Title: 'Prince of Pop' pops in on fans
Date: Saturday March 01, 2003
Author: Michelle Hunter
Author: East Jefferson bureau
Source: The Times - Picayune
Source: http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1046503506110826.xml
Topic: News
Singer Aaron Carter, in town for parade, visits local school
The calendar said 2003, but it sounded more like a Beatles concert in the 1960s.
Hundreds of fans, ages 5 to 18, screaming at ear-shattering decibels at St. Martin's Episcopal School in Metairie, clamored for a glimpse of teen pop star Aaron Carter, this year's celebrity grand marshal for the Krewe of Endymion.
On Friday afternoon, the "Little Prince of Pop" stopped by St. Martin's for a question-and-answer session with about 500 mostly frenzied students.
While those well past their bubble-gum and puppy-love years might not know the 15-year-old Floridian, he is quite famous to the teen-and-under crowd.
Carter is the younger brother of Backstreet Boys band member Nick Carter, and a successful singer whose first album sold 2.5 million copies and has been followed by three others.
Just before Friday's event, Carter held court backstage in the school's auditorium with a crowd of young girls. He took pictures, gladly signed autographs, did an interview for the school newspaper and had a few phone numbers slipped to him by girls asking about his plans for the evening.
Carter was friendly with all of the students and staff, smiling and chatting up everyone.
Although he's been to the Big Easy before, this is Carter's first Mardi Gras. He said he's heard all the sordid details from his big brother. Carter did admit that he was a bit intimidated by the Endymion ride ahead of him today but said he'd have other things to concentrate on.
"I'll be trying not to fall off the float looking at all the girls," he said.
Carter was introduced by his self-proclaimed No. 1 fan, St. Martin eighth-grader Caroline Wilson, who said she was surprised to find the singer so down to earth.
"I don't really look at him like, 'Oh, my God, he's famous.' I like him because he writes really good music and he's cute," she said
Out front, the high-pitched screams swelled whenever the curtains parted, as the crowd eagerly awaited the teen star. The squeals turned to sighs of disappointment when the curtains opened the first few times to reveal members of the stage crew checking microphones or moving equipment.
When Carter and his twin sister, Angel, finally took the stage, the house erupted into chants of "Aaron." Students lined the aisles to step up to the mike and get the skinny on their favorite idol:
-- Relationship status -- Single.
-- Astrological sign -- Sagittarius.
-- Opinion of New Orleans -- Love it.
-- Favorite football team -- The Philadelphia Eagles.
-- Favorite football team, after a chorus of boos from the audience for the previous answer -- The New Orleans Saints.
Before treating the crowd to one of his songs, "Keep Believing," from his latest album, Carter sneaked in some bead-tossing practice. His throws had a nice arc, but they didn't get much distance. But he figured five hours on a float in front of a couple hundred thousand people would give him all the practice he needs.
"I'm going to look like Hulk Hogan when I'm done," he said, patting his right arm.
His descent into the crowd almost triggered a pint-sized riot as students rushed over to touch his hand before he left for New Orleans.
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Michelle Hunter can be reached at mhunter@timespicayune.com or (504) 883-7054.
