35:40,071
that old fashion
simply try to get there.

670
00:35:40,805 --> 00:35:44,109
We had a covered trailer
with our photo,

671
00:35:44,142 --> 00:35:45,944
and we did a show,

672
00:35:46,044 --> 00:35:48,747
and I drove for six hours
to the next city.

673
00:35:49,347 --> 00:35:50,548
We used to go to Kinko's.

674
00:35:50,582 --> 00:35:51,862
We printed
our pamphlets.

675
00:35:51,950 --> 00:35:54,686
We were handing out leaflets
for the girls on the beach.

676
00:35:54,719 --> 00:35:56,664
Like, okay, what's the other way?
for us to be noticed?

677
00:35:56,688 --> 00:35:58,299
We literally
put his hat on the floor,

678
00:35:58,323 --> 00:36:00,125
and you sing
for money and food.

679
00:36:01,226 --> 00:36:02,961
Show up on a corner, just sing.

680
00:36:03,228 --> 00:36:04,863
We went to Taco Bell
and sang.

681
00:36:05,163 --> 00:36:06,765
We went to Fatburger
and sang.

682
00:36:06,798 --> 00:36:07,808
Give us one
Free burger?

683
00:36:07,832 --> 00:36:10,769
We fight with nails and
teeth to survive.

684
00:36:10,802 --> 00:36:14,005
And then we thought: One hour,
Let's meet someone in L.A.

685
00:36:14,105 --> 00:36:16,141
Who knows someone
who knows someone.

686
00:36:16,207 --> 00:36:17,647
And that will take us
to somewhere.

687
00:36:25,717 --> 00:36:27,786
I had a friend
artist in Germany,

688
00:36:27,886 --> 00:36:30,288
and she said, "There's a group
around here it's booming,

689
00:36:30,388 --> 00:36:31,256
called Backstreet Boys."

690
00:36:31,289 --> 00:36:33,892
And they still hadn't
exploded in the USA.

691
00:36:34,025 --> 00:36:36,661
Similar group,
much more sophisticated.

692
00:36:36,728 --> 00:36:38,830
I remember us saying:
"This is where we're going."

693
00:36:38,863 --> 00:36:40,832
If we continue,
Let's have more of that.

694
00:36:41,299 --> 00:36:43,835
Now just practice and
we need the opportunity.

695
00:36:46,905 --> 00:36:51,676
In 1995, we had the single
with Mariah, "One Sweet Day".

696
00:36:54,145 --> 00:36:57,582
It was overwhelming, exciting,

697
00:36:58,249 --> 00:37:00,085
touched deep in the heart.

698
00:37:00,118 --> 00:37:03,822
Two musical powers
came together.

699
00:37:04,422 --> 00:37:06,091
I mean, it was magical.

700
00:37:07,025 --> 00:37:09,661
We were nominated for six Grammys.

701
00:37:10,095 --> 00:37:12,197
And Mariah was so short.

702
00:37:13,431 --> 00:37:16,000
And we didn't win any.

703
00:37:17,936 --> 00:37:19,604
We took a year off.

704
00:37:19,904 --> 00:37:22,440
We were exhausted, man,
fighting between us.

705
00:37:22,674 --> 00:37:24,509
We canceled the European tour.

706
00:37:26,678 --> 00:37:28,747
And we came home, bro.

707
00:37:29,414 --> 00:37:31,049
And no one understood us.

708
00:37:31,149 --> 00:37:34,085
People don't
they could handle us more.

709
00:37:34,853 --> 00:37:38,022
And with our era of music.

710
00:37:38,089 --> 00:37:40,725
And the trend changed
for boy bands.

711
00:37:42,026 --> 00:37:44,696
They didn't look anything like us.

712
00:37:45,296 --> 00:37:46,598
Motown Records.

713
00:37:46,631 --> 00:37:47,871
Our label, in particular,

714
00:37:47,966 --> 00:37:50,168
made it painfully clear
that was the end.

715
00:37:50,268 --> 00:37:51,836
They were fed up with us.

716
00:37:51,903 --> 00:37:54,038
And the pendulum changed.

717
00:37:54,139 --> 00:37:55,807
That's right.
This song here.

718
00:37:55,907 --> 00:37:58,943
Gather more toys, people
wants to pay for tickets to Motown.

719
00:37:59,377 --> 00:38:00,845
We signed with Motown.

720
00:38:00,912 --> 00:38:02,747
And for those who don't know,

721
00:38:02,814 --> 00:38:06,117
It's a legendary record label
that has such great artists.

722
00:38:06,184 --> 00:38:10,522
Like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye,
The Four Tops, The Temptations.

723
00:38:10,588 --> 00:38:14,058
And now, there are great
artists like Boyz II Men.

724
00:38:15,226 --> 00:38:17,028
Who out there likes Boyz II Men?

725
00:38:18,329 --> 00:38:19,764
I would be lying
if I didn't say:

726
00:38:19,864 --> 00:38:21,833
"Damn, this is insane."

727
00:38:22,667 --> 00:38:24,903
They were the first band
white woman on a black record company.

728
00:38:25,837 --> 00:38:28,206
They would give us this song
called 'Invisible Man'.

729
00:38:28,439 --> 00:38:30,842
And we discovered that it was sent
for Boyz II Men

730
00:38:30,942 --> 00:38:33,311
by Vancouver writers,
Canada.

731
00:38:33,411 --> 00:38:35,346
The president of Motown listened.

732
00:38:35,380 --> 00:38:37,291
And he said, "No,
I don't want that for Boyz II Men.

733
00:38:37,315 --> 00:38:38,826
I want 98 Degrees
record this record."

734
00:38:38,850 --> 00:38:40,290
This song is called
"Invisible Man".

735
00:38:41,686 --> 00:38:42,787
It's classic.

736
00:38:43,488 --> 00:38:47,392
Making black music with white people.

737
00:38:48,226 --> 00:38:51,429
Pat Boone, The Osmonds, Elvis.

738
00:38:52,497 --> 00:38:54,098
Everyone played black music.

739
00:38:54,132 --> 00:38:56,301
That's the truth.
And it's a harsh truth.

740
00:38:56,901 --> 00:38:58,870
Not badmouthing 98 Degrees,

741
00:38:58,970 --> 00:39:01,206
NSYNC, Backstreet,
not even these guys.

742
00:39:01,339 --> 00:39:03,641
They were just boys
trying life too.

743
00:39:05,510 --> 00:39:07,679
I hate to say it, it's just lame.

744
00:39:09,147 --> 00:39:11,216
I hate to say this

745
00:39:11,316 --> 00:39:13,384
but for the average white fan,

746
00:39:15,854 --> 00:39:16,955
black groups,

747
00:39:17,055 --> 00:39:19,457
"Oh, I'd fuck him."

748
00:39:20,725 --> 00:39:23,928
As for the whites?
"Oh, I would marry him."

749
00:39:25,930 --> 00:39:28,566
Justin Timberlake at
my wall is more acceptable

750
00:39:28,666 --> 00:39:31,302
than two black people.

751
00:39:32,237 --> 00:39:33,538
I can marry Justin.

752
00:39:33,571 --> 00:39:35,573
Can I take you home,

753
00:39:35,607 --> 00:39:37,976
he can have dinner
with my family.

754
00:39:38,476 --> 00:39:42,313
It's harder to take Sean,

755
00:39:43,481 --> 00:39:46,150
a black man, to rural Arkansas.

756
00:39:48,119 --> 00:39:50,054
It's a ruthless business.

757
00:39:50,154 --> 00:39:53,691
They want the next sensation,
the biggest novelty or attraction.

758
00:39:53,791 --> 00:39:55,894
Sometimes record companies
They don't give a damn.

759
00:39:55,960 --> 00:39:58,296
And if they can
be so cold

760
00:39:58,396 --> 00:40:00,531
with the greatest feeling
music of the time,

761
00:40:00,598 --> 00:40:03,334
imagine the power they had
about a new artist.

762
00:40:06,604 --> 00:40:07,805
The president of Motown.

763
00:40:07,839 --> 00:40:09,574
He wanted us to go
the white Jodeci.

764
00:40:11,075 --> 00:40:14,345
So he tried to give us this
on an intensive course.

765
00:40:14,445 --> 00:40:15,789
I want you to visit churches
of black people,

766
00:40:15,813 --> 00:40:17,157
of black people, in Harlem,
on Sundays.

767
00:40:17,181 --> 00:40:18,459
Let's dress these guys up
with clothes

768
00:40:18,483 --> 00:40:19,817
from Fubu and Fat Farm...

769
00:40:20,551 --> 00:40:23,154
I remember going from
train to Rochester, NY

770
00:40:23,254 --> 00:40:25,857
to work with
Jodeci's Davante.

771
00:40:25,890 --> 00:40:27,158
We arrive,

772
00:40:27,191 --> 00:40:29,394
and Davante is adjusting

773
00:40:29,494 --> 00:40:31,014
a bulletproof vest,
in the studio.

774
00:40:32,530 --> 00:40:34,232
And I look around
and I think:

775
00:40:34,999 --> 00:40:36,443
we need a vest
bulletproof?

776
00:40:36,467 --> 00:40:38,236
Where did we get ourselves?

777
00:40:38,603 --> 00:40:40,643
This makes us question:
Why did they hire us

778
00:40:40,672 --> 00:40:42,807
if they didn't want
for us to be who we are?

779
00:40:42,874 --> 00:40:45,276
Roces are trying to get us
transform into something else.

780
00:40:45,643 --> 00:40:47,145
Remember, we are a new group.

781
00:40:47,345 --> 00:40:48,947
We are not making money.

782
00:40:49,080 --> 00:40:51,049
We don't know what the plan is.

783
00:40:51,149 --> 00:40:52,750
And this is our chance.

784
00:40:52,850 --> 00:40:54,118
Let's try.
Let's try this.

785
00:40:54,152 --> 00:40:56,554
Let's hang out at the Bowery Bar
with Russell.

786
00:40:56,654 --> 00:40:59,057
Let's do all of this.
Let's do whatever it takes.

787
00:41:00,558 --> 00:41:02,260
You go home and think:
"Who am I?

788
00:41:02,327 --> 00:41:04,662
It starts
to affect you mentally.

789
00:41:07,298 --> 00:41:09,767
And, for me,
this causes severe depression.

790
00:41:10,335 --> 00:41:13,371
But I felt like it was
weakest link in the group.

791
00:41:15,039 --> 00:41:16,207
I didn't feel good about myself.

792
00:41:16,240 --> 00:41:18,309
I didn't feel well physically.
I couldn't sleep.

793
00:41:18,810 --> 00:41:20,010
And my head wasn't right.

794
00:41:20,845 --> 00:41:22,480
I felt so useless.

795
00:41:22,547 --> 00:41:26,384
And just not being able to take it
all this pressure,

796
00:41:26,417 --> 00:41:28,286
I thought: "It's better to end.

797
00:41:31,222 --> 00:41:34,292
And I don't know, for some reason,
I simply thought:

798
00:41:34,392 --> 00:41:35,159
"No, screw that."

799
00:41:35,259 --> 00:41:37,362
Like, I'm going to try
once again.

800
00:41:37,462 --> 00:41:39,364
Like, try this last thing.

801
00:41:40,064 --> 00:41:42,100
I went to our manager and
said: I need help.

802
00:41:42,533 --> 00:41:44,769
If you don't have help,
I won't be here anymore.

803
00:41:44,869 --> 00:41:46,037
Like, that's over.

804
00:41:46,204 --> 00:41:47,472
And I mean it.

805
00:41:47,739 --> 00:41:49,841
So he arranged a
psychiatrist for me to go.

806
00:41:49,974 --> 00:41:53,111
He put me on the Atkins diet,
and gave me some medicine.

807
00:41:53,244 --> 00:41:56,347
Within three months, I felt
better than ever.

808
00:41:56,447 --> 00:41:59,217
And it didn't make it any easier.

809
00:41:59,751 --> 00:42:03,688
But I felt better,
without wanting to die.

810
00:42:04,355 --> 00:42:05,423
Got it?

811
00:42:05,890 --> 00:42:08,192
- And that.
- Thanks for sharing this.

812
00:42:08,693 --> 00:42:12,397
{\an8}At the time, I heard buzz
of the same people.

813
00:42:12,697 --> 00:42:16,167
{\an8}What they told me about Lou
at my first meeting.

814
00:42:16,467 --> 00:42:18,036
That Lou had another boy band.

815
00:42:21,172 --> 00:42:22,573
And every time I called Lou

816
00:42:22,673 --> 00:42:24,342
I said: "What's this talk?"

817
00:42:24,375 --> 00:42:25,910
"No, I don't have another boy band.

818
00:42:25,943 --> 00:42:28,413
I don't know what you
is talking. They're lying.

819
00:42:28,913 --> 00:42:30,248
There's another boy band out there, but

820
00:42:30,348 --> 00:42:31,716
I have nothing to do with them."

821
00:42:37,555 --> 00:42:39,824
It's OK. I got some prizes
and other things.

822
00:42:40,391 --> 00:42:42,260
I have a deposit
full of things.

823
00:42:42,360 --> 00:42:46,464
And I'd love to have it all
exposed if I could.

824
00:42:46,531 --> 00:42:47,598
I would really love it.

825
00:42:47,665 --> 00:42:49,867
Because it means a lot to me.
It's my life.

826
00:42:49,934 --> 00:42:52,103
It's a good part of my career.
It's my entire career.

827
00:42:52,170 --> 00:42:54,005
What I really
I started doing it.

828
00:42:54,072 --> 00:42:56,641
That's how it all started.

829
00:42:59,277 --> 00:43:02,280
Disney wanted to transform
Orlando in East Hollywood.

830
00:43:02,313 --> 00:43:05,083
In season, all parks
themes had

831
00:43:05,116 --> 00:43:08,653
dancers, singers,
artists of all levels.

832
00:43:09,754 --> 00:43:12,423
At that time, I did a show
from Beetlejuice at Universal.

833
00:43:13,124 --> 00:43:15,359
And I was in a group
with a boy named Jason,

834
00:43:15,460 --> 00:43:17,328
and 2 more friends.

835
00:43:18,763 --> 00:43:23,234
There I meet Chris, who
I actually worked at Universal.

836
00:43:23,835 --> 00:43:27,472
There is always speculation
how the group was formed.

837
00:43:27,572 --> 00:43:29,349
People will say
many different things.

838
00:43:29,373 --> 00:43:32,376
But I will say,
Lou said to Chris:

839
00:43:32,410 --> 00:43:34,212
"I don't want to audition."

840
00:43:34,278 --> 00:43:35,456
"I don't want to take a test,
Go out there and sort it out.”

841
00:43:35,480 --> 00:43:36,581
and Chris went.

842
00:43:36,614 --> 00:43:38,783
Chris brought the guys together.

843
00:43:38,850 --> 00:43:42,220
Lou Pearlman helped
financially.

844
00:43:42,286 --> 00:43:44,589
And Lynn Harless, Justin's mother,

845
00:43:44,689 --> 00:43:46,591
created the name NSYNC.

846
00:43:47,625 --> 00:43:49,494
Lynn said:
"Oh, your names?

847
00:43:49,560 --> 00:43:51,729
"The last letter of the name
of you form NSYNC.

848
00:43:51,762 --> 00:43:55,199
And I: "What do you mean?
She said, "Well, N is for Justin.

849
00:43:55,533 --> 00:43:58,936
S for Chris, C-H-R-I-S.

850
00:43:59,237 --> 00:44:02,406
So, N-S-Y.
Y is for Joey.

851
00:44:02,740 --> 00:44:06,210
So N-Y-Y-N,
which was Jason for the other n.

852
00:44:06,244 --> 00:44:07,879
And then JC to C.

853
00:44:08,212 --> 00:44:09,347
This is how NSYNC was formed.

854
00:44:09,380 --> 00:44:11,048
You're a funny guy.

855
00:44:11,382 --> 00:44:13,584
When we started,
We were really kids.

856
00:44:13,651 --> 00:44:15,119
We had Justin, who was 14.

857
00:44:15,186 --> 00:44:17,822
We had Chris,
who was 23, 24 at the time.

858
00:44:17,889 --> 00:44:20,758
So there was a difference
10 years between them.

859
00:44:21,893 --> 00:44:23,494
We should look like this.

860
00:44:26,097 --> 00:44:27,765
So the five of us got together.

861
00:44:27,832 --> 00:44:28,966
We sing.
Everything was great.

862
00:44:29,033 --> 00:44:30,568
We were going to sign with
the Transcontinental,

863
00:44:30,635 --> 00:44:32,837
which was the independent record label
by Lou Pearlman.

864
00:44:33,037 --> 00:44:34,438
And suddenly, we went to sign.

865
00:44:35,072 --> 00:44:36,340
And Jason doesn't show up.

866
00:44:37,708 --> 00:44:39,777
And we're like:
what happened?

867
00:44:45,316 --> 00:44:46,450
Jason,

868
00:44:47,185 --> 00:44:49,187
this is the guy who left NSYNC.

869
00:44:51,622 --> 00:44:52,790
He was a good friend of mine.

870
00:44:52,823 --> 00:44:56,093
And his father was my teacher
of Singing in high school.

871
00:44:56,561 --> 00:44:59,664
What I want to do is sit
with Jason and talk,

872
00:44:59,730 --> 00:45:01,866
to hear his side.

873
00:45:02,133 --> 00:45:03,901
And there?

874
00:45:04,202 --> 00:45:06,337
- What's up, man?
- What's up, man?

875
00:45:07,138 --> 00:45:08,139
You're fine, brother.

876
00:45:08,206 --> 00:45:09,207
How are you, man?

877
00:45:09,507 --> 00:45:10,908
Good to see you, man.

878
00:45:10,975 --> 00:45:12,219
We are doing
this documentary.

879
00:45:12,243 --> 00:45:15,246
That's why I called you. And,
Obviously people don't know.

880
00:45:15,313 --> 00:45:17,348
He's like the fifth Beatle, you know.

881
00:45:17,381 --> 00:45:19,417
For us,

882
00:45:19,483 --> 00:45:22,353
is to tell the story
that no one has ever heard.

883
00:45:23,955 --> 00:45:25,122
Hi.

884
00:45:25,923 --> 00:45:28,492
The complete story with NSYNC.

885
00:45:29,627 --> 00:45:31,562
I had no idea
of what was going to happen.

886
00:45:31,629 --> 00:45:33,464
I was a dumb kid.

887
00:45:33,798 --> 00:45:35,933
I had never seen one
music contract before.

888
00:45:36,234 --> 00:45:38,302
I was smart enough

889
00:45:38,336 --> 00:45:42,740
to take the contracts
for lawyers to review.

890
00:45:42,974 --> 00:45:45,243
And like, whoa, whoa, whoa.

891
00:45:45,977 --> 00:45:48,613
What do you mean,
Is Lou in the band now?

892
00:45:49,914 --> 00:45:54,018
Pros Backstreet Boys and NSYNC,
there was a contract.

893
00:45:54,051 --> 00:45:59,090
Lou always structured the
companies as owner of 51%.

894
00:45:59,957 --> 00:46:02,994
But he was also a 6th member

895
00:46:03,094 --> 00:46:05,596
by the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC.

896
00:46:06,497 --> 00:46:09,600
So he got a sixth
on their part of 49%.

897
00:46:10,368 --> 00:46:12,770
I can only say that I am
very proud of these guys.

898
00:46:13,471 --> 00:46:14,839
One paragraph said that,

899
00:46:14,872 --> 00:46:17,308
if they did any
business outside the group

900
00:46:17,375 --> 00:46:19,543
while they were members
by the Backstreet Boys,

901
00:46:19,644 --> 00:46:22,780
management would still have the right
to a commission.

902
00:46:22,847 --> 00:46:26,784
Brian asked, "If I have
1 hot dog cart?

903
00:46:26,817 --> 00:46:29,220
While I'm in this group,
Do you guys get a piece of this?"

904
00:46:29,287 --> 00:46:30,388
And we said, "Yes."

905
00:46:30,454 --> 00:46:32,390
Because anything
in which you use your name

906
00:46:32,490 --> 00:46:34,992
and we help promote,
that brings a good reputation

907
00:46:35,159 --> 00:46:36,360
for another business,

908
00:46:36,394 --> 00:46:38,329
we must be
I pay for it."

909
00:46:38,362 --> 00:46:41,499
The music industry
is one of the few

910
00:46:41,599 --> 00:46:45,202
that does not require education
and you are thrown into it.

911
00:46:45,236 --> 00:46:47,672
And recording contracts.

912
00:46:47,772 --> 00:46:51,976
You've never seen this mess
of words in your life.

913
00:46:53,711 --> 00:46:54,945
And...

914
00:46:55,579 --> 00:46:57,124
all this you learn,
learn in practice.

915
00:46:57,148 --> 00:47:00,785
{\an8}I believe that 90% of artists
they will sign a horrible contract.

916
00:47:01,152 --> 00:47:02,286
Just to have one.

917
00:47:02,520 --> 00:47:04,488
Unfortunately,
this one was really bad.

918
00:47:05,856 --> 00:47:07,892
They were teenagers.

919
00:47:07,992 --> 00:47:09,860
They were barely teenagers.

920
00:47:09,927 --> 00:47:12,396
12 and 14 years old.

921
00:47:12,463 --> 00:47:13,764
For the Backstreet Boys.

922
00:47:13,831 --> 00:47:15,299
Nobody thought:

923
00:47:16,233 --> 00:47:19,770
"Roces shouldn't sign that
without a lawyer."

924
00:47:20,304 --> 00:47:21,439
So we did.

925
00:47:22,206 --> 00:47:23,507
Or I thought so.

926
00:47:25,042 --> 00:47:29,513
Without me knowing, the lawyer
It was Lou's suggestion.

927
00:47:30,381 --> 00:47:33,484
The only lawyer in the room
when we signed it, it was his.

928
00:47:33,851 --> 00:47:35,119
None of us had a lawyer.

929
00:47:42,159 --> 00:47:45,296
I always wondered,
What if one of our parents

930
00:47:45,429 --> 00:47:47,498
decided to pay a lawyer.

931
00:47:48,165 --> 00:47:49,609
If that lawyer were there,
read the contract

932
00:47:49,633 --> 00:47:51,202
and realize that,

933
00:47:51,235 --> 00:47:53,571
Would Lou have
dismissed us on the spot?

934
00:47:53,637 --> 00:47:56,207
Or he would have changed
the contract?

935
00:47:59,143 --> 00:48:00,511
I think he would have
dismissed us.

936
00:48:00,978 --> 00:48:02,446
I found 5 people.

937
00:48:02,947 --> 00:48:04,715
- I can find 5 other people.
- Exactly.

938
00:48:04,849 --> 00:48:05,983
And he did.

939
00:48:06,484 --> 00:48:07,785
Bye, guys.

940
00:48:08,252 --> 00:48:11,689
As for NSYNC,
Lou sat with us

941
00:48:11,789 --> 00:48:14,525
"Hey, you know what?
I love doing this, A, B, C and D.

942
00:48:15,126 --> 00:48:16,994
And I know that I will watch over
your best interest.

943
00:48:17,029 --> 00:48:18,138
"Remember that I am
saying this.

944
00:48:18,162 --> 00:48:20,097
If I become the 6th member
with you,

945
00:48:20,197 --> 00:48:22,166
It means we will
share everything,

946
00:48:22,233 --> 00:48:23,734
but I will take care
of your interests.

947
00:48:23,768 --> 00:48:26,103
I like, divide by five, six.

948
00:48:26,203 --> 00:48:28,406
This looks good.
Seems pretty reasonable

949
00:48:28,439 --> 00:48:31,075
thinking it's the only thing
that he will receive.

950
00:48:31,175 --> 00:48:34,445
Obviously you want to take
a decision

951
00:48:34,578 --> 00:48:36,347
using your best judgment.

952
00:48:36,680 --> 00:48:38,492
But when you're out there
killing himself working,

953
00:48:38,516 --> 00:48:41,218
no money,
and it's in a competitive scenario,

954
00:48:41,252 --> 00:48:44,555
in a branch that is a dream
to be realized,

955
00:48:44,622 --> 00:48:46,333
and the fact that someone has
handed me a paper

956
00:48:46,357 --> 00:48:47,591
making it official,

957
00:48:47,691 --> 00:48:52,430
you will justify
your head that it's something legitimate.

958
00:48:53,164 --> 00:48:55,199
So the four of us signed
a contract.

959
00:48:56,901 --> 00:49:01,505
Back then, with NSYNC,
It didn't feel right.

960
00:49:02,273 --> 00:49:03,941
So, I didn't do that.

961
00:49:06,377 --> 00:49:08,446
JC was furious,
calling me.

962
00:49:08,546 --> 00:49:10,648
"What are you doing?"

963
00:49:10,815 --> 00:49:12,216
And I don't blame you,
because I, like,

964
00:49:12,316 --> 00:49:13,484
I kind of let them down.

965
00:49:13,551 --> 00:49:15,920
So, I understand. Me too
I would be mad at myself.

966
00:49:17,588 --> 00:49:21,358
After NSYNC,
I went back to college, I graduated,

967
00:49:21,859 --> 00:49:24,261
And I went to work with a friend of mine
with whom I studied,

968
00:49:24,328 --> 00:49:26,297
who worked with financing
real estate,

969
00:49:26,363 --> 00:49:28,098
and I've been doing this
since then.

970
00:49:33,571 --> 00:49:36,674
You will always have, you know,
those moments

971
00:49:36,740 --> 00:49:38,275
of "what if", you know,
It's human nature.

972
00:49:38,309 --> 00:49:40,878
You will think about it
and have those "what if" moments?

973
00:49:49,954 --> 00:49:51,322
I don't know, I don't know.

974
00:49:57,561 --> 00:50:00,865
So now it was just the 4 of us,
and we were very, very angry

975
00:50:00,898 --> 00:50:03,734
because we were,
we were about to do something.

976
00:50:04,168 --> 00:50:06,136
So we try to find
a baritone.

977
00:50:09,807 --> 00:50:13,878
Well I grew up in a small town
called Ellisville, Mississippi.

978
00:50:14,245 --> 00:50:17,815
It was a small town
2 thousand people, very rural.

979
00:50:17,915 --> 00:50:19,192
A place where
the doors are not locked.

980
00:50:19,216 --> 00:50:21,485
Did you know
everyone in the city.

981
00:50:22,953 --> 00:50:25,098
You know, you weren't going home
until the street lights come on.

982
00:50:25,122 --> 00:50:27,591
It was his signal.
And very conservative.

983
00:50:28,058 --> 00:50:30,060
I went to church 3 times a week.

984
00:50:30,928 --> 00:50:33,464
It was just family.
It was just religion.

985
00:50:33,564 --> 00:50:36,066
I always sang in the choir
of the church.

986
00:50:37,134 --> 00:50:40,337
So I never had a dream
of being an artist.

987
00:50:41,272 --> 00:50:44,241
When I was 16,
had a girlfriend.

988
00:50:45,075 --> 00:50:48,012
I was getting ready for
the homecoming parade.

989
00:50:48,045 --> 00:50:50,781
I got home after helping
assembling the float.

990
00:50:50,814 --> 00:50:55,085
And my mom was on the phone
with Lou Pearlman.

991
00:50:55,152 --> 00:50:57,221
And Justin Timberlake,
and his mother, Lynn.

992
00:50:57,254 --> 00:51:00,524
They found me through my coach
for another show I was doing.

993
00:51:00,591 --> 00:51:04,461
They were putting together a band
and they wanted a baritone.

994
00:51:04,528 --> 00:51:06,030
Think how crazy it is, right?

995
00:51:06,263 --> 00:51:08,408
Someone calls you out of the blue,
from Mississippi, to say:

996
00:51:08,432 --> 00:51:11,001
"Hey, these 4 guys want to do
a test with you for a group.

997
00:51:11,101 --> 00:51:13,737
Tell your mother to come to Florida.
We paid her ticket.”

998
00:51:13,804 --> 00:51:15,415
My mother said:
"No, I'm not interested."

999
00:51:15,439 --> 00:51:17,041
Turned it off and that's it.

1000
00:51:18,275 --> 00:51:19,777
The 2nd time,

1001
00:51:20,077 --> 00:51:23,581
somehow my mother
thought everything was fine

1002
00:51:23,614 --> 00:51:25,916
we fly to Orlando
just to meet the guys.

1003
00:51:26,650 --> 00:51:27,985
I was very nervous.

1004
00:51:28,352 --> 00:51:30,888
They were extremely talented.

1005
00:51:34,258 --> 00:51:38,662
I felt, like
impostor syndrome, for sure.

1006
00:51:38,729 --> 00:51:41,198
A 16 year old boy who
never left the city.

1007
00:51:41,565 --> 00:51:42,733
Suddenly,

1008
00:51:42,800 --> 00:51:45,002
pretending to be a great
singer and dancer.

1009
00:51:45,035 --> 00:51:46,837
I felt like I was pretending all the time,

1010
00:51:47,271 --> 00:51:49,106
and it served me, because
I was pretending

1011
00:51:49,206 --> 00:51:50,808
be many things at that time.

1012
00:51:53,978 --> 00:51:55,579
Some of mine
first memories

1013
00:51:55,679 --> 00:51:57,114
went to know that
I was different.

1014
00:51:57,781 --> 00:52:00,017
In kindergarten, I remember
to have had, like,

1015
00:52:00,117 --> 00:52:02,753
a crush on the boy
instead of the girl.

1016
00:52:02,820 --> 00:52:05,389
And I knew at the time that that
it wasn't right.

1017
00:52:05,422 --> 00:52:07,992
You knew in many ways,
well,

1018
00:52:08,025 --> 00:52:09,426
what people said
in churches,

1019
00:52:09,526 --> 00:52:11,061
jokes about gay people.

1020
00:52:11,161 --> 00:52:13,063
So very young, you knew

1021
00:52:13,163 --> 00:52:15,366
that these feelings
should be suppressed.

1022
00:52:17,901 --> 00:52:20,070
So I hid that part of myself.

1023
00:52:21,505 --> 00:52:24,775
And the older I got,
The less I liked myself.

1024
00:52:26,377 --> 00:52:29,013
I felt alone,
very alone.

1025
00:52:29,079 --> 00:52:31,482
I felt like I was on an island because
I couldn't talk to anyone.

1026
00:52:32,216 --> 00:52:33,450
I felt broken...

1027
00:52:34,418 --> 00:52:35,552
when I joined NSYNC.

1028
00:52:35,586 --> 00:52:39,023
It has always been insinuated that his life
particular should be hidden.

1029
00:52:39,823 --> 00:52:44,561
If we came out as gay,
or even with a girlfriend,

1030
00:52:44,928 --> 00:52:47,164
that would really get in the way
our career.

1031
00:52:47,231 --> 00:52:48,666
This needed to be hidden.

1032
00:52:50,601 --> 00:52:53,237
And that always translated
for me like:

1033
00:52:54,304 --> 00:52:56,306
Never assume.

1034
00:52:58,342 --> 00:53:01,478
This little thing just
destroys all of this.

1035
00:53:06,183 --> 00:53:08,318
We are recording,
and it's really cool

1036
00:53:10,854 --> 00:53:12,990
Joey has the camera
and you're making a fool of yourself

1037
00:53:16,226 --> 00:53:17,261
Oops, a little drool.

1038
00:53:18,529 --> 00:53:19,849
I love the movie
"Back to School."

1039
00:53:20,831 --> 00:53:22,866
I don't know anything else
that rhymes with "ool"

1040
00:53:26,003 --> 00:53:28,939
I started in the industry
of entertainment in the 1990s.

1041
00:53:28,972 --> 00:53:32,209
And I started with a boy band
crazy in Orlando, Florida.

1042
00:53:33,277 --> 00:53:35,345
For NSYNC,
I started as a personal assistant.

1043
00:53:35,612 --> 00:53:37,157
I didn't work for Lou,
not even for Johnny.

1044
00:53:37,181 --> 00:53:39,416
I worked straight for five.

1045
00:53:40,584 --> 00:53:44,088
The first time I saw them sing,
I said, "Get that boy out!"

1046
00:53:44,221 --> 00:53:45,956
He danced well, but...

1047
00:53:47,691 --> 00:53:50,127
His voice was very nasal.
And it was Justin.

1048
00:53:50,194 --> 00:53:52,262
I'm on the street
and the music is pumping.

1049
00:53:52,963 --> 00:53:54,098
I actually said that.

1050
00:53:54,198 --> 00:53:55,238
Wow, how wrong I was!

1051
00:53:55,699 --> 00:53:56,819
Wow, how wrong I was!

1052
00:53:59,036 --> 00:54:01,138
I realized Lance was gay.

1053
00:54:01,205 --> 00:54:03,107
We were on the bus, and

1054
00:54:03,207 --> 00:54:05,007
I was doing
pasta and jelly sandwich.

1055
00:54:05,042 --> 00:54:06,953
Then he asked: "What do you
are you doing? No, no, no, no!"

1056
00:54:06,977 --> 00:54:09,980
He picked up a Styrofoam cup,
put peanut butter on it.

1057
00:54:10,380 --> 00:54:11,849
And then he got jelly.

1058
00:54:11,915 --> 00:54:13,884
You can't just put
paste and jelly.

1059
00:54:13,984 --> 00:54:15,219
You have to mix everything!

1060
00:54:15,252 --> 00:54:18,055
It's a different consistency.
It's a different flavor.

1061
00:54:18,455 --> 00:54:20,124
Try it.
I'm telling you."

1062
00:54:20,691 --> 00:54:21,868
He says: "Try mine!"

1063
00:54:21,892 --> 00:54:22,926
Then I try his.

1064
00:54:22,960 --> 00:54:25,896
Then I: "Lance,
Are you kidding me, man?"

1065
00:54:26,029 --> 00:54:27,640
That's the best thing
that I have ever tasted in my life!

1066
00:54:27,664 --> 00:54:28,766
This is unbelievable!

1067
00:54:28,799 --> 00:54:30,434
Then he said: "Yeah, Joe. I told you."

1068
00:54:30,534 --> 00:54:33,270
I said, "But also, this is
the gayest thing I've ever done."

1069
00:54:33,737 --> 00:54:35,873
And he looked at me,
face turned all red

1070
00:54:35,939 --> 00:54:37,207
and ran off the bus.

1071
00:54:39,276 --> 00:54:43,847
Often, when they spoke
trigger words, I would get stuck.

1072
00:54:43,914 --> 00:54:45,182
And you kind of...

1073
00:54:45,783 --> 00:54:47,360
Like Homer Simpson,
disappearing into the bushes.

1074
00:54:47,384 --> 00:54:49,586
Like, I'm just going
disappear now.

1075
00:54:51,388 --> 00:54:52,856
In the group, it was very interesting

1076
00:54:52,956 --> 00:54:54,625
because I was the first
to discover.

1077
00:54:55,592 --> 00:54:56,627
We went out one night,

1078
00:54:56,727 --> 00:54:57,995
and we went back to Lance's house.

1079
00:54:58,028 --> 00:54:59,963
I pass out in one of the rooms
of his guests.

1080
00:55:00,063 --> 00:55:01,431
I wake up at like 3 in the morning.

1081
00:55:01,465 --> 00:55:02,665
Then I think: "I need to leave."

1082
00:55:03,667 --> 00:55:04,744
I'm going to his room,
I open the door

1083
00:55:04,768 --> 00:55:06,036
There's no one inside.

1084
00:55:06,303 --> 00:55:08,438
Then I go to his office
and I open the door,

1085
00:55:08,505 --> 00:55:11,308
and he's sitting there with a guy
mounted on top of it.

1086
00:55:13,610 --> 00:55:17,080
I was on my computer
and my boyfriend at the time,

1087
00:55:17,147 --> 00:55:20,250
my very first boyfriend,
was sitting on my lap.

1088
00:55:20,317 --> 00:55:22,519
Not naked.
But it was mounted on top.

1089
00:55:22,586 --> 00:55:23,854
And I'm like...

1090
00:55:25,055 --> 00:55:26,666
- in silence.
- And he's like, "Ah, sorry."

1091
00:55:26,690 --> 00:55:28,168
Me: "No, no, no, no."
Come in, come in.

1092
00:55:28,192 --> 00:55:30,260
Me: "Surprise!"

1093
00:55:30,327 --> 00:55:33,230
You know, brother, I was sincere:
"Your mother will kill you."

1094
00:55:33,630 --> 00:55:34,798
That's just what I told him.

1095
00:55:34,865 --> 00:55:36,533
And he: "Oh, please,
I don't care."

1096
00:55:36,633 --> 00:55:37,734
Me: "OK."

1097
00:55:37,768 --> 00:55:38,502
And I knew he didn't care,

1098
00:55:38,602 --> 00:55:41,205
but it was so good to hear
those words.

1099
00:55:41,238 --> 00:55:46,343
And finally, a member of your
group know and say, "I don't care."

1100
00:55:46,410 --> 00:55:49,079
He said, "Don't tell anyone.
I don't want to tell yet.

1101
00:55:49,112 --> 00:55:51,448
- It's not right."
- Me: "Lance, I love you.

1102
00:55:51,548 --> 00:55:52,583
You are my brother.

1103
00:55:53,250 --> 00:55:54,861
Let me know when it's
the right time for you to tell.

1104
00:55:54,885 --> 00:55:58,288
I'm not going to say anything to the boys,
because I discovered it by accident."

1105
00:55:59,790 --> 00:56:03,894
We were a family
for several reasons.

1106
00:56:03,927 --> 00:56:08,465
Being a fish out of water
in this situation unite you,

1107
00:56:08,498 --> 00:56:10,167
because they are tied to each other.

1108
00:56:10,200 --> 00:56:14,638
So, in addition,
we were the rejected child.

1109
00:56:14,671 --> 00:56:15,672
JC.

1110
00:56:19,276 --> 00:56:21,445
It was like a little
secret we had.

1111
00:56:21,545 --> 00:56:22,679
But Lou Pearlman,

1112
00:56:22,779 --> 00:56:24,123
because of the boys,
the Backstreet Boys.

1113
00:56:24,147 --> 00:56:26,016
They couldn't know about us.

1114
00:56:29,253 --> 00:56:33,557
I worked for Lou, I drove
the limousine and filled the refrigerator.

1115
00:56:34,424 --> 00:56:38,629
And I remember well being
in his office,

1116
00:56:38,662 --> 00:56:40,931
the Backstreet Boys
they were booming.

1117
00:56:41,265 --> 00:56:42,799
And they had started NSYNC

1118
00:56:42,900 --> 00:56:44,434
without the
Backstreet Boys knew,

1119
00:56:44,935 --> 00:56:47,304
and they called Johnny
to take care of them.

1120
00:56:47,371 --> 00:56:50,140
And I remember being in a
meeting with Lou and Johnny.

1121
00:56:50,807 --> 00:56:53,076
They talked about how
we would deal with it.

1122
00:56:53,543 --> 00:56:56,046
It was very tense at that time.

1123
00:56:56,880 --> 00:56:59,116
For NSYNC, we gave
the same producers,

1124
00:56:59,216 --> 00:57:01,285
writers, and we take them
Germany.

1125
00:57:01,318 --> 00:57:04,087
{\an8}That was the strategy
for both.

1126
00:57:05,923 --> 00:57:08,325
But Lou didn't want
let the BSB know

1127
00:57:08,425 --> 00:57:10,727
that he was creating
another band.

1128
00:57:10,827 --> 00:57:12,996
And I would now manage
the NSYNC.

1129
00:57:13,463 --> 00:57:16,833
But one day it was going
to Utah to see the BSB

1130
00:57:16,934 --> 00:57:18,502
and recording the clip.

1131
00:57:18,568 --> 00:57:20,837
And Kevin and Brian come in
in my room and they ask:

1132
00:57:20,938 --> 00:57:22,072
"Why
Did you lie to us?"

1133
00:57:23,573 --> 00:57:25,075
It was very uncomfortable.

1134
00:57:25,709 --> 00:57:28,345
In their heads,
it was a betrayal.

1135
00:57:29,680 --> 00:57:32,849
We have all been deceived,
as the whole world knows.

1136
00:57:32,983 --> 00:57:35,218
That was the biggest
question we had.

1137
00:57:35,485 --> 00:57:36,553
Well...

1138
00:57:37,054 --> 00:57:38,322
Why did you do this?

1139
00:57:38,355 --> 00:57:42,626
Why couldn't I be happy
with us

1140
00:57:43,226 --> 00:57:44,561
and how were things?

1141
00:57:45,262 --> 00:57:48,365
There was a certain fear:
"Should I do this?

1142
00:57:48,432 --> 00:57:50,968
{\an8}Because we don't want
an angry group

1143
00:57:51,068 --> 00:57:53,170
{\an8}because we have another group like it.

1144
00:57:54,771 --> 00:57:56,273
They thought that
we were greedy.

1145
00:57:57,341 --> 00:57:59,543
I will say: I am guilty.

1146
00:57:59,643 --> 00:58:01,321
But then, when you put yourself
on the other side,

1147
00:58:01,345 --> 00:58:03,647
why should I
leave someone else

1148
00:58:04,381 --> 00:58:07,317
join NSYNC
and do the same thing?

1149
00:58:07,551 --> 00:58:09,886
If there is going to be competition,
let it be by two artists

1150
00:58:09,987 --> 00:58:12,189
that I represent.

1151
00:58:12,289 --> 00:58:15,258
So that I know
how to manage the situation

1152
00:58:15,359 --> 00:58:17,461
and no one is harmed.

1153
00:58:18,161 --> 00:58:20,364
Lou always compared it to this.

1154
00:58:20,864 --> 00:58:22,599
Roces has Burger King
and McDonald's.

1155
00:58:23,533 --> 00:58:25,202
And in some cities,

1156
00:58:25,302 --> 00:58:26,980
Burger King looks good
next to McDonald's.

1157
00:58:27,004 --> 00:58:29,106
People have a choice,
but both survive.

1158
00:58:29,172 --> 00:58:30,707
So, you can survive.

1159
00:58:30,741 --> 00:58:32,642
And I said, "I make this promise
that you

1160
00:58:32,743 --> 00:58:35,012
will have their way
and they will have theirs.”

1161
00:58:35,312 --> 00:58:39,182
And that's the word I kept
until we hire

1162
00:58:39,249 --> 00:58:42,152
the Backstreet Boys
for the Disney show series.

1163
00:58:44,688 --> 00:58:45,789
It was almost two, two years

1164
00:58:45,889 --> 00:58:47,066
that we killed each other
to work

1165
00:58:47,090 --> 00:58:48,610
without getting anywhere
for a while.

1166
00:58:48,859 --> 00:58:49,760
People freaked out.

1167
00:58:49,793 --> 00:58:52,596
We played in bars
and nightclubs everywhere.

1168
00:58:52,662 --> 00:58:55,065
And that made us grow
and improve even more.

1169
00:58:55,766 --> 00:58:58,602
And I remember once,
NSYNC opened for us.

1170
00:58:58,668 --> 00:59:01,304
And they came in and sang
"I Want You Back".

1171
00:59:01,371 --> 00:59:03,407
And it was all going on
their choreography.

1172
00:59:03,473 --> 00:59:06,710
And I was there, like:
"Damn, where did we get to!"

1173
00:59:06,943 --> 00:59:09,613
I thought: They will never
they will open it for us.

1174
00:59:09,679 --> 00:59:13,283
It's the first and last time
that they will open for us.

1175
00:59:14,451 --> 00:59:17,687
NSYNC was very tight
in choreography.

1176
00:59:17,754 --> 00:59:20,190
I saw boys who worked
hard to make the dream come true.

1177
00:59:20,590 --> 00:59:22,859
But they needed
a chance to become famous.

1178
00:59:23,226 --> 00:59:26,396
Disney wanted to do
a show in its parks.

1179
00:59:26,496 --> 00:59:28,565
And we saw that the proposals
they were for Backstreet.

1180
00:59:28,632 --> 00:59:30,901
And Johnny looked for the boys,
but they didn't want to.

1181
00:59:31,468 --> 00:59:33,308
They thought, "Why
do Disney if we are

1182
00:59:33,403 --> 00:59:35,172
on the cover of Rolling Stone?"

1183
00:59:35,272 --> 00:59:38,041
So let's show why
you must do.

1184
00:59:39,676 --> 00:59:41,236
Johnny Wright managed
both groups.

1185
00:59:41,311 --> 00:59:42,979
NSYNC was polished and ready.

1186
00:59:43,313 --> 00:59:44,581
They clicked.

1187
00:59:44,614 --> 00:59:48,018
It was the first show
that we did for NSYNC.

1188
00:59:54,691 --> 00:59:55,992
Thank you, Backstreet Boys.

1189
00:59:59,830 --> 01:00:01,531
The Disney break

1190
01:00:01,631 --> 01:00:03,733
it was well deserved,
because they were very good.

1191
01:00:04,000 --> 01:00:05,569
And then, boom!

1192
01:00:09,005 --> 01:00:12,843
And that catapulted them
to the top.

1193
01:00:15,745 --> 01:00:18,915
NSYNC hovered at 66 with the album.

1194
01:00:19,850 --> 01:00:23,453
The Backstreet album
Boys was in 4th place.

1195
01:00:24,054 --> 01:00:27,924
And suddenly the NSYNC album
he overtook him and went to 2nd.

1196
01:00:30,227 --> 01:00:32,195
No one was bigger than them
at that time.

1197
01:00:32,262 --> 01:00:34,531
But there is a side no
very glamorous.

1198
01:00:38,702 --> 01:00:41,004
And that's up to the fans,

1199
01:00:41,104 --> 01:00:44,107
from the artists themselves
and the team.

1200
01:00:44,574 --> 01:00:45,809
You receive threats.

1201
01:00:46,143 --> 01:00:49,112
17 year old teenager
planned to steal weapons

1202
01:00:49,212 --> 01:00:51,748
to kill 5 musicians
in an arena.

1203
01:00:51,848 --> 01:00:55,118
All because of popularity
from the band NSYNC with the girls.

1204
01:00:55,185 --> 01:00:58,155
One day, we discovered a threat
bomb on tour.

1205
01:00:58,221 --> 01:01:02,559
The band management is
taking the threat very seriously.

1206
01:01:04,161 --> 01:01:06,329
- I love NSYNC.
- NSYNC is the best!

1207
01:01:08,598 --> 01:01:10,700
A girl pointed
a gun once.

1208
01:01:11,701 --> 01:01:14,638
If I didn't leave her
see someone, she pointed the gun.

1209
01:01:14,838 --> 01:01:16,106
And then she ran away.

1210
01:01:17,174 --> 01:01:19,609
My behavior
changed after that.

1211
01:01:21,378 --> 01:01:22,646
You become more aware.

1212
01:01:22,712 --> 01:01:26,416
Do you realize that anytime
something might happen.

1213
01:01:28,084 --> 01:01:30,487
Do you see a Bieber
cancel a tour.

1214
01:01:30,554 --> 01:01:32,822
Do you see a Shawn Mendes
cancel a tour.

1215
01:01:33,156 --> 01:01:34,996
Because my mental health
needs to come first.

1216
01:01:35,125 --> 01:01:38,061
That wasn't an option
when we were there.

1217
01:01:38,895 --> 01:01:40,630
You went there and did the show.

1218
01:01:40,764 --> 01:01:42,465
And you came back from the show,

1219
01:01:42,499 --> 01:01:45,569
broke down, cried and did
a hole in the wall.

1220
01:01:45,635 --> 01:01:47,003
Or did what he needed to do.

1221
01:01:47,637 --> 01:01:48,805
But he didn't give up.

1222
01:01:48,838 --> 01:01:50,158
You worked hard
to get there.

1223
01:01:50,373 --> 01:01:51,808
Can't take it off
your foot on the accelerator.

1224
01:01:53,109 --> 01:01:54,578
This is going to sound super weird.

1225
01:01:54,611 --> 01:01:57,013
But on our first tour,

1226
01:01:57,080 --> 01:01:58,520
someone from the record company
gave us a book.

1227
01:01:58,548 --> 01:02:01,718
It was the age of consent
of each state in the country.

1228
01:02:01,818 --> 01:02:03,920
And we kept
this book on the bus.

1229
01:02:05,222 --> 01:02:06,389
They are cats.
They're beautiful.

1230
01:02:06,423 --> 01:02:08,291
- We want to see them.
- They have everything.

1231
01:02:09,092 --> 01:02:12,896
Unfortunately, there were people there
out trying to take you down.

1232
01:02:14,331 --> 01:02:16,433
Dick, will you marry me?

1233
01:02:16,499 --> 01:02:17,734
There won't be any of that.

1234
01:02:17,767 --> 01:02:21,271
It's hard not to have an image
impeccable

1235
01:02:21,404 --> 01:02:25,041
being a band
or a teen group.

1236
01:02:25,075 --> 01:02:27,777
I don't see a problem with having
an impeccable image.

1237
01:02:27,844 --> 01:02:31,514
We just want to leave our mothers,
proud parents and families.

1238
01:02:32,482 --> 01:02:35,685
At that moment, at that time,
I didn't know my father.

1239
01:02:36,553 --> 01:02:37,687
Not at all.

1240
01:02:38,054 --> 01:02:39,689
Most people
doesn't know that.

1241
01:02:40,190 --> 01:02:43,026
I was about 17 years old,
something like that.

1242
01:02:43,226 --> 01:02:46,796
At that time,
I had been in the band for 3 years.

1243
01:02:49,366 --> 01:02:52,035
My girlfriend at the time
took me to a house

1244
01:02:52,269 --> 01:02:53,370
in the middle of nowhere.

1245
01:02:53,470 --> 01:02:55,272
About 30 minutes from where I lived.

1246
01:02:57,040 --> 01:02:58,041
We left.

1247
01:02:58,108 --> 01:03:02,012
She knocked on the door,
disappeared and left me there.

1248
01:03:02,946 --> 01:03:04,614
I was very angry.

1249
01:03:05,115 --> 01:03:07,517
And a guy opens the door,
and I say:

1250
01:03:07,617 --> 01:03:10,387
"I'm sorry to bother you."

1251
01:03:10,420 --> 01:03:14,190
He looked at me, I at him,
and it was like, "Oh, shit, wait.

1252
01:03:15,425 --> 01:03:16,993
He says, "Alex?"

1253
01:03:17,727 --> 01:03:18,928
And I: "Dad?"

1254
01:03:24,267 --> 01:03:26,336
It was a moment
strange and surreal.

1255
01:03:26,736 --> 01:03:29,139
I went in, we talked a little.

1256
01:03:29,172 --> 01:03:31,107
It was the first time that
I knew my stepmother.

1257
01:03:32,442 --> 01:03:34,210
He had newspapers about
the Backstreet Boys,

1258
01:03:34,311 --> 01:03:36,746
clippings, all that.

1259
01:03:37,247 --> 01:03:40,617
I looked at it and thought, "That's cool!

1260
01:03:40,950 --> 01:03:44,954
He follows my career
even without talking to each other."

1261
01:03:47,290 --> 01:03:50,860
Then we exchanged numbers

1262
01:03:51,061 --> 01:03:53,897
We agreed to go to lunch.

1263
01:03:55,165 --> 01:03:56,800
But I got busy.

1264
01:03:57,300 --> 01:03:58,902
Lots of tours, lots of albums.

1265
01:03:58,935 --> 01:04:00,270
I couldn't go.

1266
01:04:00,403 --> 01:04:06,609
After that, I didn't see him or speak to him
with him for about ten years.

1267
01:04:10,480 --> 01:04:13,516
Backstreet Boys,
those were my boys.

1268
01:04:15,485 --> 01:04:18,521
I just thought they were
so naturally cool.

1269
01:04:19,589 --> 01:04:24,461
But I didn't know
what the Backstreet Boys

1270
01:04:24,494 --> 01:04:27,864
faced when listening
their music.

1271
01:04:28,098 --> 01:04:29,232
And that's on purpose.

1272
01:04:29,299 --> 01:04:31,568
Because if you told the fans

1273
01:04:31,668 --> 01:04:34,137
everything that happens
behind the scenes

1274
01:04:35,839 --> 01:04:39,109
all the illusion
would start to fall apart.

1275
01:04:45,148 --> 01:04:48,451
{\an8}With NSYNC every time
most famous,

1276
01:04:48,551 --> 01:04:50,820
I received the call
by the Backstreet Boys.

1277
01:04:51,121 --> 01:04:52,455
"We need to have a meeting."

1278
01:04:52,622 --> 01:04:55,825
They said, "There are 3 conditions
to remain our businessman.

1279
01:04:56,259 --> 01:04:57,961
First, you have to fire Lou.

1280
01:05:00,296 --> 01:05:02,599
You have to cut your commission
of businessman in half.

1281
01:05:02,832 --> 01:05:04,968
And you have to get rid of NSYNC."

1282
01:05:06,403 --> 01:05:09,205
So I said, "It's an offer
that I can refuse.

1283
01:05:09,272 --> 01:05:13,376
And I said, "If I don't work
with you and with them,

1284
01:05:13,443 --> 01:05:15,203
So I have the responsibility
to make them

1285
01:05:15,345 --> 01:05:16,345
the largest group in the world.

1286
01:05:16,613 --> 01:05:17,881
And that means I'm going to use

1287
01:05:17,981 --> 01:05:19,449
all my weapons
against you,

1288
01:05:19,482 --> 01:05:21,151
to make them even bigger."

1289
01:05:22,085 --> 01:05:24,421
I discovered there was a problem

1290
01:05:24,487 --> 01:05:28,057
with the American Music Awards
involving the Backstreet Boys.

1291
01:05:28,091 --> 01:05:29,893
Then I said:
"Okay, I'll give you NSYNC."

1292
01:05:30,126 --> 01:05:31,594
This is NSYNC.

1293
01:05:33,062 --> 01:05:34,631
Yes, we do. I mean,
why not?

1294
01:05:34,731 --> 01:05:35,731
We really wanted it.

1295
01:05:40,870 --> 01:05:42,672
It's amazing how good they were.

1296
01:05:43,239 --> 01:05:45,217
{\an8}Their harmonies were
better than Backstreet

1297
01:05:45,241 --> 01:05:46,241
in my opinion.

1298
01:05:46,376 --> 01:05:47,510
Sorry, boys.

1299
01:05:47,911 --> 01:05:49,479
I learned that the
Backstreet Boys

1300
01:05:49,579 --> 01:05:51,414
were going on a tour
in stadiums.

1301
01:05:51,881 --> 01:05:53,850
So I called our agent
and said:

1302
01:05:53,917 --> 01:05:55,552
"I want to go on tour
in stadiums.

1303
01:05:55,652 --> 01:05:56,886
Two weeks before them.”

1304
01:05:58,855 --> 01:06:00,215
They canceled the tour in
stadiums

1305
01:06:00,290 --> 01:06:01,958
and toured in arenas,

1306
01:06:01,991 --> 01:06:04,661
because they thought they wouldn't go
manage to sell tickets.

1307
01:06:06,763 --> 01:06:10,300
Whenever I realized
that they were doing something

1308
01:06:10,333 --> 01:06:12,402
I tried to arrive before them.

1309
01:06:14,704 --> 01:06:16,239
Success was my revenge.

1310
01:06:16,306 --> 01:06:19,542
In record sales
and at the stops,

1311
01:06:19,576 --> 01:06:22,412
NSYNC worked
to the Backstreet Boys.

1312
01:06:23,813 --> 01:06:25,448
{\an8}And of course, other bands emerged

1313
01:06:25,482 --> 01:06:28,351
{\an8}after they exploded
in popularity.

1314
01:06:28,451 --> 01:06:33,189
And you saw groups
of fanatical fans

1315
01:06:33,223 --> 01:06:35,525
fighting to see
what was the best boy band.

1316
01:06:35,625 --> 01:06:37,794
It became a race, you know?

1317
01:06:38,695 --> 01:06:43,466
{\an8}MTV in the 80s and 90s was
the point for pop culture.

1318
01:06:44,167 --> 01:06:47,036
We created TRL,
Total Live Request,

1319
01:06:47,136 --> 01:06:49,706
live in the studio with Carson.

1320
01:06:49,839 --> 01:06:53,510
The program was made by the fans.

1321
01:06:53,643 --> 01:06:58,081
Lots of girls called
in an hour and screamed.

1322
01:06:58,147 --> 01:07:04,821
Because they planned to see
NSYNC, Backstreet Boys and Hanson.

1323
01:07:05,755 --> 01:07:08,391
Position in TRL mattered.

1324
01:07:08,525 --> 01:07:09,859
There are only 10 places.

1325
01:07:09,926 --> 01:07:11,027
Can you keep up?

1326
01:07:12,061 --> 01:07:13,396
It became a competition.

1327
01:07:13,730 --> 01:07:17,567
Always the Backstreet Boys
and NSYNC in 1st or 2nd place.

1328
01:07:17,667 --> 01:07:19,035
So which side was bigger?

1329
01:07:19,502 --> 01:07:21,046
Boy bands,
I couldn't like them both.

1330
01:07:21,070 --> 01:07:22,505
It was my team and it was your team.

1331
01:07:22,672 --> 01:07:24,140
It was that rivalry.

1332
01:07:24,207 --> 01:07:26,075
It was like the Red Sox and Yankees.

1333
01:07:26,209 --> 01:07:27,409
You can't like both teams.

1334
01:07:27,610 --> 01:07:28,645
Sorry.

1335
01:07:28,978 --> 01:07:30,680
Think about it.
That's what really turned it around.

1336
01:07:30,713 --> 01:07:32,482
That's what happened.
Someone is a genius.

1337
01:07:32,515 --> 01:07:33,835
Someone is a genius
for real here.

1338
01:07:33,983 --> 01:07:35,685
I don't want to say who
I think it was.

1339
01:07:37,120 --> 01:07:39,022
It is serious.
I don't even want to say who it is.

1340
01:07:41,424 --> 01:07:42,592
It came from Lou.

1341
01:07:42,792 --> 01:07:46,596
And what did the fans do?
start to go against...

1342
01:07:46,729 --> 01:07:50,033
the other is because he
invented stories.

1343
01:07:50,099 --> 01:07:51,467
They are so cute!
Oh my God!

1344
01:07:51,568 --> 01:07:53,269
The Backstreet Boys
are the best.

1345
01:07:53,303 --> 01:07:54,470
He said something like:

1346
01:07:54,504 --> 01:07:55,814
"Hey, I was with the
Backstreet Boys

1347
01:07:55,838 --> 01:07:57,073
the other day and they said

1348
01:07:57,140 --> 01:07:58,700
that NSYNC really
I didn't know how to sing."

1349
01:07:58,841 --> 01:08:01,411
It was more like Lou giving
a turnaround and say:

1350
01:08:01,511 --> 01:08:02,946
"Backstreet are
doing this.

1351
01:08:03,046 --> 01:08:04,914
They look great,
really great.

1352
01:08:04,981 --> 01:08:06,341
Roces should come in more
in shape."

1353
01:08:06,449 --> 01:08:07,493
You know, it was that type
of thing.

1354
01:08:07,517 --> 01:08:09,118
Or: "This band does,
You know, pirouettes.

1355
01:08:09,152 --> 01:08:10,229
Maybe you should
do that too."

1356
01:08:10,253 --> 01:08:12,689
Lou always wanted
that those two

1357
01:08:12,789 --> 01:08:14,991
were fighting or separated.

1358
01:08:15,024 --> 01:08:20,163
So they never had the chance
to sit down and really talk

1359
01:08:20,196 --> 01:08:22,432
like contracts or money.

1360
01:08:22,799 --> 01:08:26,135
And so, for me, it was really
That's his intention.

1361
01:08:27,971 --> 01:08:30,373
In those early days
Backstreet Boys and NSYNC,

1362
01:08:30,406 --> 01:08:32,366
they were out there working
and doing everything,

1363
01:08:32,408 --> 01:08:35,912
and armored trucks
arrived at the stadiums

1364
01:08:36,045 --> 01:08:37,085
taking the money away,

1365
01:08:37,180 --> 01:08:39,916
They thought, "Okay,
with the 1st dividend check

1366
01:08:40,016 --> 01:08:41,776
that we should receive,
Let's get rich."

1367
01:08:43,319 --> 01:08:44,754
But it's not quite like that.

1368
01:08:45,755 --> 01:08:48,024
NSYNC sold 10 million
of albums.

1369
01:08:48,057 --> 01:08:49,926
Lou Pearlman gave them 10 grand.

1370
01:08:50,126 --> 01:08:51,527
They should be millionaires.

1371
01:08:56,332 --> 01:08:57,412
We were heartbroken.

1372
01:08:58,001 --> 01:08:59,402
We weren't paying attention
to numbers.

1373
01:08:59,469 --> 01:09:00,709
We didn't pay attention to the numbers

1374
01:09:00,803 --> 01:09:02,083
nor what we sold,
until later.

1375
01:09:04,340 --> 01:09:05,975
After Lou
gave a check,

1376
01:09:06,075 --> 01:09:07,510
I thought, "I need to know everything."

1377
01:09:07,577 --> 01:09:09,355
Show me the numbers.
I want to know what goes in.

1378
01:09:09,379 --> 01:09:11,481
I want to know what comes out.
What are we gaining?

1379
01:09:11,547 --> 01:09:13,216
What is happening?
What have we lost?

1380
01:09:15,284 --> 01:09:17,787
Lou won on three fronts.

1381
01:09:19,522 --> 01:09:20,623
Lou is the record company.

1382
01:09:21,257 --> 01:09:23,059
Lou is one of the managers.

1383
01:09:23,159 --> 01:09:24,427
{\an8}and you get paid for it.

1384
01:09:24,827 --> 01:09:26,672
{\an8}Lou got a percentage
of promotional products

1385
01:09:26,696 --> 01:09:27,697
and got paid for it.

1386
01:09:28,231 --> 01:09:30,042
Lou took a percentage
of the group's profits.

1387
01:09:30,066 --> 01:09:31,234
And I got paid for it

1388
01:09:32,702 --> 01:09:35,438
And the word I learned
was: Recoverable.

1389
01:09:36,272 --> 01:09:37,373
Good word, guys.

1390
01:09:37,440 --> 01:09:38,675
Recoverable.

1391
01:09:38,941 --> 01:09:39,942
Remember this.

1392
01:09:40,977 --> 01:09:44,781
Recoverable are things
that a record company pays

1393
01:09:45,181 --> 01:09:47,050
during that initial process,

1394
01:09:47,083 --> 01:09:49,218
when you are investing
on a new artist,

1395
01:09:49,352 --> 01:09:53,289
As transportation,
dinners out,

1396
01:09:53,556 --> 01:09:56,859
an outfit for
a photo essay.

1397
01:09:57,960 --> 01:09:59,505
But then, when you start
selling records,

1398
01:09:59,529 --> 01:10:01,264
they take this money
back

1399
01:10:01,364 --> 01:10:02,832
before you even receive it.

1400
01:10:02,899 --> 01:10:05,268
So, you know, in theory,
everything seems fine.

1401
01:10:05,368 --> 01:10:07,136
It's fair, I think.

1402
01:10:08,671 --> 01:10:11,116
But they said, "Okay, then,
here's the refund part."

1403
01:10:11,140 --> 01:10:14,110
And slapped everyone
and showed us a copy

1404
01:10:14,143 --> 01:10:16,679
of all things and everything
the money we owed.

1405
01:10:16,913 --> 01:10:17,980
But I'm looking.

1406
01:10:18,848 --> 01:10:21,217
"Damn, what's this,
I didn't spend that!

1407
01:10:21,584 --> 01:10:23,753
When did we do this?
I don't remember that.

1408
01:10:24,220 --> 01:10:25,455
The house that was rented.

1409
01:10:25,521 --> 01:10:27,023
If we stayed
together for dinner.

1410
01:10:27,256 --> 01:10:28,458
Any recording session.

1411
01:10:28,858 --> 01:10:31,227
The best singing teacher.
It's the best. The best possible.

1412
01:10:31,928 --> 01:10:33,939
Literally adding
80 million other things

1413
01:10:33,963 --> 01:10:36,466
that you said so much
that you cared for.

1414
01:10:36,499 --> 01:10:38,601
Where I thought it was
for you to take care of.

1415
01:10:38,668 --> 01:10:41,604
Be careful not to have
to get the money back.

1416
01:10:42,605 --> 01:10:45,174
The one I thought of:
"Are you kidding?"

1417
01:10:45,508 --> 01:10:47,853
We were filming the video for
"Tearing Up My Heart in Miami."

1418
01:10:47,877 --> 01:10:49,579
And it was close to my birthday.

1419
01:10:49,612 --> 01:10:51,123
It was birthday time
mine and Justin's.

1420
01:10:51,147 --> 01:10:53,816
Lou said, "I'll buy a gift
for your birthday."

1421
01:10:53,850 --> 01:10:55,752
It's great!
We're going to Armani Exchange.

1422
01:10:55,818 --> 01:10:58,855
I remember buying this jacket.
It must have been around 200, 250.

1423
01:10:59,655 --> 01:11:00,757
Purchase.

1424
01:11:01,424 --> 01:11:04,894
And in the recoverable ones,
was the jacket.

1425
01:11:06,963 --> 01:11:11,067
Now it starts to show
that this guy is out to screw me.

1426
01:11:13,469 --> 01:11:14,470
But you forget.

1427
01:11:14,504 --> 01:11:17,507
There was this guy who took
three and a half million dollars

1428
01:11:17,573 --> 01:11:19,442
that you put
in a musical career.

1429
01:11:19,509 --> 01:11:20,943
But he had so much faith in you.

1430
01:11:20,977 --> 01:11:23,179
{\an8}He had an agreement to stay

1431
01:11:23,279 --> 01:11:25,782
with the biggest share
if it worked?

1432
01:11:25,848 --> 01:11:27,517
Yes. He should.

1433
01:11:27,650 --> 01:11:29,385
Because he took a risk.

1434
01:11:29,786 --> 01:11:33,122
If you led a group and
failed, who pays the bill?

1435
01:11:33,189 --> 01:11:34,223
Me.

1436
01:11:34,257 --> 01:11:36,692
The Backstreet Boys and NSYNC
two of the examples

1437
01:11:36,726 --> 01:11:39,595
best known
of this type of exploitation,

1438
01:11:39,662 --> 01:11:43,733
but it happens
with all popular groups.

1439
01:11:46,903 --> 01:11:47,970
98 Degrees.

1440
01:11:48,004 --> 01:11:49,004
We signed with Motown

1441
01:11:49,071 --> 01:11:50,540
and we receive an advance

1442
01:11:50,640 --> 01:11:53,276
you know, very symbolic
in our contract.

1443
01:11:53,309 --> 01:11:55,311
We knew that all the expenses
were refundable.

1444
01:11:55,344 --> 01:11:56,879
And we take the opposite path.

1445
01:11:56,979 --> 01:11:58,381
"We're not going to
pay for nothing."

1446
01:11:58,481 --> 01:12:00,325
Let's take a break,
take a walk to Wendy's

1447
01:12:00,349 --> 01:12:01,284
there on the corner
and then go back to the studio.

1448
01:12:01,317 --> 01:12:03,519
And then at the end of the session,
at 4 am,

1449
01:12:03,553 --> 01:12:05,488
let's not take a car
back to Brooklyn.

1450
01:12:05,521 --> 01:12:06,856
Let's take the A train back

1451
01:12:06,956 --> 01:12:08,491
to Brooklyn
in the middle of winter.

1452
01:12:08,658 --> 01:12:11,160
The four of us, four in the morning,
standing at the subway station.

1453
01:12:12,028 --> 01:12:13,796
And then we realized
that didn't matter.

1454
01:12:14,230 --> 01:12:16,299
You wouldn't see a dime
of it anyway.

1455
01:12:16,666 --> 01:12:19,335
In the beginning, at Motown,
we arrived at the studio

1456
01:12:19,435 --> 01:12:22,171
and the entire lobby,
where the sessions took place,

1457
01:12:22,405 --> 01:12:24,941
it was crowded
from other artists and executives.

1458
01:12:25,007 --> 01:12:28,811
Everyone smoked, stayed there,
drank, ordered food,

1459
01:12:28,845 --> 01:12:32,381
And all of this will be discounted
of recoverable ones.

1460
01:12:33,783 --> 01:12:37,353
The only way to hold accountable
a record company is auditing it.

1461
01:12:38,054 --> 01:12:40,122
What business works like that?

1462
01:12:40,189 --> 01:12:42,892
It's like a street scam that
takes place in meeting rooms.

1463
01:12:44,260 --> 01:12:48,664
And, to top it off, there was someone
embezzling money on the outside.

1464
01:12:49,999 --> 01:12:51,968
We were in a store
called Clothes Time.

1465
01:12:52,001 --> 01:12:53,736
It was like a clothing store.

1466
01:12:53,836 --> 01:12:56,606
We showed up and
took photos all day.

1467
01:12:56,639 --> 01:12:59,809
We were excited because
We earned 5 thousand just to stay there.

1468
01:12:59,909 --> 01:13:02,378
Five thousand!
A thousand dollars each!

1469
01:13:03,512 --> 01:13:05,948
We were supposed to receive
50 thousand for that.

1470
01:13:06,048 --> 01:13:08,117
We ended up firing them.

1471
01:13:08,618 --> 01:13:11,320
{\an8}It's Backstreet
Boys and management.

1472
01:13:11,921 --> 01:13:13,389
{\an8}That's right. Beauty.

1473
01:13:13,956 --> 01:13:16,559
{\an8}You put all this money
for us to leave from scratch.

1474
01:13:16,626 --> 01:13:17,994
And I will forever be grateful.

1475
01:13:18,728 --> 01:13:21,631
But we are the ones
out there doing the work.

1476
01:13:21,697 --> 01:13:23,742
We are the ones out there,
leaving our families

1477
01:13:23,766 --> 01:13:25,768
giving blood and sweat and tears.

1478
01:13:27,069 --> 01:13:29,314
You shouldn't be getting the
the same thing we receive.

1479
01:13:29,338 --> 01:13:30,640
There's no reason for that.

1480
01:13:32,141 --> 01:13:35,311
From 1993 to 1997,

1481
01:13:35,344 --> 01:13:39,348
Lou Pearlman wins
ten million from the Backstreet Boys.

1482
01:13:40,216 --> 01:13:44,587
The band members
they received US$300,000.

1483
01:13:47,156 --> 01:13:50,660
So, we had a little party
with all groups.

1484
01:13:51,327 --> 01:13:55,364
Then I see Justin talking
with Nick and Brian.

1485
01:13:55,398 --> 01:13:57,166
And then all the other guys
are talking

1486
01:13:57,266 --> 01:13:59,068
and with other members.

1487
01:13:59,802 --> 01:14:02,338
Lou didn't want these guys

1488
01:14:02,438 --> 01:14:04,941
if they sat down
really talk.

1489
01:14:05,041 --> 01:14:08,077
About Lou's stuff
that he may have lied.

1490
01:14:08,878 --> 01:14:11,580
And then, about 1 week later,

1491
01:14:11,681 --> 01:14:14,417
was when a
German lawyer orders

1492
01:14:14,483 --> 01:14:18,187
a warning from Brian that they are
suing me and Lou.

1493
01:14:19,488 --> 01:14:23,726
Brian Littrell is the first
suing Lou Pearlman.

1494
01:14:23,993 --> 01:14:28,931
And soon after, the rest of the
Backstreet Boys do the same.

1495
01:14:29,065 --> 01:14:30,333
The 5 boys from BSB

1496
01:14:30,433 --> 01:14:32,168
are processing
their former manager.

1497
01:14:32,234 --> 01:14:34,070
Backstreet sued
Lou Pearlman.

1498
01:14:34,103 --> 01:14:37,306
And Johnny Wright,
which began in 1998.

1499
01:14:37,373 --> 01:14:40,109
Then NSYNC came in
with a lawsuit against Lou

1500
01:14:40,209 --> 01:14:43,179
and only against Lou in 1999.

1501
01:14:43,379 --> 01:14:45,014
We have to fight for
that we built

1502
01:14:45,114 --> 01:14:47,650
over these 2 and a half years,
We've been struggling for 3 years.

1503
01:14:47,817 --> 01:14:49,485
I said, "Listen,
we need to do this.”

1504
01:14:49,552 --> 01:14:53,222
It was a very
scary and hard.

1505
01:14:54,290 --> 01:14:56,058
And then what happened was

1506
01:14:56,158 --> 01:14:58,094
that he wanted to trace
a limit and say:

1507
01:14:58,160 --> 01:15:00,162
"Do you have a contract with me?
I spent that money.

1508
01:15:00,262 --> 01:15:02,631
If it weren't for me,
there wouldn't be them."

1509
01:15:04,000 --> 01:15:05,735
Then they went into battle.

1510
01:15:05,768 --> 01:15:08,537
Then Lou tried to sue
NSYNC by name.

1511
01:15:08,971 --> 01:15:12,441
He's desperate not to
losing what wasn't his.

1512
01:15:15,311 --> 01:15:16,846
We were definitely nervous.

1513
01:15:17,646 --> 01:15:20,349
We had Lou and he has everyone
these lawyers and like,

1514
01:15:20,383 --> 01:15:21,460
We don't have that money.

1515
01:15:21,484 --> 01:15:23,686
We have no one
to support us like this.

1516
01:15:23,719 --> 01:15:25,421
In this sense,
we are opening a

1517
01:15:25,521 --> 01:15:27,256
box that can tarnish our name.

1518
01:15:27,289 --> 01:15:28,969
We may not even have
plus the name NSYNC.

1519
01:15:29,592 --> 01:15:33,329
If he won, their careers
would go back to square one.

1520
01:15:33,396 --> 01:15:34,563
It seemed like it was over.

1521
01:15:36,198 --> 01:15:39,902
I was scared, but we
I was confident too.

1522
01:15:40,236 --> 01:15:43,139
Scared because we didn't know
what would become of NSYNC.

1523
01:15:43,272 --> 01:15:46,175
But confident enough to
knowing we weren't wrong.

1524
01:15:48,310 --> 01:15:50,279
We went before a judge.

1525
01:15:50,813 --> 01:15:52,648
Even the way the judge
said was:

1526
01:15:52,748 --> 01:15:54,583
"Look, if I look at a poster,

1527
01:15:54,617 --> 01:15:55,618
I see five guys there.

1528
01:15:56,085 --> 01:15:57,420
You're not on the poster.

1529
01:15:58,254 --> 01:15:59,922
So how are you a 6th member?"

1530
01:16:01,290 --> 01:16:02,591
But everything was fine.

1531
01:16:03,459 --> 01:16:04,493
The lawyer said:

1532
01:16:04,593 --> 01:16:06,495
"Look, we need to get it right
out of court."

1533
01:16:07,063 --> 01:16:09,498
NSYNC won the rights
to the name, but still

1534
01:16:09,532 --> 01:16:11,700
had a contract
signed with Lou Pearlman.

1535
01:16:11,767 --> 01:16:16,372
So Backstreet Boys and NSYNC
paid a total

1536
01:16:16,405 --> 01:16:20,109
of US$64 million for
agree to terminate the contract.

1537
01:16:22,912 --> 01:16:25,081
When we get
separated from Lou,

1538
01:16:25,181 --> 01:16:27,550
I think it hurt differently
for each one.

1539
01:16:28,717 --> 01:16:29,852
It was disappointment.

1540
01:16:29,885 --> 01:16:31,087
100% disappointment.

1541
01:16:32,421 --> 01:16:34,256
He was Big Papa.

1542
01:16:35,024 --> 01:16:38,661
He was the one we were looking for
guidance on certain things,

1543
01:16:38,694 --> 01:16:41,230
And it screwed us.

1544
01:16:41,597 --> 01:16:43,466
The Backstreet Boys,
after they became famous,

1545
01:16:43,499 --> 01:16:45,801
turned against you
and they sued you,

1546
01:16:45,868 --> 01:16:49,004
saying you stayed
with a lot of their money.

1547
01:16:49,038 --> 01:16:52,208
I don't think they said that.
There were more lawyers

1548
01:16:52,241 --> 01:16:55,678
who got in the middle
of history that, in a way,

1549
01:16:55,711 --> 01:16:56,846
exaggerated the situation.

1550
01:16:56,879 --> 01:16:58,347
That was Lou's mentality.

1551
01:16:58,380 --> 01:17:02,418
Lou was going to produce boy bands
one after the other.

1552
01:17:02,485 --> 01:17:03,586
And he did.

1553
01:17:12,161 --> 01:17:13,262
And there?
I'm Brad.

1554
01:17:13,295 --> 01:17:14,396
- I'm Rich.
- I'm Devin.

1555
01:17:14,430 --> 01:17:15,664
And we are LFO.

1556
01:17:15,731 --> 01:17:17,500
I was from Take 5.

1557
01:17:17,933 --> 01:17:20,536
When I was 12 years old,
I met Lou at his house.

1558
01:17:20,603 --> 01:17:22,004
Did you audition that day?

1559
01:17:22,071 --> 01:17:23,272
Did you sing to him that day?

1560
01:17:23,506 --> 01:17:24,840
No.

1561
01:17:25,441 --> 01:17:28,177
{\an8}Halfway there,
I think I started to realize it.

1562
01:17:28,210 --> 01:17:30,679
{\an8}Ah, I think that
has already been decided.

1563
01:17:31,080 --> 01:17:36,352
It was obvious that there was no shortage of
boy bands in Orlando.

1564
01:17:38,454 --> 01:17:40,656
Now there's a Latin band,
C-Note.

1565
01:17:40,689 --> 01:17:42,424
He produced the C-Note.

1566
01:17:42,525 --> 01:17:44,527
And he made girl groups
too.

1567
01:17:46,695 --> 01:17:48,364
And they all came from Orlando.

1568
01:17:48,731 --> 01:17:49,865
Producing by turns.

1569
01:17:49,899 --> 01:17:52,168
Lou Pearlman's bands
they are all the same.

1570
01:17:52,668 --> 01:17:53,903
I don't know how to differentiate.

1571
01:17:54,136 --> 01:17:58,374
Maybe the concept,
the style, or the direction is clear.

1572
01:17:58,507 --> 01:18:00,009
And this could be
the common point.

1573
01:18:00,042 --> 01:18:01,343
Every time you bake a cake.

1574
01:18:02,912 --> 01:18:04,313
It's always good in the end.

1575
01:18:05,381 --> 01:18:06,582
If you do it right.

1576
01:18:20,462 --> 01:18:21,530
My name is Steven Mooney.

1577
01:18:21,564 --> 01:18:23,933
And I was taking a test
to join a boy band

1578
01:18:23,966 --> 01:18:26,969
{\an8}and I worked with Lou Pearlman
on Transcon Records.

1579
01:18:27,403 --> 01:18:28,504
I was in the Army.

1580
01:18:29,004 --> 01:18:32,608
I must have been around 19, 20 years old.

1581
01:18:32,808 --> 01:18:36,378
And when I left, I was working
at Abercrombie and Fitch.

1582
01:18:37,479 --> 01:18:41,083
Nine West Shoes and TGI Fridays
as a busboy.

1583
01:18:41,517 --> 01:18:43,719
And a kid approached me
at the mall.

1584
01:18:43,786 --> 01:18:46,455
And he said: "Hey, I'm graduating
a boy band."

1585
01:18:46,655 --> 01:18:48,591
Then he asked:
"Can you sing?"

1586
01:18:48,791 --> 01:18:53,262
I never really tried, but
I was never told that I don't sing.

1587
01:18:53,329 --> 01:18:54,797
Then he said:
"Come to my house,

1588
01:18:54,897 --> 01:18:58,400
and people sing and
people see your talent."

1589
01:19:00,035 --> 01:19:03,205
In the end, I ended up at someone's house
of Lou's close friends.

1590
01:19:03,239 --> 01:19:05,207
He's one of the guys
from Lou's group.

1591
01:19:05,975 --> 01:19:08,444
Like, there were hundreds
of children in that house.

1592
01:19:08,811 --> 01:19:10,546
And he makes everyone sing.

1593
01:19:10,579 --> 01:19:13,382
And then he put everyone
out of the house, except me.

1594
01:19:13,782 --> 01:19:16,218
And he put his hand on my shoulder
when escorting me out.

1595
01:19:16,252 --> 01:19:19,321
Then he: "Hey, I want to introduce you
the big one.”

1596
01:19:19,755 --> 01:19:22,858
I had no idea what
what that guy was talking about.

1597
01:19:23,325 --> 01:19:25,327
I didn't know who they were
the Backstreet Boys.

1598
01:19:25,361 --> 01:19:26,671
I had no idea
who was NSYNC.

1599
01:19:26,695 --> 01:19:28,006
I didn't know who it was
Britney Spears.

1600
01:19:28,030 --> 01:19:29,350
I had just left
of the Army.

1601
01:19:29,665 --> 01:19:31,900
But the next day,
I was already in the office,

1602
01:19:31,934 --> 01:19:34,570
at 9 am, to meet
Lou Pearlman.

1603
01:19:35,671 --> 01:19:37,339
When I enter through
glass doors,

1604
01:19:37,439 --> 01:19:39,475
I see photos of Britney Spears,

1605
01:19:39,575 --> 01:19:43,212
Aaron Carter,
Backstreet Boys, NSYNC.

1606
01:19:43,245 --> 01:19:47,750
And it has two giant doors
at the end of that corridor.

1607
01:19:47,783 --> 01:19:49,451
They open.

1608
01:19:51,086 --> 01:19:52,888
And there's Lou sitting.

1609
01:19:52,955 --> 01:19:55,057
And he made me sing something
the chapel for him.

1610
01:19:56,325 --> 01:19:58,394
And that's when he: "You're mine!"

1611
01:19:58,994 --> 01:20:00,062
What did he promise?

1612
01:20:00,329 --> 01:20:02,998
That I was going to be,
in front of my parents,

1613
01:20:03,032 --> 01:20:05,134
a millionaire next year.

1614
01:20:06,035 --> 01:20:07,469
Have you ever heard
something,

1615
01:20:07,569 --> 01:20:08,971
until that moment,
about the reason

1616
01:20:09,004 --> 01:20:11,116
whereby Backstreet or
Were NSYNC suing him?

1617
01:20:11,140 --> 01:20:12,541
No. He never said why.

1618
01:20:12,574 --> 01:20:14,943
And all this was resolved
out of court, right?

1619
01:20:15,010 --> 01:20:16,245
So no one knew why.

1620
01:20:17,813 --> 01:20:20,249
{\an8}We still don't know the
Backstreet nor NSYNC.

1621
01:20:20,316 --> 01:20:22,251
{\an8}So we're just
listening to his side.

1622
01:20:22,584 --> 01:20:25,154
It's like they were just
ungrateful or greedy.

1623
01:20:25,254 --> 01:20:27,389
There are so many others
different versions

1624
01:20:27,489 --> 01:20:29,625
of this story that can
make perfect sense.

1625
01:20:29,958 --> 01:20:33,662
What was your perspective,
at 12 years old,

1626
01:20:34,029 --> 01:20:37,032
what did Lou want from this?

1627
01:20:38,667 --> 01:20:42,971
I don't know. I guess I never thought
what Lou wanted out of it.

1628
01:20:44,640 --> 01:20:45,541
Are you working on
3 jobs

1629
01:20:45,641 --> 01:20:46,809
and is trying to get

1630
01:20:46,842 --> 01:20:48,911
do something on your own
and is aimless.

1631
01:20:48,944 --> 01:20:51,213
And someone appears like
a guardian angel

1632
01:20:51,246 --> 01:20:53,949
and say that you
is an incredible person.

1633
01:20:54,016 --> 01:20:56,819
You have an incredible talent.
You have a great look.

1634
01:20:56,885 --> 01:20:59,855
And I will make you a millionaire
based on these things.

1635
01:20:59,922 --> 01:21:01,724
There's no feeling
best in the world, right?

1636
01:21:03,258 --> 01:21:05,160
And he said:
"I have some ideas.

1637
01:21:05,260 --> 01:21:06,462
I'm putting together a band.

1638
01:21:06,528 --> 01:21:09,031
If it doesn't work,
We'll find something for you."

1639
01:21:10,366 --> 01:21:11,900
But it was kind of open-ended.

1640
01:21:12,468 --> 01:21:16,472
He said, "You're going to work
for me as long as it takes."

1641
01:21:18,207 --> 01:21:19,208
He made me his driver.

1642
01:21:19,808 --> 01:21:21,977
He said:
"JC drove it for me.

1643
01:21:22,611 --> 01:21:24,046
Rich even drove for me.

1644
01:21:24,446 --> 01:21:26,448
Even Brad drove it for me."

1645
01:21:28,183 --> 01:21:30,052
{\an8}What was your first
Lou Brommen impression?

1646
01:21:32,321 --> 01:21:33,455
I don't know.

1647
01:21:33,889 --> 01:21:36,492
You know, when I still
I worked for Lou,

1648
01:21:36,592 --> 01:21:39,228
driving your limousine,
I wanted to be a rapper.

1649
01:21:39,528 --> 01:21:45,434
At 19, Rich and this guy,
Brian, scored with Lou.

1650
01:21:46,402 --> 01:21:48,704
Then he said: "Roces are
making the same kind of music.

1651
01:21:48,737 --> 01:21:52,541
Why don't you get together soon?
1 group and I'll sign with you?"

1652
01:21:52,674 --> 01:21:54,810
I'm like, "Okay," you know.

1653
01:21:55,377 --> 01:21:56,879
Then he disappears and comes back.

1654
01:21:57,079 --> 01:21:59,815
I think he was just
shorts and with a guitar.

1655
01:22:01,817 --> 01:22:03,685
You know, shorts and guitar, right?

1656
01:22:05,220 --> 01:22:06,989
And he's sitting there
in front of us, on the sofa,

1657
01:22:07,055 --> 01:22:08,957
and starts playing the guitar.

1658
01:22:10,392 --> 01:22:12,594
It was just a kind of strange time,
pretty strange.

1659
01:22:16,131 --> 01:22:17,842
He was kind to me
let him stay at his house.

1660
01:22:17,866 --> 01:22:20,302
As I advanced
for these things.

1661
01:22:22,871 --> 01:22:24,940
But when I lived
in that house,

1662
01:22:26,842 --> 01:22:28,877
and that's when everything fell apart.

1663
01:22:30,946 --> 01:22:33,348
A lot happened
behind closed doors.

1664
01:22:34,283 --> 01:22:35,851
It wasn't cool.

1665
01:22:36,618 --> 01:22:38,220
There's something wrong here.

1666
01:22:38,520 --> 01:22:41,390
And it wasn't just me.

1667
01:22:45,461 --> 01:22:49,031
I always spoke very well
from Lou and I am very grateful.

1668
01:22:49,731 --> 01:22:54,069
But it looks like it had a member
of each group that Lou polished.

1669
01:22:55,137 --> 01:22:56,505
Including me.

1670
01:22:56,538 --> 01:22:58,073
{\an8}Translation and Subtitles
DREI MARC