Biography
Emerging from the depths of Orlando, Florida—home also to the group's artistic brethren, the Backstreet Boys—'N Sync has, in recent months, become the leading contender to grace more teen magazine covers this year than any other artist. A dance-pop vocal group consisting of five squeaky-clean young lads, 'N Sync seems destined to duplicate the success of musically like-minded performers such as the Spice Girls, and, indeed, the group's assault on the pop charts couldn't be more timely.
Fittingly, perhaps, the group's professional origins can be traced to the Disney Channel's Mickey Mouse Club TV show, on which Joshua "JC" Chasez (born: Aug. 8, 1976; favorite food: Chinese) and Justin "Curly" Timberlake (born: Jan. 31, 1981; favorite foods: spaghetti and cereal) worked together for nearly three years. Following the program's demise, the two headed for Nashville, where they shared a vocal coach while working on respective solo projects. (The two also took dance lessons from a former choreographer for Prince and Michael Jackson.)
Fate soon brought Joshua and Justin back to Orlando, however, and, upon their return, they teamed up with Pittsburgh native Chris Kirkpatrick (born: Oct. 17, 1971; dream girl: Gwen Stefani) and New Yorker Joey Fatone (born: Jan. 28, 1977; favorite foods: tacos and pizza). At Kirkpatrick's instigation, the quartet began working on an act built around a cappella harmonies, and, with the addition of bass vocalist Lance Bass (which is his real surname, by the way), things came together.
By late 1997, the quintet managed to land a contract with RCA Records. Enlisting the help of several high-profile producers—among them Kristian Lundin, who has worked with the Backstreet Boys, and the late Denniz Pop, whose clients included Robyn and Ace of Base—the newly christened 'N Sync created a batch of crisp, radio-friendly pop songs, and issued its debut album exclusively in Europe, a move which had worked to perfection for the aforementioned Backstreeters. Subsequently, the fivesome headed overseas, where they were fervently embraced in Germany and the Netherlands. Returning home triumphantly in the spring of 1998, the burgeoning dancemeisters felt confident enough to unleash their self-titled debut on America.
'N Sync was slow in getting out of the gate in the United States, but by early fall, a Disney Channel special, heavy MTV exposure, and two Top 40 hits ("I Want You Back" and "Tearin' Up My Heart") had propelled the album to platinum sales. (In Canada, it's already gone double-platinum). Publications such as Rolling Stone began playing up a competition between 'N Sync and the Backstreet Boys, and, indeed, in early August, the two groups began vying for position on the Top 10 charts. Moreover, in a true measure of 'N Sync's success, teeny-bopper magazines such as Tiger Beat and Girls' Life began shrieking out headlines proclaiming the group to be the Next Big Thing.
Those headlines may well be right. As the 'N Sync train barrels merrily along, there seems no end in sight to the band's popularity. In a recent coup, the group was tapped by Janet Jackson to open some of her October concert dates, and November will see the release of a holiday album titled Home for Christmas. Following the stint with Jackson, 'N Sync plans to be on the road well into 1999, struggling to be heard above the din of shrieking teenage girls.
Biography Provided By Wall Of Sound
