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Some bands thanklessly slave away at their craft for years before they hit the big-time. Other young hopefuls find fame and fortune overnight. In the case of Tulsa, Oklahoma's Hanson, both scenarios apply. Hanson are indeed very young, but still, they worked long and hard to become the astronomically popular teen heartthrobs they are today. Unlike the factory-made, prepackaged project/ product the Spice Girls--to whom Hanson are often unfairly and erroneously compared--Hanson are blessed with organic talent. Their harmonies are pure perfection, they can play their own musical instruments (though it's admittedly sketchy as to how much of the playing on their albums is really them and not hired hands), and they wrote or co-wrote every track on their colossal breakthrough smash Middle Of Nowhere. Yes, the Grammy-nominated "MMMBop," arguably THE single of '97, was completely composed by the three brothers when they were all junior-high-age or younger--and there's no denying that's impressive. There's also no denying the impact that these clean-scrubbed young lads have had on both pop music and pop culture. Not only have they almost singlehandedly kick-started the sagging teen pinup mag industry (not since the peak years of Duran Duran mania have so many issues of Tiger Beat and 16 flown off the shelves, and it's all thanks to picture-perfect cover boys Hanson), their guileless feel-good pop has, for better or worse, ushered in a carefree new bubblegum era that includes the sugary sounds of Aqua, Savage Garden...and yes, the Spice Girls. But it wasn't until Spring of '96 that Hanson got the big break they'd been waiting for since they were still in diapers, when they journeyed to Austin, Texas for the annual music industry schmoozefest known as South By Southwest. There, at one of the convention's many freebie BBQs, they approached artist manager Christopher Sabec and ever-so-politely asked if they could audition for him on the spot. Unable to say no to those sweet rosy-cheeked faces, and not wanting to be rude, Sabec agreed--only to be so shocked by the boys' display of natural talent that he nearly choked on a sparerib. Sabec then made the best move of his career by taking the Hanson boys under his wing, quickly securing them a lucrative six-album deal with Mercury Records.

Mercury put Hanson in the studio with production gurus the Dust Brothers (yes, the same Dust Brothers who produce for the Beastie Boys and Beck--Dust Brother Mike Simpson said that he and his partner agreed to helm the project because of Hanson's sonic similarity to the Jackson 5), and the resulting major-label debut, Middle Of Nowhere, was released in early '97. By the time the album hit stores, its first single "MMMBop" was already a massive radio and MTV phenomenon. "MMMBop" went on to become one of the most incessantly played singles of the year--so much so that a Saturday Night Live skit depicted Hanson being held hostage and forced to listen to the song over and over until they went insane. The Hanson boys, ever the good sports, played themselves in the skit.

1997 was a very busy year for Hanson. In addition to racking up one of the biggest smash singles of the year, appearing on the cover of nearly every major magazine in print and causing preteen riots of A Hard Day's Night proportions wherever they went, the brothers began planning a movie based on their "life story" and released the Christmas album Snowed In. (For a while, Middle Of Nowhere and Snowed In occupied the top 10 simultaneously; Snowed In became the biggest-selling holiday album of the '97 Christmas season.) At the start of '98, Hanson garnered three Grammy nominations--for Best New Artist, Record Of The Year and Best Pop Song By A Group--and although they were shut out in all three categories, they nevertheless seemed to have a great time at the Grammy ceremony, goofing off for the camera whenever they were filmed sitting in the audience. Plus, their spirited performance of "MMMBop" was one of the sunshinier highlights of the otherwise stale, dreadful Grammy telecast.

Only time will tell if Hanson will be able to survive the bumpy transition from teen idols to legit adult musicians. Rock 'n' roll history, with its fallen Menudos, NKOTBs and Tiffanys, indicates that the odds are not in Hanson's favor; with the exception of Michael Jackson (and looked how screwed-up he turned out) and maybe Silverchair (it's too soon to tell), very few teenyboppers have enjoyed lasting, credible post-puberty careers. Ike is already closing in on 18, and there might come a time in the near future when he will start liking girls and will no longer want to hang out with his baby brothers all the time. Zac is beginning to pudge out a bit, and it's possible he may not look so darn adorable for too much longer; and let's face it, once Zac loses his cherubic good looks, all his belching and nose-picking antics will cease to be cute and will simply seem gross. The babe-a-licious teen dream Tay is aging the most gracefully so far; he's even handled what could've been a disastrous, career-derailing voice change with aplomb, just by subtly lowering every Hanson song an octave or two.

With a six-album deal like Hanson's, it's obvious that Mercury Records and Sabec are hoping that the golden boys can go the distance. (Mercury has already released the fourth piece of Hanson product, the concert album Live From Albertane, which will not only keep fans happy but may convince doubters that the brothers are actually capable musicians.) Considering the boys' obvious talent, determination, and ability to keep stiff upper lips when facing all those nasty Hanson haters--who are often as rabid as Hanson fans--it's not inconceivable that Hanson might be around for a good long time. Chances are, just as "MMMBop" never faded from the airwaves no matter how much it was overplayed, the more naysayers wish Hanson would just go away the bigger Hanson will become. Either way, Hanson have already made rock history, as they now hold the Guinness World's Record for the loudest screaming at a concert, at an eardrum-obliterating 140 decibels (14 decibels louder than previous record-holders the Who). Obviously, the fans have made themselves heard.

This Biography was written by Lyndsey_Parker.