~Updated News~
This is updated news taken from MTV.com
7/11/01
"A.J. McLean's Mom Says Her Son Feeling Safe, Relieved"
Three days after A.J. McLean entered a rehabilitation program, the Backstreet Boy is feeling optimistic and safe, according to his mother.
"He's very, very positive," Denise McLean said Wednesday from Orlando, Florida. "The first thing I heard in his voice was relief. He felt he was safe and getting what he needed."
McLean, who's spoken with her son since he left for an unspecified rehabilitation center on Sunday, said that A.J. has already begun to make progress in battling the depression and anxiety that led him to abuse alcohol.
McLean added that both she and A.J. were grateful to the many fans who've expressed support since the singer's fellow Backstreet Boys made his struggles public on Monday.
"I just think [that with] this compassion and this outflow of love that people are giving, how can he not get better? It's strength for all of us," she said.
She plans to visit A.J. in rehab this weekend, and hopes to bring him letters from fans, including those sent to this Web site's page, she said.
A.J. has already begun talking about how he could use his problems to help "others, kids and adults who are going through the same thing," his mother said.
Meanwhile, the Backstreet Boys' sometime-rivals 'NSYNC expressed support for A.J. on Wednesday through their manager, Johnny Wright, who once managed the Backstreet Boys as well.
"Although I no longer have a professional relationship with A.J., my personal relationship still remains very strong," Wright said in a statement. "I consider A.J. part of my family and I am very proud of A.J. for recognizing he needs help. Not only myself, but all five members of 'NSYNC send our thoughts and prayers."
Fans can write to A.J. McLean at the following address, according to his mother:
A.J. McLean/Johnny No Name
P.O. Box 691809
Orlando, Florida 32869
7/9/01
"Backstreet Boys: 'We Want to Be Honest...'"
It's easy to think of pop stars as glimmering gods, immune to the troubles that afflict the rest of us.
But like his fellow stars, the Backstreet Boys' A.J. McLean is all too human, and his problems are very real. His bandmates � Brian Littrell, Nick Carter, Howie Dorough and Kevin Richardson � revealed this week that A.J.'s struggles with alcohol abuse, depression and anxiety will delay a month's worth of tour dates.
When the group sat down with MTV News' John Norris on Monday for an uncharacteristically somber chat � just before appearing with him on "TRL" � their thoughts were on their friend's health, not their touring plans. Nick Carter seemed most affected � he stayed silent through most of the interview, and quietly teared up when he did begin to speak. Norris asked the Boys what happened, how they're dealing with it and what this means for the group's future.
***
John Norris: You guys have been to the MTV studios many times, but I think it's safe to say never under circumstances like this. Can you tell me why you are here today?
Kevin Richardson: We recently decided to postpone some of [our tour] dates, due to, firstly, Nick['s] broken hand. ... This gave [us] time [to think about] something else we've been going through, which is A.J. Since the loss of his grandmother, [and] even before that, he's been going through some depression, some anxiety. He's been burning the candle at both ends and partying quite a bit to escape it. His alcoholism is pretty bad. We're worried about him, and ... [when] we were thinking about postponing some dates, he said, "I can't do this out on the road, I need some real help." We've had counselors come out on the road and talk to us and talk to him. We've been trying to help him overcome this without taking the tour down.
Norris: How long has this been going on?
Brian Littrell: We assessed it initially in Orlando [on June 8] when this leg of the U.S. tour started. We were having meetings about postponing dates even then, just for his well-being. That's when [we talked about getting] counselors, someone he could talk to, someone that could be there for him. His mother was going to come out to support him, and we were all gonna take the necessary precautions for him to be better. Over time, we realized he was lying to himself to think that he could get better on his own. ... It was affecting the show and it really took him a while to be man enough to come to us and say, "Listen guys, I've got a problem and I just need to take care of it." ... [With] alcoholism, your defenses are down. He's our brother. We live and die by what each other does, and that's why we postponed the dates. It's important to us to know that our fans can be there to support us as well as to support him. We're taking a step here and saying we're not the group without him, and we don't want to perform.
Norris: Was there any consideration given to continuing on the tour without A.J.?
Howie Dorough: We had been advised that that would have been the easiest way, to hide ... it under the blanket. [To] let A.J. go off and take care of himself and let the tour continue. But we didn't feel that was the honest way of approaching this situation. It's just putting a bandage over it. We felt A.J. really needed our support, and he needs the support of the fans. He's gonna be gone about 30 days, so we're gonna take that month of July [dates] and put them back into September.
Kevin: We could have said he broke his leg or something.
Brian: It's not about getting by, it's about his health. If he's not healthy, we cannot have a healthy career, and he's part of this whole thing.
Kevin: We are put on a pedestal as role models, and we felt the best way to be role models is to step up to the plate and be honest. This happens every day in homes across America and the world. Maybe this could help somebody.
Brian: A.J. was born and bred for this business ... he thrives on it. He has such a passion for performing and being in front of people. All the Backstreet Boys fans know that.
Norris: You guys probably don't want to speculate too much on what's at the root of this. But you mentioned his grandmother's death. Is there more going on with A.J.?
Kevin: His grandmother, who he recently lost, was like a second mother to him. His mother and father were divorced. He was an only child and he lived with his grandparents and his mother. I think when she passed away, that just sent it over the edge. [RealVideo]
Howie: He was consistently trying to figure himself out. Fame brings a lot of stuff to people. Sometimes it brings happiness, it can bring a lot of money, but the money and all that stuff doesn't always bring you happiness. Each of us has had to deal with it differently. Getting back to what Kevin was saying, thank God we came from families that were really together. We had the support. I think A.J., through all this, was looking for support and trying to find himself. As we all know, A.J's the crazy rebel with the tattoos, always trying to find that security. [RealVideo]
Norris: Brian, you said discussions about doing something about this went back to Orlando when you started this leg of the tour. When was the earliest that you guys thought maybe there is something to be concerned about?
Kevin: If you read the Rolling Stone article, almost a year ago.
Brian: As success grows and your career grows, things change and evolve and you're either going to become your own man and deal with your problems or you're gonna become a recluse and take things in[ward]. ... We didn't spend every waking moment together at all times. He went off on his own quite often, but it was something that worried me. ... I was worried about him vocally. I was worried about him physically. He has a lot of duties when it comes to showtime, singing a lot of leads. We want the fans to get the best show they came to see.
Kevin: He doesn't have a mean bone in his body and he was changing, he wasn't being himself. He was doing things behavior-wise that weren't normal for him to do, as far as disrespecting group meetings and things like that. That's not him. He lives for this, so that's when it really became evident to us.
Brian: When we approached it, he said he would take the precautions necessary. ... But when you're dealing with someone who has an illness, they have to believe in their hearts that they have to be better. He came to us yesterday and said, "Guys, I need help." I looked at him in the eyes and I said, "I'm proud of you." Because that's the first time he ever said it to any of us.
Norris: You mentioned that it was beginning to affect his performance. We were just with you guys in Boston this weekend and from what I hear there was no indication, outwardly anyway, that there was anything going on. He seemed fine, fine voice and everything.
Kevin: We'd notice vocally more than other people.
Brian: We're more critical.
Kevin: We remember how his voice used to sound when he used to rest and take care of himself.
Norris: How bad did it get? At night when you guys were on the road, would he go off and party until the morning?
Kevin: I don't want to get too specific, because I don't want to be disrespectful to him. But we would do something together as a group, maybe have some dinner and have a few cocktails at dinner. It would be late and we'd have to do something the next day, and after that he would go on his own. He just didn't want to go back to the room and go to bed. He wanted to continue. He was becoming a vampire.
Howie: The next morning when we'd all have to be together as a unit, he would sometimes call and say he was too tired. After a while it was disrespect[ful] to us. If you have a cancer, a weak link, you have to fix the problem.
Norris: Was it just alcohol, as far as you guys know?
Kevin: As far as we know.
Norris: Are you guys confident that it's going to take care of this in 30 days?
Kevin: We are confident. We believe in him. That's one thing about A.J., like Brian was saying earlier, he loves to be onstage. When we're off tour, he doesn't know what to do with himself.
Norris: Sometimes when people go through what he's about to go through, it's such a reassessment that it comes to a point where they decide, for whatever reason, they have to make changes in one area of their lives. If those changes involve the group or his continuing on as part of the group, are you guys prepared for that?
Nick Carter: Sorry I've been a little quiet, because I'm just a little sad ... It's just kind of difficult. [Covers his mouth and begins to tear.]
Howie: We've talked about it and we're betting on A.J. to come back. We want him to because we don't feel like the Backstreet Boys without A.J. At the same time, if he doesn't feel it in his heart or if this environment isn't the best place for him, we love A.J. If he needs more time, if we have to revisit the idea of continuing on the tour and us covering for him, we might have to do that.
Nick: It's not about the group. It's about his life and who he is and that's the most important thing. [Crying]
Norris: It's ironic that this would come to a head now. This is a time when there's been speculation about the future of pop groups in general, and talk of everything from solo projects to you guys starting families and wanting more time for that. Do you think this is going to add to that speculation about Backstreet's future?
Kevin: It totally will. The press is going to run with this thing, but we were here before the big pop explosion and hopefully we'll be here after.
Nick: It's difficult to come here and talk about this kind of stuff. We were kind of scared, because no pop group has ever come out and done anything like this. I guess it's a big stepping stone.
Kevin: Normally this kind of stuff [comes out] 20 years later.
Norris: You talked earlier about those that would say it's better to keep things like this quiet. Do you expect there's going to be some disenchantment on the part of parents of your young fans?
Kevin: I'm sure there probably will, but we want to be honest. That's what's more important, us sleeping at night. [RealVideo]
Brian: My mom always told me when I was little if you tell one lie, you have to tell four or five to get out of that initial one. There's no way around the truth. We are a group that appeals to young people, as well as to parents and grandparents. Hopefully they'll just honor our decision about being honest and respect us for that. [RealVideo]
Howie: I think with us taking a stance like this, instead of them looking at this like a negative thing, hopefully they'll look at this as a positive thing. That we are trying to be role models, and if there are problems, deal with the problems, don't hide it. [RealVideo]
Norris: This was voluntary. You guys didn't have to do an intervention. It's not like he's been forced into rehab?
Kevin: We contemplated intervention, but we didn't do an intervention. He made the decision on his own.
Norris: Was he hostile at all when you approached him?
Kevin: At first, yeah. But after he thought about it for a couple days ... We were in rehearsal down there, his mother and his uncle were down there talking to him. He was like, "Maybe it would be good for me to talk to somebody, 'cause maybe I don't have a drinking problem. Maybe I just have issues that I need to deal with."
Norris: There are rescheduled dates. We shouldn't say this is a cancellation, this is a postponement.
All: Exactly.
Kevin: We're dedicated to getting these U.S. and Canada [legs] done and just take it one step at a time. Hopefully we'll get to head to Europe and Southeast Asia and Australia as well.
Norris: He's going to have to take the time that he needs to do it?
Kevin: Exactly. After this 30 days, if he's not ready, then we'll have to reassess it and cross that bridge when we get to it.
Norris: How would you characterize your feelings right now? Are you angry, just disappointed, hopeful, all of the above?
All: All of the above.
Kevin: You've got kinds of ... [a] little bit nervous about what kind of reaction we're going to get. Happy for A.J. that he's taken this step, angry a little bit at A.J. Sad and compassionate that he has to go through this. All of it.
Norris: When did you last see him?
All: Yesterday.
Howie: Right before he left.
Norris: What did you say to him last time you saw him?
Kevin: We told him, "A.J. we're gonna tell them this."
Howie: He wanted it, actually. He was like, "I'm glad you guys are telling this, because I don't want to live a lie." He cried to us. He said he was scared about all this, but that he knew it was the right thing to do.
Howie: We're gonna come back stronger.
7/9/01
Backstreet Boys Postpone Tour As A.J. McLean Seeks Treatment
The Backstreet Boys have postponed the next month of their Black & Blue world tour to allow the group's A.J. McLean to get treatment for alcohol abuse, depression and anxiety.
The other four members of the group told MTV News on Monday (July 9) that they will postpone all dates of their tour until an August 7 show in Vancouver, British Columbia. In the meantime, McLean will seek help at an unspecified rehabilitation center, according to the group, who shared McLean's plight with tearful fans on "TRL" Monday afternoon.
"[A.J.] came to us yesterday and said, 'Guys, I need help,'" group member Brian Littrell told MTV News. "I looked at him in the eyes and said, 'I'm proud of you.' That's the first time he said it to any of us: 'Guys, I have a problem, and I wanna better myself and better the group and better our situation.' "
The group's rescheduled dates are expected to run from September 4 at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, to September 28 at Skyreach Centre in Edmonton, Alberta.
But the Backstreet Boys said they contemplated postponing tour dates as early as opening night in Orlando on June 8.
"We approached [A.J.] in Orlando when we felt it was going to influence the tour," Nick Carter said. "I was worried about him vocally, I was worried about him physically. He has a lot of duties when it comes to performing. We wanted the fans to get the best show possible."
Early Monday afternoon, before the group announced McLean's treatment plans, a publicist for the Backstreet Boys told the Associated Press that they were canceling the remainder of their five-show run in Boston because Carter injured his right hand. The group was scheduled to play in Boston's FleetCenter Monday night.
That cancellation gave McLean a chance to reflect on his situation and tell his bandmates he couldn't continue with the tour, BSB's Howie Dorough said.
Carter, who wore a brace on his right hand on Monday, was distraught during an MTV News interview just before the group's "TRL" appearance.
In a tear-choked voice, Carter said he expected McLean to overcome his problems.
"I think he's going to do it. I do," he said. "I don't think there is an end to this group until one of us dies."
But Dorough said that the Backstreet Boys could continue without McLean, at least temporarily, if his problems continue.
"We're betting on A.J. to come back. We want him to, because we don't feel that the Backstreet Boys are the Backstreet Boys without A.J. ... [But] if he needs more time � if we have to possibly revisit the idea of continuing on tour and us kind of covering for him, we might have to do that at that time," Dorough said. "His life, his health is more important than this."
McLean's problems had been affecting his performances, his bandmates said.
"We're a little more critical [than the fans]," Carter said. "We remember how his voice used to sound when he got his rest."
"It was affecting his show," Littrell added. "It took him awhile to be man enough, to come to us and say, 'Listen guys, I have a problem that I need to take care of.' It was important to us as a group to catch it now because we're worried about his safety and his wellbeing. You could hear a horror story on the news about something he'd done, and we didn't want to take that chance. We didn't want to allow him that opportunity."
Counselors came on tour with the group to help McLean, but he continued his behavior, according to his bandmates.
"We would have some dinner and maybe have a few cocktails at dinner. ... It would be late, and after that he would go off on his own," Kevin Richardson said. "He didn't just want to go back to the room and go to bed. He wanted to continue. He was becoming a vampire."
McLean was deeply affected by the recent death of his grandmother, according to his bandmates, who attributed some of his problems to that loss.
Rescheduled Backstreet Boys tour dates:
9/4 - Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Coliseum
9/6 - East Rutherford, NJ @ Continental Airlines Arena
9/7 - East Rutherford, NJ @ Continental Airlines Arena
9/8 - Boston, MA @ FleetCenter
9/9 - Boston, MA @ FleetCenter
9/10 - Boston, MA @ FleetCenter
9/12 - Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Center
9/13 - Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Center
9/14 - Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Center
9/15 - Ottawa, ON @ Corel Center
9/17 - Montreal, QC @ Molson Center
9/18 - Buffalo, NY @ HSBC Arena
9/19 - Cleveland, OH @ Gund Arena
9/20 - Detroit, MI @ The Palace
9/22 - Chicago, IL @ Tweeter Center
9/23 - Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
9/26 - Calgary, AB @ Saddledome
9/27 - Calgary, AB @ Saddledome
9/28 - Edmonton, AB @ Skyreach Centre
1/24/02
Backstreet Boys Going 'Organic' On Next LP, But Won't Rule Out Sugar
10.23.2001
Next week Backstreet Boys will release their first greatest-hits package, The Hits: Chapter One, which includes 14 songs from their three studio albums as well as the new single "Drowning," which features Kevin Richardson on piano. On November 6 they'll follow with the VHS and DVD release "The Video Hits: Chapter One."
While the obligatory "best-of" release (see "Backstreet Boys Prep Hits LP, Shoot Video For New Track"), is often a signal of creative drought, that's not the case for Backstreet Boys. The group worked on a batch of new songs on its last tour, which ended October 19 in Las Vegas.
"We had a writing studio and we got five demos done while we were on the road," Richardson said backstage at the Concert for New York on Saturday (see "McCartney, Jagger, Bowie, The Who Come To NY's Aid"). "We're going to go back into the studio in February to work on the new album."
In an effort to grow and evolve, the group wants to make its next record less glossy and electronic than its past releases.
"We want to go more organic with the production � live drums, live bass, acoustic guitars," Richardson said. "One song A.J. [McLean] wrote is called 'Happy,' and we definitely want to put that on there."
Even though McLean recently went through rehab and the world around them shudders on an axis threatened by terrorism, Backstreet Boys will keep crooning about puppy love and heartbreak. After all, Boys will be boys.
"I think now more than ever people want music that lifts them up and makes them happy and makes them forget about their problems," Richardson said.
Some have theorized that the seriousness of September 11 will be the death knell of sugary pop. Richardson heartily disagrees.
"I don't think that this is gonna affect the pop movement at all," he said. "Pop has never gone away throughout all the years. Pop has always been around and it will always be. It's not an empty kind of music. We have some incredible, deep, heartfelt lyrics and we deliver the vocals with everything we have. As long as artists are really singing when they step on that stage, then pop will live on."
Backstreet Boys recently canceled their October 20 performance in San Diego in order to perform at the Concert for New York.
The track list for The Hits: Chapter One, according to the group's publicist:
"Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)"
"Everybody (Backstreet's Back)"
"I Want It That Way"
"As Long as You Love Me"
"All I Have to Give"
"I'll Never Break Your Heart"
"Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely"
"Larger Than Life"
"Shape of My Heart"
"More Than That"
"The Call"
"The One"
"We've Got It Goin' On"
"Get Down (You're the One for Me)"
"Drowning"
Backstreet's Nick Carter On His Arrest: 'I'm Not A Bad Person'
01.08.2002
Backstreet Boy Nick Carter, who was arrested at a Tampa, Florida, nightclub last week, says he's sorry if anyone interpreted his actions that night as disrespectful, but he maintains that he's guilty of no wrongdoing.
"Basically, I did not do anything wrong, and I know that for a fact, " the 21-year-old Carter told MTV News on Tuesday (January 8) in a phone interview during "TRL."
The youngest Backstreet Boy was arrested and charged with resisting a law enforcement officer early January 2 after he refused to leave the Pop City nightclub when police instructed him to do so (see "Backstreet Boy Nick Carter Arrested After Argument In Tampa Bar").
"Sometimes things get blown out of proportion as everybody knows, but if I disrespected a cop in any way, I apologize. ... People who know me know I'm not a bad person. I know better."
Carter's first public comments on the matter echoed a written statement issued by the Backstreet Boys camp the day after his arrest; the press release maintained Carter's innocence while claiming the arrest was a result of the singer's celebrity.
Bandmate Kevin Richardson was the first Backstreet Boy to call after the incident, Carter said. "He was like, 'What happened, little bro?' He left a message because he was up in the mountains. So I called him back and left him a long message that basically told him what happened."