Before Justin Bieber there was Aaron Carter.
In the early ‘00s, Carter was every teenage girl’s dream boyfriend. As the younger brother of Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter, Aaron Carter had an equal amount of musical talent.
After a brief tour as the opener for the Backstreet Boys, Carter signed his own record deal.
Carter released the album “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It)” in September of 2000. The album included Carter’s most memorable songs “I Want Candy,” “That’s How I Beat Shaq,” and the album’s title track. The album went triple platinum in the United States.
The success of the album led to guest appearances on the Disney Channel series Lizzie McGuire and a brief relationship with the star of the show, Hilary Duff.
Capitalizing on his popularity, Carter released another album, “Oh Aaron,” in the summer of 2001. There were action figures released in conjunction with the album as well.
Everything looked promising for Carter. He was young, talented and popular with his demographic.
He continued to make film appearances in movies such as “Popstar” and “Supercross.”
In 2006, the Carter siblings stared in the reality show, “House of Carters,” where all five of the Carter siblings lived under one roof. The show did not last long as only eight episodes of the show were filmed.
After an appearance as a contestant on “Dancing with the Stars” in 2009, Carter tried to revive his career by working on a new album. In 2011, Carter entered a rehabilitation facility for “emotional issues.”
Since leaving the facility in late 2011, Carter has done many one-off performances around the nation. He began his first tour in eight years in 2013.
During the fall of 2013, Carter filed a bankruptcy petition for his $3.5 million debt. Carter reports earning around $2,000 a month from tour revenue that is used to cover his living expenses when not on tour.
So what happened to Aaron Carter? His career peaked before he could even realize it. This is often a problem with teen idols such as Carter. They have no control over their own finances, allowing those around them to determine their future.
While still talented, Carter’s time has come and gone. The new generation of music fans have replaced him with Justin Bieber.
The life of a celebrity can be very unforgiving, and Carter is a prime example of that. Maybe if he would’ve waited until he was older to pursue music, things would’ve worked out.
Sorry Aaron Carter, but the party is over.