Backstreet Mom: A Mother's Tale of Backstreet Boy AJ McLean's Rise to Fame, Struggle with Addiction, and Ultimate Triumph (Paperback)

by Denise I. McLean (Author), Nicole P. Gotlin (Author) "I BECAME A SINGLE MOM when Alex was a just a little over two years old..." (more)
Key Phrases: record company rep, Backstreet Boys, New York, Los Angeles (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"An inspiration to every mother working to raise her child in a difficult world. A book every mother should read!" -- Leslie O’Shaughnessy, President of the Millennium Woman Foundation

"Very easy to read. Denise writes it in a to-the-point way . . . the book [is] well-written." -- The Wave-Duluth News Tribune

Product Description
One of the most successful groups in music history, the Backstreet Boys have sold 65 million albums to date, and AJ McLean, the tattooed bad boy of the group, has fans throughout the world. An integral part of the Backstreet Boys from the very beginning, AJ's mother, Denise, traveled with the group and served as their publicist and fan club coordinator. In close proximity to the successes and heartbreaks of her son's career, Denise watched her son's painful descent into alcoholism and depression. This revealing account tells the tale of AJ's rise to superstardom, his descent into addiction, and his struggles through rehab, and offers a look at the harsh world of the music industry. A candid and heartfelt story, this book will appeal to fans of the Backstreet Boys, readers interested in behind-the-scenes music industry stories, and mothers with children who have substance abuse problems.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Benbella Books (December 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932100156
• ISBN-13: 978-1932100150
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #93,292 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, November 9, 2003

By A Customer

This book really is insightful and gives you a real look at the dealings of the music business. It shows you how hard Backstreet Boys worked overseas only to find out they weren't making any money and that a group exactly like them(N SYNC) was being built behind their backs.
It also gives you an insider's look into AJ's problems and addictions and how they first came to be and what lead to them. I would reccommend to this book to everyone especially parents with children who want to be in the music business or those children themselves.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best Backstreet book I've read!, November 3, 2003

By	"law241" (Charlotte, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This is not your everyday fan book: it's an amazingly informative tour through the Backstreet Boys' rise to stardom, as well as a been-there-survived-that handbook for parents coping with their children's substance abuse and depression.

Denise McLean doesn't dwell shallowly on her son's favorite foods or cutesy habits as books by some other Backstreet Boy moms and ex-girlfriends have done-- though her "Alex" certainly gets his due, with great stories about AJ's childhood and early career-- but rather the family and musical struggles (and sacrifices!) that shaped both his life and hers.

Even though my enthusiasm for the Backstreet Boys has waned considerably over the years, the book was still highly entertaining, with great anecdotes about the funnier pitfalls of fame. And the pictures throughout the text were excellent, from snapshots of young Alex to candid shots of Denise and AJ to pics of all five of the Backstreet Boys in Europe in the early days.

Denise is obviously a very strong, intelligent woman, and that comes through in her plain-spoken writing style that is sustained throughout the book.

Definately worth a read.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome, December 4, 2003

By A Customer

Since I want to become a singer as well as my group, (We're kind of like the Backstreet Boys - just girls) this book helped me realize that not even BSB got it handed to them. They worked their asses off to get to where they are today and deserve every bit of it. They don't get as much credit as they should. And to find out that really they were almost flat broke until they parted from Lou. All that work and they were getting nothing.

It's really just a good book that gives you an inside look at AJ's stuggles, fun times, and how he grew up. I really liked the first couple of chapters when it talked about when he was a a baby and his real father was still around. Awesome read.