Backstreet Mom: A Mother's Tale of Backstreet Boy AJ McLean's Rise to Fame, Struggle With Addiction, and Ultimate Triumph by Denise I. McLean Page B
Authors: Denise I. McLean
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the boys' wardrobes for some hot outfits.
They had been wearing quite a bit of black and white lately as it seemed
to be a crowd pleaser. Crisp, white dress shirts, black jeans and black
quilted vests served them well.
The stage was small, which made it difficult for the boys to do most of
their choreography, but somehow they managed not to fall off of the stage.
I found it very interesting that the girls in the audience never tired of
hearing the same songs over and over that day. In fact, as the day went on,
they memorized the words and began to sing along. Alex had taken to sitting at the edge of the stage and holding a girl's hand as he sang his
piece of the ballad. Once again I saw just how comfortable he was in his
surroundings. He reveled in the screaming adoration of the girls.
The reaction by the audience was all very encouraging, considering
that the girls were not paid for the shoot. They were just given a quick
fast-food lunch. The fact that they stayed hour after hour, screaming so
genuinely at the boys was a sight to see. It was the first time I saw the
phenomenon that was the Backstreet Boys take hold in earnest. Some
were in love with Nick, some with Howie and some with all the others
at the same time. It was really difficult to imagine hordes of girls going
so crazy over my little boy. Heart-warming, but a bit scary at the same
time. He was in his element, so how could it be bad? I would not find
the answer to that question for a long time.
No sooner had the video wrapped than it was time to pack our bags
again. This time we were off to Seattle. It was our first trip with an
actual bodyguard along. Randy Jones was a very large black man with a
shiny, bald head. The boys fell in love with him from day one. Randy
had spent many years as a bodyguard for New Kids on the Block and he
knew what to expect out on the road. Though he looked fierce on the
outside, he was a real pussycat through and through. That seems to be
the rule for most of the men who travel with pop stars. I mean, really.
How threatening do you have to be to ward off a screaming fifteen-yearold girl?
Alex and I had never been to Seattle, so I was looking forward to a bit
of sightseeing. The next day the boys were not scheduled to rehearse
until nine at night. That gave us the whole day to play. Once up and
showered, Alex called all of the boys and Randy to see if we could go on
an outing.
We had a great time walking along the Farmer's Market. As we walked,
Howie took videos of everything. It had become his trademark. In fact,
you had to be careful when someone knocked on your door at night.
There was a good chance you would open it to a video camera with
Howie behind it.
IN AUGUST 1994, the boys sang their first nationally televised anthem
during a Predators football game in Tampa. The anthem had been added to an already hectic schedule at the last minute, which meant that we
had to travel by private jet. The boys made it onto the field just in time
and the crowd loved them.
I think the excitement of the football game, coupled with the nonstop rush of the day, infused their voices with electricity. The boys' stamina never ceased to amaze me. I was worn out and did not want to stay
to watch the game, but I was outvoted. As it turned out, their performance never aired on television because the game was blacked out.
As the school year approached, Jive decided to put the boys on another cross-country tour of middle and high schools. The tour was backed
by Macy's, which meant that when they weren't performing the boys
were expected to go to malls to sing and then hold autograph sessions
at Macy's stores.
The tour got off to a rather bad start. The touring company didn't
have a clue what the boys needed in the way of equipment. I don't know
if the budget was again too small or what, but the first few shows were
disasters because of the sound. To top things off, Donna had run-ins
with the touring
They had been wearing quite a bit of black and white lately as it seemed
to be a crowd pleaser. Crisp, white dress shirts, black jeans and black
quilted vests served them well.
The stage was small, which made it difficult for the boys to do most of
their choreography, but somehow they managed not to fall off of the stage.
I found it very interesting that the girls in the audience never tired of
hearing the same songs over and over that day. In fact, as the day went on,
they memorized the words and began to sing along. Alex had taken to sitting at the edge of the stage and holding a girl's hand as he sang his
piece of the ballad. Once again I saw just how comfortable he was in his
surroundings. He reveled in the screaming adoration of the girls.
The reaction by the audience was all very encouraging, considering
that the girls were not paid for the shoot. They were just given a quick
fast-food lunch. The fact that they stayed hour after hour, screaming so
genuinely at the boys was a sight to see. It was the first time I saw the
phenomenon that was the Backstreet Boys take hold in earnest. Some
were in love with Nick, some with Howie and some with all the others
at the same time. It was really difficult to imagine hordes of girls going
so crazy over my little boy. Heart-warming, but a bit scary at the same
time. He was in his element, so how could it be bad? I would not find
the answer to that question for a long time.
No sooner had the video wrapped than it was time to pack our bags
again. This time we were off to Seattle. It was our first trip with an
actual bodyguard along. Randy Jones was a very large black man with a
shiny, bald head. The boys fell in love with him from day one. Randy
had spent many years as a bodyguard for New Kids on the Block and he
knew what to expect out on the road. Though he looked fierce on the
outside, he was a real pussycat through and through. That seems to be
the rule for most of the men who travel with pop stars. I mean, really.
How threatening do you have to be to ward off a screaming fifteen-yearold girl?
Alex and I had never been to Seattle, so I was looking forward to a bit
of sightseeing. The next day the boys were not scheduled to rehearse
until nine at night. That gave us the whole day to play. Once up and
showered, Alex called all of the boys and Randy to see if we could go on
an outing.
We had a great time walking along the Farmer's Market. As we walked,
Howie took videos of everything. It had become his trademark. In fact,
you had to be careful when someone knocked on your door at night.
There was a good chance you would open it to a video camera with
Howie behind it.
IN AUGUST 1994, the boys sang their first nationally televised anthem
during a Predators football game in Tampa. The anthem had been added to an already hectic schedule at the last minute, which meant that we
had to travel by private jet. The boys made it onto the field just in time
and the crowd loved them.
I think the excitement of the football game, coupled with the nonstop rush of the day, infused their voices with electricity. The boys' stamina never ceased to amaze me. I was worn out and did not want to stay
to watch the game, but I was outvoted. As it turned out, their performance never aired on television because the game was blacked out.
As the school year approached, Jive decided to put the boys on another cross-country tour of middle and high schools. The tour was backed
by Macy's, which meant that when they weren't performing the boys
were expected to go to malls to sing and then hold autograph sessions
at Macy's stores.
The tour got off to a rather bad start. The touring company didn't
have a clue what the boys needed in the way of equipment. I don't know
if the budget was again too small or what, but the first few shows were
disasters because of the sound. To top things off, Donna had run-ins
with the touring
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