Aaron Carter, known for tracks like I Want Candy and That’s How I Beat Shaq, and who is also Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter’s brother, was found dead at the age of 34 last Saturday (5), and Hollywood is paying tribute to the singer and rapper.
Carter was found unresponsive at his California home, and as of yesterday (6) morning, the cause of death had not been revealed. Carter was a month away from turning 35, while his son Prince is turning one in just two weeks.
His former Lizzie McGuire co-star Hilary Duff wrote on Instagram: “For Aaron – I’m deeply sorry that life was so hard for you and that you had to struggle in front of the whole world. You had a charm that was absolutely effervescent… Boy, did my teenage-self love you deeply. Sending love to your family at this time. Rest easy.”
Meanwhile, New Kids on the Block tweeted: “We are shocked and saddened about the sudden passing of Aaron Carter. Sending prayers to the Carter family. Rest in peace, Aaron.”
NSYNC said: “We are saddened by the news of the sudden passing of Aaron Carter today. Our hearts go out to his family, friends and fans during this difficult time. Rest in peace, Aaron.”
“Fame at a young age is often more a curse than a blessing and surviving it is not easy. RIP Aaron Carter,” songwriter Diane Warren said.
Career
Carter had begun performing at age seven and released his self-titled debut album in 1997 at age nine. He was the lead singer of Dead End, and also opened for the Backstreet Boys on a number of tours and concerts. He then went onto have a successful solo career, selling millions of copies of his four albums in the late 90s and early 2000s; his second album Aaron’s Party (Come Get It), released in 2000, sold more than three million copies in the US.
Over time, Carter had moved from pop to rap, and also appeared in Broadway musicals and the US TV show Dancing with the Stars. He has also starred in films and TV shows like Lizzie McGuire, 7th Heaven, and Ella Enchanted. More recently, he had faced former basketball player Lamar Odom in a celebrity boxing match held in New Jersey in June 2021, where Carter was knocked out in the second round.
“I don’t need help,” he had said, adding: “What I need is for people to understand that I’m human and that I make mistakes just like every other human in this world, but I would never risk my life or my girlfriend’s life.”
In 2017, Carter came out as bisexual, receiving an outpouring of love and support. He had tweeted: “There’s something I’d like to say that I feel is important for myself and my identity that has been weighing on my chest for nearly half of my life.”
He had added: “This doesn’t bring me shame, just a weight and burden I have held onto for a long time that I would like lifted off me.”
In 2019, Carter appeared on an episode of The Doctors, where he opened up about his battle with multiple mental health issues, including multiple personality disorder, schizophrenia, acute anxiety and manic depression.
Earlier this year, the singer had told the Daily Mail he no longer wanted to be seen as a “train wreck”, saying: “I am not how some people try to paint me.”
Carter had gone on to say: “If somebody wants to call me a train wreck, well I’ve been a train that’s been wrecked multiple times and derailed by many different things.”