Pearlman’s relationships with the boy bands he helped launch eventually faltered, with majority, including The Backstreet Boys and NSYNC, suing him for fraud, according to Billboard.
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Pearlman founded the Backstreet Boys in Florida in 1993, uniting five unknown singers – Carter, A. J. McLean, Howie D., Kevin Richardson, and Brian Littrell – who went on the become the best-selling boy band of all time. At least $200 million of the more than $300 million wrapped up in the scam was from investors, according to court records.
“Some guys joked about it; I remember [one singer] asking me, ‘Have you let Lou blow you yet?'” says Steve Mooney, an aspiring singer who served as Pearlman’s assistant and lived in his home for two years.
“Word is that #LouPearlman has passed away”. Billboard reported that “N-Sync” member Lance Bass Tweeted that though his former manager wasn’t a stand up businessman, he wouldn’t be in the music industry without his big influence. The Backstreet Boys still remains a strong act and out of NSYNC arose one of the most celebrated musicians of our time, Justin Timberlake.
“I hope he found some peace”, Justin Timberlake wrote.
He later signed ‘NSync, as well as other boy bands including O-Town, Take 5, Natural and US5.
Meanwhile, Aaron Carter tweeted: ‘#LouPearlman my old manager died in prison.
The Backstreet Boys were discovered through a talent contest put on by Lou Pearlman.
He died in prison on Friday (August 19) from an undisclosed illness, People confirmed.
Lou Pearlman was credited for starting the boy-band craze and launching the careers of the Backstreet Boys and ‘NSync.
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Included in the victims of Pearlman’s scam were his friends, family and retirees, Sharp said, and he agreed to reduce Pearlman’s sentence by one month for every United States dollars 1 million returned.
