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Alexander James "A.J." McLean (born January 9, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and model. He is a founding member of the vocal group the Backstreet Boys. McLean is also a contributor to the It Gets Better Project.

Early life[]

McLean was born on January 9, 1978, in West Palm Beach, Florida, to Denise (née Fernandez, now Solis), a hospital worker, author and motivation coach, and Robert "Bob" McLean, a musician. Denise is of Cuban-Puerto Rican and German ancestry, and Bob is of Scots-Irish, Russian, and English descent. A DNA test described his genetic ancestry as Iberian, Central and South American, North, West and East European, North African, Nigerian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Middle Eastern. He is an only child because his twin sisters passed away during childbirth. He was raised solely by his mother and grandparents (Ursula and Adolph), as his parents divorced when he was two-three years old. He rarely saw his father and believed that his parents' divorce was his fault, and it became difficult for him because he felt left out of the father-son activities most of his friends had. They saw one another around Christmastime when he was 6, 10, and again at age 12 until McLean reunited with his father in 1997. His father had been following him throughout his career. They have since kept in regular contact following their 17-year estrangement and again after a recent fallout before he got married when he went to rehab for the second or third time.


Career[]

Early career[]

As a child, McLean had a speech impediment, which gave him a lisp and a tendency to stutter.

He discovered his love for performing and started to pursue a career in acting, dancing, and singing. When he was four, McLean began to focus on his passion for dance, so his mother signed him up for two-hour dance lessons daily. He took ballet for four years, jazz, tap, hip-hop, rhythm tap, rhythm hip-hop, contemporary, ballroom, salsa, merengue, and gymnastics. His mother got him into modeling when he was around five for a few years, doing J.C. Penny's catalogs and runways. Aside from that, he took up fencing, and he revealed that his grandmother taught him piano and has taken him to every audition growing up. At age six, McLean was part of a school play, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, where he played Dopey at Unity of Delray Beach church and school. He also appeared in more traditional musicals such as The Nutcracker, The King and I and Fiddler on the Roof before age 11. By age 12, he had performed in 27 classic school plays.

In addition to singing and acting, he was a serious dance student, learning everything from jazz to ballet to hip-hop. He stated in interviews that "Dancing was really my thing in the early days. I wanted to be a dancer way above an actor or a singer." When he was 12, he started his first dance troupe and would attend dance competitions, which was a valuable experience even though they didn't win.

In January 1986, at eight years old, McLean acted in his first role as Little Mike in the 1986 film Truth or Dare?. In 1990, McLean, his mother, and his grandparents moved to Kissimmee, Florida, to pursue his acting and singing career. For four years, he attended a private acting school, the Florida Academy of Dramatic Arts, acted in the drama club and small plays and modeled periodically. In 1991, McLean landed a role in the Nickelodeon comedy series Hi Honey, I'm Home! as Skunk. However, after the pilot, he was cut from the show due to being too tall.

In 1989, at age 11, he saw an ad for a Latin festival in the newspaper. Since his grandfather had Latin roots, he decided to audition. He won first place and a $1,000 prize. The festival's producer hired him to perform a 45-minute one-person show and did a puppet show, showcasing his singing, acting, and dancing. At the Latin festival, he met a young 16-year-old Howie Dorough (Tony Donetti at the time) through a mutual vocal coach. When he was 13 years old, McLean tried out for "Star Search" but never received a call back from the show.

In junior high, McLean won a part in Nickelodeon's series "Welcome Freshmen," which began his ongoing work relationship with Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel. He also appeared on the Nickelodeon show GUTS and a Muppets commercial. During one of his auditions for the former, he met Howie D. and Nick Carter, lacing together the roots of the group that was to become the Backstreet Boys. Surprisingly, before his audition, McLean did a short film called Tickits.

Alongside his career, Due to his love of performing and not participating in the same sports as his peers, he was bullied, called offensive names and was referred to as a "nerd." He revealed that it was very upsetting for him but figured it was probably due to jealousy and that he was always different from other kids, including friends.

Backstreet Boys[]

Main article: Backstreet Boys

In March 1992, an ad was placed in a local newspaper seeking young men between the ages of 16-19 for an audition for a new music group. Despite being 14 years old, he auditioned for the group. By April 1992, McLean was officially the group's first member to become the Backstreet Boys. After six months at Osceola High School, he finished the remaining three years through correspondence courses with a tutor on the road after joining the Backstreet Boys.

McLean, Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Kevin Richardson, and Richardson's cousin Brian Littrell formed the vocal group Backstreet Boys in 1993. The group enjoyed extensive commercial success throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Solo ventures[]

Johnny No Name (2000)[]

McLean created a character named "Johnny No Name" as his alter ego. He uses this 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 as Johnny No Name in rock/metal clubs around New York. He established the JNN Foundation to fund diabetes research and other causes, such as keeping music programs in schools. McLean also performed a nine-city tour to support VH1 Save the Music as Johnny No Name. A source said he would release a solo album as Johnny No Name, but it never happened.

McLean's alter ego was originally named Johnny Suede. This shared a name with a character played by Brad Pitt, and when the studio threatened to sue McLean, he changed the name to Johnny No Name.

Have It All (2010)[]

It wasn’t until March 2008 that McLean finally started to perform 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, "Incomplete."The solo tour continued through Europe in May and June, parallel to the Backstreet Boys tour. But his solo album, Have It All, wouldn’t be released until January 20, 2010. At the time, the album was only released in Japan. On the Backstreet Boys cruise in December 2010, it was said that the US version would be released on February 8, 2011, but since then has not been released. While creating his solo project, McLean worked with the OneRepublic vocalist Ryan Tedder, producers Dan Muckala and Kristian Lundin, and former *NSYNC member JC Chasez. AJ’s album was a mix of pop, rock, and some R&B. The first and only single from the album “Teenage Wildlife” was a song co-written by former N Sync member JC Chasez. The album featured ten songs AJ wrote, including a personal song about his father, “Sincerely Yours.” In 2011, AJ had said he’d release the album in 2012 in the US, featuring songs from his first solo album, but eventually scrapped the idea.

In June 2012, McLean was working on a second solo album of the original. On July 23, 2012, he posted two new songs on Socialcam, "Peach" and "P.L.A.R.S." The album was announced for release in 2012 but was pushed back.

Around early 2015, AJ said he was working on his solo album with Jordan Omley, who has worked on several Backstreet Boys songs from their albums This Is Us and In a World Like This. The first single, “Live Together,” is also the name of a foundation AJ and Jordan Omley started, where they will raise money for anyone who needs help. They filmed the “Live Together” music video on March 7, 2015. Fans could take part in the music videos by donating to the charity. The money raised would help Marshall Fundamental School, whose musical instruments were stolen in Pasadena, CA. The funds raised also helped to renovate the band room. McLean and singers Becky G, Jordan Omley, and Blake Lewis visited, and some even performed at the school. The single “Live Together” premiered on People.com on May 12, 2015. The video was released on October 5, 2015.

Meanwhile, his albums had a few delays. AJ has recorded newer tracks for the album, which was part of the delay, along with the Backstreet Boys preparation and promotion of their Las Vegas residency for March, April, June, and July 2017.

Collaborations (2013)[]

On May 22, 2013, Finnish rapper Redrama released a single, "Clouds", featuring McLean. It peaked at No. 4 in Finland.

Naked (2016)[]

McLean was set to release his second solo album, Naked, in September 2016. However, it was delayed after he announced it was still under construction. The lead single, "Live Together," was released on iTunes on September 4, 2015.

Sex and Bodies (2018–present)[]

On April 15, 2018, at the 53rd annual Academy of Country Music Awards, during an interview with Billboard, McLean discussed his plans to "disrupt country music" for his next solo project. He also said that the Backstreet Boys' collaboration on Florida Georgia Line's "God, Your Mama and Me" inspired him to make a country album. On June 4, 2018, McLean released the single "Back Porch Bottle Service" from an upcoming album. McLean continued his foray into country-pop releasing the ballad "Boy and a Man" in March 2019 as a single from an upcoming album Long Road. The video was directed by René Elizondo Jr., best known for his work with Janet Jackson.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, McLean released "Love Song Love" on April 27, 2021, which showcased his support for the LGBT community and then put out a new single "Smoke" on July 15, 2022, that he recorded with his group ATCK. McLean also announced he was set to release his second solo album, his first in 12 years since, Have It All called Sex and Bodies.

On February 14, 2024, (Valentine's Day), McLean released a new song called "Electric" under his full name, Alexander James. In March 2024, McLean announced that he and *NSYNC member Joey Fatone were coheadlining a tour together.

Non-music works[]

On July 22, 2015, McLean launched Skulleeroz Vapor, a line of liquids for use with electronic cigarettes.

In 2020, McLean announced his nail polish line Ava Dean Beauty, launched on November 30, 2020. His daughters, Elliott (Born Ava) and Lyric, inspired him.

Just recently, McLean and his two daughters appeared in a Christmas ad campaign for The Children's Place with Lance Bass and his twins, Joey Fatone and one of his daughters, and Wanyá Morris and his baby daughter.

Television and film appearances[]

In 1992, McLean was a contestant in the real-life live-action game show, Nickelodeon Guts. In April 2002, McLean appeared in the second season episode of Static Shock titled "Duped."

McLean also appeared and performed with the Backstreet Boys on Arthur, Sesame Street, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Saturday Night Live. In 2013, the Backstreet Boys, including McLean, made their motion picture debut by appearing in the comedy, This Is the End. In September 2018, McLean provided the voice of the golden mole Kuchimba on an episode of Disney's The Lion Guard. In 2016, McLean appeared in bandmate Nick Carter's music video for 19 in 99 as a pizza delivery man. In 2019, he voiced the character Lucy the Fairy in the episode "Cedric & the Fairies" of The Bravest Knight. On November 16, 2021, McLean announced he would host the second season of Fashion Hero, filming in South Africa in 2022.

Dancing with the Stars[]

In August 2020, McLean was announced as one of the celebrities competing in season 29 of Dancing with the Stars.

RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race[]

McLean was revealed as a contestant on RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race as Poppy Love. On September 30, 2022, during the season finale of RSCDR, Poppy Love was crowned the winner. Due to his win, Trans Lifeline would receive a $100,000 award.

Personal life[]

McLean stated that his grandmother was like a second mother to him, and his grandfather and Uncle Bill were the only two father figures. So when his father wasn't around, his grandparents, uncle, aunt Darlene, and cousin Kathy were there for him with love and support. After his grandmother died in 2001, he struggled with alcohol addiction. When the group performed at London's Party in the Park 2000 with Elton John, McLean missed the show due to his grandfather getting surgery. On June 7, 2021, McLean lost his stepfather, Tony Solis.

McLean told People magazine that he plans to move his family to New York within two years, and doing Broadway is on his bucket list. His eldest daughter recently decided to change her birth name, which is not a gender thing, and asked both parents to call her Elliott, according to his wife.

In 1999, the International Star Registry named a star in the Aquila constellation after McLean.

Relationships[]

McLean has had some excellent and toxic relationships during his career, naming about 6. After joining the Backstreet Boys in 1992, McLean began dating Marissa Jackson, daughter of former manager Donna Wright and the stepdaughter of manager Johnny Wright, for six years. She is seen in the music video for "We've Got It Goin' On" and helped out on the band's first world tour with wardrobe and as a hairstylist. After their breakup, they remained friends, and she wrote the book Loving A.J.: My 6-Year Romance with a Backstreet Boy about their relationship featuring Love letters and poems from him. McLean then started dating Amanda Latona of Innosense for two years, one of the band's dancers, Kristin Denehy, for three months and was engaged to Sarah Martin before she broke it off in 2003.

On his podcast, Pretty Messed Up with Cheryl Burke and Rene Elizondo Jr., and on Dancing with the Stars, McLean shared that he had met Rochelle Deanna Karidis, a model and makeup artist/hairstylist, at Choreographer's Carnival where she was a Halloween dancer before meeting up again at Saddleback Ranch in 2006 where she was a Hollywood waitress and "asked her out." But, instead of winning her over right then and there, she flatly rejected him and chose to have fun with her friends until 2007, when he asked her out again, and she accepted. It turns out she's a fan and saw the group's Into the Millennium Tour in Las Vegas in October 1999. On January 9, 2010, for his birthday, McLean proposed to his girlfriend of 10 months since March 22, 2009, at a club in Las Vegas. He states that the night he proposed was done on impulse. He bought an engagement ring at the jeweler in the same building as the club. He credits Rochelle with motivating him to get sober and overcome his drug addiction for many years. The couple married on December 17, 2011, at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, with the rest of the Backstreet Boys, Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, and Kevin Richardson in attendance. They have two daughters together. On April 29, 2012, during a show with NKOTBSB in London, England, broadcasted in cinemas around Europe and online worldwide, he announced that he would be a father. A video on his YouTube page was posted where he and Rochelle announced the pregnancy. Around June 2012, AJ announced they would have a baby girl in November. On November 27, 2012, their daughter, Ava Jaymes, now Elliott, was born at 4:51 am PST in Los Angeles, CA, and was dubbed the first Backstreet Girl, as Brian, Kevin, Howie, and Nick all have sons, until October 2, 2019, when bandmate Nick's baby girl, Saoirse, was born. On September 5, 2016, McLean announced on Instagram that his wife was pregnant with their second child, and they were having another girl due in the Spring of March 2017, which he mentioned Several weeks later at an event. On March 19, 2017, the couple's second child, whom they named Lyric Dean, was born in Los Angeles.

On March 27, 2023, the pair announced they were temporarily separating to work on themselves and their marriage to build a stronger future together. They have been communicating and getting along well through therapy, so McLean has been busy focusing on his family and health journey. On New Year's Day 2024, after 12 years of marriage, the couple announced via Instagram that they have chosen to divorce and are focusing on moving forward with friendship and co-parenting their daughters. They have asked for privacy during this time.

Substance abuse[]

At the height of the Backstreet Boys career, McLean suffered from drug and alcohol addiction. He stated the first time he did cocaine was on the video set for “The Call” in 2000. During the US summer tour for their album Black & Blue in 2001, his bandmates realized something was wrong. While the group was in Boston that July to do five sold-out shows, the problem finally hit McLean. Following an intervention by bandmate Kevin, who confronted AJ about his problems, AJ became furious and wanted to quit the band. He later broke into tears and knew he was out of control. Within hours, he arranged a flight to head into rehab for depression, anxiety, and excessive consumption of alcohol. On July 9, 2001, a press release was sent out stating that the remainder of the dates in Boston would be canceled due to Nick injuring his hand. Later that day, the rest of the group appeared on MTV's TRL to announce AJ going into rehab. His problems affected his performance on stage. During the announcement, Brian had mentioned that AJ came to them the day before (July 8, 2001) and said, ‘Guys, I have a problem, and I wanna better myself and better the group and better our situation.’ His problems were affecting his performance on stage. He left rehab in August 2001, and the group resumed their Black & Blue tour. He claimed that the cause of his addiction was probably due to his missing out on his childhood. It turns out that besides having a missed childhood and having low self-esteem, McLean stated on an Instagram post that he went down the wrong path, which caused his addiction for the past 35 years, blaming himself, losing his self-esteem and creating a horrible path surrounding himself with the wrong toxic people, developing toxic relationships, and the most toxic one with himself.

His sobriety did not last long, and he entered rehab again in 2002, which lasted from 2001-2007, as he stated he was a chronic relapse. On January 10, 2011, he checked into rehab for the third time, stating it was for personal reasons. In preparation for the NKOTB and Backstreet Boys tour, McLean 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. Also, he said he wanted to be healthy and sober before getting married. He originally planned to marry in May 2011 but had pushed back the date because of the NKOTBSB tour. This stint in rehab would not affect the tour, and it went on as planned. Since heading into rehab thrice, McLean has been sober, though he still struggles with alcohol. During an interview with New Zealand radio station ZM, McLean described addiction as the hardest thing he has ever had to go through, stating it is something he battles with daily. McLean admitted in 2020 that he had relapsed at the end of 2019 but was working to stay sober to be a better husband and father.

Since his permanent recovery after 20 years, McLean now hosts 12-step Alcoholics Anonymous meetings at his place and plans to continue attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings "whenever I have a break" when the band heads to Cancun for Backstreet's Back At the Beach coming up on April 18-21, 2024. "It just takes two for a meeting." He has also divided his career (as AJ) from his personal life (as Alex) by setting healthy boundaries between work and family since his substance abuse and fame strain his personal life. He told People he "battled self-esteem issues my entire life, and I’ve learned a lot. My sobriety is the most solid it’s ever been." He adds, "I'm in the best shape of my life, both mentally, physically, spiritually. I'm actually really happy, and I love it, and I don't want to lose it. I want to continue to keep growing, growing with my wife and my kids and myself."

Health and fitness[]

In 2020, before his appearance on Dancing with the Stars, McLean stated he was completely sober and following a strict diet: grain-free, gluten-free, plant-based, and sugar-free.

Besides being completely sober for a year, McLean took time during the Covid lockdown to care for himself physically, mentally, and emotionally by changing his diet and working out five days a week. He starts with 30 minutes of cardio, followed by strength training. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are devoted to upper body workouts, while Tuesdays and Thursdays are the lower body. "It's a lot of protein — I'm taking in 140 grams," McLean shared. Breakfast typically consists of egg whites and oatmeal or grain-free pancakes. Lunch is a big salad with grilled chicken, and for dinner, he'll have a steak or a burger in a lettuce bun with a side of asparagus.

Regarding snacks, McLean gravitates towards almonds, protein shakes, and apples, which he noted are "very high in fiber." McLean has lost 32 pounds since February. "I weighed myself this morning, and I'm 138," His physical transformation is only part of the reason he's feeling so good and determined to stay on track for his wife, Rochelle, and their daughters, 5-year-old Lyric and 9-year-old Elliott, born Ava. On Sept. 26, he marked 365 days free of alcohol. HE stated in Today that his addiction and "Drinking caused weight gain, but it also weighed down my mental state," he is now "in the best shape" of his life, started by making small diet changes. The first two things to go were alcohol and fast food. It wasn't easy, and McLean struggled in the beginning. In those tough moments, he said he'd ask himself a series of questions: Do I want to feel good about myself? Do I want to inspire others? "I'd tell myself, 'I'm going to do this, I'm going to do this. I am going to be the best version of myself,'" Two years later, he reported success in losing excess weight, keeping a trim body, and not having alcohol or fast food.

Discography[]

Template:See also

Albums[]

Year Title Peak positions
US JAP
Have It All
  • Released: January 20, 2010
  • Label: Avex
  • Formats: CD, digital download
31
Long Road
  • Released:
  • Label:
  • Formats:

Singles[]

Artist[]

Year Single Peak chart positions Album
Billboard 200 JAP
2010 "Teenage Wildlife" Have It All
2015 "Live Together"
2017 "You (ft.Shawn Stockman)"
2018 "Back Porch Bottle Service"
2018 "Night Visions" Long Road
2019 "Boy And A Man"
2019 "Give You Away"

Duets[]

Year Single Peak chart positions Album
US FIN
2013 "Clouds"
(Redrama and AJ McLean)
4 Reflection (Redrama Album)

Filmography[]

TV series and films
Year Film Role Notes
1986 Truth or Dare? Little Mike
1991 Hi Honey, I'm Home! Skunk Original Pilot episode
1990 Welcome Freshmen Sophomore Boy Puppeteer Othello the (Sopho)moor
1992 Nickelodeon Guts Himself Known as AJ "Mean" McLean
1998 Sabrina the Teenage Witch Himself Episode: "Battle of the Bands"
1998–1999 Saturday Night Live Himself and musical guest "Julianne Moore/Backstreet Boys" (Season 23: episode 16)
"Sarah Michelle Gellar/Backstreet Boys" (Season 24: episode 19)
2002 Static Shock Himself Voice, episode: "Duped"
2002 Arthur Himself Voice, episode: "Arthur, It's Only Rock and Roll"
2002 Sesame Street Himself
2005 The Ellen DeGeneres Show Himself Musical Guest with the Backstreet Boys
2009 El Hormiguero Himself Musical Guest with the Backstreet Boys
2012 Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Himself Musical Guest with the Backstreet Boys
2013 This Is the End Himself With the Backstreet Boys, performing "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)"
2013 El Hormiguero Himself Musical Guest with the Backstreet Boys
2014 I Heart Nick Carter Himself minor
2016 Dead 7 Johnny Vermillion
2018 The Lion Guard Kuchimba Voice, episode: "The Underground Adventure"
2019 The Boy Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story Himself
2020 Dancing with the Stars Himself (contestant) Season 29
2021 Days of Our Lives Prisoner guard
2022 RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race Poppy Love (contestant), winner Season 2
1993 Tickits Boy in car Short Film

Gallery[]

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