Aaron Carter, the singer and younger brother of Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter, was found dead in his California home last week. In the second half of his life, the onetime teenage pop sensation had fallen as far as he had risen in his early years, his public and private life dominated by drug addiction, legal problems, and emotional distress. Here’s how Aaron Carter’s life ended up so troubled, why it happened to him, and what other people can learn from his story about addiction and recovery.
Aaron Carter Early Life and Career
Aaron Carter, the singer and younger brother of Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter, was found dead in his California home last week.
Formerly the famous pop star he was in his youth, by his adulthood Aaron had fallen as far as he rose when he first came on the scene, his life still punctuated by drug and alcohol abuse.
Raised by Robert and Jane Carter, a USAF senior master sergeant and a registered nurse, respectively, with four siblings in between them, Aaron was born December 7th 1987 in Tampa Bay, Florida.
The family was very religious with both parents serving as deacons at their church; this led to him joining the choir at age four where he learned how to play drums.
When he was twelve years old, Carter joined the group called B2K which consisted of Omarion, Raz-B and Jarell Marshall. He performed alongside them for two consecutive years before releasing his first solo album entitled Aaron’s Party.
The album spawned several hit singles including I Want Candy which helped make him a household name across America with its then young audience.
His success continued into 2001 when he released another successful album titled Another Earthquake which included the hit song Crush On You.
After being taken out from school to tour across America promoting his music, Aaron dropped out from high school in order to focus on music full-time.
Though he no longer attended class, he did not give up on academics and self-studied while continuing to tour around the country.
It wasn’t until 2003 when the Backstreet Boys discovered Aaron that they decided they wanted to sign him. Though there were some concerns about moving away from his friends and family, it was ultimately decided that Aaron would go through with it because it was a once in a lifetime opportunity for an aspiring musician like himself.
In 2004, after signing with Jive Records as part of their Big Time Rush division (a subsidiary company), all three members of BBR reunited under one roof living together in Orlando Florida near Disney World.
Aaron Carter Fall from Grace
Aaron Carter’s life has been anything but normal.
The singer and younger brother of Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter, was found dead in his California home last week.
In the second half of his life, the onetime teenage pop sensation had fallen as far as he had risen in his early years, his public and private life dominated by drug addiction and run-ins with the law.
With a personal net worth at one point estimated at $10 million, he would eventually be penniless and homeless.
In 2004, Carter publicly admitted that he was addicted to both alcohol and drugs, saying I was so f**ked up I could barely walk or talk.
By that time, his career had hit rock bottom. It’s just not cool when you’re sitting there doing a show, he said, and you’re high out of your mind…you can’t really be into it.
He spent two years living on the streets before being hospitalized for pancreatitis in 2009 and seeking treatment for substance abuse issues.
After completing rehab in 2012, Carter performed at casinos until 2016 when authorities discovered him living in a makeshift campsite near Sacramento without any identification or credit cards.
In June 2018, police apprehended Carter and charged him with driving under the influence after getting pulled over for speeding. During this difficult time period, Backstreet Boys’ Kevin Richardson offered him words of encouragement tweeting We are all rooting for you.
Drug Addiction
Aaron was one of the Backstreet Boys’ youngest fans, but by the time he reached his teenage years, he had become a member of the group.
When the Backstreet Boys disbanded in 2006, Aaron became a solo artist and released his first single I Want Candy in 2007. Two years later, he would go on to release another hit song called That’s How I Beat Shaq.
But it wasn’t just success that came with fame; as his fame grew so did his battle with addiction.
He began using drugs heavily in 2011 and even went so far as to be arrested for possession of marijuana and cocaine.
To make matters worse, he made headlines after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct in connection with a fight outside of an Atlanta nightclub.
In addition to legal trouble, drug abuse left him bankrupt and struggling for work after leaving the popular boy band.
I’ve been offered TV shows before and people wanted me back into acting again, he told The Daily Mail in 2013. But I turned them all down because there is no way I can do that without taking drugs.
It’s been rumored that Aaron attempted suicide at least once before being found dead this week.
It has never been anything other than depression, says Carla Turner, who briefly dated him during his rise to fame when she was 15 years old.
Aaron Carter Death
Aaron Carter, the singer and younger brother of Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter, was found dead in his California home last week.
His public and private lives were dominated by drug and alcohol abuse in the latter half of his life. He was only twenty-three years old.
Aaron’s family is devastated, a representative for the singer said in a statement Monday morning (July 15).
His fans will remember him as a talented artist and a gentle soul who touched people across the world with his song.
The Backstreet Boys mourn the loss of their beloved friend and thank you all so much for your love and support, brother.
Funeral arrangements are still pending. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Carter’s memory to the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
What was it about Aaron that drew such popularity when he began performing at just seven years old? Once he got going, there was no stopping him.
Between 1996 and 2001, he released four albums with hit songs like Crush on You and I Want Candy. He also had starring roles in movies like Another Gay Movie and starred on Broadway alongside Natalie Portman in The Phantom of the Opera.