The Backstreet Boys topped the charts in the late 1990s and early 2000s. But, the success did not help fellow member Nick Carter.
“It was definitely the reason why things escalated, family problems, the dysfunction; all those things were there,” Carter said. “I think [the success] kind of just made it worse.”
In his new memoir, Facing the Music and Living To Talk About It, Carter talks about drug and alcohol addictions, relationship with ex-girlfriend Paris Hilton and the death of his younger sister Leslie from an overdose last year.
He says he regrets his past party lifestyle but hopes the self-help advice in the book helps readers overcome their own obstacles.
Carter credits a lot of his recovery to bandmate Kevin Richardson, who gave
him Norman Vincent Peale’s self-help book, Why Some Positive Thinkers Get Powerful Results during the height of his struggles back in 2004.
“I turned to self-help books in a time of need; a lot of these problems might have been in my head, maybe I needed to reteach myself,” he said.
But, Richardson was not easy on him. Richardson said Carter was “destroying himself,” as his nightly intake included vodka and cocaine.
“He didn’t sugarcoat things; he really made me see it for what it I was, and I think that’s how he helped,” Carter said. “He was that, figure that I kind of appreciated and looked up to in a way; I wanted to prove to him that I could take it and do better.”
Carter said the music scene today has stayed the same in terms of easy access to those seeking
approval through stimulants.
“If you’re lost and you’re searching for validation, if you want drugs, if you want alcohol, you’re going to find those things,” he said.
Carter, who grew up about 30 minutes from Tampa, said the main reason he wrote the book was because he never really had something close to his heart.
“I wanted to give back; I have been in this business a long time,” he said.
Speaking of business, Carter is now working on a VH1 reality series and a horror movie. (Not to fear; they are separate!) He liked to shed the “boy band” stereotype by working on new projects.
The horror movie, Evil Blessings, is about a group of college kids who visit the woods and uncover a cursed 19th century family. Carter financed it publicly and hopes to have a budget prepared soon.
The VH1 series, still in the preliminary stages, will follow the pop singer’s life, including his engagement to longtime girlfriend Lauren Kitt. Carter, 33, had an eight-episode reality show stint back in 2006 with House of Carters on E!, which featured the whole family, including Aaron Carter.
The memoir, due out Tuesday, is only the “first chapter,” according to Carter.
He says he is still trying to learn about himself.
But, the book is still heavy on content: “It’s deep. It’s kind of a peek into intimate parts of my life.”
Originally posted by Miami Herald
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