Fame and fortune don’t always go hand-in-hand. Lance Bass from world-renowned boy band NSYNC appeared on Sirius XM’s The Jess Cagle Show on Wednesday, April 26, to reflect on his childhood in the spotlight.
Videos by American Songwriter
The ’90s band comprised of Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick, and Bass rose to fame in 1997 when they released their debut single “I Want You Back.”
The dance-pop song catapulted the group into stardom and turned them into international superstars very early on. Although NSYNC was gracing the top of the Billboard Charts and playing high-profile venues, Bass revealed that they weren’t making as much money as everyone thought.
“Well, the worst thing is people thinking that we were rich because we were not,” laughed the 43-year-old. “We were famous, but we were not rich. I made way more money after NSYNC than I did during NSYNC.”
The singer-songwriter continued to confess that their manager, Lou Pearlman, and record label “took the majority” of all the money made.
Pearlman was eventually sentenced to 25 years in prison for a Ponzi scheme. He was imprisoned for fraud. The boy band mogul would swindle millions from investors and use the money to promote the bands he created—NSYNC, the Backstreet Boys, O-Town, and Take-5. Allegedly, he would keep most of the money for himself and give NSYNC $35 a day. Eventually, he died behind bars from natural causes at the age of 62 in 2016.
“He really took a majority of all of our stuff…[made] horrible, horrible deals,” Bass explained.
Despite the financial downfalls, he said the experience was unmatched. He credits the band for the prosperous life he lives today.
“To do that, with those guys, it was incredible. And you had some of the best experiences ever,” said the singer. “Obviously, it changed my life, led me to so many things I wanted to do in my life.”
Bass began to rattle off extraordinary opportunities that became a reality, because of his time spent with NSYNC. For instance, performing alongside Aerosmith at Super Bowl XXXV in 2001. Although the vocalist has a long-running list of accolades and “pinch-me moments,” Bass says that he still views himself as a teenager instead of a pop culture phenomenon.
“I still see myself as that little kid in Mississippi,” he told the outlet. “I’m like, ‘How am I able to do this? How am I living this life right now?’”
Bass stressed that their tight bond kept them from going down a dark road as young stars. He noted that every member of NSYNC would keep one another in check and accountable for their actions.
“I’m glad I was in a band because I had four of my brothers that kept you down to earth, right? If you said anything off the wall, they would just slap you down like, ‘What did you just say?’ But if you’re a solo artist, you’re always like, ‘Yes, yes, yes.’ You’re the boss. That’s it,” he clarified. “You kind of get this Michael Jackson syndrome of not knowing what reality is. But with a group, we had a great family unit around us, we were held down to earth.”
It was 2002 when NSYNC decided to take a hiatus. Nearly five years after the split, Bass released a book called, Out of Sync. Bass dishes on his adventures with the chart-topping group on his podcast, Frosted Tips With Lance.
Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for the Environmental Media Association
