AJ McLean
Encyclopedia
Alexander James "A.J." McLean (born January 9, 1978) is an American
musician
, singer, dancer, actor
, and entertainer. He is a member of the Backstreet Boys
.
to Bob and Denise (née Fernandez) McLean. He is of Cuban and German ancestry on his mother's side and Scottish, Irish and Portuguese on his father's side. His parents divorced and his father left the family when A.J. was two years old, and he was raised by his mother and her parents, Ursula and Adolph Fernandez. In January 1986 at 8 years old, he acted in his first role as Little Mike in the 1986 film Truth or Dare
In 1990, he moved to Orlando, Florida
with his mother and grandparents to concentrate on his acting and singing career. After numerous auditions for various Nickelodeon
and Disney projects, including the Nickelodeon show GUTS
, he landed a role in Nickelodeon's Welcome Freshmen
, and in a comedy series called Hi Honey, I'm Home!
on which he played a character named "Skunk".
Originally McLean's alter ego was named Johnny Suede
. It shared its name with a character played by Brad Pitt
and when the studio threatened to sue McLean, he changed the name to Johnny No Name.
". The solo tour continued through Europe in May and June, in parallel to Backstreet Boys tour. While creating his solo project, McLean worked with the OneRepublic
vocalist Ryan Tedder
, producers Dan Muckala and Kristian Lundin
, plus the former 'N Sync
member, JC Chasez. On January 20, 2010, Have It All, was released in Japan. He confirmed on the Backstreet Boys cruise in December 2010 that the US version would be released on February 8, 2011.
(A cartoon from 2000–2004) AJ made a guest appearance on the show. The title of the episode is called "Duped". He also appeared as a contestant in the first season of the Nickelodeon
game show Nickelodeon GUTS
.
AJ made appeared and performed with The Backstreet Boys on Arthur
, Sesame Street
, Sabrina The Teenage Witch, and Saturday Night Live
. During an interview with New Zealand
radio station ZM
, McLean described his addictions as the hardest things he has ever had to go through, stating it is something he battles with every day. He checked into rehab for the 3rd time on January 10, 2011 citing "personal reasons" which are most likely related to his history of alcohol abuse. In preparation for the NKOTB and Backstreet Boys tour, McLean has said, "I want to be healthy and perform and sing for people at my very best and happiest." His time in rehab did not affect the tour.
AJ is engaged to Rochelle Deanna Karidis whom he credits for helping him overcome his addiction and they plan to marry December 17th, 2011 in Beverly Hills, California.
Mindy Weiss is excited to be AJ and Rochelle's wedding planner, “I’m most looking forward to that because it’s going to be quite unique,” Mindy tells OK! Magazine. “They have a Goth kind of theme going on and I’m going to take that and make it elegant. The challenge is on and I just adore them!”
Celebrity photographer Tyler Shields will preside as minister for the themed wedding which he has described as going to be, "one of the craziest celebrity weddings ever." The rest of the Backstreet Boys, Nick Carter
, Howie Dorough
, Brian Littrell
, and also former member Kevin Richardson
will be in attendance.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, singer, dancer, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, and entertainer. He is a member of the Backstreet Boys
Backstreet Boys
The Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys...
.
Early life
McLean was born in West Palm Beach, FloridaWest Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
to Bob and Denise (née Fernandez) McLean. He is of Cuban and German ancestry on his mother's side and Scottish, Irish and Portuguese on his father's side. His parents divorced and his father left the family when A.J. was two years old, and he was raised by his mother and her parents, Ursula and Adolph Fernandez. In January 1986 at 8 years old, he acted in his first role as Little Mike in the 1986 film Truth or Dare
Truth or Dare A Critical Madness
Truth or Dare?: A Critical Madness is a 1986 horror movie written and directed by Tim Ritter.-Plot:When Mike Strauber finds his wife in bed with his best friend, he mutilates himself and begins to kill strangers in bloody and horrific ways.-Cast:...
In 1990, he moved to Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
with his mother and grandparents to concentrate on his acting and singing career. After numerous auditions for various Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
and Disney projects, including the Nickelodeon show GUTS
Nickelodeon GUTS
Nickelodeon GUTS is an American television reality "action sports" competition series hosted by actor/comedian Mike O'Malley and officiated by British actress Moira "Mo" Quirk. The series was broadcast by the cable television network Nickelodeon from 1992 to 1995...
, he landed a role in Nickelodeon's Welcome Freshmen
Welcome Freshmen
Welcome Freshmen is a television show that ran on Nickelodeon from 1991 to 1996. The show took place at Hawthorne High School with a group of high school students and a bumbling vice principal...
, and in a comedy series called Hi Honey, I'm Home!
Hi Honey, I'm Home!
Hi Honey, I'm Home! is an American television sitcom that ran from July 19, 1991, to July 12, 1992 for thirteen episodes. The series was television's first "instant" rerun. Each week, a new episode of the series aired on ABC as part of their Friday night TGIF lineup. The same episode would re-air...
on which he played a character named "Skunk".
Alter ego
McLean created a character, whom he named "Johnny NoName", to use as his alter ego. He uses it as his name when not performing with other members of the Backstreet Boys. The character has similarities to McLean; for instance, both had single mothers, and lived with their grandparents from a young age. There are also differences - Johnny has been to prison whereas McLean has not. McLean has occasionally performed in rock/metal clubs around New York as Johnny No Name. He established a foundation called the JNN Foundation to raise funds for diabetes research and other causes like keeping music programs in schools. McLean also did a nine-city tour to support VH1 Save the Music as Johnny No Name.Originally McLean's alter ego was named Johnny Suede
Johnny Suede
Johnny Suede is the 1991 film directorial debut of writer-director Tom DiCillo. It starred Brad Pitt and Catherine Keener with early appearances from Samuel L. Jackson and Nick Cave.-Plot summary:...
. It shared its name with a character played by Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt
William Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
and when the studio threatened to sue McLean, he changed the name to Johnny No Name.
Have It All
In March 2008, McLean performed his first two solo shows (as himself) at the Anaheim House of Blues and The Roxy in Los Angeles. The show consisted of his solo material and a solo version of the Backstreet Boys hit, "IncompleteIncomplete (Backstreet Boys song)
"Incomplete" is a song by American vocal group Backstreet Boys from their comeback album, Never Gone. The power ballad was released in April 2005 as the group's first single since they decided to reunite after a three year hiatus. It was written by Dan Muckala, Lindy Robbins, and Jess Cates, and it...
". The solo tour continued through Europe in May and June, in parallel to Backstreet Boys tour. While creating his solo project, McLean worked with the OneRepublic
OneRepublic
OneRepublic is an American pop rock band from Colorado Springs, Colorado. Formed in 2002 by Ryan Tedder and Zach Filkins, the band achieved massive success on MySpace, becoming the most prominent unsigned act on the website then...
vocalist Ryan Tedder
Ryan Tedder
Ryan Benjamin Tedder is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the pop rock band, OneRepublic, though he has an independent career as songwriter and producer for various artists such as Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Far East Movement, Jordin Sparks, Leona...
, producers Dan Muckala and Kristian Lundin
Kristian Lundin
Kristian Carl Marcus Lundin is a Swedish composer, music producer and songwriter.-Biography:Beginning his career as a member of the Swedish duo Amadin , Kristian's writing and production talents were quickly recognized by music industry icon Denniz PoP, who invited him to join the Cheiron Studios...
, plus the former 'N Sync
'N Sync
N Sync was an American boy band formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich, *NSYNC consisted of JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick...
member, JC Chasez. On January 20, 2010, Have It All, was released in Japan. He confirmed on the Backstreet Boys cruise in December 2010 that the US version would be released on February 8, 2011.
Television appearances
In April 2002, In season 2 of Static ShockStatic Shock
Static Shock is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It premiered in September 2000 on the Kids' WB! block and ran for four seasons, with a total of 52 half-hour episodes....
(A cartoon from 2000–2004) AJ made a guest appearance on the show. The title of the episode is called "Duped". He also appeared as a contestant in the first season of the Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
game show Nickelodeon GUTS
Nickelodeon GUTS
Nickelodeon GUTS is an American television reality "action sports" competition series hosted by actor/comedian Mike O'Malley and officiated by British actress Moira "Mo" Quirk. The series was broadcast by the cable television network Nickelodeon from 1992 to 1995...
.
AJ made appeared and performed with The Backstreet Boys on Arthur
Arthur (TV series)
Arthur is an American/Canadian animated educational television series for children, created by Cookie Jar Group and WGBH for the Public Broadcasting Service...
, Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
, Sabrina The Teenage Witch, and Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
Personal life
McLean also suffered drug and alcohol addiction which he went to rehab for in 2001 (and again in 2002) following an intervention by the Backstreet Boys headed by former member Kevin RichardsonKevin Richardson (musician)
Kevin Scott Richardson is an American singer and a former member of the Backstreet Boys, model, actor, and composer. He was the oldest member of the band during his tenure.- Early years :...
. During an interview with New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
radio station ZM
ZM (New Zealand)
ZM is a New Zealand contemporary hit radio network owned by The Radio Network. It broadcasts 19 markets throughout mainland New Zealand via terrestrial FM, and worldwide via the Internet. The network targets the 15–39 demographic specialises in a chart-music playlist of pop, rock, hip hop and dance...
, McLean described his addictions as the hardest things he has ever had to go through, stating it is something he battles with every day. He checked into rehab for the 3rd time on January 10, 2011 citing "personal reasons" which are most likely related to his history of alcohol abuse. In preparation for the NKOTB and Backstreet Boys tour, McLean has said, "I want to be healthy and perform and sing for people at my very best and happiest." His time in rehab did not affect the tour.
AJ is engaged to Rochelle Deanna Karidis whom he credits for helping him overcome his addiction and they plan to marry December 17th, 2011 in Beverly Hills, California.
Mindy Weiss is excited to be AJ and Rochelle's wedding planner, “I’m most looking forward to that because it’s going to be quite unique,” Mindy tells OK! Magazine. “They have a Goth kind of theme going on and I’m going to take that and make it elegant. The challenge is on and I just adore them!”
Celebrity photographer Tyler Shields will preside as minister for the themed wedding which he has described as going to be, "one of the craziest celebrity weddings ever." The rest of the Backstreet Boys, Nick Carter
Nick Carter (musician)
Nickolas Gene "Nick" Carter is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, musician, entertainer and actor. He is best known as a member of the pop group, Backstreet Boys. He went on to release a solo album called Now Or Never during their hiatus. He has made occasional television appearances and...
, Howie Dorough
Howie Dorough
Howard Dwaine "Howie D." Dorough is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, musician, entertainer, actor and member of American music group Backstreet Boys-Biography:...
, Brian Littrell
Brian Littrell
Brian Thomas Littrell is an American singer-songwriter, best known as a member of the Backstreet Boys. He is also a contemporary Christian recording artist and released a solo album, Welcome Home, in 2006...
, and also former member Kevin Richardson
Kevin Richardson (musician)
Kevin Scott Richardson is an American singer and a former member of the Backstreet Boys, model, actor, and composer. He was the oldest member of the band during his tenure.- Early years :...
will be in attendance.
Albums
| Year | Title | Peak positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
JAP Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
|||
| Have It All |
|
— | — | |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
JAP Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
|||
| 2010 | "Teenage Wildlife" | — | — | Have It All |