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Backstreet Boy A.J. McLean (news) helped chase down a jewel thief at the Hard Rock Hotel parking lot in Las Vegas on Monday (January 5) evening, according to the Las Vegas Sun. The paper reports that the singer was trying on watches in Rocks, the hotel's jewelry store, when a man walked in and asked to try on several bracelets and rings. Without warning the man, who was wearing a $40,000 diamond-encrusted ring, suddenly made a run for the exit. Vegas club personality Marklen Kennedy (news), a friend of McLean's, told the paper, "The girl at the counter screamed that she could not leave the store, so A.J. just shot out of there like a rocket."
The Backstreet Boy and a hotel security guard on a bicycle chased the man down and recovered the stolen property. McLean was reportedly in town to make an appearance at this week's Adult Entertainment Expo convention. Meanwhile, A.J.'s mother, Denise McLean, has co-written a book about her son's career, his highly publicized struggle with alcoholism and depression, and the steps he took to get sober. The book is titled Backstreet Mom: A Mother's Tale of Backstreet
Boy A.J. McLean's Rise To Fame, Struggle With Addiction and Ultimate Triumph. She is visiting New York City this week for media interviews to promote the book.
* "Las Vegas News-Journal" january 11, 2004
Rap superstars Eminem and 50 Cent, dining together at N9NE (Palms) on Saturday, a rare Las Vegas sighting for the star of "8 Mile." Spies say Eminem had a blowout bash Saturday night in the "Real World" suite. ... Affleck, minus J.Lo, gambling at the Hard Rock Hotel on Thursday after checking into the Bellagio; LeAnn Rimes and hubby Dean Sheremet at Nobu (Hard Rock) on Friday; 'N Sync's Lance Bass and Joey Fatone, with Backstreet Boy A.J. McLean at Baby's (Hard Rock) on Friday.
* Marathon runners received band aid advertisement Live music filled the 26-mile route Larry Rodgers
The Arizona Republic Jan. 12, 2004 12:00 AM
It's hard to imagine that any of the more than 23,800 finishers in Sunday's P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon did not find some type of live music to enjoy and draw energy from. With more than 50 enthusiastic acts playing on 40 stages along the two race routes, there was something for everyone, from rock and roll (of course) to country to jazz to bluegrass to R&B to disco.
Most race participants seemed grateful to be greeted by music as they made their way along the two courses. "I love the music," Sharon Ondo, 52, of Dana Point, Calif., said as she took a short break from the marathon near Biltmore Fashion Park to listen to Buckeye's Novella Bentley and her Durango Band. "Having music is a big help, compared to the non-music marathons." The most high-profile endorsement came from drummer Mike Malinin of the Goo Goo Dolls, who stopped to jam with each of 26 groups as he ran the marathon before performing with his million-selling band at a post-race party Sunday evening at Tempe Beach Park. "This stacks up well with the race in San Diego," he said after playing Kool and the Gang's Celebration with the 10-piece C.C. Ryder Express on a stage near the Phoenix Zoo's main entrance. Malinin said he enjoyed the diversity of music assembled by race organizers and then ran off toward his next stop. At times, it was tough to tell who was having more fun, the racers, bands or onlookers.
Most stages drew healthy crowds of all ages who gave thumbs-up signs to runners and musicians
alike. "You go, girls! You look beautiful!" singer Kim Kidd of Phoenix band Angela's Offspring yelled as a group of 30-something women ran past a stage at Seventh Street and Missouri Avenue. "Give it up for the runners; they're working a lot harder than we are," singer David Baumann said as he and Phoenix's Close Enough String Band played bluegrass and cheered race entrants on at Central Avenue and Camelback Road.
Phoenix City Councilman Claude Mattox did his part by sending racers off at an early part of the marathon with his classic-rock band, the Screamin' Javelinas, who played near Central and Indian School Road. The first two elite groups of runners ignored the Javelinas, but subsequent entrants burst into broad grins as they heard Mattox singing the funky Mustang Sally. One male runner jumped up and clicked his heels twice in delight.
The 16-year-old Bentley, a fireball in leather pants and a cowboy hat, took her enthusiasm a step further by venturing into 24th Street to hop around and play her wireless electric bass alongside some of the power-walkers bringing up the marathon's rear. "The runners were so cool. There was this guy in a pink tutu who was awesome," Bentley said, shaking her head. --- StarShine Cover Story Sandy Lo Grasso Editor-In-Chief Denise McLean is not only a mother to Backstreet Boy, AJ McLean, but can be considered a mother figure to all five of the group members, hence the title of her book, "Backstreet Mom". The book is not only an autobiography of Denise's life, but a biography of her son's rise to fame and fall to drug addiction and depression. This isn't the
first time a book has been published from the loved ones of the Backstreet Boys, or in some cases, ex-loved ones. Back in 1998, Nick Carter's mother, Jane released a "tell all" book, which spotlighted him in detail. Following suit were books written about Brian and AJ by their ex-girlfriends.
"Backstreet Mom" is a far cry from the other stories. Denise admits AJ was a bit skeptical of the book at first, but once he realized what she wanted to convey, he was supportive. Denise wrote the book for a couple of reasons. "It was used as kind of a healing process for myself." She explains. "Writing things out is kind of a cleansing process and releases any frustrations or stress." Not only did communicating this book help herself, but also, Denise hopes to help others with it as well. She feels the book will help single parents and also parents of children who have an interest in the entertainment industry. In the book, Denise shares tales of AJ's initial love for
entertainment and how herself and her family helped guide his talents in the right direction. Since AJ, of course always known to Denise as Alex was only six-years-old when he started performing, it's easy to assume a stage mother was behind the gifted child, manipulating and pulling the strings.
On the contrary, Alex pleaded with his mother to let him perform and help out in his career. Denise says the key to guiding her son and not pushing was through communication. "We were always very close and we always had good communication and by watching him and with help of friends I met along the way in the industry, we were able to guide him in what we felt he really wanted to do." She explains. "Backstreet Mom" takes the reader on a journey through the start of the group and how it almost fell apart several times due to corruption of management and contracts. Denise became more of a manager to the group instead of a mom. Through her personal journal entries, Denise shows how the business affected her relationship with her son, but as a mother, she tells how the spotlight affected each one of her Backstreet sons. "I think fans will get a lot of insight depending on their age of course, into what living with the Boys on a day-to-day basis was like for me, from my prospective as well as what the industry is really like."
Denise explains. "The glitz and glamour that is there is very superficial and the realities of the hard work and the sacrifice you have to go through to reach the level that the Boys reached. Hopefully that will be something that both parents and fans would be able to relate to and learn from. It's got an appeal for a pretty wide audience." Being a single mother, Denise admits it's no easy task. "It's all about love and communication and preparing your children for becoming responsible adults." She offers. Though Denise feels readers may see her partying and occasionally drinking with AJ as irresponsible, she hopes they realize it wasn't over the top. "We were never prudes, so going out and having a good time, might have been having a few drinks once he was of age obviously." Denise explains, but she had made sure there were limitations. When things got out of hand with AJ's drinking, Denise was going through her own turmoil back home when her father turned ill and she was faced with her mother's death. Denise went into a state of denial about the possibility of her son having an addiction. "You just don't want to accept the fact that your child might be using drugs or drinking too much or doing any of the things that you just hope they don't do." She discusses. AJ also denied the fact that he was actually an addict and thought he could deal with it himself. Of course, these issues put a strain on Denise and AJ's close relationship since he pulled back from his loved ones, but rehab had brought them even closer together. "That was a long and arduous process, but it was very cleansing, very healthy and a good bonding experience for us and for other members of my family." Denise says. Despite the problems with the Backstreet Boys' management and AJ's addiction, Denise says she wouldn't have done things differently. "I think it's just all about making the right choices, like whether you're a kid in school making the choice of smoking or doing drugs or drinking as it is in this industry, but a little more pressure might be put on you because you reach a point where you live up to a lifestyle and you have to balance that lifestyle against the real world." Denise explains. Recently, Denise accompanied AJ on the Oprah Winfrey show to talk about his addiction as well as the book. The rest of the Backstreet Boys also surprised AJ in an emotional reunion and even more recently, the group traveled to the Billboard Music Awards show together to let the world know they are coming back.
So fans can rest assured, AJ has one year of sobriety under his belt and the Boys have plans to record as a group starting in January. Getting back to the book, it's a great read for any Backstreet Boys fan as well as for parents and kids who want to get into the entertainment industry.
Denise takes you through the details of signing a record deal and waiting on auditions to fan frenzies and girlfriend issues. Unlike other biographies though, there's more substance with intimate content than a brief overview of the success of the Backstreet Boys. In fact, there's more talk of obstacles, downfalls and getting back on the right track.
"Backstreet Mom" is in stores now and can also be purchased on www.denisemclean.com. Denise McLean one day hopes to write children's books, but ultimately she would like to do a public speaking tour and maybe have her own column in a magazine or newspaper to discuss what she learned in the industry as well as addiction. On behalf of herself and AJ, Denise sent over a message to StarShine Magazine and the Backstreet Boys' fans. "Keep that Backstreet pride alive, which is a great thing and I and my son both appreciate magazines like [StarShine] and appreciate the fans and all they've done to help the Boys achieve their success. We really, really love them and we do appreciate them tremendously."
Backstreet Boy A.J. McLean (news) helped chase down a jewel thief at the Hard Rock Hotel parking lot in Las Vegas on Monday (January 5) evening, according to the Las Vegas Sun. The paper reports that the singer was trying on watches in Rocks, the hotel's jewelry store, when a man walked in and asked to try on several bracelets and rings. Without warning the man, who was wearing a $40,000 diamond-encrusted ring, suddenly made a run for the exit. Vegas club personality Marklen Kennedy (news), a friend of McLean's, told the paper, "The girl at the counter screamed that she could not leave the store, so A.J. just shot out of there like a rocket."
The Backstreet Boy and a hotel security guard on a bicycle chased the man down and recovered the stolen property. McLean was reportedly in town to make an appearance at this week's Adult Entertainment Expo convention. Meanwhile, A.J.'s mother, Denise McLean, has co-written a book about her son's career, his highly publicized struggle with alcoholism and depression, and the steps he took to get sober. The book is titled Backstreet Mom: A Mother's Tale of Backstreet
Boy A.J. McLean's Rise To Fame, Struggle With Addiction and Ultimate Triumph. She is visiting New York City this week for media interviews to promote the book.
* "Las Vegas News-Journal" january 11, 2004
Rap superstars Eminem and 50 Cent, dining together at N9NE (Palms) on Saturday, a rare Las Vegas sighting for the star of "8 Mile." Spies say Eminem had a blowout bash Saturday night in the "Real World" suite. ... Affleck, minus J.Lo, gambling at the Hard Rock Hotel on Thursday after checking into the Bellagio; LeAnn Rimes and hubby Dean Sheremet at Nobu (Hard Rock) on Friday; 'N Sync's Lance Bass and Joey Fatone, with Backstreet Boy A.J. McLean at Baby's (Hard Rock) on Friday.
* Marathon runners received band aid advertisement Live music filled the 26-mile route Larry Rodgers
The Arizona Republic Jan. 12, 2004 12:00 AM
It's hard to imagine that any of the more than 23,800 finishers in Sunday's P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon did not find some type of live music to enjoy and draw energy from. With more than 50 enthusiastic acts playing on 40 stages along the two race routes, there was something for everyone, from rock and roll (of course) to country to jazz to bluegrass to R&B to disco.
Most race participants seemed grateful to be greeted by music as they made their way along the two courses. "I love the music," Sharon Ondo, 52, of Dana Point, Calif., said as she took a short break from the marathon near Biltmore Fashion Park to listen to Buckeye's Novella Bentley and her Durango Band. "Having music is a big help, compared to the non-music marathons." The most high-profile endorsement came from drummer Mike Malinin of the Goo Goo Dolls, who stopped to jam with each of 26 groups as he ran the marathon before performing with his million-selling band at a post-race party Sunday evening at Tempe Beach Park. "This stacks up well with the race in San Diego," he said after playing Kool and the Gang's Celebration with the 10-piece C.C. Ryder Express on a stage near the Phoenix Zoo's main entrance. Malinin said he enjoyed the diversity of music assembled by race organizers and then ran off toward his next stop. At times, it was tough to tell who was having more fun, the racers, bands or onlookers.
Most stages drew healthy crowds of all ages who gave thumbs-up signs to runners and musicians
alike. "You go, girls! You look beautiful!" singer Kim Kidd of Phoenix band Angela's Offspring yelled as a group of 30-something women ran past a stage at Seventh Street and Missouri Avenue. "Give it up for the runners; they're working a lot harder than we are," singer David Baumann said as he and Phoenix's Close Enough String Band played bluegrass and cheered race entrants on at Central Avenue and Camelback Road.
Phoenix City Councilman Claude Mattox did his part by sending racers off at an early part of the marathon with his classic-rock band, the Screamin' Javelinas, who played near Central and Indian School Road. The first two elite groups of runners ignored the Javelinas, but subsequent entrants burst into broad grins as they heard Mattox singing the funky Mustang Sally. One male runner jumped up and clicked his heels twice in delight.
The 16-year-old Bentley, a fireball in leather pants and a cowboy hat, took her enthusiasm a step further by venturing into 24th Street to hop around and play her wireless electric bass alongside some of the power-walkers bringing up the marathon's rear. "The runners were so cool. There was this guy in a pink tutu who was awesome," Bentley said, shaking her head. --- StarShine Cover Story Sandy Lo Grasso Editor-In-Chief Denise McLean is not only a mother to Backstreet Boy, AJ McLean, but can be considered a mother figure to all five of the group members, hence the title of her book, "Backstreet Mom". The book is not only an autobiography of Denise's life, but a biography of her son's rise to fame and fall to drug addiction and depression. This isn't the
first time a book has been published from the loved ones of the Backstreet Boys, or in some cases, ex-loved ones. Back in 1998, Nick Carter's mother, Jane released a "tell all" book, which spotlighted him in detail. Following suit were books written about Brian and AJ by their ex-girlfriends.
"Backstreet Mom" is a far cry from the other stories. Denise admits AJ was a bit skeptical of the book at first, but once he realized what she wanted to convey, he was supportive. Denise wrote the book for a couple of reasons. "It was used as kind of a healing process for myself." She explains. "Writing things out is kind of a cleansing process and releases any frustrations or stress." Not only did communicating this book help herself, but also, Denise hopes to help others with it as well. She feels the book will help single parents and also parents of children who have an interest in the entertainment industry. In the book, Denise shares tales of AJ's initial love for
entertainment and how herself and her family helped guide his talents in the right direction. Since AJ, of course always known to Denise as Alex was only six-years-old when he started performing, it's easy to assume a stage mother was behind the gifted child, manipulating and pulling the strings.
On the contrary, Alex pleaded with his mother to let him perform and help out in his career. Denise says the key to guiding her son and not pushing was through communication. "We were always very close and we always had good communication and by watching him and with help of friends I met along the way in the industry, we were able to guide him in what we felt he really wanted to do." She explains. "Backstreet Mom" takes the reader on a journey through the start of the group and how it almost fell apart several times due to corruption of management and contracts. Denise became more of a manager to the group instead of a mom. Through her personal journal entries, Denise shows how the business affected her relationship with her son, but as a mother, she tells how the spotlight affected each one of her Backstreet sons. "I think fans will get a lot of insight depending on their age of course, into what living with the Boys on a day-to-day basis was like for me, from my prospective as well as what the industry is really like."
Denise explains. "The glitz and glamour that is there is very superficial and the realities of the hard work and the sacrifice you have to go through to reach the level that the Boys reached. Hopefully that will be something that both parents and fans would be able to relate to and learn from. It's got an appeal for a pretty wide audience." Being a single mother, Denise admits it's no easy task. "It's all about love and communication and preparing your children for becoming responsible adults." She offers. Though Denise feels readers may see her partying and occasionally drinking with AJ as irresponsible, she hopes they realize it wasn't over the top. "We were never prudes, so going out and having a good time, might have been having a few drinks once he was of age obviously." Denise explains, but she had made sure there were limitations. When things got out of hand with AJ's drinking, Denise was going through her own turmoil back home when her father turned ill and she was faced with her mother's death. Denise went into a state of denial about the possibility of her son having an addiction. "You just don't want to accept the fact that your child might be using drugs or drinking too much or doing any of the things that you just hope they don't do." She discusses. AJ also denied the fact that he was actually an addict and thought he could deal with it himself. Of course, these issues put a strain on Denise and AJ's close relationship since he pulled back from his loved ones, but rehab had brought them even closer together. "That was a long and arduous process, but it was very cleansing, very healthy and a good bonding experience for us and for other members of my family." Denise says. Despite the problems with the Backstreet Boys' management and AJ's addiction, Denise says she wouldn't have done things differently. "I think it's just all about making the right choices, like whether you're a kid in school making the choice of smoking or doing drugs or drinking as it is in this industry, but a little more pressure might be put on you because you reach a point where you live up to a lifestyle and you have to balance that lifestyle against the real world." Denise explains. Recently, Denise accompanied AJ on the Oprah Winfrey show to talk about his addiction as well as the book. The rest of the Backstreet Boys also surprised AJ in an emotional reunion and even more recently, the group traveled to the Billboard Music Awards show together to let the world know they are coming back.
So fans can rest assured, AJ has one year of sobriety under his belt and the Boys have plans to record as a group starting in January. Getting back to the book, it's a great read for any Backstreet Boys fan as well as for parents and kids who want to get into the entertainment industry.
Denise takes you through the details of signing a record deal and waiting on auditions to fan frenzies and girlfriend issues. Unlike other biographies though, there's more substance with intimate content than a brief overview of the success of the Backstreet Boys. In fact, there's more talk of obstacles, downfalls and getting back on the right track.
"Backstreet Mom" is in stores now and can also be purchased on www.denisemclean.com. Denise McLean one day hopes to write children's books, but ultimately she would like to do a public speaking tour and maybe have her own column in a magazine or newspaper to discuss what she learned in the industry as well as addiction. On behalf of herself and AJ, Denise sent over a message to StarShine Magazine and the Backstreet Boys' fans. "Keep that Backstreet pride alive, which is a great thing and I and my son both appreciate magazines like [StarShine] and appreciate the fans and all they've done to help the Boys achieve their success. We really, really love them and we do appreciate them tremendously."
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