Music

Aaron Carter, musician and brother of Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter, dies at 34

The former child star was found dead Saturday at his home in Lancaster, Calif.

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Published on November 5, 2022 04:57PM EDT

Musician and former child star Aaron Carter has died, his manager has confirmed to EW. He was 34.

The singer and rapper, known for his hits "I Want Candy" and "Aaron's Party (Come Get It)," was found dead at his Lancaster, Calif., home on Saturday morning, per TMZ, who first reported the news.

Born in Tampa, Carter was raised in a musical family that included his older brother Nick Carter, a member of prominent boy band the Backstreet Boys, and his sister Leslie Carter, who was also a singer (she died in 2012). He catapulted to fame after performing as an opening act for the Backstreet Boys in 1997 and released his debut album, Aaron Carter, less than a year later.

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 11: Aaron Carter poses for portrait sitting in an Ulloo42 chair at Visual Snow Initiative visits The Artists Projecton April 11, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Bezjian/Getty Images for The Artists Project) — Aaron Carter. Michael Bezjian/Getty for The Artists Project

The album, which featured hits including "Crazy Little Party Girl" and a cover of the Jets' 1985 hit "Crush on You," landed at No. 17 on Billboard's U.S. Top Heatseekers Album chart upon its release and sold a million copies worldwide.

Carter's popularity continued to grow after the release of his second album, Aaron's Party (Come Get It), in 2000. The record, which went triple platinum in the U.S., included the hits "I Want Candy," "That's How I Beat Shaq," and "Bounce," and led to tours with both the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears.

In March 2001, Carter made his acting debut when he performed "I Want Candy" on the popular Disney Channel series Lizzie McGuire. He made his Broadway debut that same year as JoJo the Who in the musical Seussical.

He released two more records — 2001's Oh Aaron and 2002's Another Earthquake — before taking an extended break from music. Carter returned in 2017 with the Love EP before releasing his fifth and final album, also titled Love, in 2018. In his Instagram bio, Carter said a new album was "coming soon." He released a new song called "Joker" online for Halloween.

In addition to starring in Lizzie McGuire, Carter made guest appearances on Sabrina the Teenage Witch, 7th Heaven, and All That. In 2006, he joined his siblings Nick, Leslie, B.J, and Angel for E!'s reality show House of Carters, which aired for one season and followed the family as they lived under the same roof again. Carter starred on Dancing With the Stars in 2009, placing fifth with his professional partner Karina Smirnoff.

Carter courted multiple controversies throughout his life, including two drug-related arrests, in 2008 and in 2017. While on the show The Doctors in 2019, he revealed that he was manic depressive and had been diagnosed with multiple personality disorder, schizophrenia, and acute anxiety. His siblings, Nick and Angel, both sought restraining orders against him that year.

The rapper, who sought help at multiple treatment facilities throughout his life, is survived by his son, Prince.

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