Tragic end to troubled star
O The sudden death of embattled pop star Aaron Carter at age 34 has drawn tributes from those who knew him
TROUBLED former pop star Aaron Carter was found dead in his home in Los Angeles yesterday. He was just 34 years old. Carter got his start in music by landing a record contract at the age of nine, after serving as the opener for the Backstreet Boys – whose members included his older brother Nick – in 1997. His debut studio album, featuring the hit track Crush on You, went gold in December 1997, launching him into the spotlight at a young age.
Carter’s second album, Aaron’s Party (Come and Get It), was released in 2000. Featuring hit tracks like That’s How I Beat Shaq and I Want Candy, the album went tripleplatinum, leading the teenage Carter to serve as the opening act on tours by Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys. The star also made appearances on Nickelodeon and Disney Channel programs, such as Lizzie McGuire and All That!
Carter had become an embattled figure in recent years, revealing that he had been diagnosed with multiple mental health issues in an Entertainment Tonight interview in 2019 regarding a DUI arrest.
Weeks later, his brother, Nick, obtained a restraining order against him.
In September, Carter enrolled in rehab for a fifth time in hopes to regain custody of his then-10-monthold son, Prince. He and his exfiancée, Melanie Martin, lost custody due to domestic violence and drug concerns.
His sudden death has shocked
many of his friends and peers, who have come out to say that Carter had been determined to get himself healthy in order to regain custody of his son, who “meant the world to him”.
Actress Hillary Duff, who starred
alongside Carter in Lizzie McGuire, wrote on Instagram: “I’m deeply sorry that life was so hard for you and that you had to struggle in-front of the whole world ... boy did my teenage self love you deeply.”
Fellow musician Johnnie Guilbert tweeted: “I really wanted to him to recover and better himself ... Rest easy, man.”
Songwriter Diane Warren tweeted: “Fame at such a young age is often more a curse than a blessing and surviving it is not easy,”