Carter, the younger brother of Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter, began performing when he was seven years old. In 1997, at only nine years old, he released his self-titled debut album. “Crush On You” and “Crazy Little Party Girl” are amongst his UK top ten hits.
The millennium prodigy Aaron Carter was found dead at his home on Saturday, November 5th at 11 am. He was found dead in the bathtub of his home in California by the L.A.P.D. He was just 34 years old.
Carter’s Rise and Fall
At the age of nine years old, Carter released his studio album “Aaron Carter” in 1997. That same year, he got a chance to open for his brother’s band, Backstreet Boys; making him a global phenomenon overnight. His sophomore album, the platinum-selling “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It)” of 2000, featured his biggest hits “I Want Candy” and the LP title track.
Carter was also known for his roles on television shows such as “Lizzie McGuire” on Disney Channel and “7th Heaven,” which debuted on The WB Television Network. Hilary Duff, who starred with Carter in Lizzie McGuire, shared to Twitter, “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.”
It's been 21 YEARS since the Aaron Carter episode of Lizzie McGuire aired pic.twitter.com/vaaTzQ7uQQ
— Lizzie McGuire (@ImLizzieM) November 3, 2022
Carter also supported Britney Spears before transitioning to rap music – shedding his child star image with a number of face tattoos. His fifth and final studio album, “Love,” hit the charts in 2018. He also appears in his family’s E! Entertainment reality series, “House of Carters.”
Carter’s relationship with his siblings started to deteriorate after that time. His brother Nick requested a temporary restraining order against him in 2019 after allegations that he threatened to kill Nick’s pregnant wife.
Nick stated that the legal action was taken “in light of Aaron’s increasingly alarming behaviour” – allegations Carter said he was “astounded” by at the time. “I do not wish harm to anyone, especially my family,” he adds.
An Ongoing Struggle
Carter’s troubles started over a decade ago. In 2011, he entered rehab. 2012 saw Carter’s sister Leslie die of a drug overdose. In 2017, he came out as bisexual. Over the years, Carter amassed a variety of legal and substance abuse issues … infamously going on “The Doctors” a couple of years ago to talk about all the pills he was taking.
Following the news of his death, tributes to the late singer began to pour in over the weekend. On Instagram, Nick Carter posted several photos of the brothers as children, along with a lengthy caption.
“My heart has been broken today,” he says. “Even though my brother and I have had a complicated relationship, my love for him has never ever faded. I have always held on to the hope, that he would somehow, someday want to walk a healthy path and eventually find the help that he so desperately needed.”
“Sometimes we want to blame someone or something for a loss. But the truth is that addiction and mental illness is the real villain here.”
Nick concluded the post by saying he’d “miss my brother more than anyone will ever know” and that Aaron would “get a chance to finally have some peace you could never find here on Earth … God, please take care of my baby brother”.
A Disturbing Scene
After his death, police reportedly made a number of disturbing findings at the singer’s home. Evidence of compressed air canisters and various medications were found in his bedroom and bathroom, the Los Angeles Times and TMZ have reported. Carter, 34, previously spoke about his substance abuse issues; including an addiction to huffing – where an inhalant-soaked rag is pressed to the mouth.
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