It is an attitude he has applied to everything since he was a little boy. Whenever he longed to do something he found a way, whatever the barriers or the risks, and regardless of the doubters who said it couldn’t be done. This unshakeable self-belief helped him rise from humble beginnings to become a multi-millionaire and head of an international business empire.
But, more importantly, Lou’s drive shaped the destiny of five young men and turned their wild dreams of pop stardom into stuning reality with the Backstreet Boys.
It started with an everyday conversation in the summer of 1989, as Lou sait in his cousin’s luxury apartment overlooking New York’s Central Park. His cousin is no ordinary man. He is Art Garfunkel, half of the legendary duet Simon and Garfunkel, who had a series of hits throughout the 1960s and ‘70s, including the classic ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’. Art’s mum and Lou’s dad were sister and brother and the families were always very close.
Lou had already heard of the New Kids because his aviation company provided private jets for their tours, but he had never thought of them as more than one name among dozens of celebrity clients. But now he was interested in them and resolved to find out what all the fuss was about. A few months later, he was standing among thousands of screaming girls at the Nassau Coliseum arena just outside New York City, and his questions were answered. The whole event blew his mind.
Lou had just turned 35 and stuck out like the proverbial sore thumb among the hoards of teenagers, but he wasn’t bothered. He was as mesmerised as the young fans by the charisma and energy of Donnie Wahlberg and his pals and the frenzy they whipped up in the arena. The New Kids weren’t being hailed as gifted song writers, or amazingly talented singers, but they were undoubtedly brilliant showmen. Girls screamed themselves to the brink of exhaustion and scores were carried out by security men. It was an intoxicating atmosphere and Lou loved every second.
As he left that night, his ears were buzzing and his mind was racing. The New Kids were not only and exhilarating stage act, they were also a thriving multi-million pound business, gilt-edged with all the excitement and fun of the music industry. It was the perfect combination for an ageing failed rocker with a young heart and a mature business brain. His heart had always been with music, but his head belonged in business. He couldn’t help wondering, Whouldn’t it be fantastic to have your own pop group?
There was another, more poignant, factor which motivated Lou to start what wouuld become the Backstreet Boys : he desperately wanted a family. He was an only child and had recentrly begun to feel very alone in the world after losing both his parents. His father, Herman – or Hi, as everyone knew him – had died in 1982 and his mother, Reenie, had died on Mother’s Day in 1988. Losing them had left him devastated and his loss was compounded because he didn’t have a family of his own and there weemed little chance of him settling down. He had been involved in two serious relationships but, for various reasons, particularly his commitment to work, they hadn’t worked out. Although Lou had many good friends and an extended family in his business empire, it wasn’t the same. He felt that starting a young group and nurturing their dreams could be the next best thing to having his own children.
It would be two and a half years before Lou actively began his search for the next teen sensation, but the idea continually bounced around his head. He kept a sharp eye on the New Kids’ phenomenal development and arranged for a complimentary copy of their platinum album Hangin’ Tough to be sent to him from Columbia. Typically shrewd, he didn’t buy one.
Shortly after moving from New York to Florida in 1991, he went to another concert at the Orlando Arena and this time he came aways determined to put his ideas into practice. He told close friends and some business associates what he was going to do and the common reaction was that he had gone mad.
But Lou had a dream and he was going to make it come true. It would take four long years, a gamble of more than 1 million, and the unbreakable dedication of five boys before it would even begin to come into focus. To understand why Lou never gave up, despite countless disappointments. And why the Backstreet Boys all acknowledge him for their success, it is important to know a little more about the sixth Backstreet Boys, the man they all call Big Poppa.
Lou’s aim was to emulate the approach taken by music producer Maurice Starr, who plucked five bos from the streets of Boston and groomed them into the New Kids on the Block. There were two distinct differences in Lou’s approach. Firstly, he wanted a group with strong voices. The New Kids had come under scathing criticism for their vocal limitations, so Lou made talent a priority because it would secure firmer foundations for longer-lasting success. Secondly, he would search for his stars of the future in the Sunshine State, Florida.
Lou had settled in Orlando, the vibrant home of tourism and entertainment on the East Coast of the United States, and it seemed the perfect place to find boys with talent. Orlando already boasted Disney World and it was fast becoming America’s second Hollywood, thanks to the arrival of Universal and MGM movie studios. The city had a busy circuit of working young actors and singers and its drama schools were bursting with potential. All Lou needed was a way of tapping into that talent.
The first person he turned to was Gloria Sicoli, the wife of one of his oldest friends, Frank, who now worked for him. Gloria was a singer with years of experience in the record business. During the 1980s, she was in an all-girl group, which had enjoyed some chart success, and had secured her a solo recording contract with RCA. Sadly, things didn’t work out, but Gloria continued as a successful backing singer with a number of top American pop acts. She had seen the good and the downright nasty side of the record industry and Lou realised her knowledge was invaluable. Furthermore, Gloria was working as an actress at Universal Studios, as well as teaching drama at the Civic Theater of Central Florida. She had her finger on the pulse of the Orlando entertainment scene so, in June 1992, Lou asked her to be the talent scout for his new venture. She enthusiastically took up the challenge.
Gloria’s first step was to print some fly sheets and place ads in the Sentined, Orlando’s main daily newspaper, and the Florida Blue Sheet, an entertainment trade paper equivalent to the Stage in Britain. The ads read : Teen male vocalists. Producer seeks make teen singers that move well between 16-19 years of age. Wanted for New Kids-type singing/dance group. Send photo or bio of any kind to…
One of the boys Gloria liked was Alexander James McLean and the other was Tony Donetti.
It was Saturday, 1 August and Alex, or Aj as he would become known, was the first on Gloria’s audition list. He was due at 12.30 and would be followed by Tony Donetti at 2.30. It was clear from the promotion photos that they both had dark, handsome looks and were already seasoned performers with plenty of singing, dancing and acting experience. Gloria and Lou had a good feeling the boys would prove more suitable than the others they had interviewed. And they weren't’disappointed.
Aj arrived with his mum, Denise, who chaperoned her son to most auditions. They had heard about Lou Pearlman’s wealth and his ariship company and, as they pulled off International Drive to his beautiful home, it was clear the stories of his success had not been exaggerated. Although not ostentatious, it is a big four-bedroom house and the two Rolls Royces and stretch limousine didn’t look out of place in the drive. (Lou’s third Rolls is kept at his other home in New York.) It was obvious to Alex and Denise that if this guy was serious about launching a pop group, he would easily have the finances.
Further evidence of Lou’s wealth and, more importantly, his character was on view inside the house. In a glass case was one of the four original C-3PO gold robot costumes from the Star Wars blockbuster movie; by the bar in the vast lounge area was one of the original models of the USS Enterprise from the Star Trek films. These are highly valuable ornaments, but apart from the money, it shows that when Lou Pearlman is passionate about something he doesn’t do things by half measures. He makes sure he gets the best money can buy, and once he has his possession, he gives it the best care possible. As Lou puts it, he has ‘precious feelings’ towards his investments and always makes sure they are looked after. This would be the premise with which he would handle the Backstreet Boys.
Aj and Denise were instantly charmed by Lou. He appeared more like a friencly uncle than the boss of a big company and Aj was pleasantly surprised. He says : « I was expecting some tough guy businessman in a suit. But Lou was laid back and very friendly. I thought, Hey, this guy is real cool. I liked him immediately and I could tell he was serious about the group. It wasn’t just some passing fad.
Aj had to sing one of three New Kids songs – I’ll be Loving You Forever’, ‘Didn’t I Blow Your Mind’ or ‘Please Don’t Go Girl’. The song was chosen at random and then the sang to a backing tape, while Gloria videoed him and Lou watched with Denise from a couch. Aj was then asked to dance in any style to a piece of music of his choice. To look at, he was just a wiry little boy of 14 back then, but appearances were deceptive. He had a lively character and the self-confidence of a boy many years older and he came alive when he performed. He had wonderful natural dance rhythm, which had been honed with tuition, and a powerful voice which showed promise of developing into a full baritone. On top of this, he had striking stage presence for one so young. In short, he was perfect for a pop group. But what Lou and Gloria saw that Saturday would not have surprised anyone who knew Aj, especially his mum.
Howie capped his dramatic efforts at school by being jointly named the Most Talented Actor with Sally Wood. He passed all his examen and went to study for an arts degree at the university in Tampa, a city on the west coast. He could have gone to a college in another state, but stayed in Florida because that was where he stood the best chance of getting a showbiz break.
He contined attending auditions under the name Tony Donetti during his first year at university and came close to joining a popular Spanish group called Menudo, but that fell through after his second recall because his Spanish was not quite good enough. As a solid future in the entertainment world looked more and more unlikely, Howie started thinking about an alternative career. He had been trying for so many years to get that big chance, but he couldn’t wait forever, so he planned to become a show business lawyer should his dreams come to nothing. At least he would be working on the fringe of the business he loved, and it would certainly provide a good living. But, just after finishing his first year at UCF, he got the call from Gloria Sicoli and legal plans were dismissed, as he recalls.
« I had just gone on vacation to Puerto Rico when Gloria called. When I got back, my dad told me about her call. I spoke to her and she said they had already seen some boys, but I could still have an audition. I thought, What the heck, go for it, so I went over to Lou’s house not expecting much. I had no idea who he was or what he did. There was a video camero there and I thought he was some kind of casting director. I sang a coupld of New Kids songs and then ‘Unchained Melody’ and ‘My Prerogative’. After the audition, they said Aj had been in earlier and they liked him, so I told them I knew him pretty well. They asked me if I was interested in joining a group once they found some more guys and I said, Sure. It sounded really positive, but I didn’t hear another thing after that. I gave up on the whole idea and figured either it had collapsed or they had found someone else. I forgot about it and got on with some other things »
What Howie didn’t realise was that he was in the new group. Lou and Gloria had loved his audition and thought he was perfect. But, a few weeks later, Gloria ahd to stop scouting to begin some other work, so she haded over her files to a theatrical manager called Jean Tanzy, who had been representing Aj. In the melee of the handover, Howie’s contact numbers, photo and details were lost. Suddenly Lou Pearlman had no way of contacting the talented singer he wanted for his band. Lou says : « It was so frustating. We had found one of the guys we wanted, but we had no numbers for him. We were going through the phone boock looking for guy called Tony Donetti, but we had no idea he didn’t exsit . »
