This is where you'll find all our old artciles. As the artcuiles page gets fuller, we'll move the older ones here. You can read some artciles on *N SYNC, Christina, Britney , Ryan, and Keri here alreday!! Everything here is reprinted without permission, so if you think it shouldn't be here-let us know!!
Mo Vaughn, N Sync's Justin Timberlake, No Authority and Former Skinhead TJ Leyden Join 10,000 at Team Harmony VI
BOSTON, Nov. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Today 10,000 students from across New England will join baseball slugger Mo Vaughn, Celtics Legend Tommy Heinsohn, 'N Sync's Justin Timberlake, the Los Angeles-based awesome foursome No Authority, former skinhead TJ Leyden, Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes and local performing artists at Team Harmony VI at the FleetCenter.
More than 10,000 middle and high school youth from public and private schools in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Maine and New York will travel to Boston for Team Harmony VI, the interactive rally against racism, hatred and discrimination of all kinds. Team Harmony VI will educate through interactive discussions and dramatic presentations that present effective ways to combat incidents of racism and discrimination.
"Team Harmony is more than a one-day celebration of diversity and a call to action against all bigotry and violence. It provides a necessary and timely forum for young people to hear and see what their peers are doing and are capable of doing; the problems others face and the guts and creativity that solutions to hate and disrespect require," said Leonard Zakim, co-founder of Team Harmony.
Now in its sixth year in Boston, Team Harmony is a collaborative effort of the Team Harmony Foundation, the Anti-Defamation League of New England, FleetBoston Financial, JAM'N 94.5 and Boston's professional sports teams. Team Harmony VI will unite students from across New England for this powerful celebration of diversity. The event will also recognize outstanding examples of leadership and anti-bias programs with the Lewis/Jennings and the Fleet/Team Harmony awards.
"Fleet is honored to be title sponsor of Team Harmony, an event which exemplifies our determination to promote and celebrate diversity and tolerance in our community and our industry. This joint effort of thousands of students and hundreds of schools allows Fleet to create an opportunity for students to promote a positive, open environment that values individuals for their differences," said Anne Finucane, executive vice president, FleetBoston Financial.
Past Team Harmony participants include First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, Congressman John Lewis, and the Reverend Bernice A. King. This year's program will be as exciting as ever with athletes and legends from Boston's professional sports teams, interactive discussions and a variety of musical, dance and dramatic presentations.
Students will be invited to actively participate in the multi-media event, a unique combination of entertainment, education and inspiration, based on the philosophy of a "team" effort to overcome bigotry and driven by a belief in giving youth a chance to make a difference. The Team Harmony event concept grew out of a friendship between Boston Celtics Captain, the late Reggie Lewis, and Jon Jennings, former assistant coach for the Celtics. Jennings and Lewis wanted to end the discrimination that was leading to violence in schools.
Through its six years, Team Harmony has become a national model for inspiring and empowering students to deal with issues of discrimination, recently earning a spot on The White House's Web site as one of the top ten success programs to combat discrimination. President Clinton's recognition of, and Mrs. Clinton's involvement in Team Harmony highlights its unique strength as an event which alerts young people to the dangers of discrimination andprovides the tools to successfully combat hatred in their schools and communities year-round.
For more information, please call 1-800-63-UNITY or visit the Web site, www.teamharmony.org.
CNN INTERVIEW WITH JUSTIN
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Across the country, volunteers are celebrating the rewards of their hard work. It's part of a national effort which encourages people to make a difference in their communities and their towns by volunteering. It's a commitment, but one that advocates say leads to lifestyle enrichment for the donor and the receiver. The giving spirit is also felt in the music industry. One of the singers from the pop group 'N Sync is adding his voice to a charity foundation. By joining the Giving Back Fund, Justin Timberlake hopes to raise money to improve music education in America's schools. Timberlake is in Washington for a concert this afternoon. He has already met with some political heavyweights during his visit, including Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton. He joins us now from the White House.
Hi, Justin.
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, SINGER, 'N SYNC: Hi. How are you doing?
PHILLIPS: Good. Hey, it's sort of neat to see you in front of the White House. You look like a reporter out there. Do you feel like one?
TIMBERLAKE: No. "We're standing live here in front of the White House, and..." (LAUGHTER)
TIMBERLAKE: We're trying to get some dirt. No, I'm just kidding.
PHILLIPS: Oh, no, never bad scoops. Come on. (LAUGHTER)
TIMBERLAKE: No, never.
PHILLIPS: Hey, tell us about what's going on and this foundation that you are starting. For 18 years old, this is amazing. It's wonderful!
TIMBERLAKE: Right. Well, thank you. It's so funny, I just started this foundation about two weeks ago, and already I'm sitting on a panel with the president and the first lady, talking about my plans to put the arts programs back in the schools. And I think that's really a sign of good things to come. My inspiration for doing this was, back when I was 10 or 11 in a public school, I had dreams of being, you know, in a pop group or being a superstar entertainer, and there was never any music programs to help me pursue my dreams. So I think this part of me giving back is just to make sure that the kids who have the same dreams get the opportunities that I didn't have at such a young age, because, you know, kids are really our future, and I think we can all agree on that.
PHILLIPS: Justin, you talk about how important music was to you and is to you, especially as a younger child. What kind of difference do you think being involved with music can make?
TIMBERLAKE: Well, I think, especially for young minds and young hearts, about, instead of using those emotions in a negative way that I think, you know, we've seen in the past couple of years. And I think if we install some high-caliber music programs, then these kids can have outlets. You know, say you're not the most popular kid school, you're not the high school quarterback, you're not the prom queen, but you have a creative -- you know, everybody has a creative mind, and it will just give them a positive way to use their emotions. And anything that they may feel confused about, they can express it in music and feel OK about it. PHILLIPS: Justin, I'm very curious to know what you said to Mrs. Clinton. (LAUGHTER)
TIMBERLAKE: Well, I sat on a panel yesterday, and I think the first thing I said was that this isn't your normal pop-group demographic that I'm speaking to. But, yes, it's not everyday I get to dress up to go to work. I got to wear a suit and a tie and everything. I felt important. No, it was a lot of fun, and I basically just thanked her for the opportunity. I know that she's heavy into putting the arts programs back in the schools, and that makes me feel great about what I'm doing, the fact that it's made it this far in only two weeks. And I think in the next, you know, several months, with the Giving Back Fund, I'll let, you know, everyone know exactly how they can help me do everything that I want to do. So I'm very excited about it.
PHILLIPS: Well, tell us about the concert, Justin.
TIMBERLAKE: Well, I'm about to go to soundcheck after I finish this interview with you. We're here -- I'm excited. Garth Brooks is here. Lenny Kravitz is here. I've got to go get my autograph book and get some autographs. (LAUGHTER) But, yes, we're doing the soundcheck for -- it's called "The Concert of the Century," and it's here, and we're performing for
the president and the first lady. We're so excited, and, you know, what more could you ask for? We're living it up.
PHILLIPS: Will you let me ask for a little acappella solo here? Will you give me a little something?
TIMBERLAKE: I don't have my guys with me. I feel kind of silly.
PHILLIPS: Oh, Justin!
TIMBERLAKE: If I had the other four with me, we could kick some, you know, five-part harmonies for you.
PHILLIPS: OK. I'm going to call on you guys tonight during a different break, all right?
TIMBERLAKE: OK, cool.
PHILLIPS: Justin Timberlake, thank you so much for joining us.
TIMBERLAKE: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: All right.
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'NSync Fans Mob 'Angel' Film Set
Wednesday, October 6, 1999
BY MARTIN RENZHOFER
THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
What was supposed to be a quiet Tuesday morning on the set of "Touched by an Angel" turned decidedly anxious by 9 a.m. as hundreds of teen-agers, mostly girls, invaded the location looking for their favorite pop group.
The teen heartthrob band 'NSync was in Salt Lake City for a quick cameo appearance on the CBS program.
However, according to CBS's Chris Ender, morning disc jockeys at KZHT (94.9) Frankie C. Kelly and Danger Boy told listeners that 'NSync was in town signing autographs and gave out the set location.
"There is a fine line between irreverence and good taste," said Ender, vice president of productions. "It was a major inconvenience and definite cause for concern when more than 200 people show up unexpectedly on the set of a television show."
'NSync did sign autographs and shake hands before departing Salt Lake City. The episode is scheduled to run sometime in November.
Tom Sly, marketing manager at KZHT, denies the morning radio announcers told listeners to go to the set, and he said the station did not give out the downtown Salt Lake City set location.
Earlier Tuesday, KZHT employees posed as limousine drivers to gain an audience with the band. Later, according to CBS, station employees tried to gain admittance to the set by acting as the show's technicians.
"They [the morning DJs] were just having some fun," said Sly. "It became a situation we did not anticipate. We heard from a source that the band was going to be in town. The 'Touched by an Angel' folks denied it and the people at the hotel denied it, which is their job.
"Our folks went on a quest to find them. We did not invite listeners to come on the set."
When asked if he thought the radio broadcast would send 'NSync fans searching for the "Touched by an Angel" set, Sly said no.
The station was eventually contacted by the network's legal department, and KZHT broadcast the message for listeners not to go to the set.
"I don't think it was quite as intentional a situation as the 'Touched' folks might have you think," said Sly.
Ender said that there was no disruption of the shooting schedule, but a call to the station was ignored.
"We were told by a station rep that he wasn't in the business of crowd control."
N Sync's James Lance "Lansten" Bass
The '60s had such "girl groups" as the Supremes. The '70s had family groups such as the Partridge Family. Florida-based 'N Sync are one of the latest "boy group" vocal outfits -- others include New Kids on the Block, New Edition and Boyz II Men -- that have become all the rage in the past two decades.
These bands are comprised of good-looking teenagers designed to capture the hearts of young women with their catchy pop/soul. The Backstreet Boys -- whom 'N Sync mirror in look, origin and musical style -- are another recent example of this trend.
Today is the 20th birthday of 'N Sync's "basso profundo," James Lance "Lansten" Bass, who was born in Laurel, Miss. Bass earned his high school diploma via a tutorial program offered by the University of Nebraska. He currently lives with his parents in Orlando, Florida.
Bass was actually the last of 'N Sync's five members to join the group. The seeds of 'N Sync were planted a few years ago when Washington, D.C.-born JC Chasez met Memphis, Tenn., native Justin Timberlake in Orlando on the set of the Disney Channel show, "Mickey Mouse Club."
Chasez and Timberlake spent time recording solo projects but studied under the same vocal coach in Nashville. Timberlake soon met Chris Kirkpatrick, originally from Pennsylvania, and Joey Fatone, a native New Yorker, back in Orlando -- where they all began perfecting dance moves in area clubs.
Encouraged by the excitement their dancing created, the four decided to form a vocal group. But they realized they needed someone to sing the bass parts. Timberlake's voice coach suggested the appropriately named Bass, who completed the vocal mix.
'N Sync's eponymous debut was initially released by BMG in Munich, Germany, where the band became a smash success. The LP, which included production by Denniz Pop of Ace of Base fame, featured such infectious dance-pop tunes as the radio hit "I Want You Back" and "Tearing Up My Heart." 'N Sync's success in Germany was soon duplicated in much of the rest of Europe.
Last year, 'N Sync caught on with U.S. teens, who had previously fallen for similar vocal outfits such as the Backstreet Boys. After the group's debut permeated top-40 radio, 'N Sync issued the holiday LP, Home for Christmas, featuring "Under My Tree"
In February, the band issued the single "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You," which also included a live version of Christopher Cross' hit, "Sailing."
A few weeks ago, 'N Sync sang backup on country band Alabama's version of "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You," scheduled for a future Alabama LP.
Bass' goals include learning about music management, starting a family, driving a Toyota 4-Runner and meeting Garth Brooks.
*N SYNC Summer Tour
If you think the first thing 'N Sync does after performing up a storm is shower and get some shut-eye, think again. "Right after a concert, we jump on the tour bus, still wearing our sweaty clothes, and travel for eight hours to the next city," explains group member Joey Fatone. "We only get about four hours of sleep a night."
But, you'd never know it from watching Fatone and his partners Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick, and Lance Bass put on a show. They get an adreneline rush the minute they step in front of as many as 65,000 screaming fans. "Ours is an action-packed show," says Fatone of the high-tech laser extravaganza and cool dance routines the band has perfecting for the last few months.
Their current tour, "Ain't No Stopping Us Now," began March 3 in Inglewood, California. The group will hit the east coast this month, and the tour ends on Las Vegas, Nevada on September 18. Only then will 'N Sync get some much-needed beauty rest.
from Seventeen
Fave 5 say there's `no stopping us'
By CURTIS ROSS/Tampa Tribune Music Critic
TAMPA - Joey Fatone Jr. sounds beat.
``Oh yeah, I'm a little tired,'' 'N Sync's goateed member admits, calling from Boise, Idaho.
``I'm holding up pretty good,'' he says.
You can't fault the 22-year-old's lack of energy this early afternoon. After all, he'll be performing for throngs of screaming teenage girls in a few hours - and he has been doing this pretty much nonstop for several years.
Fatone was performing at ``Beetlejuice's Graveyard Revue'' at Universal Studios in Orlando when he met fellow park performer Chris Kirkpatrick in 1995. Adding Lance Bass, J.C. Chasez and Justin Timberlake, the quintet hooked up with management that sent it to Europe to hone its act.
European gigging was the strategy taken with the Backstreet Boys, another act from Orlando wildly popular with teenage girls.
``In Europe, this is an ongoing phenomenon,'' Chuck Taylor says of the boy band boom. Taylor is radio editor for Billboard magazine.
In England in particular, Taylor says, ``Boy bands aren't a trend; they are a mainstay.
``The UK has a great understanding of appealing to youthful audiences. The labels are more savvy about marketing singles to get youngsters in the habit of buying music.''
The U.S. market is more focused on album sales, but the strategy seems to be working nonetheless. 'N Sync's eponymous debut, released in March 1998, has racked up sales of 6 million. Of course, 'N Sync's audience isn't entirely made up of kids.
``There are a lot of people in their mid-20s and even older coming to see our shows,'' Fatone observes.
``Their ballads are more mature,'' Taylor notes of contemporary teen-oriented acts. ``They're crossing over to adult contemporary.
``The key to longevity for these groups is to extend their reach to older audiences, to 12-year-old girls and their moms,'' Taylor says.
Longevity isn't a trait normally associated with acts such as 'N Sync. Think of New Kids on the Block, whose time at the top began in 1988 and wrapped up just two years later.
Fatone doesn't buy the planned obsolescence theory.
``I believe we can grow with our age range,'' he says. ``We'll just evolve and change our sound a little bit.''
Easier said than done, Taylor believes.
``Wait until they are 28 or 29 and not feeling the same vibe,'' Taylor predicts. ``That's what New Kids on the Block had to battle.''
The group changed its name to NKOTB, altered its appearance, ``tried their damndest to increase their hip quotient,'' Taylor says. ``And it didn't work.
``It has to be cool in their peers' eyes,'' Taylor says. ``They have to maintain that level of coolness.''
Of course, there are other career options. Fatone has done some acting, something he says he might want to pursue in the future.
And then there's a solo career. Former New Kids Joey McIntyre and Jordan Knight have both released solo albums this year, and both have had hit singles.
``I interviewed Joey and I asked him, `What's your advice for the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync?' '' Taylor says. ``He said, `I have none. They have to live it themselves.' ''
Fatone is living it himself right now. Friday night will be the group's second appearance in Tampa in less than a year. 'N Sync performed at the USF Sun Dome on Nov. 19. Its opening act then was Britney Spears, who has gone on to have a No. 1 single and album, `` ... Baby One More Time.''
The group has been out on the road on its ``Ain't No Stopping Us Now Tour'' since March 3 and will be out through August. The boys get about six weeks off the road from mid-May through June - just enough time to record their second album, due out in October.
N Sync's Lance Bass Sidelined With Illness
Lance Bass from 'N Sync has taken ill with a stomach virus that sidelined him from last night's homecoming show in Orlando, Florida. The illness will also force him to miss tonight's concert at the Ice Palace in Tampa.
According to a label representative for 'N Sync, the virus is nothing serious, and Lance is expected to rejoin the band after resting with family at an undisclosed location.
'N Sync will wrap up the spring leg of its current tour this weekend and will tape the May 17 show in Fort Lauderdale for a pay-per-view special tentatively scheduled to air in September.
The group will then take a six-week vacation before returning to the road for a summer amphitheater tour starting on July 7 in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Pop musing: 'N Sync's in touch with youth from Littleton to Mpls.
Jon Bream / Minneapolis Star Tribune
My heart sank.
Five minutes before Justin Timberlake, the cutest and most popular heartthrob in 'NSync, was supposed to call, his publicist phoned to say that Justin wasn't doing interviews that day.
Suddenly, I felt like every 12-year-old girl who wanted a ticket to 'NSync's sold-out concert Thursday at Target Center but didn't get one.
How would I like Lance instead, the publicist asked. I tried to bargain for Justin, hoping I could ask him about the rumors of him dating Britney Spears, the queen of teen pop. But the publicist couldn't promise to meet my deadline. So Lance Bass called last week to tell all about 'NSync, the vocal group from Orlando, Fla., that has dominated the teen scene for the past six months with such smashes as "Tearin' Up My Heart" and "I Want You Back."
We talked about everything from Marilyn Manson and the recent Colorado shootings to 'NSync's new album and its plan to broadcast Thursday's concert on pay-per-view.
The group originally intended to beam the show from Target Center around the world, said Bass, but decided to postpone the pay-TV broadcast until August to avoid giving away the show before fans see it in person. Bass said the group, which started this tour March 3, has postponed the broadcast three times.
'NSync, which sold more than 8 million copies of its debut CD and 3 million Christmas albums, has been dragging out the recording of its next album. Bass said the quintet has recorded 30 songs. The singers have been working with hitmaking ballad writers Diane Warren and David Foster. "We want to make sure it's perfect," Bass said. With July and August set aside for recording 10 more tunes, he expects the new CD to be in stores in October.
Sometimes, 'NSync moves quickly. Last Friday, the five singers, before performing in Colorado Springs, planned to go to Littleton to visit students from the high school where the tragic shootings took place. Beforehand, the singers were going to meet with professional counselors for advice.
"I think they can relate a lot better to us than a lot of adult counselors," said Bass, who turns 20 today.
"[The shootings have] affected everyone," he added. "It's really scared a lot of people more than anything. We just been there trying to comfort them."
Would Bass consider 'NSync to be the anti-Manson?
"No," he said, although "I don't agree with the stuff he uses and does. . . . Actually, Marilyn Manson is a nice guy. I've never met him but I know a lot of people who have. They say he's one of the most normal guys. I think with him, it's arketing. I don't think he's as messed up as he wants to portray."
Speaking of marketing, 'NSync's current tour is sponsored by Oxy Balance, an acne medicine. Is that a product that Bass uses?
"Actually, no. I have come to find out that Oxy makes lots of different things, like a lot of medicines I use. Like Pepto-Bismol." He added that Oxy approached the band and offered more money and a more aggressive campaign than any other potential sponsor.
'NSync receives all kinds of invitations and opportunities, from movies (a feature is in the works) to recording projects. The five singers recorded background vocals with the country group Alabama, which just released a version of 'NSync's hit "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You." (Bass said he's a huge country fan.)
What won't 'NSync do?
"We don't want to go out looking like we're selling out," Bass said. "We're not going to have cheesy merchandise, like little suckers. I don't want to do our own cartoon show right now. We do respectable stuff. We're going to have our own Play Station game next year that we're designing right now."
A well oiled machine of singers -- ages 18 to 27 -- with considerable show-biz histories, 'NSync is well aware of its audience. Bass said on this sold-out tour the audience has evolved beyond young girls to being one-fourth young male and one-fourth adult.
How much of their popularity is because of their music, and how much from marketing, and from hormones?
"Definitely the biggest percentage is the music. That's what people heard first and got interested in it. Marketing-wise, I don't see that. That's the record company and radio stations hyping it up. Hormones? We do have a very young following. I'd say about 25 percent of the girls are there just to admire something."
When They Were Young
We all do things that drive our moms crazy. Even the guys of 'N Sync, who joined us on video to remember how they nearly sent their moms to the funny farm. Joey once jumped onto a thin mattress from a second story window. When Justin would go out with his friends, he'd always forget to call his mom and tell her he was okay. Lance's mom just hates to see her son in wrinkled clothes. Chris once played an old man in a play, and went to his house in costume and make-up to convince his mom he was the landlord who'd come to evict her. And JC walked over freshly some freshly refinished hardwood floors, forever leaving his mark on the house. To all their moms, the boys send their heartfelt apologies.
taken from: http://www.oprah.com/show/scoop.html
Water Balloons Cut 'N Sync Short
May 7, 1999
'N Sync made a splash at the country's biggest shopping mall on Thursday, when a water balloon tossed from a balcony at the Mall of America landed in front of the table at which the members of the band were signing autographs. With several thousand school-skipping fans crowding the mall's rotunda, the singers abruptly ended their autograph session.
"People were throwing stuffed animals and stink bombs, and a water balloon hit a couple of fans," 'N Sync's Lance Bass tells Wall of Sound. "Security thought it was best to end it."
No one was injured in the incident, though many were disappointed.
Adds Justin Timberlake: "We're very sorry about it."
During 'N Sync's concert later Thursday at sold out Target Center, Chris Kirkpatrick apologized for what had happened at the mall and promised that the band would make it up to fans next time.
Some fans had camped out at the mall Wednesday night for the autograph session. They were let in at 7 a.m., with the band scheduled to arrive at 1:30 p.m. for 90 minutes of communing with the faithful. However, the singers stayed for only 50 minutes.
Says one man: "I think it's funny when 5,000 show up to see Black Sabbath at the mall, and that's quite a different crowd and they're all well behaved. Then these girls show up, and they wait all day, and a little water balloon gets thrown on the stage, and they stiff all these kids. I think it's ironic. I'd rather have my kids listening to Black Sabbath than 'N Sync."
Also, just for the record, during a meet-and-greet with winners from a local radio station before the concert, a fan asked Justin if he is dating Britney Spears. His answer was short and not sweet: "No." — Jon Bream
from http://wallofsound.go.com/index.html
Radio interview
This was at 6:40am Thursday morning May 6th on KDWB in Minneapolis MN
DJ: I think he is on the phone, one of them is on the phone.
DJ: Who is on the phone?
DJ: One of our NSYNC buddies, it's JC!
DJ: JC of NSYNC the most important thing I want to ask you is if your sitting around in your hotel room, please tell us what is on Nickelodeon right now at the moment please.
JC: I have no idea.
DJ: WHat are you doing right now?
JC: (In a sleepy voice) Umm I am actually just lounging right now.
DJ: You had a show last night didn't ya?
JC: Yeah, well not last night. We were at a charity bowling thing with Reggie Miller.
DJ: Really, are you a good bowler JC?
JC: Actually I am an average bowler, I'm not a bad bowler but I am not a great bowler, I average about 150.
DJ: That's very good, now does your ball curve when you throw your ball, does it curve right into that pocket between the head pin and the second pin?
JC: Actually I roll a straight ball.
DJ: You hear it here JC is straight.
JC: Haa haa.
DJ: (Laughs)
JC: Oh Jeez.
DJ: Thanks for getting up early and talking to us, what are the other guys up to?
JC: I'm sure Joey is comatosed cuz, he stays up late the most.
DJ: Is he the one who stays up the latest?
JC: Yeah
DJ: Is he watching specto-vision?
JC: Haa ha I dont know what he is watching and I really dont wanna know.
DJ: So he is probably sacked out, what do you suppose Lance, Chris and Justin are up to?
JC: Lance is probably making business calls.
DJ: OK
JC: Cuz he is like Mr. Manager now, and it was his bithday the other day.
DJ: That's right. He is 20 now right?
JC: Yup he is big 2-0, he is not a teenager anymore and actually his philosophy now is he can't make as many mistakes cuz he can't blame it on being a teenager.
DJ: (laughing)
JC: So
DJ: Let me tell you something.
JC: Huh?
DJ: You'll find great excuses to make mistakes your entire life, we know that right guys (Talking to the other DJ's)
JC: (Laughing)
DJ: What about Chris, what do you suppose he is doing?
JC: aaahhh Chris had got some new gear for his...
DJ: Hair?
JC: Music gear, so he is probably playing with that stuff.
DJ: And Justin is.......
JC: Justin is probably asleep.
DJ: Justin is sleeping...
JC: Or either he is up and working out.
DJ: Who is the one that you are the happiest that you dont have to share a room with?
JC: Joey.
DJ: Why Joey, cuz he is up all night?
JC: He is up all night and I LOVE to sleep. (he laughs) So I mean he is out of control.
DJ: Now let me ask you this, there are a lot of people that are glad that NSYNC got together and you guys are doing so well and in such a short time, if you hadn't been doing this NSYNC thing, what would you be doing right now. Would you be going to college to study computers or something?
JC: I like Architecture or I just like the shapes.
DJ: Young girls love architects
JC: Oh is that right?
DJ: Does it get a little crazy sometimes JC with I mean, we have been talking about you guys coming to town for like 6 months or so and everyday we get hundreds of e-mails saying I am the biggest fan you dont even know, does that get a little crazy and overwhelimg sometimes?
JC: I dunno we enjoy it, we just dont analyze it or definately don't take it for granted we just take it for face value.
DJ: Have you ever had parts of your body torn at, or ripped off like missing hair or anything?
JC: Oh yeah you know, sometimes at a club and sometimes you know it gets overwhelming and people just start to pull at ya and stuff like that and actually some times your clothes get torn.
DJ: What I would pay JC for anyone to pull at me, or poke at me or grab at me. I mean never, I can never get my mom to hold me as a kid.
JC: (Laughing)
DJ: Pat is dying to ask you something. (Pat is another DJ)
Pat: I know you guys did something with Reggie Miller last night and went to Colorado to talk to the kids from Colombine High school and talk about the tradedgy and killings, what exactually what did you do?
JC: We actually had a day off from our show the next day. And we didnt do this as a publicity stunt or anything by all means or anything like that. What we did is we went to the hospital to visit to the kids and families who were still in the hospital from gun shot wounds.
DJ: What did you find out, what did you learn talking to these kids, anything suprise you?
JC: Umm we learned that these kids have a lot of strength I mean we went in and talked to a kid who was shot..each kid, i mean multipule gun wounds, not just like one pop shot you know and they are in the hostpital getting treated. The first kid we visited was shot quite a few times, but the fact of the matter is that he was able to sit up you know, he would talk to us about music that he likes and stuff like that. I mean these kids are very strong, you know I dont know if I could deal with a situation like that.
Pat: Didnt you have to talk to councelors before you went to the kids to get advice on what to talk to the kids about?
JC: We used our common sense and we kinda ..we didnt have to talk to anyone about what we should or shouldn't say.. you kinda pretty much know you don't bring up the issue, thay dont want to relive it. So we just went in there to bring a smile to their faces and say yo man believe it or not you guys are heros.
.DJ: I think it will take a long time for those kids to recover but having NSYNC come in to your room makes them smile.
DJ: Hey I want to tel you is what we are doing nt he show we are talking to JC from nsync if your wondering who we are yammering on to.
Pat: Ahhh Yeahhhhh JC IS SO CUTE!
JC: oh Jeez
DJ: And we have had parent call us up and tell us what they would do to get their kids to be a rodie for a day. For the last couple of days. What do you think that they will be able to do. Will they be toweling you off, are they going to be bringing you water?
JC: (Laughs) No they get teased a lot, we give them a hard time cuz normal roadies have to load equiptment. Basically they hang around is a couple of hours before the show, we get to the venue like 2 hours before the show so what happens is that they are there for like some of the sound check and come to the meet and greet with us. And they have dinner with us when we go into catering, and it is just a relaxed thing we just chill. We always give them a hard time, we are like Hey roadie, and they are like what? We're like go ahead lift that box over there and they are like I can't lift that box.
DJ: JC thanks so much for joining us.
JC: No sweat man.
DJ: Tell everyone we say hi and hopefully Joey will wake up on time and make it to the show tomight.
JC: Yeah you know.
DJ: Good luck tonight at the Target center and at the mall later this afternoon.
JC: Thanks bro.
DJ: Thank you for being on KDWB.
JC: Take it easy.
DJ: Buhbye.
DJ: He's sweet.
Young female devotees love that 'N Sync-ing feeling
By FRED SHUSTER
Los Angeles Daily News
If your teen-age daughters won't stop talking about 'N Sync, don't gorunning to the kitchen in a panic. That's not the Sync they're excited about. This 'N Sync is Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick, five good-looking boys-next-door from Orlando, Fla.,who specialize in smooth R&B-style harmonies, tight choreography and more hooks than you'll find in a fisherman's tackle box.
The group, which has been compared to fellow Orlando heartthrobs the Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block, is this week's pop sensation. It doesn't hurt that 'N Sync had two albums in the Top 10 in '98 -- their self-titled debut and the holiday-themed ``Home for Christmas,'' both on RCA Records.
'N Sync appears Sunday at the Charlotte Coliseum.
``We haven't changed -- our schedules have changed, that's about it,'' said Timberlake, 17, the youngest member of the group. ``We have ourselves to keep us humble. We're a gathering of friends who really wanted to do this particular kind of music. We knew we wanted to sing a lot of a cappella harmony.''
Timberlake and his pals formed the group in Orlando but became an overnight success in Europe.Chasez, originally from Washington, D.C., met Memphis-born Timberlake on the set of the Disney Channel's ``Mickey Mouse Club'' in the mid-'90s. After the show ended, the two singers found themselves in Nashville working with the same vocal coach and writers on separate solo projects.
Eventually, Timberlake returned to Orlando, where he hooked up with Kirkpatrick. The trio met New York native Fatone at a local club, later adding Bass.
'N Sync's debut album was first issued in Germany, where the pop-soul workout ``I Want You Back'' became a chart smash.
``Everything's a learning experience,'' Timberlake said from home. `` `The Mickey Mouse Club' was a great way for me to learn about acting and sound stages and studios. You get to see how the machinery works, how everything comes into play.''
``We want to be heard by all age groups,'' Timberlake said. ``We came out first on the radio. If people were into the song, then they were into the group. Shortly after that, they matched the faces with the song.''
Still, the group has captivated the teen and preteen market with high-energy teen music made by teens, just like Hanson and Brandy.
'N Sync not only share the same manager and home base with the Backstreet Boys, but both groups have a cute blond youth as their object of female devotion.
``Being compared to others is just something that comes along with being in a group,'' says Timberlake, 'N Sync's teen-age poster boy in question.
``Things will change. When Toni Braxton first came out, she had to deal with being compared to Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. It's not a big deal with us. I think people recognize the difference when they come see our show. Personally, I think our harmonies sound a lot different. We have a little more of an R&B sound.''
N Sync shrugs off the parodies
March 26, 1999
BY JAE-HA KIM STAFF REPORTER
You've heard their song ``Tearin' Up My Heart'' on the radio. You've seen the video on heavy rotation on MTV. And if you have a little sister, young niece or a daughter with a subscription to Teen People, there's a good chance you could even pick Lance Bass, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone Jr., Chris Kirkpatrick or Justin Timberlake--the Fab Five who make up the pop band--out of a dreamy lineup.
But if you're just a grownup wondering why today's bands can't have normal names like the Beatles, Falco or, um, the Crash Test Dummies, you probably wouldn't be able to tell 'N Sync apart from the young men in the Backstreet Boys. Or Boyzone. Or 98«. Or even the New Kids on the Block, for Pete's sake.
Let's make it a little easier to identify 'N Sync. They're the five-man band that features two former members (Chasez and Timberlake) of Disney's ``Mickey Mouse Club.'' Their castmates included Keri Russell of ``Felicity'' and girl-of-the-moment Britney Spears (`` ... Baby One More Time''), who says Timberlake gave her her first kiss.
All the 'N Sync members are Christians who sport bracelets with the letters WWJD (``What would Jesus do?'') on them.
And on the strength of their soulful pop songs, which are laced with sweet harmonies, 'N Sync has sold out every single date of their current tour of enormodomes, including two concerts this weekend at the Rosemont Horizon.
But with fame comes jealousy. And, even worse, parody. David Letterman has been featuring a fake boy band called Fresh Step that performs semi-regularly on his ``Late Show.''
``I never saw them, but we saw the `Saturday Night Live' spoof of us,'' said Chasez, 22. ``It was pretty funny. It's gonna happen and there's nothing you can do about it. So you can drive yourself crazy about it or take it with a grain of salt and laugh. I don't care. We make fun of plenty of people, and we make fun of ourselves, sometimes. We're fair game.''
Of course, parodies are a minor annoyance when your self-titled debut album has sold more than 6 millioncopies in the United States alone.
``If you asked me three years ago whether I thought we'd ever be selling all these records, I wouldn't have even been able to really imagine it,'' saidTimberlake, 18. ``We just played an arena where 20,000 fans came to see us. You can't think up something like that! We're just kind of blown away at the position we're in.''Timberlake said sometimes when he's standing inside one of these arenas--venues that also host sporting events-he thinks about things besides music.
``I daydream about playing in the NBA,'' said the 6-foot-1 singer (whose favorite color is baby blue). ``I can't dunk, though. I'm a white boy. I'd have to work on my vertical. I could probably gain about four inches to my vertical if I worked on it.''
Laughing, he quickly added, ``Nah. I'll stick to what I'm doing now.''
Although the group didn't take off until last year, the members have been together since 1995. They hooked up with the Backstreet Boys' management and began rivaling that group in popularity. Both bands deny any competition, but the Backstreet Boys have since changed managers.
Unlike groups such as the Spice Girls, whose members were picked to play certain roles within the group, 'N Sync was put together by the singers, who range in age from 18 to 27.
Oh, and about that band name of theirs. Besides the obvious--a play on ``in synch''--they took the last letters of their first names (JustiN, ChriS, JoeY,
LanstoN [which is Lance's nickname] and JC) to come up with 'N Sync.
The name really means something to us because we're all really good friends,'' Ttimberlake said. ``In no situation will we battle against each other. There's no reason for that.'
Timberlake said the group keeps sane on the road by working on music and playing video games.
When it is suggested that video games seem to be to boys what malls are to teenage girls, Timberlake said, ``I beg to differ, because I love a good shopping trip. My mom was always like, `Sometimes I think you're a girl.' And I'm like, Hello?! Don't you be saying stuff like that to me.' I get all mad when she says that. But she's my mom, so there's not much I can say back, right?''
Though the band comes across as carefree, the musicians do ponder their future. They say they're doing everything in their power not to disappear from the album charts come 2000.
`This is only our first album,'' Chasez said. ``It hasn't finished its run yet. We want to establish ourselves. And the way to do that is to have a successful second album.''
(Technically, they do. Their holiday record, ``Home for Christmas,'' has gone platinum.)
`We want to show that we're not just a fad,'' Chasez said. ``When people come to our shows, we want them to see that they've latched onto true entertainers. We want them to feel justified that they bought our album in the first place. And we want them to feel good enough about us to buy our next album, and the one after that. And if that happens, then we'll have accomplished our goals.''
Ain't no stopping 'N Sync
Friday,March 26,199
Staff Writer the Grand Rapids Press
Still chatty and energetic after a day of media interviews and a video shoot for a Saturday morning kids' show amid a hectic concert tour, Joey Fatone Jr. sounded every bit like a 22-year-old on top of the world.
Fatone and his four teen-idol chums have gone where few such singing groups have gone before: to the top of the pop charts with several singles and two albums, some 7 million CDs sold, and the rapt adoration of a nation of teen-age girls -- all in less than a year.
"It's very flattering," Fatone said in a telephone interview from Boston just a couple of hours before taking the stage for a sold-out show at the Fleet Center.
"We hoped to be successful, but not this fast. And we're still maintaining the success; it's not just up and down. It's been going pretty good I guess."
Pretty good?
The first time 'N Sync played Grand Rapids at the Orbit Room in early 1998, a scant 1,000 showed up to check out the then-unknown and unheralded group. By late August, they were playing in front of a sold-out crowd of 6,000 overheated but excited fans at Walker's DeltaPlex Entertainment & Expo Center.
On Sunday, in the midst of a whirlwind, 54-date "Ain't No Stopping Us Now" arena tour, the group will perform in front of some 12,000 screaming fans at Van Andel Arena.
That tour title may be appropriate because these shows serve as little more than a warm-up to a monster summer tour that includes stadiums such as the Pontiac Silverdome on July 31. And a new 'N Sync album should be out this fall, Fatone said.
Following on the heels of the Backstreet Boys (spawnedby the same manager, Johnny Wright), members of 'N Sync -- with such catchy pop tunes as "Tearin' Up My Heart" and "I Want You Back" -- have become the undisputed kings of the current pop vocal group trend sweeping the nation.
And if Fatone, Lance Bass, 19, JC Chasez, 22, Chris Kirkpatrick, 27, and Justin Timberlake, 18, are feeling the pressure of such pop nobility and living up to lofty expectations, they sure don't show it.
"We take it one day at a time and we try not to get too stressed out about it," said Fatone. "What we're doing is giving a heck of a good show, and for the stadium tour, it's probably going to be an even bigger show."
As for keeping up with competition, whether it's the Backstreet Boys or Britney Spears or other up-and-coming vocal groups, so much the better.
"We're competing against everybody, but it's all a friendly competition," said Fatone, a New York native who first met up with other group members in Orlando, Fla. (Chasez and Timberlake had met earlier on the set of Disney's "Mickey Mouse Club.") "There's tons of groups out there and it's like you're all in the same boat."
That means giving a boost to some fledgling artists. Last year, 'N Sync got a big break by opening for Janet Jackson. This year, the group is doing the same for solo artist Tatyana Ali and singing trio Divine, who open for 'N Sync on Sunday. Other stops featured Irish vocal stars B*Witched.
The summer tour includes openers Five and Jordan Knight (former member of another teen-idol group, New Kids on the Block).
Through it all, the near-constant touring, frequent photo and video shoots, autograph sessions and interviews, Fatone has found time to establish a reputation as the group's ladies' man ("Maybe in being flirtatious and being more talkative," he said), listen to his favorite music (from Janet Jackson to Goo Goo Dolls) and add to his Superman collection.
That collection includes loads of comic books, T-shirts, jewelry and other items, much of it sent to him by fans.
"I've been getting more and more heavily into it as the years go on," he conceded.
A growing Superman collection, a growing audience and growing goals have meant changes. Moving up as headliners and into bigger arenas means 'N Sync has had to up the ante with its stage show, said Fatone, who often goes by the nickname "Fat One" because of the spelling of his last name.
"It's an explosive, action-packed, you-never-know-what's-going-to-happen tour," he vowed. "What we're doing on this tour is bigger stages and pyrotechnics, which we didn't have before."
Beyond its hit singles, 'N Sync also performs a medley of songs of "different eras, from the '60s to the '90s," Fatone noted. That includes nods to the Jackson Five and Kool & the Gang.
And even though the jam-packed tour means playing five or six nights a week, Fatone said the boys are every bit as enthusiastic about performing as ever.
It's still new. The songs are there and we enjoy performing the songs. It's all been happening at a pretty rapid rate. We haven't had time to think that we've been doing this stuff over and over. It hasn't gotten old at all."
Things can get crazy - even for teen idols
Thursday, April 22, 1999
By Marty Hughley
of The Oregonian staff
Imagine you're a small-town kid from Mississippi, 19 years old and hanging out with four of your friends. Girls go crazy whenever you sing or dance or even just show up. You get to travel the world, and you're quickly becoming a wealthy young man.
Doesn't sound so bad, does it?
That's life these days for Lance Bass, one of the members of the teen-dream juggernaut known as 'N Synch. Bass (rhymes with class) sings bass (rhymes with face) and is described by Teen People as the group's "Southern gentleman."
Indeed, in a recent phone interview, the young star with the spiky bleached-blond coif was mannered and modest as he talked about runaway success, family values and the ability to incite madness just by going to the mall. Here are some excerpts of that conversation:
Q: You've sold more than 6 million copies of your first album, you're selling out arenas everywhere, getting swarmed by fans - does all the attention get overwhelming or is this what you dreamed of?
A: Lately it has been kind of overwhelming. I never dreamed it would be like this. I thought it would be a Boyz II Men kind of thing: You have your fans, you play a show, it's great and then everybody goes home. I never thought it would be like this, almost like The Beatles.
It gets pretty crazy. Definitely bring earplugs. Because it will be the loudest concert you've ever heard. And not from the stage - from the girls sitting behind you. It's fun that they're having such a good time. But they just go nuts.
Q: One band member's parents told Us magazine they'd been attacked with purses because they were taking up precious front-row space. Do things get out of hand?
A: It's pretty crazy. The fans get territorial about their place in line, or their view, or whatever. When they get in that mode, they're not their normal selves. But we have lots of security down front. And it's for them, not for us.
Q: How long do you see all this lasting?
A: The typical group like us lasts about four years. But the typical group like us has been put together by a record company -their image and everything. We put ourselves together. And we lived together for a year before we had a record deal. We're all friends, and you can't teach people how to be friends. I think that's what's going to allow us to keep going for 10 or 15 years or more. I'm not saying we're going to do an album every year. And we
probably will do solo projects and other things, and we're talking about doing a movie. But we'll always come back together and do albums, and we will always be 'N Sync.
Q: Several articles have claimed that 'N Sync was essentially manufactured by Louis Pearlman, who gave financial backing to both you guys and the Backstreet Boys. Why is that story so prevalent?
A: Some people seem to want to believe that. A lot of the critics want to believe it's a big hoax, like we're taking advantage of our fans. Which a lot of groups are! We saw a lot of those groups when we were working in Europe, groups that couldn't really sing, couldn't really speak English. That's the way they do it over there a lot of times. But we've been around for four years.
Q: Lots of groups sound innocent on the radio, but onstage they're very sexually suggestive. What would you tell parents about taking their kids to see 'N Sync?
A: That's what we wanted to change - all these groups that have such a clean-cut image but then they're stripping and trying to be sexy for all these little girls. And that's not us. We're not there to get in everybody's face with pelvic thrusts and all that. We concentrate on singing and dancing, and the whole thing flows like a Broadway show.
Q: Is it your goal to be role models?
A: Definitely. We know that we are role models for a lot of young people, and we're proud of that. Parents come up to us all the time and thank us for doing the music we're doing and saying the things we do in interviews. They say, 'I feel good that I can let my daughter go to your concert.' We love hearing that. And we won't change anything because we don't want to disappoint those people.
Boy crazy, Inc.
'N Sync is the latest in a long line of boy bands to mine the hearts of girls
Thursday, April 22, 1999
By Marty Hughley
of The Oregonian staff
It all starts with one heart beating. One glance and one sound lead to one true love. And suddenly arenas are filled with the young and hopelessly smitten. A boy-band sensation has been born.
And so it appears to have happened once again with 'N Sync, the quintet of well-scrubbed pop/R&B crooners who crept out of Orlando, Fla., before racing to stardom last summer.
When the group's Portland-area faithful gather tonight in the Rose Garden arena for a concert that is sure to be a sellout, they'll be taking part in a time-honored ritual. Teen and preteen girls will scream ecstatically for young men presenting an image of sensitivity, romantic devotion and a safe, mild masculinity. At once magnified and distant, these singing and dancing objects of desire are perfect first loves, showering tenderness from on high and avoiding the messy or mundane complications of a real relationship.
If entertainment is a primary vehicle for sexualization, groups such as 'N Sync are like training wheels.
And these days, they are tearing up the road. 'N Sync's debut album has been on the Billboard 200 for more than a year, reached No. 2 and sold more than 6 million copies in the United States. Following close behind are the Backstreet Boys (another Florida group whose album has passed the 10 million mark but has lost momentum as 'N Sync has ascended); 98 Degrees (a Cincinnati quartet whose album "98 Degrees and Rising" is rising toward the Top 10); and 5ive (a British quintet packaged by the same folks who brought us the Spice Girls).
And, of course, others have been down this road before, from New Kids on the Block and New Edition in the 1980s, back to the Jackson 5 and the Osmonds in the early '70s, and the Monkees before them. The boy-band phenomenon is a version of the teen idol business epitomized over the years by the likes of David Cassidy and Leif Garrett, but it has a noteworthy advantage: Not only is the heartthrob appeal multiplied and diversified, but it also defuses potential tension within groups of fans. As with Beatlemaniac pals who placed dibs on John, Paul or George, it keeps fan fantasies from conflicting.
If you want somebody to heap credit or blame upon for this particular variety of slick, highly consumable entertainment, we suggest Berry Gordy, the legendary founder of Motown Records and the conceptual godfather of the boy bands. Though Motown generally operated on a far higher artistic level, Gordy's top-down control of his acts' image and repertoire, the emphasis on tightly choreographed performance, and the carefully crafted, broad-appeal blend of pop and R&B all have become part of the boy-band game plan.
In some ways, the Jackson 5 stands as a prototype. It was that group that a Boston producer named Maurice Starr had in mind in the early '80s when he came across a batch of young ghetto-bred singers. Carefully packaged for urban teen appeal, New Edition found success with lightweight tunes such as "Candy Girl." It would go on to be one of the most influential R&B groups of the decade, spawning solo careers for Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill and others, but only after dumping Starr.
But by then Starr had a better idea: Try the same concept all over again, only with white kids. And thus was the world given New Kids on the Block.
Or rather, the world had to pay for it, and did so gladly. What made the group so significant was not just its popularity (it beat out the Rolling Stones as 1990's top-grossing touring act) but its unprecedented merchandising onslaught. Sales of New Kids products -- albums, videos, posters, dolls, cups, comics, coins, even grandfather clocks -- reportedly topped $800 million in 1990.
Even with that kind of money to be made, the success of such acts has been cyclical -- as if after gleefully ingesting so much musical syrup, America has to let the sugar buzz wear off before bingeing again. The latest round may have been sparked by the massive success of the Spice Girls, which reaffirmed the commercial potential of bubble gum dance-pop.
But what Starr showed is that you have to make the most of the opportunity. Both the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync came from a hit factory known as O-Town, which also has launched current chart queen Britney Spears. It has a handful of other teen acts rehearsing, recording and learning the pop-star ropes in what's been called a "media boot camp."
There's a chance, though, that the current cycle might last awhile. The target audience for such groups steadily has become younger (though it's hard to say if that's a result of children reaching puberty sooner, absorbing media messages more and more readily, or just looking like easier pickings for the marketing folks). And, as Us magazine recently pointed out, census projections point to a swell of Americans in the 10-19 age range, 42 million of them by 2007.
The money goes to whoever can get those hearts beating as one.
'N Sync Gets Its Own Day In Connecticut
As if the boys in 'N Sync don't have enough, they now have their own day.
Saturday has been declared 'N Sync Day in New Haven, Connecticut, where the group will perform Saturday night. The city of New Haven and the state of Connecticut will honor the heart throbs in a ceremony at the New Haven Coliseum at 5:30 on Saturday before the group's show.
The move was prompted by a petition circulated by New Haven radio station KC101 (and DJ Kerry Collins) that collected some 250 signatures last Saturday. The station then presented the petition to the Mayor's office as well as to their State Representative, Chris DePino. Rep. DePino and a representative of the mayor's office will be on hand to present 'N Sync with the proclamation on Saturday.
The New Haven show is just one small part of an ambitious tour schedule that sees the group play more than 80 dates through late August.
'N Sync with their own vision
Earnest and upbeat, the new boys on the street are proving themselves
By KIERAN GRANT -- Toronto Sun
"I apologize if I have to ask you to repeat any questions. There's, like, chaos here."
Justin Timberlake has just summed up life in the eye of a figurative Florida hurricane known as 'N Sync -- teen-pop's singing and dancing boy-band sensation.
The group's youngest crooner at 18, Timberlake's phoning from a recent tour-stop in Providence, R.I.
A pre-show 'N Sync soundcheck explains the background noise, but judging by Timberlake's cheerful composure, this almost qualifies as a break from the group's regimen of screaming fans, performances, more screaming fans and even more chaos.
"That's the word for it, but you don't really think about it too much, though," says Timberlake, who will be joined by Lance Bass, 19, Joey Fatone Jr., 22, JC Chasez, 22, and Chris Kirkpatrick, 27, for a Gardens concert tomorrow night.
Actually, it seems like Timberlake does plenty of thinking. He's a trouper, simultaneously upbeat and earnest in the way that only a former Mickey Mouse Club castmember could be. Still, he's surprisingly sage about stardom.
Mind you, Timberlake and the rest of 'N Sync are already millionaire veterans who see swooning girls in audiences almost every concert night.
"I get kind of scared when I see someone pass ou in the audience," he says. "But there are funny instances. "One time we were in an airport at the gate, and this girl wanted to see us so she jumped through the X-Ray machibe.
He adds, laughing: "Personally, I would have just ran through, but no, she wanted to go through the x-ray machine.
"We met her, just 'cause we felt bad about the whole situation. It was a very quick, 'Hi. Don't do that again.' "
Goes with the territory, as Timberlake might say.
Meanwhile, 'N Sync have broken new ground since their last visit to Toronto in July.
Back then, they were just graduating from the Backstreet Boys' school of pop world domination, conquering Germany, Belgium and Canada before staging their home country U.S. invasion.
The buildup worked. Not surprisingly, since 'N Sync are handled by Louis Pearlman and Johnny Wright, the Orlando management team that broke Backstreet Boys, and most recently, Britney Spears.
Now, 'N Sync and Spears are the frontline in a teen-pop wave that's made 13-year-old girls thebiggest market in the music biz.
"There's this big hype around it," Timberlake says with genuine awe, although he sees a downside.
"It's sad that groups like us get stereotyped into this manufactured money-making scheme, when in reality the five of us guys don't really know that much about the business," he says.
"We're not trying to say, 'Don't call us a boy-band, blah, blah, blah.' We find it funny that people think of us that way. But we've had to prove ourselves over and over again because of it."
Timberlake says critics are starting to let up Certainly, 'N Sync gets the best reviews of the bubblegum set. And unlike, say, the Backstreet Boys and Spice Girls, they weren't "manufactured."
"We were a group before we even met Johnny Wright," says Timberlake. "Lou Pearlman didn't put us together. That's just pure nonsense.
I've seen so many groups who don't do it naturally.And I can't understand how or why.
"The moment we don't," Timberlake asserts, "we'll re-assess our relationship with the music business."
N Sync adds own twist to youth pop sound
By Tony Green
Times-Union music writer
There's always room for one more. Or two. Or three, or four. Fizzy, youth-oriented pop groups are all the rage, in case anyone really needed reminding.
Backstreet Boys are platinum 10 times over. Britney Spears' album has an on-again, off-again relationship with Billboard's top spot. Heck, New Kids on the Block has popped up again, via a ''greatest hits'' set.
But if you think the trend is a case of pop culture follow-the-leader, or that there's been a break in the ban on human cloning, 'N Sync's Joey Fatone is here to tell you differently.
His group, which will perform a sold-out show at the Coliseum tonight does, admittedly, look a lot like Backstreet Boys. They sing a lot like them, too. Both groups are from Orlando, both are managed by former New Kids on the Block staffer Johnny Wright, and both sell gobs of records.
But that doesn't make 'N Sync, whose self-titled debut album is five times platinum, Backstreet Boys Act II.
'We try to have a Boyz II Men, Take 6 kind of feel,'' Fatone told the Hartford Courant. ''People tend to think groups all do one thing. Our harmonies are very soulful. That's out of the ordinary, first of all. Then you put in these Take 6 harmonies, not a lot of people are doing that. So while some groups would do a similar thing, we try to do it with a jazz feel.''
Fatone wants people to look past the similarities. Past the wholesome looks, the dance routines and Wright's desire to turn Orlando into a Disney-fied Motown, with Backstreet and 'N Sync doubling for the Temptations and the Four Tops.
Backstreet, 'N Sync and the rest have hit on a formula - a combination of hip-hop savvy, pop sheen and Nickelodeon-style wholesomeness - that works. And there's room for variation within each formula, just like there was variation within the grunge, ska and swing trends. And when people get weary of that particular formula, Fatone figures his group has the ability to adjust.
''People will get tired of it, like everything else,'' Fatone said. ''Alternative bands at one time were the thing to listen to. People got tired of that. We could go from R&B into pop or rock. We could go either way.''
Singing group is 'N Sync with young fans
Monday, March 08, 1999
By Ed Masley, Post-Gazette Pop Music Critic
They're the biggest teen sensation since the Backstreet Boys, their innocuous Disney-fed likenesses papering young girl's walls from Romper Room to college dorms where once hung shrines to the cute little moppet from Hanson.
They're 'N Sync, of course - or Joey, Justin, JC, Chris and Lance, as they're known on the school bus.
And yes, they are, in fact, the sort of slow-jam-singing white guys from the 'burbs that inspired The Offspring to write the hilarious comeback hit, "Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)."
But the little girls, as always, understand.
While The Offspring and others were snickering, 'N Sync's mostly female fans were out there in the trenches buying in excess of 5 million copies of the group's self-titled debut effort - in the States alone.
This past December, with a second album, "Home For Christmas," in season the group had two of America's seven biggest-selling albums of the week.
"We were hoping, of course, for the best," says Brooklyn-born Joey Fatone, 22. "But we didn't know it was gonna get this big."
The guys in the group came together in 1995 the way a group of guys can only really come together in the shadow of the Mouse.
JC Chasez and Justin Timberlake met on the set of the Disney Channel's "Mickey Mouse Club," where their co-stars included "Felicity" star Keri Russell and the total babe-in-waiting that followed 'N Sync to the top of the charts, Britney Spears.
Fatone knew Chris Kirkpatrick, a Clarion native, from working together at Universal Studios on something called the Beetlejuice Graveyard Revue. He knew Chasez, he says, because some kids he went to high school with were also "Mickey Mouse Club" regulars.
The only one outside the loop, Lance Bass, was suggested by Timberlake's vocal coach.
Kirkpatrick formed the group after meeting the Backstreet Boys' financial backer, Louis J. Pearlman, who told the aspiring singer he would back another group if Kirkpatrick could get it together.
Soon, 'N Sync was working with a vocal coach, Fatone says, "just to kind of guide us in the right direction and do a demo and everything. We pretty muc did everything ourselves, except of course come up with the money, 'cause we didn't have it."
The group cut its demo but not much was happening, really, until the boys met Mr. Wright.
That's Johnny Wright, who used to drive a van for New Kids puppetmaster Maurice Starr.
He signed on as their manager and secured them a deal with the Munich branch of BMG.
The record took off first in Germany, then spread through boy-band-crazy Europe like Boyzone in heat.
The group's big American break came in July when a last-minute cancellation by the Backstreet Boys left Disney with a concert-sized hole in its programming schedule.
When Louis J. Pearlman's other young investment filled the void, what had been a modestly charting album was, by August, a Top 10 perennial with a bullet. It dropped out this week with the Grammys driving sales of Lauryn Hill, the Dixie Chicks,Shania Twain and a sampler of Grammy contenders but fans and detractors alike can expect to see 'N Sync restored to Top 10 status in a week.
Along the way, the music press has done its best to manufacture a sort of celebrity grudge match pitting 'N Sync against the first multi-platinum boy band from Orlando.
But Fatone insists there's nothing to the rumors of a Backstreet rivalry.
"I mean, we're not, like, the best of buddies," he says, "but it's just a friendly competition, as much as anybody out there, 'cause we're trying to achieve just as much as we can. We're not lookin' to copy them or be better than them. We're just trying to do what's good for us. If that means being No. 9 or being No. 1, so be it."
As convenient as it is to paint 'N Sync as this year's Backstreet Boys, Fatone says you could trace this sort of teen-driven music as far back as the spring of '97, when the Spice Girls revolutionized the way we look at music.
As Fatone says, "When the Spice Girls and Hanson broke in America, that opened up a bunch of doors and that's when pop R&B and pop music started coming back in. They opened people's eyes, because, at the time, there was a lot of grunge and rap and all this type of stuff and there was never really any uplifting music. And now is the time for that kind of music."
And this time, too, may pass.
Fatone and his pals from Orlando are well aware of the cyclical nature of pop, which may be why they're squeezing sessions for a followup between the cracks of a non-stop touring schedule that brings 'N Sync to town for a show at the Civic Arena tonight.
The album they've only just begun to work on may be out by fall.
And fans will be happy to know that Fatone has this to say: "It's gonna be kind of the same. It's gonna be maybe a little bit more edgy, but nothing drastic. It's always going to have the same 'N Sync sound with the harmonies and everything. But as the years go on, it's like any other group or solo act. They change. They evolve with the music. Look at Madonna or Janet Jackson."
They may handle more of the writing on this one. First time out, the only song they wrote was "Giddy Up," an album cut.
"I think we're gonna try to write four songs as a group that are gonna be on this one," Fatone says. "Right now, everybody's writing everyday. It's just a matter of finding the time."
Does he feel any pressure to match the astronomical success of the group's debut?
"Not really," he says. "Right now, we're so new at this and our minds are so fresh that of course things are just gonna keep on pouring out of our heads with different ideas and different things we could do. Who knows if it's ever gonna stop? I hope not"
TEEN SENSATION HITS NEW HAVEN
By By Fran Fried
The voice on my office voice mail two weekends ago was unmistakably female and adolescent - and breathless:
"I was wondering if you knew how I could get tickets for ‘N Sync," it said. "I want to go to the show because - well, I just have to go. I have to go. "
She was talking about the moment's hottest musical teen heartthrobs, and their show Saturday night at the New Haven Coliseum, which has been sold out since the day tickets went on sale in November.
"The Backstreet Boys are nice, but ‘N Sync is cooler," said the voice, 17- year-old Lucia Lawlor of East Haven, who said she has 175 pictures of ‘N Sync on her bedroom wall, and that the group's nominal heartthrob, Justin Timberlake, "is the most beautifulest person in the world." Her sentiments echoed many more breathless, less coherent messages left on my voice mail last weekend.
And her story has a happy ending:She won tickets from WKCI radio last Friday.
But many people are still clamoring for tickets. So maybe you can get an idea of what life has been like at the Coliseum offices since Nov. 20, the sale date.
It took four hours to sell out the show because of a traffic jam on the Ticketmaster phone lines; tickets for The Rolling Stones' March 28 show at the Hartford Civic Center went on sale at the same time. Stephanie Panico, assistant to Coliseum executive director Jim Perillo, said there were 500 'N Sync fans on line at the box office that day - double what they expected - and all got tickets.
But since then, the office has fielded hundreds of calls - usually from "a friend of a friend of a friend" - angling for those precious pieces of paper for their daughters.
"It's just ridiculous," she said. "They should have just gotten in line. They would have gotten a ticket. It's like they're gone - unless the promoter releases some at the last minute."
Like the Backstreet Boys before them - also a quintet based in Orlando,Fla., also brought to stardom by former New Kids on the Block road manager Johnny Wright and his wife, Donna - 'N Sync has grabbed the hearts of that certain demographic: the pre-teen and teen girls who have swooned over singers through the generations, from Sinatra to Johnny Ray to Elvis to Fabian to the Beatles to the Osmonds to David Cassidy to The Bay City Rollers to Shawn Cassidy to the New Kids.
Granted, the Backstreet Boys had a year's jump on 'N Sync. Also keep in mind that the Backstreets' next album, "Mil-lennium," will be out May 18, and that their latest single, "All I Have to Give," is No. 3 on Billboard this week, while 'N Sync's latest, "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You," is No. 11.
But for now, "I'd say 'N Sync is outselling the Backstreet Boys," said Mindy Peterman of Shelton, a longtime employee at Cutler's Records in New Haven, who finally managed last week to get a pair of tickets for her 15-year- old daughter, Courtney.
"('N Sync) had their Christmas album and they've been on the radio a little more lately. A lot of Backstreet Boys people are picking up on 'N Sync now. 'N Sync has the upper hand, but not by much."
The quintet has pretty much followed the blueprint perfected by the New Kids and Backstreet Boys: one member considerably older than the rest (New Kids' Danny Wood, Backstreets' Kevin Richardson, 'N Sync's Chris Kirkpatrick); one cute young blond (natural or bleached, doesn't matter) who's the heartthrob (New Kids' Joe McIntyre, Backstreets' Nick Carter, 'N Sync's Timberlake); one member with a white-tinged "urban" flavor about him (New Kids' Donnie Wahlberg, Backstreets' A.J.McLean, 'N Sync's oft-dreadlocked Kirkpatrick). They've all reached the upper reaches of the charts with a mix of songs from mainstream pop toR&B to ballads.
In fact, 'N Sync has been on a parallel track to the Backstreets. The Backstreets played New Haven's Palace in January 1998, then the Coliseum in July; 'N Sync played the Palace in November. (And tickets go on sale Saturday for their July 27 show at Hartford's Meadows Music Theatre.)
The parallels may soon end; the Backstreet Boys decided last September to leave the Wrights, in part because of 'N Sync's success. But 'N Sync's Lance Bass, in a phone chat last Sunday from Charleston, W.Va., said they're used to the comparisons and they don't mind.
"We don't worry about it," he said. "At first, we were worried, but we said, ‘We're gonna stick it out. We have to prove ourselves.' We're so happy we did, because there's no way they could look at it (as if we were riding the Backstreets' coattails) now. We have our fan base, and it doesn't matter, any comparisons. It's about the music. If they like it, they like it. If they don't like it, they don't like it."
Part of their appeal, to some girls, is their image. Both the Backstreets and 'N Sync have cultivated wholesome, All-American/Christian images; Timberlake and group mate JC Chasez were members of that Disney bastion of Americana, "The Mickey Mouse Club," and 'N Sync's members are often mentioned sporting WWJD - What Would Jesus Do? -bracelets. Specifically, some fans mentioned liking 'N Sync for "being real."
"I don't necessarily like 'N Sync (as a musical act); I'm not into that," 21-year-old Kelly Thibodeau of North Haven said. "But two of the guys were nice enough to pose for photos with my younger niece at OrlandoAirport. They were regular guys. They really impressed me because it would have been like me meeting New Kids on the Block a couple of years ago."
It's something 'N Sync doesn't take lightly.
"We're very grounded people," said Bass, 19, a onetime high school homecoming king from Clinton, Miss., who's considered the laid-back member of the group (and, no twist on words intended, sings the bass parts). Of the publicity and touring and fans, he said, "It's a blur. It doesn't seem real. You see all the hype. You can't really believe the hype. (But) you have to accept it and go on. We love what we do and we do it."
Bass said he thinks, because the group is "a happy little family," that 'N Sync can stay together as long as it wants.
Allyse Little, 14, of New Haven, who likes 'N Sync, has a different perspective, though."Like all things," she said, "they're not gonna last."
"ESPN MAGAZINE"
March issue (pg. 36) that compares 'N Sync to Shaq
Shaq ditched the Magic in '96 to upgrade his bank account, his basketball fortunes and his how-biz career. But since the Hollywood move, Shaq's CDs and films have foundered, and Orlando has become an entertainment boomtown, drawing thousands of gotta-dance, gotta-sing teens to its theme park shows. Over the past three years, Orlando has launched a payload of pre-fab fives, including the poly-platinum Backstreet Boys, whom Shaq claims to dig (though he didn't sign them to his label, TWIsM, when he had the chance). And the city's newest darlings: 'N Sync, who recorded demos at Shaq's house! Looks like Shaq left behind the Magic not just on the court, but on the charts. ~Chris Connelly
[a picture of 'N Sync next to a picture of Shaq:]
| *N SYNC | SHAQ | |
|---|---|---|
| Arch rival | Backstreet Boys | Greg Ostertag |
| Nature or nurture? | "God Must Have Spent..." | "Biological Didn't Bother" |
| Highest sales pre-1996 | N/A | 862, 000 |
| Highest sales after 1996 | 4.4 million | 94, 000 |
| Team Preferences | Magic | Lakers |
| Most needed for future cred. | Win Grammy | Win Championship |
| Key turning point | Tearin' Up My Heart, 1998 | Tearin' Up My Knee, 1997 |
'N SYNC to Return for Summer Date with Silverdome Audience
PONTIAC, Mich., Feb. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- The concert of the year was announced today! Back by popular demand, the teen sensations 'N SYNC will return to the Detroit area on Saturday, July 31, 1999 to perform at the Pontiac Silverdome. They will be appearing with special guests FIVE and Jordan Knight. All seats for the event will be $32.50 and will go on sale Saturday, February 13 at 10 a.m. at the Pontiac Silverdome Box Office and all Ticketmaster Centers. Tickets can also be charged by phone at 248-645-6666. Following the first day of sales, tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster Online located at www.ticketmaster.com. Patrons can call 248-456-1600 for more information.
The quintet consisting of Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Chrisn Kirkpatrick and Lance Bass, formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995. The guys came from all over the U.S. and became an overnight sensation in Germany before finally achieving stardom here in their home country this past year. The anthemic pop-soul of "I Want You Back" went Gold in both Europe and United States. All of their singles since then including "Tearin' Up My Heart" and "(God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time On You" have been the most played songs on Top 40 radio stations across the country.
In August, with the help of their first hour long television special, "'N SYNC In Concert," on the Disney Channel, 'N SYNC's debut album earned Platinum status and entered the Top 10 on Billboard's Charts. They also released a Christmas album in November that featured four classic tracks along with some new yuletide melodies.
Supporting 'N SYNC on this date is another group of five young men simply called FIVE. FIVE scored a Top 40 hit with their song "Baby When The Lights Go Out." The song easily jumped onto playlists at radio stations with its heavy backbeat and smooth harmonies. Also appearing will be Jordan Knight, who the older part of 'N SYNC audiences may remember from his days with top "boy band" of the late '80s and early '90s, New Kids On The Block.
Boy Power
Watch your backs, Backstreet Boys! 'N Sync conquers charts -- and teenage hearts -- with sweet harmonies
"We're like kids in a candy shop," says Bass (far right, with Timberlake, left, Fatone, Chasez and Kirkpatrick in Louisville, Ky.) of success.
Eight-year-old Justin Timberlake had just wowed his hometown Memphis crowd when he got his first taste of things to come. Singing live as the warm-up act for a lip-synching contest, the third-grader and future member of the pop group 'N Sync had hit all the high notes of a New Kids on the Block tune before jumping offstage into a screaming throng. "Little girls in the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth grades just surrounded him," says his stepfather, Paul Harless, 40, a marketing director. "It was like something out of a Beatles movie. They had him pinned up against a wall. Some wanted to get his autograph. Some tried to give him money."
The group was the brainchild of Sync-er Chris Kirkpatrick.
Back to the future. As a member of music's hottest poster-boy band since Backstreet Boys, Timberlake, 18, is getting used to hysteria. Virtually unknown in the U.S. just one year ago, 'N Sync -- which also includes Lance Bass, 19, JC Chasez, 22, Joey Fatone Jr., 22, and Chris Kirkpatrick, 27 -- spent the holidays ensconced in Billboard's Top 10 with both its 1998 debut, 'N Sync, and its November follow-up, Home for Christmas, which have sold 5 million and 1 million copies respectively. "It's like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride at Disney," says Fatone. "It just keeps going. We knew we were going to be successful, but we didn't know it was going to happen as fast as it did or as big."
The year-end double play topped six months of boffo buzz that began last July with the group's popular Disney Channel special. In addition to the monster album sales that followed, 'N Sync merchandise, including T-shirts and posters, has brought in millions, and their official bio has sold more than half a million copies.
JC Chasez met Justin Timberlake while performing on the Mickey Mouse Club.
The only thing missing from 'N Sync's pop invasion is critical respect. "If all it takes for pop stars to win adolescent hearts and minds these days is the adequate abilities and pallid hooks of this bunch," sniffed the Los Angeles Times, "then every other semiattractive singing, dancing young man in America should take heart."
Such perceived shortcomings don't deter their often shamelessly adoring fans. "In Germany two girls faked fainting and then jumped onstage," says Fatone. And, adds Timberlake, "there was a girl at an airport who tried to go through the security baggage thing to get to us." While the guys are flattered by the attention, they're also puzzled by it. "When we read teen magazines,and they're like, 'These Fab Five hotties,'" says Fatone, "we're like, 'Wrong!'"
Joey Fatone is Brooklyn-bred.
But comparisons to Backstreet Boys are not misplaced. The two groups were launched by the same manager (Johnny Wright, who also guided New Kids), and Kirkpatrick attended Orlando's Valencia Community College, from which he graduated in 1993, with Backstreet Boy Howie Dorough. Although the two acts are duking it out on the charts, 'N Sync denies rumors of a rivalry. "There's always a little bit of, `Man, they're doing that. I wish we could do that,'" says Kirkpatrick. "You know, a little envious, but who wouldn't be?"
Like their bubblegum counterparts, 'N Sync came together in Orlando, where Kirkpatrick, a Clarion, Pa., native, was singing and dancing in productions at Universal Studios theme park. Looking to start a group in 1995, he hooked up first with Timberlake, whom he had met at local auditions. Next came Chasez, a native of Washington, D.C., who had appeared with Timberlake for two years in the Disney Channel's 1988-95 revival of The Mickey Mouse Club and was seeking to continue in a similarly squeaky-clean vein. "I wouldn't go on TV grabbing this, that or the other and have my parents looking at that," says Chasez. "That's just the way I was raised."
Next aboard were Brooklyn-born Fatone, Kirkpatrick's fellow performer at Universal Studios, and Bass, a daycare worker from Clinton, Miss., who was recommended by Timberlake'svocal coach.
Justin is both the youngest and tallest -- but don't compare him to Backstreet's Nick Carter.
Once they were in sync vocally, Timberlake's mother, Lynn Harless, now 38 and owner of an Orlando management company, made them 'N Sync by rearranging the last letters of their first names. In 1996 they teamed with Wright and signed with German label BMG. Scoring international hits with "I Want You Back" and "Tearin' Up My Heart," they spent the next two years touring in Europe, Asia, South Africa and Mexico with Harless and Bass's mother, Diane, acting as chaperones. "We took care of them, fussed at them if they weren't getting enough rest or food," says Diane, 47, an English teacher in Clinton. "It was exhausting."
Still unknown back home, 'N Sync was introduced to U.S. audiences in April 1998 when BMG-imprint RCA Records released the debut album. Nearly one year after hitting the teen scene stateside, the guys remain connected to their pubescent following. "Age doesn't matter," says the dreadlocked Kirkpatrick, who is twice as old as his average fan. "Especially with my hair the way it is. And I love little kids."
At 19, Lance Bass heads up his own music management company, Free Lance Entertainment.
Perhaps, though he's not likely to father any of his own anytime soon, as he and the others remain steadfastly single. "If you want to try and become serious," says Fatone, "you're like, `I'll see you in a couple of months. I gotta go off to work.' That's the hardest thing." Nor is the schedule about to lighten. Having wrapped up one leg of their U.S. tour last month (they're scheduled to head back out in March through May), the group is already recording a third album, due in the fall. And, carping critics be damned, they're not about to change. "We're not going to pierce everything that we have and paint our faces trying to get a different market," says Kirkpatrick. "We'll grow with our audience. We're just going to keep doing what we do."
From People
*N SYNC
The members of 'N Sync have said their four famous words, "I Want You Back," to a young woman from Harvard: singer/actress Tatyana Ali.
Ali met the five hearthrobs last year when they sang together on a Disney Channel special. 'N Sync liked her style and didn't want to let her go. We got the scoop straight from an elegant Ali on the red carpet at the recent American Music Awards:
"They invited me to do their tour with them," said Ali, in a long black and gray sequinned dress. "It's wonderful. I'm so excited."
She should be. 'N Sync, which won the award for favorite new artist in the pop/rock category that night, routinely sells out concerts. The tour began in November with one International stop in Germany, then returned to the United States. Ali joins them soon.
Performing at concerts will help Ali, 20, promote songs from her first album, "Kiss the Sky," released in August.
Still accepting the gig wasn't easy for the Harvard freshman. It means she had to put off her college education for a second time. The first was when she took off a year after high school to record the album. But she said she'll hit the books again next fall.
Ali enlisted Will Smith to help her decide. Smith, the executive producer of her album, her former " Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" co-star and a close friend, put his advice in automotive terms. "He told me that I was choosing between like a Ferrari and a Jag; either choice I wouldn't be going wrong," Ali said.
From Chicago Tribune (this same article was also in L.A. Times too!)
Group 'N Sync with success
JEAN PRESCOTT
THE SUN HERALD
Lance Bass looks and sounds - on TV and the telephone, anyway - like a seventh-grader. It's hard to believe that the Clinton-born and bred teen-ager sings bass with red-hot pop sensation 'N Sync.
That's 'N Sync, the five young men whose tour-ending concert Sunday night in the Coast Coliseum sold out in a matter of minutes the day tickets went on sale. These are the same five young men who waltzed in and took the Backstreet Boys' exhalted position away from them, or so it would seem based on record sales, chart positions, TV appearances and all of the other measures of pop success.
'N Sync's year-old debut album, for example, remains at No. 5 on Billboard charts, four slots ahead of the Backstreet Boys' eponymous disc.
It's hardly the only difference between the two groups.
Whereas Backstreet Boys were put together Monkees-style by handlers from individual interviewees, 'N Sync brought friendship and camaraderie with them to the quintet now based in Orlando, Fla.
"That's part of what makes our group unique," says Lance. "I met Justin (Timberlake, the 'baby' of the group at 17) through a vocal coach from Memphis."
Baby or not, Justin seems to have been the common thread that brought these five guys together.
He knew "JC" Chasez from their stints on Disney's "Mickey Mouse Club" show, and when the show ended, the two of them found themselves in Nashville working with the same people but on separate solo projects.
Back in Orlando, Justin hooked up with Chris Kirkpatrick, the granddaddy of the bunch at 27, and the two of them then fell in with New Yorker Joey Fatone in an Orlando club. The four bummed around and, with their refreshing good looks and youthful exuberance, peaked the interest of everyone who saw them together.
It was enough to send them looking for just the right bass voice to complete the quintet, and they found it through that Memphis vocal coach.
"Nobody put us togehter," Lance assures us. "Nobody tells us how to behave or what to say. Whatever was there between us, that's what you see. We just made it up as we went along."
He insists their inventive and sometimes unusual vocal harmonies came about pretty much the same way.
"We like doing things differently, so if we're on the bus and just start singing, we try all kinds of things.
"JC and Justin really do a lot of riffing, and we especially like singing country songs because it's so different from what we usually do."
It wasn't long ago - five or six years, tops - that Lance was doing what other junior-high guys do in small Deep South towns.
"Yeah, we chased a burglar into the woods - me and my friends," Lance admits. "He'd been breaking into houses in Clinton, and the police had him blocked off in the woods." He admits it was kind of dangerous, "but we were just kids," he says.
Anyone who visits the group's official Web site will find tidbits like that one and then some. One thing they won't find there is another of 'N Sync surprising distinctions: positive (mostly) press in Rolling Stone.
The magazine has a reputation for eating pop newcomers for breakfast, and the thought of it makes Lance laughs: "Yeah, they really ripped Backstreet Boys, so when the guy (David Wild) was here, you know, he was really nice, but we figured no way are we going to get anything positive from them."
The story (in the Nov. 12, 1998, edition) was mostly positive, though Wild couldn't resist the occasional zing, and we quote: "...spending time with this fab five is like taking a sampling of young Caucasian male America after all the ugly, (bleeped)-up ones have been ... filtered out for your protection."
Wild does call them "wholesome but not boring," and he concedes that they are "notably well-behaved, amiable Everyguys who communicate in the standard gangsta-lite lingo ... (of) those who have grown up in the hip-hop era."
Affectations? Probably. But there's no danger of star-turns with this bunch, Lance says.
"Our families keep our heads on straight," Lance says. "And we look out for each other. We're friends, and we keep each other down.
"We're the luckiest guys on Earth and we realize that."
'Nstand Stardom
By Mark Harden
Denver Post Popular Music Writer
Imagine you have two albums in the Top 10, you appear regularly on TV specials and at sold-out concerts, and millions of girls adore you.
Now imagine you're a 17-year-old boy.
Welcome to the world of 'N Sync and its youngest member, Justin Timberlake.
"You can't picture something like that (happening),'' he says. "It's been even more special for us just because we didn't have that many expectations of these albums, and they've had tremendous success.''
That's putting it mildly. This five-member vocal group based in Orlando, Fla. - which performs Wednesday at McNichols Sports Arena - has built its own Magic Kingdom, emerging as one of the hottest rookie musical acts of the late '90s.
"It's happening pretty fast,'' agrees the young singer known to fans simply as Justin. "But we're cool. We have each other.''
In an era when "adult'' rock increasingly is the province of grandfatherly acts like the Rolling Stones, Elton John, Eric Clapton and Pink Floyd, a youth movement - vocal music by and for teens and pre-teens - has been gathering steam.
Eighties groups like New Kids on the Block and New Edition paved the way, but youth groups seemed to fade in the early '90s during the alternative-rock boom.
Then, in 1997, the shaggy Hanson brothers sold 5 million copies of their album "Middle of Nowhere.''
Last year, it was the Backstreet Boys' turn. With an urban beat reminiscent of the New Kids, the quintet sold 9 million copies of their debut LP in the U.S. alone.
Now, 'N Sync are nipping at the Boys' heels. Their self-titled debut (on RCA Records) has sold nearly 5 million copies so far and remains at No. 3 on the Billboard album chart, several months after its release. Their recent holiday album, "Home For Christmas,'' sold a million copies. in a few weeks.
And waiting in the on-deck circle are a slew of other young-guy groups, like 98 De grees, Five and England's Another Level.
The girls are getting in on the act, too. One such group is Ireland's B'Witched, which will open for 'N Sync on Wednesday. The oldest member of the quartet is 19-year-old Sinead O'Carroll.
Behind 'N Sync's popularity is a street-savvy sound, clean-scrubbed but not sugary, that blends '50s doo-wop, '60s soul, '70s and '80s dance-pop and '90s R&B. And the quintet - featuring Justin and 22-year-old Joshua "J.C.'' Chasez as co-leads - delivers the vocal goods with sharp harmonies, inspired in part by the a-cappella gospel group Take 6.
Of course, it doesn't hurt that Justin and his mates look and dress like teen-magazine models and have a portfolio of well-practiced dance-floor moves.
"As far as dancing goes,'' Justin says, "I've taken maybe one class before, and it was a hip-hop class. I've never taken any technical dance lessons. I've always just picked up moves from watching, like, Janet Jackson on television.''
Orlando has become a hotbed for pop superstars. The city is also home base for the Backstreet Boys and the biggest rock band in America today, Matchbox 20.
"Being in Orlando, it's kind of like the next Hollywood,'' Justin, a remarkably poised young man, said over the phone. "It was easy to find each other. It's like fate brought us together.''
Their managers also worked with the New Kids and Backstreet Boys. But don't get the idea that 'N Sync's members were cast by some music-industry sharpie trying to clone their predecessors, Justin hastens to add.
"The main thing you should understand about how we got together is that there was no record company involved or management team. We were the ones who did it.''
Justin and J.C. had been members of the cast of a revived '90s version of TV's "Mickey Mouse Club'' together, and later tried to pursue recording careers on their own. Meanwhile, Chris Kirkpatrick, at 27 the grand old man of the group, and Joey Fatone, now almost 22, worked together at Orlando's Universal Studios theme park.
Justin and J.C. ran into Joey at a dance club, and they and Chris soon decided to link up. They eventually found an aptly named bass singer - 19-year-old Lance Bass - who shared Justin's vocal coach.
In the early days, the 'N Sync-ers stayed at the Orlando home of Lance's mother, Lynn, getting to know each other.and honing their skills.
"She's always been there,'' Justin says. "My mom has always been cool about things. Whatever I needed to further myself, she's always been there to give me. And if she thought it was too much, she'd say something.''
With his mom, he adds, "It was always like, "Justin, tell me if you don't want to do this, if you don't want to be in the entertainment business, and we don't have to do this.' And I was like, "Mom, this is what I really love to do. This is what I have a knack for.'‚''
The new group perfected its act in Germany, where their first album was initially released and became a hit. Back home, concert specials on the Disney Channel and performances at skating rinks helped introduce young listeners to 'N Sync. Last October, the group toured as an opening act for Janet Jackson for two weeks before venturing out as headliners.
For five young men, the 'N Syncers get along remarkably well, Justin says. "There's no animosity unless it's something stupid, like who stole who's bunk on the tour bus, or I'm trying to play a video game and you're listening to your CD player too loud.
"We're like brothers. We're like friends. We get along.''
The hardest adjustment to make, Justin says, is the loss of a personal life, but he doesn't regret a thing.
"Think about it. In life, in general, if you want to do something that you love to do, you make sacrifices to do it. And that's what I've done. Everybody always asks, "Do you regret missing your teenage years?' But I haven't missed anything. I've gained so much more that a lot of people can't have. I don't regret anything, because this is what I love to do, and I'm happy that I found this out at such an early age.''
Tickets to 'N Sync's Denver concert, originally scheduled for the Mammoth Events Center, sold out in minutes when they went on sale in October.
The offices of promoter Chuck Morris have been flooded with calls ever since, and last week the show was moved to McNichols Sports Arena, which has thousands of extra seats.
Some 4,000 additional tickets were snapped up Monday, the day they went on sale. "I've never seen a group get this big this fast,'' says Morris, a veteran rock promoter and former associate of Barry Fey.
Seating at McNichols will be reserved, but holders of tickets to the Mammoth show will have a special seating area set aside for them, Morris says.
There will be a parents' waiting area in McNichols' ground-level Fast Break Lounge during the show.
N Sync Preps for New Album
'N Sync's self-titled debut is still tearing up the charts—as is its hit holiday album, Home for Christmas. But already, the boy band with the ever-growing
following is making plans for proper album No. 2.
The wholesome fivesome will begin recording in February, just as soon as its current and very much sold-out auditorium tour ends. Already, the group has some material written for the album. "We actually had a lot of material that we just couldn't put on the first album," Lance Bass tells Wall of Sound. "And we've already started writing new songs, too."
When Bass says "we," of course, he doesn't just mean the members of 'N Sync. Among those expected to contribute songs to the forthcoming recording, Bass says, are Dianne Warren, the big-time ballad-writer with the multi-platinum touch, and Ginuwine, the contemporary R&B star with the abs of steel.
Actually, says Bass, the Ginuwine track has already been recorded, though it hasn't yet been named. "He came down to Orlando and did it with us; he produced it himself. It was real fun working with him."
Might there be other Sync-ronized collaborations on the next album? Perhaps. "We might have a duet with somebody we've always wanted to do one with. We've got several artists in mind. We've always wanted to do something with Shania Twain. I think that would be different, a country singer and a pop group. We've also always loved Jewel and Janet Jackson and, oh gosh, Lauryn Hill."
Is the feeling mutual? "Well, we definitely get along with almost every artist out there," Bass says. "That's just the kind of people we are. Every person we talk to, it's like: 'We've got to get together and do something.' Like Aerosmith—they wanted to get together with us.t's kind of our running joke: We have to do a song with everybody."
Regardless of the guest list for the second 'N Sync record, Bass promises fans the group isn't going to change too much. "It'll be a fun album," he says.
We're going to try different things and have some diverse songs—strict R&B songs, experiments like the Ginuwine song, and pop songs. But it will basically be the same."—Josh Freedom du Lac
'N Sync's on the crest of the boy band wave
By Thomas Conner World Entertainment Writer
1/15/99
It's not easy being cute and famous.
Well, yeah, actually it is -- you just have to dodge the flying fans. "They do anything at any cost to get to us," said Chris Kirkpatrick, one of the five freshly scrubbed faces in 'N Sync, one of the five vocal boy bands clambering over the Billboard charts. "We've had people jump on conveyor belts at airports and leap out of bushes. You never know where they're hiding."
The group brings a legion of security men with it on tour, ready to knock hysterical young girls off their collision course with their favorite 'N Sync-er.
It's a necessary precaution, Kirkpatrick said, and one he hardly thought about several years ago when he joined two other singers and became the nucleus of the new group.
But in three short years, 'N Sync went from being Orlando unknowns to having its own special on the Disney Channel. The group's first single, "I Want You Back," quickly was certified gold, and the follow-up, "Tearin' Up My Heart," is likely to do the same. Their handsome mugs and sweet harmonies made girls go ga-ga, and just as quickly the boys found themselves cocooned in their safe and secure bubble of fame.
"It's kind of weird. You have to check out where you're going and make sure you're not going to cause problems. The security guys look at places in advance for us. We spend a lot of time with each other" as a result, Kirkpatrick said.
Life in those tight quarters can get pretty dull, particularly when the burdens of business weigh down. Kirkpatrick said the boys do whatever they can to lighten the mood of long interview sessions and waiting periods in boring backstages.
"We do some crazy things to keep each other going. We were doing interviews in Europe one day -- all day, from eight in the morning to about nine that night, there in a hotel room talking to paper after paper and magazine after magazine. We started doing little things to liven it up. We'd pick a crazy word and give it to someone in the group. Then he had to use that word in an answer during the next interview."
So was this going on during our Tulsa World interview last week?
"Uh, no," Kirkpatrick said. "Crocodile."
'N Sync has, of course, met the Tulsa boys in Hanson out on the boy band circuit. Kirkpatrick ran into the trio by himself recently and said they had a lot to commiserate about.
"I met them at Billboard (magazine) a few weeks ago. I thought they were hilarious. They've got my mentality -- that 10-year-old mentality. We had a good time cracking up," Kirkpatrick said. "There's a kind of mutual respect for each other."
And what about the Backstreet Boys? Does 'N Sync mind the constant comparisons to that other, more successful group from the same town? "Of course not," Kirkpatrick said. "They've sold 7 million records and are real successful. We go out and do the best we can and let our own success show itself."
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Kirkpatrick moved from his hometown of Pittsburg, Pa., to Orlando because of the entertainment job opportunities around the Disneyworld and Universal Studios theme parks. There he met Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez, who had worked together on the Disney Channel's "Mickey Mouse Club." The three met New Yorker Joey Fatone in an Orlando club and began go out at nights, impressing dancefloors with their quickly coordinated moves.
Kirkpatrick just thought he was having fun, but the four guys soon realized they had the same ambitions: to sing harmony and become stars. They found Lance Bass, and started honing their vocal mix.
"We worked our butts off at first," Kirkpatrick said. "I was working at Outback Steakhouse as well as Universal, and we busted our butts singing every evening we had a break."
Kirkpatrick, too, is the oldest member of this boyish bunch. At 27, he seems almost grandfatherly to the youngest member, Timberlake, 17.
"When I started in college singing in four- and five-part harmony groups, I wasn't thinking about our ages or anything," Kirkpatrick said. "I just happened to find four other guys who were as adamant about this as I was. One of them just happened to be 14 at the time."
Squealers who want to get an extra peek at the Syncsters may have a chance between 2 and 5 p.m. Friday at Tulsa Clippers, a hair salon in Eton Square at 61st Street and Memorial Drive. The band will make an in-store appearance at Tulsa Clippers and will meet with the first 1,000 fans who bought a $40 hair care package from the salon. In conjunction with the salon, KHTT 106.9-FM "K-Hits" will be giving away two tickets to the sold-out concert.
’N Sync riding whirlwind of popularity
By JOHN WIRT
Entertainment writer
One singing group with two albums in the Top 10 at the same time.
The five heartthrobs of ’N Sync accomplished that feat in late ’98 thanks to their self-titled debut and the made-for-the holidays Home For Christmas. The latter disc ended up being the second best-selling holiday album, just behind super diva Celine Dion’s These Are Special Times.
With the pop/R&B sounds of its debut soaring beyond even the four million copies already sold, ’N Sync’s chart success is loudly echoed by sold-out concerts around the nation. Tickets for the group’s Jan. 16 show at Baton Rouge’s Centroplex, for instance, were snapped up in a record 20 minutes.
Given the decibels and devotion at their shows, it’s no surprise that Lance Bass, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone Jr., Chris Kirkpatrick and Justin Timberlake wear earplugs. Such high-pitched popularity can become overpowering.
"We definitely feel rushed sometimes," Chasez said over the holidays from his parents’ home in Maryland. "We know it’s craziness right now. There’s a lot of craziness going on."
Being pros, though, the ’N Sync guys are looking out for each other, riding a whirlwind of popularity in stride.
"We don’t look at it as a pressure situation," Chasez explained. "We just do what we’ve always done from the very beginning. We just do it a lot more."
’N Sync has moved quickly from club to theater to arena shows, plus a bunch of TV appearances, including its own Disney Channel special.
"We feel like we have to earn our way up," Chasez said. "That way we’ll appreciate it. We’re still gonna put on the same show and,hopefully, people are gonna enjoy it, because it’s an energy show. Our show hasn’t been just all about special effects. It’s about the personality and the energy. It’s a very raw show, which is good."
’N Sync, Chasez added, literally wants its pumped-up concerts to wear the group’s fans out.
"It’s like our show is a big energy release. It’s a way to let your hair down, scream your head off, have a good time. We want to put on a show that people walk away exhausted from. And that’s the truth. It’s just like any party you go to — by the end of the night you had a great time, but you want to go to bed."
’N Sync got synchronized in Orlando. It was there that Chasez and Justin Timberlake had been members of the Disney Channel’s Mickey Mouse Club cast.
"Chris (Kirkpatrick) was the one who wanted to start the band," Chasez recalled. "And he called up Justin, and Justin called me up, and I kind of knew Joey (Fatone). After that Justin got Lance (Bass). So it was kind of like everybody knew somebody."
After the group’s creation, Chasez and Timberlake called upon contacts from their Mouse Club days. "It was good that they were willing to give us their advice and stuff," Chasez said. "That helped a lot."
The group started singing anywhere it could, even doing an impromptu a cappella set at Planet Hollywood.
"Whenever somebody gave us a chance to sing," Chasez said, "we didn’t know who was going to be out in the audience, so, of course, we sang."
After pondering a series of horrible group names, Chasez said, Justin Timberlake’s mom said something that rang true.
"She said, ‘You guys are always in sync.’ And we were like, ‘What?’ And we just kind of thought about it. We were like, ‘It means synchronized, and we’re always dancing together. We’re always singing together, we’re always hanging out together.’ It sounded nice, so we said we’ll run with that one and see what happens."
In 1996, an ’N Sync demo got the attention of Lou Pearlman, the group’s future business manager. Pearlman contacted Johnny Wright, the man behind New Kids on the Block, Snap, Color Me Badd and the boy-band stars of Backstreet Boys.
Wright got ’N Sync a record contract with BMG in Germany and the group became a tremendous hit in Europe. It wasn’t until April of last year and the stateside release of ’N Sync, though, that the band began its conquest of America.
The United States proved just as in sync with ’N Sync as Europe. The group’s album, propelled by the hit singles "I Want You Back" and "Tearin’ Up My Heart," hit the million mark in four months.
With its popularity on the rise, ’N Sync entered the studio in August to cut a Christmas album. Recording in Orlando during Florida’s sweltering late summer, ’N Sync had to create its own Christmas spirit.
"We had candles, we’d have Christmas lights all in the booth, just for fun," Chasez said. "People would walk in and would just go, ‘Like, what is going on in here?’
"You kind of have to catch the Christmas spirit early, because you have to have it (the album) out by November. We really pushed it to the last minute. We literally finished recording a song two days before we had to send it to press. It was kind of last minute, but, I mean, you just do whatever you gotta do."
Entertaining, of course, is another thing ’N Sync has got to do, for itself and its fans.
"We knew we wanted to do pop (music), because we like to entertain, and that way we can relate to our crowd. We’re not gonna try to preach about religion and all these problems in our music, because don’t think that we’ve seen enough. We just sing about things we know about.
"A lot of the songs are love songs, because when you’re young you get all these little crushes or heartbreaks. We sing about that. We sing about the good times that we have with our friends and stuff like that. In our music, we just basically talk to people like they were our friend or whatever. If they can relate to it, that’s cool.
"When we get ready to do a dance, we look to each other, we listen to the songs, we say, ‘How does it make you feel?’ When we go to perform it, we’re like, ‘What kind of vibe is that throwing at you?’ It’s like an energy vibe, or it’s like a song that makes you just want to be funky, or whatever. And we roll from there."
'N SYNC & BRITNEY SPEARS
by Spiceboy
There's just a few numbers you need to know about the 'N Sync concert at the Universal Amphitheater: it was all about five cute guys, 6,000 screaming fans, two funky opening acts... do the math and you end up with one hot show.
The opening groups (B*Witched, an energetic all-girl quintet from Ireland, and Britney Spears) moved fast, each seemingly allotted 20 minutes and then hustled off the stage. B*Witched's songs all evoked either Celine Dion's Titanic theme or the music of Michael Flatley's "Lord of the Dance" -- neither necessarily a good thing. Luckily, their high-energy choreography overcame the weak tunes; with a little more push in the music department they could be bewitching us for a long time to come.
Britney Spears was no stranger to the crowd and her set showed us she's also no flash in the pan. Performing a handful of cuts from her just-released album, Britney had everyone up on their feet and screaming -- I mean dancing -- along. She closed with her smash "Baby One More Time," which not only was the most polished performance of her set but brought her a standing ovation.
After a brief intermission (mighty thoughtful of them to give me a chance to buy that 'N Sync t-shirt, keychain, laminate and baseball cap) the booming bass let us know 'N Sync wasn't waiting to get the crowd moving. The fantastic five opened with a tight dance routine and kept the show sharp with consistently slick moves and fantastic singing. (Am I allowed to say I was amazed at how well they came together vocally?) The biggest surprise was the a cappella Bee Gees medley and, later, Justin's a cappella vocal percussion solo.
In fact, really, the show was all about Justin Timberlake. All the members of 'N Sync had their time and place during the night but it truly was Justin who worked the crowd like a pro: he knew where to go, what to say and how to move. He's pure talent live, a lightning rod on stage and gets my vote for most likely to make it big as a solo artist.
from Entertainment Asylum
'N Sync
By Karla Peterson
ARTS WRITER
San Diego Union-Tribune
January 3, 1999
Grab those earplugs now, because these Orlando-based teen dreams could make 1999 on big scream fest.
For proof, check the Billboard charts, where the crown-princes of dance pop have two albums in the Top 10. For fair warning, stop by SDSU's Cox Arena tonight, where "JC" Chasez, Justin Timberlake, Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fantone and Lance Bass will perform their sweetie-pie hits before the ecstatic fans who snapped up all 6,000 available seats in one hour. For further convincing, return to the same venue in April, where 'N Sync -- who less than a year ago was opening for Janet Jackson -- will most likely face a sellout crowd of 10,000.
The 'N Sync crew can sing well enough and dance like fiends, and they are managed by Johnny Wright, who also managed New Kids on the Block and the Backstreet Boys.
Hook, line...'N Sync reeled them in
By Karla Peterson
ARTS WRITER
January 5, 1999
The Top Five Words You Do Not Want to Hear Spoken from the Stage of an 'N Sync concert:
Let. Me. Hear. You. SCREAM!!!!!
Because, by God, the fans will scream. By the time 'N Sync's Joey Fatone uttered that prophetic request Sunday night, the teen and preteen girls in the Cox Arena crowd had been screaming for a good hour already. They screamed for the radio DJs with the free promotional towels. They screamed for opening acts B*witched and Britney Spears. Sometimes they just screamed, knowing that if they didn't let one rip every few minutes, their heads would blow up.
Cute boys have that effect on young girls, especially when said boys sing about undying love in voices sent straight from choirboy heaven. Like their Florida cohorts the Backstreet Boys, the fellas from 'N Sync blend good looks, infernally catchy radio hooks and Prince Charming promises into a love potion so heady, a girl could faint from the fumes alone.
She could also go a little crazy with her allowance, blowing every precious dollar on CDs ('N Sync has two million-selling albums in Billboard's Top 15), videos (the best-selling " 'N the Mix With 'N Sync"), posters and assorted vital accessories.
They may be fickle, but for the short time young fans latch on to a young band, their devotion is all consuming, all powerful and highly exploitable. Inside the SDSU arena, where the air was thick with the smell of peanut M&Ms and the buzz of flustered hormones, the fans were so ready to fall in love, the members of 'N Sync could have satisfied all 7,200 of them all with a wave, a smile and one chorus of "Tearin' Up My Heart." Everyone would have gone home happy and way before curfew.
Instead, the boys gave the girls a show. It wasn't a long show, and it wasn't a fantastic show, but it was professional, enthusiastic and -- with the exception of some pelvis-centric choreography -- relatively age-appropriate. The five-man group didn't need to do much to earn their nonstop standing ovation, but to their credit, they did plenty. And they did most of it with polish and a decent amount of style.
As well they should. Lead singers and resident heartthrobs Justin Timberlake, 17, and JC Chasez, 22, were both members of the "Mickey Mouse Club" cast that also included "Felicity" star Keri Russell. Nineteen-year-old Lance Bass was a member of a touring choral group, and 21-year-old Fatone did time as a Universal Studios and Disney World performer. Throw in an ambitious (and hungry) older guy (27-year-old singer Chris Kirkpatrick), and a savvy manager (former Backstreet Boys/New Kids on the Block mentor Johnny Wright), and you have people who know how to please a crowd without ruffling any feathers.
After a teasing opening, in which the objects of collective desire were hidden behind Devo-esque space suits and helmets, the Syncsters plunged into 80 minutes of sweet singing, athletic dancing and enough G-rated wooing to launch a thousand rapturous diary entries. The sound was painfully loud and the songs were terribly interchangeable, but the whole package was so much clean-cut fun, resistance seemed futile, and totally unnecessary.
Whether they were blasting through their revved-up rousers ("Crazy For You," "You Got It") or crooning their moony ballads ("For the Girl Who Has Everything," "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time On You"), the members of 'N Sync kept their harmonies tight, their dancing sharp and their egos properly in check. They waved to the girls in the back row, threw a few nice curve balls (including an a cappella Bee Gees medley that showcased their highly professional pipes), and thanked the crowd so often, you'd think their mothers were waiting in the wings with cue cards.
At the moment, 'N Sync is huge, and at the Cox Arena, the group lived up to the hype without pandering to it. Like the nice guys they are supposed to be, the members of 'N Sync treated their vulnerable audience with fond respect. When the group returns to the same venue April 15, the girls will still be screaming. Let's hope the boys will still be worth the trouble.
Chanting fans try their best to get 'N Sync
Pop group gets frenzied greeting, performs before a sellout crowd
12/31/98
By Teresa Gubbins/ The Dallas Morning News
'N chanting. 'N screaming, too.
Please forgive the 'N-noying puns - but that's what a sellout crowd of teens was doing at the Bronco Bowl on Wednesday when red-hot pop quintet 'N Sync performed. Too bad there's no way to harness the fierce power generated by thousands of girls screaming in unison.
In the transient world of pop music, you strike while the iron is hot; this was 'N Sync's fifth local appearance in the last year.
That does not count a Wednesday afternoon visit to J.C. Penney at The Parks at Arlington mall, where the five members - Lance Bass, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick and Justin Timberlake - signed autographs for a crowd estimated at 4,000 by the mall's security staff.
Fans began waiting outside the mall the night before, said Kim Goggans, spokeswoman for KHKS-FM (106.1), which co-sponsored the autograph signing.
"We went out to the mall to put up banners Tuesday night. By 11:30 p.m., the line had already reached 300 people," she said.
All that promotional footwork doesn't afford much time for 'N Sync to devise new routines - and really, what's the point, when your clear-cut destiny is flavor-of-the-month? Thus, the Bronco Bowl performance was virtually identical to the band's previous shows, beginning with what the lighting crew called a "Star Wars" segment - night-sky backdrop, spacesuits and so on. It led to the first of many gratuitous scream-generating moments, when the fivesome stripped off their space gear to reveal loose urban-style outfits.
Later, in a scene that most resembled a beauty pageant, each 'N Sync-er took center stage to introduce himself - as if every person in the audience didn't already know their names.
Perhaps the only shift in the show was the inclusion of a couple of holiday songs; the quintet recently released a new Christmas disc. Opening acts included B*witched, an all-female singing Irish quartet, and Britney Spears, a 16-year-old pop singer from Louisiana.
The typical concertgoer's age was about 14. That meant plenty of parents in attendance, too. Some lounged by the bowling lanes, reading or people-watching. One had a calculator and a stack of bills.
Alisha Lattanzi, 15, of Richardson, was accompanied by her mother, Michelle, 36, older sister Janae, 18, and aunt Vina. Alisha held a bouquet of bright red flowers she intended to throw onto the stage, one by one.
"I also have three stuffed animals I'm going to throw," she said.
Alisha's father had recently died, said her mother, and his friends chipped in to buy her concert tickets.
The concert was the first for Melonie Walker, 14, of Garland, attending with her friend, Christina Gamel, 17.
"There are three of us who sit in algebra class together. We're all 'N Sync fans," Ms. Gamel said. "We all sit and talk about our favorites."
Hers?
"JC - he has a really sweet smile and really pretty eyes," she said.
Fans brought hand-lettered signs, avowing their devotion to one member or another. In the front of the auditorium, one fan held up a sign that said something along the lines of "Justin, I Want U!" But the sign's original use told a better story: It was written on the back of an old Spice Girls poster
'N Sync provides thrills for teen-age followers
By: TIMOTHY FINN The Kansas City Star
Date: 12/30/98
'N Sync with B*Witched
Where: Memorial Hall
When: Tuesday, Dec. 29
Audience: 3,300 (sold out)
Like their brothers in charm the Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync comes from Orlando, Fla., a city that knows a lot about providing fantasy and escape to young people.
Tuesday night, the five teen heartthrobs, ages 17 to 27 (boys to men, eh?), came to town, promising to throw their mostly young, very loud and very female audience a ``par-tay. '' Backed by a brawny, funky, five-piece band, the boys did just that, taking their fans on an 80-minute hormonal roller coaster ride.
'N Sync sings the songs that make a crowd boogie and sing: sugary, melodic r&b/funk and soul anthems with big booming beats - a watered down, beefed-up mix of Prince; Earth, Wind & Fire; and DeBarge.
The set list was divided into two flavors: sticky love ballads (``I Drive Myself Crazy'') and rowdy throw-downs (``Here We Go''), though the number that got one of the loudest responses was the medley of Bee Gees' tunes, including ``Stayin' Alive'' and ``How Deep Is Your Love? ''
Whether the guys were singing one of their big hits, like ``I Want You Back'' or just another album cut, like ``For the Girl Who Has Everything,'' the young ladies in the house, many waving handmade placards (``I Love U Lance'' or ``4 girls - Single and Ready to Mingle'') sang along as if every word were aimed right at them.
N Sync closed with their biggest hit of all, ``Tearin' Up My Heart,'' a piece of gummy pop-funk that sounds like one of Prince's better throw-aways.
At the end, the boys waved goodbye and said their thank-yous: to the crowd and to God. And though no one said it, somewhere on that stage, someone must have been thanking heaven for teen-age girls.
'N Sync in concert sets new standard for boy groups
Jon Bream / Minneapolis Star Tribune 12/28
These days, boy groups are about as commonplace as Tommy Hilfiger T-shirts. Backstreet Boys, Boyzone, Five, 'NSync . . . you need a scorecard -- or a 12-year-old girl -- to tell them apart.
Typically, a manager finds four or five cute young guys and puts them together, hoping some can sing and some can dance. The key figure is the producer, who crafts the sound and songs that will carry the group to stardom. On the radio, however, many of these vocal ensembles sound similar. What truly separates these boy groups is their ability to deliver onstage.
'NSync, the hottest-selling boy group of the moment, set the standard Sunday at the sold-out Historic Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis. There's no need to compare 'NSync to Backstreet Boys, the best-selling band -- period -- of 1998, even though both are from Orlando and had the same manager and producers. That's because 'NSync recalled some of the classic vocal ensembles of yesteryear -- the Temptations of the '60s, the Jackson 5 of the '70s and New Edition of the '80s. These five guys can sing, dance and, most important, entertain with a sense of vitality, freshness and just plain fun.
To be sure, like the mega-popular New Kids on the Block in the late '80s and early '90s, 'NSync derives its sound and style from the R&B world. But, nowadays, R&B culture dominates American youth culture, whether it's hip-hop beats or phat pants. Therefore 'NSync doesn't sound as much derivative as generic. Still, there was an electricity experienced Sunday at the hot-wired Orpheum that wasn't apparent when Backstreet Boys performed at Target Center last month.
The five guys in 'NSync entered in hooded black robes, then disrobed to reveal space suits and helmets, and the dancing started. The screaming girls (and their moms and dads) could tell that these five guys -- ages 17 to 27 -- could dance before they ever saw their faces. Then it was off with the space gear and time for the explosive "Crazy for You." From the get-go, it was clear that these five guys had the energy, smiles and camaraderie to make these young girls swoon.
But they also had the voices, which was apparent on an a cappella Bee Gees medley and the closing, roof-raising hit "Tearin' Up My Heart." JC Chasez had the most dynamic lead voice, but Justin Timberlake, 17, elicited the most screams with his sweet voice and fancy dancing. Chasez and Chris Kirkpatrick added some fancy gymnastics to the mix. But, overall, it was an unbeatable combination of a tight, well-rehearsed varied performance delivered with contagious enthusiasm.
Right now, 'NSync seems unstoppable, with the 4-million-selling " 'NSync" at No. 3 and the million-selling "Home for Christmas" at No. 7, and a return engagement in May at Target Center that's nearly sold out, too.
Opening Sunday's concert was the other side of the pop coin -- a girl group. B*witched, now at No. 1 on the British charts but unknown thus far in the United States, is a cute/corny Irish quartet that showed lots of energy but little personality as the four young women lip-synced through four songs of Europop. Perky newcomer Britney Spears, 17, was more convincing, effectively using four dancers to provide the energy as she sang with a breathy, adult-like voice. She showed sass on her hit, "Baby One More Time," which wedded Europop with a slinky groove.
'N Sync connects with screaming female fans
Thursday,December 3,1998
BY MARCI PERSKY
KALAMAZOO (MI) GAZETTE
Gen-Xers were in short supply at the State Theatre Wednesday night but the house was packed with members of Generation XX - young girls and their moms - for a fun-filled screech fest with the hottest boy band around, 'N Sync.
It's hard to believe this was the same group that only eight months ago arrived in a van at Full Blast in Battle Creek to perform their songs Karaoke-style. Now, the quintet that has caught the girl market by storm is traveling first class with a full stage show, multiple costume changes, a hot backup band and fancy stage lighting.
In fact, this was probably the last time the 1,500 or so who were lucky to get tickets for the State Theatre concert will see 'N Sync in such an intimate setting. The group is moving into the stadium market, playing two shows at The Palace of Auburn Hills and a date at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids come spring.
Frequently referred to as "The Spice Boys," 'N Sync is a lesson in smart marketing. The Orlando, Fla., group first hit it big in Germany and was slow to catch on over here, until major exposure on the Disney Channel and MTV sent them soaring up the charts.
It's not all marketing, however. There's some real talent at work here. Like their brethren, The Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync relies on smooth pop ballads and hip-hoppity dance tunes. But 'N Sync's harmonies are much more intricate than Backstreet's and in addition to personally answering every piece of fan e-mail, the guys of 'N Sync make a sincere effort to connect with every 7- to 17-year-old in their audience.
I have to admit, pop - especially bubblegum - is pretty low on my musical food chain. But I left the State Theatre Wednesday night with a newfound respect for Justin Timberlake, Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone Jr., Lance Bass and JC Chasez
For nearly two hours straight, those guys danced, sang and said all the right things to keep the audience on its feet the entire time. It takes an incredible amount of athleticism to maintain that energy level and for 'N Sync, it seemed to be nearly effortless.
They took the stage shortly after 8 p.m., opening with a "Star Wars" dance number and outfitted in space suits that covered their famous faces. At the end of the number, the helmets came off as did the tear-away suits to reveal the guys dressed incolorful Far Eastern-inspired suits and they started the show with "Crazy For You," from their eponymous CD on RCA.
The screams from the audience were deafening and by the time the band had finished the first full song, the stage was littered with stuffed animals, flowers and other offerings.
With the audience in a state of hormonal bliss, 'N Sync performed nearly every song on the debut album, including the smash hits "I Want You Back" and "Tearing Up My Heart."
Interaction with the young crowd was key throughout the night. The guys frequently asked their fans to sing along,dance along, chant along and at one point, pitted one side of the theater against the other in a yelling contest.
About three-quarters of the way through the show, the band switched gears to present a couple of numbers from its hastily put together holiday album, "Home for Christmas," setting the stage with lighted trees, a hearth with stockings and lots of fake snow falling from the rafters.
Their traditional a capella version of "O Holy Night" was a true joy to behold in beautiful five-part harmony. They followed it up with a non-traditional dance tune, "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays," that had all the girls singing along.
Most of the vocal leads were handled by JC and Justin, both graduates of Disney's "Mickey Mouse Club," but the stage time was divided equally among the five parts, with each member taking his turn in the spotlight and more than once personally addressing the crowd.
Justin, who at 17 is the youngest in the group, was clearly the crowd favorite, frequently sending the scream-o-meter soaring off the charts. (For the record, I like Joey.)
In the opening act, current teen sensation Britney Spears celebrated her 17th birthday with a 20-minute set that included her Top 40 hit, "One More Time."
She sang along to pre-recorded music and her four-member dance troupe didn't have a lot of stage space to move around on, but she's where 'N Sync was eight months ago when they rolled into Battle Creek.
With the looks, moves and voice of a better-class Paula Abdul, Britney (another Mouseketeer alumnus) has a bright future ahead of her.
NSync Has Two In Top 10
Home For Christmas, the holiday album by teen sensations N-Sync, debuts at No. 7 this week. That's just one spot behind the group's self-titled album, which has been on the chart for 34 weeks, giving N-Sync two albums in the top 10.
This, of course, isn't an everyday occurrence. In fact, the last time we can remember one artist landing two albums in the top 10 was when Garth Brooks accomplished a similar feat in October 1992 with his chart-topping The Chase and Christmas album Beyond The Season. Other acts to score to albums in the top 10 during the SoundScan era include Guns N' Roses, whose Use Your Illusion I and II albums entered in the top two spots of the chart in October 1991, and Bruce Springsteen, whose Human Touch and Lucky Town debuted at No. 2 and No. 3 back in April 1992
Source:Launch Online
'N Sync scores two in Top 10
That hot new boy group 'N Sync has scored two top 10 hits in Billboard this week. This only shows that whoever said that the era of the boygroups was fading hadn't been listening to 'N Sync.
The groups debut self-titled album comes in this week at #6 and their newly released Home For Christmas debuts at #7. 'N Sync the groups debut album has sold more than 4 million copies to date.
After opening for Janet Jackson last month, RCA Records 'N Sync launch their own headlining U.S. jaunt starting on November 17 through December 29. Promoters around the country are ecstatic at the business the concert tour is generating.
'N Sync will be featured on the Disney Channel's ``Holiday In Concert'' cable special airing December 5. Other appearances include the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, where they will ride on the M&M Mars float (November 26); Fox's Billboard Music Awards, where they'll appear as presenters (December 7); ABC's Regis & Kathie Lee Show (December 15); CBS This Morning (December 16); CBS's Kathie Lee Christmas Everyday (December 16) and ABC's Walt
Disney World's Very Merry Christmas Parade (December 25).
Source:the Enews
RCA Records 'N Sync Score Huge Numbers in Top Ten With Release of Xmas Album
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 18 -- RCA recording artist 'N Sync, "JC" Chasez, Justin Timberlake, Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone and Lance Bass are storming retail, radio, concert halls and TV screens with a multi-media blitz that should carry them through the holidays and into the New Year.
The RCA fivesome now have two albums in the Billboard Top Ten, as their latest effort, "Home For Christmas," debuts at #7 joining their self-titled album at #6, which has shipped over 4 million to date.
Following two smash singles in "I Want You Back" and "Tearin' Up My Heart," 'N Sync have just released a red-hot third single, "God Must Have Spent A Little More Time On You" as well as their first home video, "In The Mix," which hit retail along with the band's Christmas album a week ago Tuesday (11/10) and is currently #1 on Billboard's Music Video chart.
"'N Sync is just unstoppable right now," says Wherehouse buyer Bob Bell.
After opening for Janet Jackson last month, RCA Records 'N Sync launch their own headlining U.S. jaunt starting on November 17 through December 29. Promoters around the country are ecstatic at the business the concert tour is generating.
John Wojas, VP/Talent Buyer for Bill Silva Presents, claims the band's San Diego date is "an absolute slam-dunk sell-out. I want more 'N SYNC shows." Jason Stone, Executive VP for Delsener Slater Enterprises, says the band's Westbury Music Fair concert on Long Island is "the fastest sell-out in the 40-year history of the building." Fantasma Productions President Jon Stoll calls the 'N Sync concert the "hottest selling new ticket in the U.S. today."
Adding to their TV appearances RCA Records 'N Sync will be featured on the Disney Channel's "Holiday In Concert" cable special airing December 5. The band's previous live special on the channel, "'N Sync In Concert," was one of the most popular cable programs of the year and spurred instant sales spikes at retail stores around the country.
Other appearances include the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, where they will ride on the M&M Mars float (November 26); Fox's Billboard Music Awards, where they'll appear as presenters (December 7); ABC's Regis & Kathie Lee Show (December 15); CBS This Morning (December 16); CBS's Kathie Lee Christmas Everyday (December 16) and ABC's Walt Disney World's Very Merry Christmas Parade (December 25).
Another Novel Success For 'N Sync
RCA act 'N Sync is tearing up the charts--not just the Billboard music charts, but the national book charts, too. The band has two albums in the top 10 of The Billboard 200 this week. Its self-titled debut album remains at No. 6 after 34 weeks on the chart. And its new seasonal recording, "Home For Christmas," jumps into the list at No. 7. Meanwhile, on The New York Times' paperback nonfiction ranking, " 'N Sync: The Official Book" debuts at No. 25.
After first-day sales Tuesday of 75,000 copies, the 96-page authorized biography from Dell Books has returned to the presses for a second printing of 235,000.
interview from MTV 10/98
It's the new pop-music fairy tale. Some American kids form a band in the States, head overseas, break big with a couple of catchy singles, and then return to the U.S. for a triumphant homecoming set to the sound of the screaming adulation of newly devoted fans. When the five members of *N Sync finally came together in the unlikely pop mecca of Orlando, Florida -- the hometown for Disney World and Universal Studios Florida -- they knew they had something good. Before long, Lance, Joey, Chris, Justin and JC had landed a management and recording deal that whisked them into a studio and then to Europe, where 'N Sync scored success
almost immediately, much to the amazement of doubting friends back home. Flash forward a few months and the group starts making in-roads in America, where pop vocal groups are undergoing a surge in popularity, thanks to the trailblazing (!) Spice Girls and Orlando's Backstreet Boys. Now with a string of radio-friendly hits and videos such as "I Want You Back" and "Tearin' Up My Heart," 'N Sync's selftitled debut has climbed into the Top 10 almost six months after its release. After recently securing the opening spot on the next leg of Janet Jackson's
Velvet Rope tour and with plans for a Christmas record, 'N Sync is making a last-minute run for pop wunderkinds of the year. MTV News' Chris Connelly recently sat down with 'N Sync and talked about the band's connection with the Disney Channel, weathering comparisons with the Backstreet Boys and how the group is dealing with the passing of their friend and songwriter, Denniz Pop. For more from our interview with 'N Sync, check out this week's MTV News Online feature on the
group, which includes RealVideo excerpts -- including a classic bit of 'N Sync reciting dialogue from "Spinal Tap" -- and a complete transcript of our interview. So go ahead, scream if you want to.
MTV's Chris Connelly: We have scores of cheering fans out there, but
this is old-hat to you by now. This happens really everywhere you go.
When did it start getting old-hat? JC Chasez: It's not really old-hat
'cause we don't get to come to New York every day. It is routine but it isn't, you know what I mean? Because every day something different happens. Even though there's a lot of people there every day, somebody always does something usually that kind of catches us off guard on a regular basis.
Chris Connelly: You guys have all been in show business for a long time. Lance Bass: You know, actually we've been singing together for three years as a group but two of the guys were on a TV show on the Disney Channel for how long,four years? (points to Justin) Two years, and Universal Studios (points to Joey and Chris) and then I was Joey: In high school.
Chris Connelly: What is it about Orlando that's drawn so many talented young people there. You're all from different parts of the country and yet you all wound up there and were performing there at a very young age. Why was that?
Justin Timberlake: I don't know. I don't know if there's a secret that somebody knows that we don't know about Orlando but yeah I mean, we just decided that that
would be our place where we met up just because that's where we met for
the first time. We figured that that would be our hometown or whatever.
Chris Connelly: Well that is sort of good luck for you right? You were going to wind up on "Star Search" weren't you?
Justin: I was on "Star Search"! I did do "Star Search" alright? Let it go! I got three and a quarter stars.
Chris Connelly: Who'd you lose to?
Justin: Some girl who sang some Broadway song. I don't want to talk about it. (laughter) I don't want to talk about it. Next question.
Chris Connelly: How long did it take for you two guys to hook up though and think that you could make something go? JC: I was singing on his demos.
Justin: Yeah we were in Nashville. After we finished with the TV show, after the TV show was over, we went and did some demo work together in Nashville. After that
for about a year we were together doing a little demo work. But the group originated with Chris... the link from Chris to everybody goes sort of like this -- Chris started the group and I had kind of known him from some auditions and whatnot...he called me and I immediately gave JC a call and then we ran into Joey in Orlando -- big melting pot.
Joey: Yeah, we worked at Universal like I said and we were singing and dancing there and we knew each other and I knew JC... JC: He was actually the first person I met when I moved to Orlando to do the show. When I first moved, he was like the first person not in the show that I met and we became friends. Chris Connelly (to Lance): You're not in the mix yet. Lance: No. Chris Connelly: We're getting to you in a second.
Chris: Lance is what made us special. Joey: Well, I wasn't a bass that's the thing. Justin: We originated singing acappella harmonies and we could carry lots of cool sounds but we didn't have a bass and we tried to make Joey sing bass but it just wasn't working. Chris: We gotta use that tape sometime as blackmail material. Justin: So we got in touch with my vocal coach and that is what led us to Lance because me and Lance had the same vocal coach. Chris Connelly: What is it about Europe that made them more open to you guys faster than America? Chris: They don't understand what we're saying...(laughter) Justin: I think the, the market has changed around in the last year in the States so much but originally it was like that in Europe you know. It was like a big melting pot. You found genuine mixed with some rocker mixed with some like a rock artist. Yeah, and so I mean, I think that... I honestly think that like Hanson just did something. Hanson and the Spice Girls just did something and went to the edge with the pop market and then it kind of mellowed out. And that is kind of when we saw our opportunity.
Chris Connelly: And what did you learn playing those markets? What did you do to get your dancing together; your singing? Joey: How to work well with the audience you know, audience participation. I mean we were still first a little bit new at it you know. Although we were performing where people are screaming at the top of their lungs, fainting, crying, this and that you know. It's kind of weird. Lance: Well, we did shows for like 10 and younger crowds you know, to going to like college crowds. Everyone over 21. Crowds, just like different types, I mean you
just find it everywhere you know. Because they have so many festivals
over there for different types of people and uh, you know that got us prepared to come to America because over here we play for just so many different kinds of crowds.
Chris Connelly: How freaky was it though to just break overseas and like
you're writing your friends, "We're huge over here, and they..." JC: And they're like, "Whatever!" Chris: I think it's only when we got to meet like famous people that they knew in the States. Like when Coolio or some people like that would go overseas and we would do shows with them and we were like one of the biggest headliners of the show and we're there with Coolio and we're like, "Wow, you're awesome." And we'd be talking to him and stuff like that and then we'd come home and tell our friends. They'd be like, "Did you get his autograph?" And we're like,
"No, we headlined the show. Everybody came to see us." And they're like, "Yeah, whatever." Chris Connelly: I think anybody that's listened to the two records could understand the difference between you guys and the Backstreet Boys. But when people ask you, what do you usually say?
Justin: Come see the show. Chris: Backstreet who? They don't realize that we really do know them and we're just joking with them and then we say something like, "They're doing their thing and we're doing our thing." It was just it's all about that they're five guys and we are five guys and we're from Orlando you know. It's really you know hard to get out of their shadow because they were first and they're pioneers but you know they're off being successful as the Backstreet Boys and we're off being successful as 'N Sync. So hopefully, like Justin said, people will see the live show, see the difference you know, hear the difference in the music and realize that our personalities are different.
Chris Connelly: Aren't there people who are going to try to pry you apart, say
you should have a solo deal, you should do something on your own? Lance:
Of course there are going to be offers and everything but the fact is that we're always going to be a group you know. We're always going to be putting out 'N Sync albums.
Chris Connelly: Why is this music so popular now? Maybe four or five years ago when grunge was huge you guys probably couldn't have bought a break. JC: Now the market... it's a great time for music right now. Honestly, because people accept every kind of music now. For a while we were going through a rut where everybody was categorizing everything. Everything was wither -- you were a gangster rapper, you are a pop rapper or you're a whatever. And now you know the great thing about our music, we do pop music, is that pop kind of dips itself in every kind of music so we can do a different style of pop. We can do R&B pop, we can do pop rock, we can do you know adult contemporary jazz style pop, you know what I mean? With mellow stuff... so, that's the best part about our music is that we can dabble into a little bit of everything and... Justin: Chameleons... JC: Yeah, exactly. And right now, everybody is listening to every kind of music out there. I mean you play one videos it's like you play a Snoop Dogg video, a Master P video, you play a Goo Goo Dolls video, then you play an 'N Sync video you know. It's cool. People are willing to listen to all these different things and that's what we're so excited about. Chris Connelly: You want to take a more active hand in your music as time goes on? Will we see more song credits from you guys? All: Yeah. Justin: I mean we're writing as we speak you know. We're getting into that, that aspect as we speak. We always get into arranging and stuff. We've arranged a lot of stuff that's on our album with the help of some great producers. Chris Connelly: Whose career would you like to emulate as you go forward? Whose career do you look at and you say, "Boy, I hope we have something that's a little like that?" Justin: A little bit of everybody I would think. I mean, we don't want to be anybody else. We want to be 'N Sync, you know? Lance: We'd like to last. Justin: Wherever it takes us,wherever it takes us I think that it's going to be in a positive
direction because we surround ourselves with positive energy so...
Justin: Yeah. We look up to like the Beatles and the Eagles and the Rolling Stones. Lance: It's like to last like the Bee Gees or the Rolling Stones. Justin: We want to be like Spinal Tap.
We Met *N SYNC
from the October/November issue of Girls Life magazine
HANGIN' WITH *NSYNC: Here's what happened when we had 15 minutes with nothing but a tape recorder between us and our favorite band!
By Nicole A. and Jessica A.
It's the dream of thousands of girls. You buy all of your favorite band's CDs, waste hours online discussing them in chat rooms, and blow your allowance on fan magazines, posters, and T-shirts. And all the while, you look forward to the day you might just see your fave group in the flesh. At night, you dream that somehow, some way, not only do you get to meet them, but they actually touch you! Hug you! Could this dream ever come true for the average girl?
Well, we're here to tell you that it happened to us. My sis ter Jessica and I lived the dream. We wrote to Girl's Life and asked if we could interview 'N Sync for the Readers Take Over issue. Were we surprised when we heard that in less than a month, 'N Sync would not only be coming to play in our town, but we'd be asking them questions on behalf of millions of Girl's Life readers! Wow! Somebody pinch us.
Around 5pm, we arrived at Warner Theater in Washington DC, where the band would be performing. It had been aranged for us to talk to the members of 'N Sync before their warm-up. Well, they were running late because they were out seeing the sights!
So we watched their warm-up first. It was cool to see them as they sang and goofed around. And they looked even cuter in person! When it was finally time for us to interview them, we had about 15 minutes in a hallway. Backstage isn't glamourous, let us tell you! But all the guys were really cool. JC even offered Nicole a bite of his candy bar, but she doesn't like nuts so she passed. Yep, my sister had the chance to share a candy bar with JC and said no!
We met 'N Sync. We talked to 'N Sync. We touched 'N Sync. And then, we interviewed 'N Sync for all of you. After the interview, we watched their concert with our friends and family and thousands of other screaming fans. This was one night we will never forget.
Girl's Life: Why did you choose the name 'N Sync?
Justin: We really chose 'N Sync because we thought it represented us--our harmonies, our dancing, our whole persona. It's funny, though--after we had the name a while, we realized it was the last letter of each of our first names.
What's it like on the road?
Chris: Tiring! We've been on the road pretty much all month, and we'll be on the road all next month and the month after that! You kinda get used to living out of a suitcase.
What is it like to get up on stage and sing to hundreds of screaming girls who supposedly love you?
Joey: It's very flattering! It's a good feeling--to know people appreciate your music and they're singing your songs. It's a great feeling when you know a lot of people are listening to your album.
How long have you guys been singing?
Lance: We've been singing different amounts of time. Justin started at age zero. He did the Mickey Mouse Club with JC, who started singing in 9th grade. I started like in Junior High. Chris started when he was a baby, and he worked with Joey at Universal Studios.
Joey: I tried singing as a baby, but it didn't work!
Has there ever been a time when you accidentally sang the wrong words during a song or you did the wrong dance move on stage?
JC: Dancing sometimes turns into a nightmare! You go blank. We miss steps quite a bit, and sometimes you mess up some words and you'll trip over your own mouth! You start to say one thing and your mind gets ahead of you because you've sung the song so many times you kind of get past it in your mind, and you're not supposed to be there yet!
Does anyone else ever do that?
Joey: Oh, everyone does it! Like we'll all be dancing, and you're the only one doing the wrong dance step and you're like, "Whoops! What happened over there? I did something wrong!"
Have you guys ever started laughing at one another?
Lance: Well, yeah, or sometimes we'll just give each other that look like, "You're an idiot!"
What's the best part about being a popular music group?
Lance: We don't see what everyone else gets to see, so we don't look at ourselves and say, "Hey, we're famous!" Every day is a different adventure.
I know one of you guys went to visit relatives today. How was lunch?
JC: I went home, and all the guys came over my house except for Lance. He walked around the Capitol. I introduced the guys to Maryland-style crabs. Justin ate some. Robin's note: Stef! "There was a BBQ at my aunt's house. Lance didn't come. he was hanging out with his buddies!!"~Alex Chasez age 8
Did you eat the "mustard"?
Justin: What?
JC: You know, the guts in the middle!
Justin: No, no, no! I was like, "What's that?" No, I just learned how to crack them open. Crabs are good!
Do you have choreographers, or do you make up your own dances?
Chris: We do both. We work with 3 or 4 different choreographers, and we've done some stuff ourselves. If it's only a couple of little moves, we do it ourselves. But choreographers are really good for figuring out things like spacing.
Girl's Life readers somtimes send in their most embarrassing moments. What are some of yours?
Joey: Sometmes, we do quick changes, and one time I went on stage with my zipper down!
How did you figure that out?
Joey: I was just dancin' and... I don't know. I just felt a breeze, I guess. I thought I just had to fix my belt, and I was like, "Whoa!"
Chris: We were doing a show ine time, and there were a bunch of different acts. At the end, each group was supposed to come out real quick and them take these positions on stage. Well, we were the next behind this group and her dancers, and Lance didn't realize we were going out one group at a time.
Lance: We were going out for a finale, and I thought is was time for all the groups to go out ar the same time, but there was still one group left to sing.
Chris: Lance thought it was the finale so they went out, and Lance went out with them. When he realized they were doin' their thing and none of us were out there with him, he was like, "I'm going back!"
Lance: I kinda stood out because I had black-and-white leather on, and they had on neon orange!
Do you feel that your music career is tearing you away fom you families?
JC: you don't get to spend much time with them. But whatever time you get with them, you appreciate it a lot more--the time you used to take for granted. Now you enjoy every second.
Even pesky little brothers?
JC: Even pesky little brothers!
Joey: Well, a lot of times our parents come out on the road with us. From time to time, they'll do that just to be with us. We do miss them, and our phone bills are ridiculously high. But when we get to see them, it's really good!
Has there ever been a time when you just wanted to pack up your stuff and leave?
Chris: No way!
Justin: That goes for all of us.
Lance: Maybe wanted to sleep for a day. But never leave!
Justin: I think that there have been some times when we wanted to slow down for a second.
Chris: There've been ties when we wanted to kick Lance out.
Lance: Probably several times.
Chris: No, please, we're just kidding.
Are you working on a new CD?
All: Always!
Joey: We're working on a Christmas album, and we're going to try to release it this Christmas!
Traditional tunes or new stuff?
Lance: It'll be half re-makes and half originals.
When is it coming out?
Lance: It should be out in November, maybe even the end of October.
Do you guys have a particular fave Xmas song?
Lance: Justin's is "O Holy Night."
Any others?
Joey: I like the Chipmunks one!
"Alvin wants a Hula Hoop"?
Joey: Yeah!
How would you describe each other?
JC: Joey is the charismatic, flirty one! He likes to talk to girls a lot! His best qualitiy is that he knows how to turn the other cheek in a bad situation. He's like the worst comedian I've ever met! he is the worst joke teller.
Justin: he does cheesy '80s comedy.
Lance: JC is the very serious one, and he likes to sleep a lot. He got a new keyboard, and he plays it 24/7!
JC: That doesn't have anything to do with my personality.
Lance: It is your personality now! Your keyboard has taken over! It is you!
Chris: Lance is all about business. He comes in with a cellphone wrapped around his hand. He's actually managing a country singer right now. If he wasn't singing, he'd be managing a group.
Justin: Chris is crazy man! He's very high energy. Sometimes, we have to tell him to tone it down. He's always up into the crowd. It's great to have someone with that energy when we get tired and we fell like we can't go anymore, Chris is like, you know...
Joey: Chris is our Jolt Cola!
Justin: Chris is our caffeine! He's got a good sense of music also. He sings the high stuff, so he's got a cool voice!
Chris: Thanks dude!
Justin: No problem!
Joey: Justin is like our atheletic dude! He always loves playing basketball! Whenever he has the time, he does a lot of working out! He does the working out for most of us.
JC: He works out for all of us!
Joey: That's what I meant to say!
Justin: Little tied-tongue?
Joey: Tongue-tied.
Justin: That was a joke!
Joey: I got it! That's why I laughed!
Justin: He didn't laugh!
Joey: Anyway, he's a sporty guy, and he's very mature for his age, even though he's ony 17. He's always thinking ahead and trying to be successful.
Justin, Joey, and JC, do you like acting or singing better?
Justin: What about Chris and Lance?
Chris: We're the only ones without the J's.
Ok, Chris and Lance, do you lke acting or sing better?
All: Singing.
JC: But you know, we're always acting. In our videos, we act and stuff.
Joey: You guys are always acting like total fools!
Justin: Joey acts like he can sing!
Lance: Joey acts like he can actually tell a joke!
What are your future goals?
JC: To get more involved, not only in the onstage stuff, but more behind the scenes too.
Lance: Ditto! I love every aspect of the entertainment business.
Chris: A great tour and another great tour to come!
Justin: Success with the group!
Do you consider yourselves lucky?
Justin: I think everybody uses a little bit of luck. I also think it has something to so with destiny. If you decide you're going to do something and you put your mid to it and give it 150%, then I think it'll work out for you. That's what we've done. I think you determine your own destiny.
'N SYNC VITAL STATS
Fave TV show:
JC and Lance: Friends
Chris and Joey: Southpark
Justin: Seinfeld
Fave Food:
JC: Chinese
Lance: French Toast
Chris: Tacos
Justin: Pasta
Joey: Italian
Fave musicians:
JC: Sting
Lance: Garth Brooks
Chris: Busta Rhymes
Justin: Brian McKnight
Fave actor/actress:
JC: Harrison Ford
Lance: Lucille Ball and Harrison Ford
Chris: George Clooney
Justin: Mel Gibson
Joey: Robert DeNiro
Girlfriend?
JC: No!
Lance: Heck no!
Chris: I'd like one!
Justin: No!
Joey: Please, can I have one?
B-days:
JC: 8/8/76
Lance: 5/4/79
Chris: Are you going to but me something? 10/17
Justin: 1/31/81
Joey: 1/28/77
Superhero you'd most like to be:
Joey: Superman
Justin: Batman
Chris: Spiderman
Lance: um...
Chris: Wonder Woman
JC: I'm Super Sleep Man
N' Sync and N Step
104KRBE Houston
By Lisa McAlister
From Mickey Mouse, Beetle Juice and show choir, the guys from N'Sync have come a long way. JustiN, ChriS, JoeY, LantseN and JC make up the hip-hop dance band known as N'Sync. This quintet of young heartthrobs have their roots in dancing and singing, having performed in stage productions by Universal Studios, Walt Disney and some independent show choirs.
The guys hooked up at a meeting in Orlando, Fla., three years ago when Washington, D.C. born JC Chasez, 21, and Memphis, Tennessee, native Justin Timberlake, 17, met on the set of the Disney Channel show "Mickey Mouse Club." After the show ended, JC and Justin found themselves in Nashville at the same time working on separate projects with the same vocal coach and writers. Justin went back to Orlando where he ran into Pittsburgh, Penn., expatriate Chris Kirkpatrick, 26.
The trio then met New Yorker Joey Fatone (age not disclosed) in a local Orlando club where the foursome would test out some pretty slick dance moves that had everyone wanting to know what group they were in. It wasn't until a few months later, when they were looking for a bass voice, that they found Mississippi born Lance Bass, 18. Bass became the bass and together they became N'Sync.
In an age that has been dominated by heavy guitars and screaming lead singers, these clean-cut guys are helping to bring back musical integrity with close harmony and choreographed dancing. Even though they don't play the musical instruments recorded on their albums, each has a great deal of musical knowledge, whether based on vocals or instruments. JC plays a mean piano and writes a jazz version of each of their songs. Most of the others' talent lies in lyric writing and singing. The group has more involvement with writing and producing their projects than in the past and will have even more involvement with future projects. Unlike most bands who start in America, N'Sync got their big break in Munich, Germany, and spent a year and a half on tour in Europe. They are now working their way across the United States and becoming a huge success along the way.The group formed three years ago and has been on a crazy ride to fame ever since. With the hectic schedules, long hours and living in a bus for months at a time, they have maintained a sense of realism and a down-to-earth mentality. "We're just a bunch of normal guys hanging out, singing and dancing. The only thing that makes us different is that we do it in front of thousands of screaming fans," said JC. "We know people are watching what we do, waiting for us to mess up. We just try to carry ourselves in a good way. Sure, we'll make mistakes, but we make a huge effort to try to be good."
Having started in Europe and then only just recently hitting the airways in the U.S., N'Sync has grown to understand various cultural barriers. The most difficult aspect of the European audiences is the language barrier. "It's hard to really get in touch with the crowd when they can't understand what you're saying and vice versa. Sometimes we would make a joke and no one would laugh because it was more of an American thing. Although, we had a great time talking to the crowd and they seemed to respond like they understood. Really it's just the bond between us and our fans that made it all work out," said JC.
When they get a few days off, they're just like any other GenXer. Chris is the athlete. He loves football and always tries to get the rest of them into a game of football or basketball. He's the cutup of the group. Joey prefers water sports, in particular, the Jet ski. He also likes movies and clubbing, just to keep up with the current dance moves, although JC suspects he likes to flirt with the girls. Lance is the quiet one. He is more business minded and keeps everyone else on time and on schedule. JC is a self-described easygoing guy, but he is very goal oriented and has a serious talent on the piano. He just goes with the flow. Justin is the well-rounded-all-American-guy-next-door. He'll play ball, hang out, challenge the others to a video game or just sit and listen.
With so many different personalities, it would be easy to have lots of conflict. From what they say, though, it doesn't happen very often, if at all. "We just really gel together. Our dancing, singing and most of all, our personalities. This wouldn't work if we didn't like each other. These guys are my best friends," said bandmember JC. "N'Sync is just a group of guys doing what they love. At first it was strange, like 'why me and how'd I get to be so lucky?'" But we just go with the flow." In fact, some of them even live together when not on tour. JC, Chris and Justin all live with Justin's mother in Orlando, just a few blocks from the recording studio. The others live with their respective parents in Orlando.
The biggest change in their lives has been the lack of private time. They spend a majority of their time on the road and then in the studio. Of course, all together. Each seems to find time on his own. Before each concert, the group gathers with friends, family and security guards to pray before taking the stage. "We just have to do that. There's a lot that has to fall into place for a show to be successful and not have any mishaps. Everyone hugs and we get rid of any animosity or nervousness and then we hit the stage," said JC. "We also play a round of hacky sac before each concert. Chris started a game right before a concert once and it just stuck. Each person has to kick the hacky sac before it touches the ground or we start a new round."
With such a young group, it will be exciting to see how far they go. As they grow in experience and talent, they will no doubt become a mainstay in the music industry. This is definitely a group to watch.
Boy Bands Unite For Charity Track
The Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync, and Aaron Carter are among the artists contributing vocals to a benefit single for the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Foundation. "Let The Music Heal Your Soul" will street Nov. 3 in the U.S. on Edel America Records; the track, credited to the Bravo All Stars, was written by Alex Christensen and Frank Peterson. The single has been a top-10 hit in Germany, Norway, Spain, and Switzerland; according to Edel, it was the most-requested song on WKTU New York when introduced recently.
Young musicians discover they're 'N Sync
by Rufus Taylor ll
The Grand Rapids Press
Upon meeting JustiN, ChriS, JoeY, LansteN (Lance's occasional nickname), and JC immediately I discovered they were 'N Sync.
So they joined select letters of their first names and pooled their musical talents to form the band 'N Sync.
The group will perform Tuesday at the grand opening of the DeltaPlex.
An Orlando, Fl., band 'N Sync became an overnight sensation in Germany.
"Europe was like our biggest fan base for a while," said Lance. "Then we went to Canada and felt the same love. But now America is taking off and now we have a bigger fan base here than in Europe and Canada."
The band's self-titled debut album was produced by Denniz PoP (Ace of Base, 3T, Robyn), among others. Released first in Germany, the album has sported two giant European hits, "I Want You Back" and "Tearing Up My Heart." It was then released in Canada and the U.S.
'N Sync is now working on a Christmas album.
"The Christmas album is real exciting for us," Lance said.
The group will be picking up tour dates with Janet Jackson in the fall. Usher, Jackson's original opening act left the tour to gear up for a solo tour.
"When Usher dropped off the tour, (Janet Jackson's) management company called and said, 'We want 'N Sync,' " Lance said. "She is one of our all-time favorites and we are going to be, like, so starstruck when we meet her," he added.
Band members range in age from 17 to 26. They have studied under the same choreographer who worked with the artist formerly know as Prince and Michael Jackson.
Lance said the band's well-choreographed stage show speaks for itself.
Those attending the concert may want to bring along a raincoat.
"Sometimes we'll pull people out of the crowd and make them sing and embarrass them like that. During the show, if we notice that the fans are getting squished up front...well, let's just say we will incorporate a lot of water in our show," Lance said.
Diverse front men defy stereotypes
BY BRAD KAVA (edited)
Mercury News Pop Music Writer (san Jose)
ON STAGE, Joey Fatone, the 21-year-old, fresh-faced, well-scrubbed singer from teenage heartthrobs 'N Sync had to postpone our phone interview because he was being mobbed by 2,000 frenzied girls in Cleveland. 'N Sync played the Santa Clara County Fair on Monday, a group on the way up in a venue that usually catches them on the downhill slide. 'N Sync's debut has sold a million copies and is No. 44 on the charts after four months. .. Fatone likes ``Mulan'' and two of his band mates were Mousketeers).
Devilish to debonair
Since they started two years ago, 'N Sync has been on the road almost constantly. Its five members hooked up in an Orlando night club. J.C. Chasez and Justin Timberlake were on ``The Mickey Mouse Club.'' Joey Fatone was performing as the Wolf Man in a Universal City show, ``The Beetlejuice Graveyard Revue.'' They met on Pleasure Island in Orlando and grooved to each other's dance moves. When everyone wanted to know what group they were in, they formed one. Like the New Kids on the Block, they are huge with preteens, who deluge them with screams and gifts on this U.S. tour. They broke first in Europe and have worked with Ace of Base's producer, Denniz Pop.
Fatone spoke from Michigan, a day after being mobbed by fans.
How's it feel to be so loved?
It's very weird. You don't know how to take it. People were
screaming, crying. It's weird. I'm very flattered, but it's very weird.
Favorite death metal band?
The only one I can think of is Gwar. I've heard one song by them.Marilyn Manson is interesting. If you talk to him he sounds pretty smart, but he's not normal, for me.
Biggest turn-off?
Girls that try to be something they are not. Girls that are fake.
Do you have a girlfriend?
Not yet. I'm looking, but it's hard to find one on our schedule.
What was the first album you bought?
Twisted Sister's ``We're Not Gonna Take It.'' I bought the single. I liked the beat. It was just cool.
What's your idea of heaven?
A secluded beach. Just lying out in the sun, because I haven't gotten
to do that in a long time.
Hell?
Walking on broken glass and dipping your feet in rubbing alcohol.
What does the devil look like?
He would look a little bit like me. No, everyone always sees him with the horns and the red, but I think he'd be slick and sneaky, and no one would recognize him.
Favorite food?
Anything Italian. Pizza, pasta, fettuccini.
Any tattoos?
I just got one a month ago in Canada. It's a Superman symbol with flames on it on my ankle. And it's got a Chinese symbol on a band. The symbols are for talent, music and strength.
Do you like perfume on girls?
Sure. They should smell good. I like this perfume from the Gap called Heaven.
Favorite Spice Girl?
Geri, but she's not there anymore. She's really outgoing. I like some of their music. Who knows what will happen to them in the future.
What about your future?
I hope this music will last for my whole life. It's very positive on a lot of stuff. We might branch off to different things like produce or manage.
Is 'N SYNC desperate for your attention?
from BB magazine (US): march 98'
There's no doubt that these tasty babes are tearin' up your heart with their puppy dog eyes and soulful ballads. But we bet you didn't know that "I want you back" songbirds J.C. Lance, Justin, Joey and Chris want nothing more than to win you over-and they won't stop until they do!
Even though the majorly hot members of 'N SYNC have only been together for two years, these determined dolls have been making it their business to get under your skin. After all, these hardworking guys have already made a major effort to make their fans swoon across the globe, touring nonstop in Europe and even coming over to the United States to sing the national anthem at Orlando magic basketball games and Philadelphia Philly's baseball games. "We went from Germany straight to Austria and Switzerland and now we're branching out to the U.K and hitting the States and everything," 21 year old Joey fatone explains. "The hardest thing is just getting out there." Not that these florida-based boys mind hanging tough to make their mark on the music biz. While they're totally focused on their singing and music, they're also super responsible when it comes to dealing with other stuff, like amking public appearences, doing interviews, and getting the word out how fab their music is. "We all care about the business of music," 17 year old Justin Timberlake shares with BB. "Otherwise, we wouldn't be around."
But even though 21 year old J.C Chasez confesses that it's a drag dealing with "a lack of sleep and less time to see family and stuff like that, " there's only one thing that's really hard for these cuties to bear: These American boys are majorly bummed that they're not more successful in their native nation, considering their singles "Tearin' up My Heart" and "I Want You Back" have been huge hits in Europe. "I think the hardest thing is being so big over iN Europe and coming home and nobody even having a clue," 21 year old Chris kirpatrick groans to BB.
Ouch! Instead of letting their tateside status get to them, however, these smart cookies are looking on the bright site and trying even harder to get more people in synch with 'N SYNC.
"Because this is our home, America is the number one market, it's a major thing to succeed here," admits 18 year old Lance Bass. "But if we don't succeed, we always have the rest of our work, doing our music and everything. We just have high hopes that we're going to do great here."
Hmmmm... with 'N SYNC's first album due out this spring, we're betting this band won't be singing the U.S blues for long!
The Spice Boys???
From BOP magazine (US): March 98'
All right, what if there was a group called the Spice Boys? There isn't, but the five guys in the Orlando, Florida-based pop group 'N SYNC have jokingly given themselves "Spice" nicknames. Justin Timberlake, who turns 17 this month, calls himself "Curly Spice" because of his curly hair. Lance Bass, 18, is "Laid-back Spice" because he's always cool, calm and collected. Chris Kirkpatrick, 26, is "Crazy Spice" because, as Lance has said, "He's so wild and hyper all the time; I've never seen him sleep." JC Chasez, 21, is "Sleepy Spice" because, in Chris' words, "He can sleep anywhere and in weird positions, especially on planes." And last but not least, Joey Fatone, who turns 21 this month, is "Happy Spice" or "Flirty Spice" because of the can't- resist-me puppy-dog look he does. Keep your eyes and ears out for 'N SYNC's single "I Want You Back," due out this month. Their album, however, won't be out until this March.
*N SYNC
from React April 27-May 3 1998
Who:James Lansten "Lance" Bass, 19, Joey Fatone Jr., 21, Justin Timberlake,
17, Chris Kirkpatrick, 26, and Joshua "J.C" Chasez, 22.
What:Firve talented singers and dancers whose names make up the act's name:
justiN, chriS, joeY, lansteN and jC See? 'N Sync.
Where: The group is based in Orlando, Fla. J.C. and Justin met on the set of the Micky Mouse Club. Soon they hooked up with Chris and Joey and started showing off their slick dance moves in local clubs. The quartet decided to form a singing group and got bass singer Lance to join up.
When: Since forming the band a year and a half ago, the boys have really exploded in Europe. Expect more of the same stateside. Their single "I Want You Back" is zooming up the charts.
Why: They make good R&B pop, and you can definately dance to it.
'N SYNC: YOU'RE GONNA WANT 'EM!
June 1998 16 magazine, page 76
Joining the seemingly endless parade of cute boys who can sing, here comes 'N SYNC--definitely one of the best boy groups around!
Two of the band's members, JC CHASEZ and JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE were major players on the Disney channel show Mickey Mouse Club--that's where they became pals and bonded over their musical aspirations. JC's a Washington DC native, Justin was born and raised in Memphis, TN, but the pair made the permanent move to Orlando, FL, where MMC filmed. When the show ended, they met up with Pittsburg, PA's CHRIS KIRKPATRICK and JOEY FATONE, a transplanted New Yorker, and the four friends began practicing their dance moves in local clubs. Then, Justin's vocal coach hooked the boys up with Mississippi born JAMES LANCE "LANTSTEN" BASS and the group was ready to roll. For a band name they combined JustiN, ChriS, JoeY, LantsteN, and JC--making them 'N Sync.
With their debut album in the record stores right now, and their huge hit single, "I Want You Back" climbing the charts, 'N Sync wants you to get to know them. For starters, Lance is the shyest in the group; JC's a huge football fan; Joey's the group flirt; Chris didn't realize he could sing till he got to college and Justin's the youngest 'N Sync-er--and he loves to dance. We'll definitely be telling you more about 'N SYNC in the months to come!
*N SYNC
March 1998 issue of JUMP magazine
"'N Sync, self titled (RCA). These five cheeky boys came from all over the United States to form a band in Orlando, FL, and became an overnight sensation in Germany. It's easy to understand why when you tune into their wholesome R&B pop sound. Their good vibe and danceable tunes are clean enough for Grandma's ears, but beat-heavy enough for school"
Gettin' 'N SYNC
From 16 Magazine late 1997
This group of young, talented vocalists met up in Orlando, Florida, even though none of them are from there. JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick, and Justin Timberlake met up at a local club, where their dancing attracted attention. They did some harmonizing and liked the sound, but they needed a base voice-which was supplied by a cute blond Lance Bass. 'N SYNC's debut album was released in Germany and two singles-"I Want You Back" and "Tearin' Up My Heart"-went gold.
Young Hercules
from Totally Fox Kids magazine
He's not a Greek hero (half god, half mortal), but he plays one on TV. As Young Hercules, Ryan Gosling gets a chance to flex his acting muscles, find the power within his heart, and wear a really cool costume. FOX KIDS got the scoop on the hunky hero, while he was filming in New Zealand.
TFK: What was your first acting job?
rg: I was on the Mickey Mouse Club. That was great fun. It was like Saturday Night Live for kids. Singing, dancing, skits. Great, now it's out of the bag. Everyone will know I sing and dance!
TFK: what kind of martial arts training had you done before you started Young Hercules?
rg: None. I watched a lot of Kung Fu movies, tons of them. I had a Blockbuster belt! I started training with Doug Wong just before the show. He's the same guy that trained Lucy Lawless and kevin Sorbo. He taught me a lot about weapons and where to stand and stuff.
TFK: Do you have a girlfriend?
rg: No, I don't have time. I'd have to met a pretty special girl who would understand my schduele.
TFK: what makes you fall for a girl?
rg: She'd have to be super understanding about the work, that it takes so much out of you that you don't really have time for many other things. She'd have to be someone who was willing to accept that; that's pretty special.
TFK: How do you think you'd recognize Ms. Right?
rg: if she asked me out...
TFK: what does a guy like Hercules eat for lunch?
rg: Well, I eat whatever is on the catering truck. They have this stuff here called kumra. It's a bit like a sweet potato. They make kumra fries, baked kumra. It's terrific, Really great.
TFK: have you ever met Xena?
rg: Yeah I met Lucy. She came to the set with her kids. She gave me good advice about playing the part.
TFK: What's the msot exciting thing you've done on the show?
rg: Probably being chased by a huge fireball. That was pretty neat. We set off about 25 of them. They were these huge, huge blasts and we were running away from them, and they had the whole back of our heads greased up so we wouldn't catch on fire. It was pretty neat.
TFK: What's the wackiest thign that's ever happened to you on any set?
rg: Just yesterday I was covered in mud for the entire day. I had to do this scene where I was pretending to be like my friend Iolaus. I had a mop on my head and I was rolling around in a pigpen, just covered in mud the whole day, acting with pigs.
TFK: Is it ever dangerous, doing this kind of thing? Do you do your own stunts or do you have stunt people?
rg: I try and do as much as I can, but anything that is too dangerous they don't let us do.
TFK: What's the weather like in New Zealand?
rg:The seasons are the exact opposite form over there. Right now we're going into winter. It's getting kind of cold and we're running around the forest half naked. It's not as glamorous as you thought. Fiji is right near here, about an hour away. Hopefully we can make a trip out there.
TFK: how do you feel about the costumes you wear on the show?
rg: It's the kind of costume you really have to like because I don't change, I wear that every day. It's all made out of leather; it's fonely woven. They're really beautiful and intricate. I'm pretty lucky-I have the coolest costume on the set. (Don't tell anybody I said that).
TFK: Do you have any advice for kids who might want to be actors?
rg: it's just something you have to stick with. It's not something that's going to happen right away. Ninety-nine percent of the business is rejection. Maybe that one time or one percent you get work or positive feedback (at least that's my experience). You just have to stick it out. It's a lot of fun and you have to take everything with a grain of salt.
"Young Hercules"
From: NY Vue (NY Daily News TV Guide insert ~ 8/22)
Fall Preview '98
they never mention Ryan's name here but there is a picture of him under the article...
From the producers of "Hercules: the Legendary Journeys" and "Xena: Warrior Princess" comes this live-action series featuring Hercules, the demigod, as a teenager learning to be the hero he is destined to become. Expect lots of mythical beasts and spectacular action peppered with a comic edge as Hercules battles evil warriors alongisde his childhood friend, Iolaus, and the stout-hearted Jason, crown prince of Corinth.
MEET RYAN GOSLING
mini pages in the Washington Post 4/98
Ryan Gosling plays Sean Hanlon on the show "Breaker High." Ryan was born in Ontario, Canada. As a chile he sang and danced in talent shows. At 12, he auditioned for "The Micky Mouse Club." He got the part and moved to Orlando, Fla., where he was on the show for two years. He has been in several other TV shows, including "Road to Avonlea," "Kung Fu: The Legend Continues," "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" "Flash Forward" and "Goosebumps." He has also been in several movies, including "Frankenstein and Me."
Overheard Talking about Felicity
"I think the show is really funny and smart,and its responible too.I mean,especially since I'm a young girl,I dont choose parts that compromise my morals." says Keri Russell
"I may not do this in 5 years.This may be way too much and I may go move away and have kids.What I mean is,tomorrow,if i wasnt acting,its not like my life would be over" says keri russell on her insta-success
"She's definitely cute,Felicity might drive me nuts occasionally,but that's probably why I'd be so taken with her" says co-star Scott Foley [Noel],on whether he'd date Felicity in real life
"She came in the room and we just knew.She was the first one who read the part as funny" Felicity co-creators Matt Reeves and JJ Abrams on Keri's audition
"Keri and I get giggle fits on the set" says Amy Jo Johnson [Julie]
"I so was her in high school..I had one best girlfriend,I didnt fit in any group;I kind of voyeuristically watched high school pass by,which is completely Felicity" says Keri on how Felicity mirrors her own life
"It was so clear to me that she was someone who was going to be a star.At 19,she was already one of the most seasoned pros in the biz" says 7th heaven's papa Stephen Collins aka."the rich guy who got keri in trouble by making her feel like a adult in Babysitter's seduction" on acting with her
"I'm definitely as hypersensitive as felicity.I just dont always show it" says Keri
Felicity
Long live the mortifying college party!
You know what's scary? I remember college being just like it is in Felicity. Perhaps that says more about me than you'd care to know, but it amazes me how the show manages to capture the struggles and fears of college so intensely. From standing up in front of a class full of strangers and talking about your personal life (something anyone in their right mind would be terrified of) to dealing with unforgiving and intimidating professors to feigning that you lost your keys to spend the night in a girls room. But you know what? Not everyone in my college was beautiful. Then again, we weren't nearly so dramatic,either.
"Hot Objects" plays up a bit of Ben and Julie's relationship, much to the chagrin of Felicity who of course, takes a certain unspoken delight when Ben stays the night in her bedroom. It just goes to show Ben is a more complex than he appears on the surface—I don't even think the writers know if he's a good guy or not. One minute he's treating Felicity as if he's completely unaware that she's alive, and the next he's acting like her best friend. The growing pains of the first few episodes, I suppose.
Noel, however, is just plain sad. The role of the suffering puppy is getting rather passe (hey, Joey's been doing it for a year now on Dawson's Creek). It's a classic struggle—Noel likes Felicity, but Felicity likes Ben, who likes Julie. Of course, Julie likes Ben back, so Noel just gets the shaft all around. Yep, this is the first year of college, alright! But where are the sorority girls?
from http://www.dailytv.com/review/515.html
Felicity: Keri Russell
Rolling Stone Sep 17, 1998
If you were one of the dozens of people to see "The All New Mickey Mouse CLub" in the early Nineties or one of the hundreds dedicated to 1996's"MaLibu Shores," then perhaps you've already fallen for Keri Russell If not, this year's buzz show, "Felicity" in which she plays a smart but confused,pretty but forlorn college coed - will give you your chance Comparisons have been made to another similarly unanchored TV siren, but Ally McBeal references leave Russell unfazed. Will there be hanging out or mud wrestling with Calista Flockhart? `Mud wrestling possibly, but hanging out, I don't think so," she says.
Keri
Harpar's Bazaar
When Keri Russell was 14, a Disney scout plucked her from a Denver dance studio to become a member of the new Mickey Mouse Club. "I grew up at Disney World," she says with a laugh. "I learned to drive in the Magic Kingdom."
Then she starred in Aaron Spelling's short-lived Malibu Shores. Having experienced both Mouse and cheese, Russell, now 22, sees her latest role as a boon. As the title character on WB's new teen drama, Felicity (think Ally McBeal goes to college), she plays an NYU freshman taking her first steps toward independence. "Felicity's smart, she's funny, she doesn't wear revealing clothing," Russell says. "It's such a relief." Next, she dances on to the big screen in Mad About Mambo, which just wrapped in Ireland. But despite the run of great roles, Russell is staying philosophical. "If people hate Felicity, I could move to Colorado and become a ranch hand," she says. "You never know." -Meredith Kahn
FELICITY: Tuesdays, 9pm-10pm. (WB)
-REACT magazine, Sept. 14-20
"Ever wonder what would have happened if the gang on My So Called Life had grown up and gone to college? Meet Felicity (Keri Russell), a straight-A student who gives up plans for med school to follow her crush (Scott Speedman) to college in New York City, Move over, Dawson's Creek: From now on, everyone's going to bed debating which is the coolest show."
Some tidbits from E! Online
Felicity cocreator J.J. Abrams believes the WB has an advantage over their networks because it's still willing to gamble on exciting, new shows. "Because it's an emerging network, it's not afraid to take risks," he says. "It provided the opportunity for us like it did with Dawson's Creek. That's what makes it cutting edge."
Felicity, which is generating the kind of pre-debut buzz that accompanied Dawson's Creek last season, centers around a shy, high school graduate (Keri Russell) who impulsively leaves her West Coast home to attend college in New York City. (The show also features the new teen-drama trend that adults must be helpless or clueless: Felicity's parents cut her off because she refuses to spend the next 10 years of her life becoming a doctor at Stanford.)
"In many ways, the WB is like the character of Felicity," Abrams says. "They're willing to take these crazy risks and see what happens. That's why Felicity is such a perfect fit for the WB. It doesn't feel like the staid, old, established networks.
Felicity
The Premise: Just months away from college, braniac student blows off Stanford and follows her heart (i.e., a hot guy) to a Manhattan college.
Reality Check: New York University's admission deadline for fall is January 15. "If the application is too late," says an admissions rep, "there's a good chance it wouldn't even be looked at."
Bottom Line: Felicity is class-less.
"Felicity tells tale of freshmen"
Freshman/Transfer issue of the U. Conn. newspaper, the "Daily Campus"
"Dawson's Creek." "Party of Five." "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." There are many TV shoes for and about high school student. Finally, the bigwigs in network land have decided that a show about college is worth investing in.
"Felicity," premiering on the Warner Brothers network this fall, is about the trials and tribs of Felicity Porter, a college freshman alone in New York City. And judging from early responses from critics and TV execs alike, this "dramedy" could be the next "Ally McBeal."
Felicity, played by Keri Russell, is an introspective and straightfoward gal who, instead of following her parents' urgings to stay near and attend Stanford, rushes off to New York, 3,000 miles away from her Cali home.
Part of the reason, she decided to go is because Ben Covinton, a teenage crush to whom she has said no more than two words in high school, is on his way to the Big Apple. Ben, played by a relative newcomer Scott Speedman, had left a cryptic message in Felicity's yearbook, telling her he watched her for four years, always wondering what she was thinking.
As fate would have it, Felicity and Ben run into each other and a slightly odd friendship ensues. Along the way, Felicity meets Julie, a bubbly new pal and Neal, a friendsly RA who has eyes for the Cali girl.
Felicity's inner thoughts are told through her taped discussions to Sally, her old French tutor. Felicity tells Sally her deepest feelings and insights on a tape recoreder, and she does the same. It's an interesting concept that's freshere thatn the inner-narration used in other shows.
Besides showcasing the ins and outs of college life, "Felicity" is all about becoming your own person and making your own decisions. I can't say all I want to - the WB refuses to let anyone review the pilot, probably becasue it might change before the fall - but I can say that this show stands out against the usual fare. It's reminiscent of "My So called Life," one of the best shows that chronicled the perils of adolecence. Keri Russell is as enigmateic as Claire Danes even though their characters are entirely different.
If "Felicity" can do what "MSCL" did - combine honest storylines with great acting, and catch on with audences like "90210" has - it could be the show that puts this fledgling network and its talented starts on the map.
"Felicity" will tentatively air Tuesdays from 9 to 10 pm on the WB.
FELICITY
from EXTRA
Keri Russel ("Malibu Shores") stars as Felicity Porter in this evocative new coming-of-age drama from Imagine Television that will change the way we look at the choices we make in life. Practically since she left the womb, Felicity's existence had been meticulously planned out for her by her parents. Retreating from their conventional wishes and embarking on college in New York City, Felicity emerges out of this protected environment into her life, stumbling through the looking glass into adulthood. Felicity discovers that things may happen to her, but it is her reactions that really count. She gains her footing in a city where anything can happen, striking out on her own with her help of her new friend Julie (Amy Jo Johnson, "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers"), dorm R.A. Noel (Scott Foley, "Dawson's Creek") and high school obsession-turned platonic pal Ben Covington (Scott Speedman, "The Dan Jansen Story"). Felicity indulges in introspective moments to reflect on all of these life changes in taped latters to her close friend and former French tutor, Sally (voice of Janeane Garofalo, "The Truth About Cats & Dogs"). Created by J.J. Abrams ("Forever Young," "Regarding Henry") and Matt Reeves ("The Pallbearer") and executive produced by Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Tony Krants, Abrams and Reeves, the series is from Imagine Television in association with Touchstone Television.
"Standing Out in the Crowd"
from the Bergen Record in New Jersey! it's theJune 4th issue in the "your Times" section.
This fall, TV's catchword just could be Keri
Next season could be very, very, Keri. Keri Russell, that is. Don't say you weren't warned.
A year ago, it was Jenna Who, Calista Saywhat. but now we sure know the Misses Elfman and Flockhart, elevated to household name status on the wings of "Dharma & Greg" and "Ally McBeal," this season's most talked about new series.
For 1998-99, look out for Russell, the 22 year old actress who plays the title role in "Felicity," a new coming of age drama on the WB network.
Although the WB schedule was officially unveiled just two weeks ago, "Felicity," which won the 9 pm Tuesday slot, had already been a cinch to make the fall roster.
"When they told me a month ago I was coming to New York, I figured that it was a pretty good sign," Russell said May 19, the day the network make its fall lineup official.
Whisked into Manhattan 48 hours earlier from Ireland, where she is making a movie, she took a breather in her hotel room before dashing to the airport for the flight back to Dublim.
"It's a little overwhelming," she said. "There are so many people who need things from you, and you want to please everyone."
To wit: She spent the day before in a photo shoot for Seventeen magazine while shadowed by a reporter from Entertainment Weekly. Then the whirlwing resumed early that morning at tthe WB's "upfront" presentation - a breakfast session for advertisers held in a hotel ballroom so jammed that fire marshals barred latecomers.
One of a score of WB stars in attendance, Russell shared a table with Paul Schulman, a leading media analyst, and several of his advertiser clients. "She was charming," Schulman summed up later. "But I was already sold."
Indeed, Russell and "Felicity" were awarded an early thumbs up from Schulman and others who advise their clients on promising new series.
With grey eyes, a dazzling smile, and lots of curly hair, Russell exudes a girl next door quality....if your neighborhood's in heaven. She calls acting "a think I kinda fell into" - a photographer dicovered her ina dance class - "and I'm just riding it."
But a quite a clip. In the past few years she has made featured and TV films, and landed roles on NBC's short lived teen sudser "Malibu Shores" and CBS' Dudley Moore sitcom "Daddy's Girls."
In December she read the script for "Felicity" and fell in love with it, she says, although the role presented a challenge: Felicity, a California girl about to enter college, is supposed to be a wallflower.
Despite her timit nature, Felicity, on a romantic impulse, decides to ditch her plans to attend Stanford. Instead, she heads for NYU, set on becoming an artist rather than the doctor her father had in mind. And there you have the series already nicknames "Ally McBeal Goes to College."
Having won the part, Russell fimled the pilot a few weeks later. Capturing the character was easy, she said. "I tried to make Felicity not body consciousk, wearing these great big sweaters. She's not comfortable in her skin. She doesn't know how to be coy yet, to be aloof and cool."
In mid-July, Russell will finish her film, a comantic comedy set in Belfast with the working title "Mad About Mambo." then, back home in Los Angeles, she will plunge into "Felicity" - and wait to see if all the buxx translated into an approving roar.
"It's weird, daunting," she said when asked about the fame she may have in store. "I don't know yet how I'm going to deal with it. But I hope to find some way to work it out."
16's New Music News!
Britney Spears: She's Got it All
If you're looking for the next queen of pop music, look no further than 16 year old Britney Spears. This bright, bubbly and beautiful Louisiana native has been performing since she was a child-she started acting at the age of eight. When she was 11, she joined the team at the Mickey Mouse Club (where she sang, danced and did comedy skits with 'N SYNC's JC Chasez and Justin Timberlake). But while she enjoyed acting, Britney knew in her heart that she wanted to be a singer. "It's what I always wanted to do since I was little."
Well now she's doin' it in a big way! Her self-titled debut album is a delightful collection of funky dance tunes and sweet, melodic ballads. Songs like "Soda Pop" and "You've Got it All" are a great indication of how Britney feels about music. "I want to be an artist everyone can relate to, who's young and happy and fun," she says.
Although Britney is riding a musical wave of success these days, she still loves the things you love-liek shopping, reading romance novels and lying on the beach. But making music and performing live are still her #1 priorities. "I know I've had to give up some things to do this, but this is what I love," she says. "I can't imagine doing anything esle with my life."
Britney Spears On Success: 'It's Really, Really Cool'
Pop Star Eyes TV
Britney Spears seems like an unlikely candidate for sneak chart coups. But this week, the demure 17- year- old Louisiana native will watch her debut album ... Baby One More Time enter The Billboard 200 chart at the No. 1 position (allstar, Jan. 20).
Meanwhile, the lead-off single from the album the title track, stays firmly planted in the top position of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles Sales chart, giving all those teen boy bands cause for aserious zit break-out. "It's really, really cool," is the only commentary Spears has to offer on her skyrocketing success.
It's no surprise she sounds like an old pro. Six years ago, Spears was one of the stars of The Mickey Mouse Club, alongside various members of 'NSync. With the intervention of an industrious entertainment lawyer, last year she landed a deal with Jive Records (home of the Backstreet Boys) and graduated from the junior leagues.
Her debut was recorded alternately in New York and Sweden with golden producers Eric Foster White (Whitney Houston) and Max Martin (Backstreet Boys, Robyn, Ace of Base), and boasts sure-fire follow-up hits like "Soda Pop" and a cover of the Jets' "You've Got It All."
"I feel lucky," says Spears. "Everything is cool right now. It's a lot of fun." Even though she just completed an arena tour
with friends 'NSync ("No, I did not see them walk around naked backstage," she claims), Spears will continue making regular appearances at suburban malls where she built up a grassroots following last fall. Her youth permits her to hav only vague memories of '80s mall teen iconTiffany.
"I remember her, but when I was younger I just listened to Whitney Houston all the time," she says. "Oh my God, her voice when she sings, it's like it's really coming from her heart. I totally admire that." Spears has also attracted her fair share of stalkers even before the album's release date. "I was at home for the holidays and this guy all the sudden shows up at my house," she explains. "It was really strange because he didn't park by my house. He parked half a block away.
It was like he was creeping up on me. I would have died if I would have been home by myself. That was really freaky."
Now she is just looking forward to seeing the world and cashing in on her driving privileges. "If things really work out the way I want them to," Spears says, "I'm just going to take this as my college, just traveling and visiting so many different places." Spears' promotional plate is quite full these days. She'll appear at the Markville Mall in Markham, Ontario on Jan. 29; head to Europe Jan. 30; stop by The Rosie O'Donnell Show on Feb. 8; appear on Regis & Kathie Lee sometime in February; and there is talk of her appearing on three episodes of Dawson's Creek, however, that is not yet firmed up.
Meanwhile, the teen queen just took part in acelebrity- studded Tommy Hilfiger photo shoot on Tuesday (Jan. 19) in New York, along with Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest, Puff Daddy protege Jerome, newcomers Michael Fredo and Marsha Milan, and N.Y. DJ Mark Ronson. They will appear in Hilfiger's 1999 print ad campaign.
And if that's not enough, allstar sister site Rocktropolis is joining in Britney-mania with the Born to Make You Happy Giveaway, in which 10 winners will recieve a cotton candy pink Britney Spears baby-tee and a photo autographed by Spears herself.
One talented teen
by Andy Smith
Providence Journal Music Editor
A self-possessed 17-year-old named Christina Aguilera stopped in the office late last month on a promotional tour. Aguilera, who is working on her debut record, scored a coup by being chosen to sing the big ballad, Reflection , from the soundtrack for the latest animated Disney movie, Mulan .
Born in Staten Island, Aguilera said she grew up in Pittsburgh and has wanted to sing ``since I've been in diapers.'' She made her TV debut at age 8 on Star Search .
She was on the brink of signing a record deal with RCA when she heard Disney was looking for a young female singer for Mulan . But she had to be able to belt a certain note -- E above middle C -- which Aguilera calls ``the note that changed my life.''
Aguilera sang the song into a cheap tape recorder, sent the results to Disney, and the next thing she knew, she was in Hollywood. After singing Reflection a few times, Disney execs told her she had the job.
``I was ecstatic,'' she said. ``These things only come along once every few years. They took a huge chance using an unknown like me.''
An admirer of full-throated divas such as Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, Aguilera is working on her own record in between promotional appearances for Disney. She said the result will probably be more danceable and R&B-flavored than Reflection.
Aguilera, oldest of five siblings, will be a senior in high school next year, although she'll be tutored in order to fulfill her show-biz commitments. She's hardly worried about show business messing up her young life.
``I'd be worried about being messed up if I didn't do this,'' she said.
Copyright © 1998 The Providence Journal Company
Produced by www.projo.com
