Aaron Carter dies at 34
Aaron Carter (pictured in 2019) has died. (Photo: Presley Ann/Getty Images for WETV)
Troubled former child star
Aaron Carter, who soared to fame as a solo artist on the heels of his older brother
Nick Carter's success with the
Backstreet Boys, has died at the age of 34, a representative for the singer has confirmed to Yahoo. A statement from his family and management will be released shortly.
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department confirms to Yahoo that deputies responded to Carter’s home in Lancaster, Calif. on Saturday shortly after 11 a.m. Upon arrival, officers found a deceased body. Homicide is handling the investigation, which is standard procedure at this time.
TMZ broke the news, citing sources who claim the singer drowned.
Aaron Carter at Tower Records in London in 1997 when he was 10. (Photo: Fred Duval/FilmMagic)
As the boy band dominated the charts in the mid-'90s, the adorable Aaron, who was still in the single digits age-wise, became the lead singer of his own group, the Dead End, at 7. However, he quickly struck out on his own at age 9, releasing a self-titled album in 1997. The same year, he made his first solo appearance opening for the Backstreet Boys in Berlin, covering The Jets song "
Crush on You."
With a focus on pop and rap, his second album 2000's
Aaron's Party (Come Get It), sold over three million copies, his best-selling. It included the title track as well as "That's How I Beat Shaq" and "Bounce." Two more albums — 2001's
Oh Aaron, with his "I Want Candy" cover and Nick collaboration "
Not Too Young, Not Too Old," and 2002's
Another Earthquake! — quickly followed but didn't sell as well. The latter was his last studio album — there were compilations in between — until 2018's
Love, a 16-year album drought.
As a child star, he was befriended by
Michael Jackson, appearing on the King of Pop's charity effort, "
What More Can I Give," a "We Are the World" sequel. Aaron
remained a Jackson defender after the star died and child abuse accusations resurfaced.
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