Title: Backstreet kid: We go one-on-one with 11-year-old singer Aaron Carter
Author: MIKE ROSS
Source: Express, Canada
Source: http://www.canoe.ca/JamMusicArtistsC/carter_aaron.html
Date: Saturday February 27, 1999
Topic: 1999 Article/Interview
When I got into this game, I never thought I'd be interviewing an 11-year-old singer.
The only common ground Aaron Carter and I have is a fondness for Nintendo 64, but he hasn't got a copy of Zelda yet, so there wasn't much to talk about.
The kid brother of Backstreet Boy Nick Carter didn't go into too much detail about his upcoming album either. Tentative title: The Little Prince of Pop. He says he helped write the single, however: Girl You Shine.
"It's a great song," is all he says before returning to munching carrots over the phone from Montreal.
The pint-sized pop star performs a sold-out show this afternoon at Cowboys, followed by an appearance at Planet Hollywood in West Edmonton Mall tonight at 7.
Meanwhile, for all you youngsters out there - THINGS YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT AARON CARTER BUT COULDN'T GET PAST HIS BODYGUARDS TO ASK:
1. He teases his personal security guard mercilessly, especially when it comes to playing Blitz, one of Nintendo 64's football games.
"Every time we play I always beat him," Carter laughs.
How big is your bodyguard?
"He's a pretty scrawny guy, 85 pounds, maybe."
(In background: "Oh, gimme a break!")
(Giggles) "He's maybe the size of Michael Jackson. He's really skinny. And he has no muscles" (giggles).
("Hey, how long have I known you?")
"And he's known me for all my life. I tease him a lot."
Has he ever picked you up and thrown you across the room?
"Actually, he has picked me up and thrown me across the room a couple of times, but it's just playing. He's good friends with my brother."
2. Carter has a lot of pets, including three dogs, seven cats, two turtles, 100 fish and an iguana named Face. He also has a talking green parrot.
"He can actually sing pretty good."
Really? You should talk to the Backstreet Boys people about getting this bird a recording contract.
"He sings, like, Rod Stewart and stuff like that, because he listens to the radio a lot, so he catches on. And he'll sing Mariah Carey" (squawks in parrot-like voice).
Hey, that actually sounds a lot like her.
"Yeah" (giggles). "It does ... no, I'm just joking."
3. Carter gets his schooling while he's on tour.
"I have a tutor who comes out on the road. Actually, right now we're in the process of getting a new tutor. We just moved to California."
You like California better than Florida?
"I'm still deciding."
Don't you miss your friends?
"I have friends out on the road. Well, I meet other people."
4. He'd like to be a marine biologist when he grows up - if the singing career doesn't work out, of course.
"I like to go in the water and stuff. That's cool."
5. Carter started singing at an early age.
"When I was about six I joined a band called Dead End."
What were your favourite records?
"Tom Petty, Running Down a Dream."
Will you do that song in concert?
(Giggles) "Probably not."
6. He isn't scared by all the screaming females at his concerts, but fans shouldn't get their hopes up yet.
"I'm a little young to have a girlfriend," he says.
7. But he would still like to meet Shania Twain (who performs with the Backstreet Boys on her March 3 CBS special).
"Oh, yeah." (giggles) "That'd be cool."
8. Success hasn't given Carter a swelled head.
"No, uh-uh, not at all. I never think I'm better than anybody and I never say, 'oh, I can do this or I can do that.' I just act like a normal person and sing - 'cause this is what I love to do. I'm not in it for a competition with anybody. I just sing because I love it."
That's maturity for you. Maybe when he's 12 his answers during interviews won't consist of single sentences. And maybe he'll have completed Zelda by then.
