Aaron, Oh, Aaron: My Thoughts On the Life of Aaron Carter

I remember when Aaron Carter prophesied that he would die an early death.

In the liner notes for the singer’s 2001 Oh, Aaron album, the singer; then, just months shy of his 14th birthday, contemplated the life that had brought him immense fame and an immeasurable level of sadness that his young fanbase could never fathom.

“Every time I think of a sunset, I think of how many times I have been to places where my life could have been taken from me,” Carter wrote. “I always think I am lucky. I am, but I have a dangerous feeling [that] my life will end soon.”

Reading those words floored me at the time. I didn’t know much about Aaron behind the scenes, but the juxtaposition between such intense thoughts and the privileged life he presented to the world was hard to grasp. His professional standing at the start of the aughts gave off the impression of a young, in-demand entertainer who had already bested a seemingly impossible feat – finding and securing his lane as someone other than “Nick Carter’s brother.”

By 2001, Aaron had already gone platinum on two continents; with 1997’s Aaron Carter in the UK, and 2000’s Aaron’s Party (Come Get It) in North America. He also appeared on the hit Disney series Lizzie McGuire (with future girlfriend Hilary Duff), performed on stages around the world alongside the Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, and the King of Pop, Michael Jackson; and was a bonafide Broadway star. In my eyes and those of anyone with a sense of basic sight, Aaron Carter wasn’t just living the dream – he was the dream.

Sadly, that dream would end tragically with Aaron’s shocking death in November 2022. Those who bore witness to his increasingly erratic behavior and substance abuse troubles in his last years say they saw the writing on the wall. I wonder how they would feel knowing Aaron himself felt the same way.

Some may find it strange for someone about 10 years beyond Aaron’s fanbase to know so much about his life and music. You must be new here.

As a massive lover of the 90s and 2000s pop music scene, I was long familiar with Aaron’s career before his North American debut. Eight years younger than Backstreet Boys alum Nick Carter, Aaron had created huge waves in the overseas pop market with covers of The Beach Boys’ “Surfin’ USA" and The Jets’ “Crush On You.” These feats alone brought multiple mentions in teen magazines stateside about young Aaron before anyone could widely purchase his music in America.

It was only a matter of time before Aaron and his team at Transcontinental Records, led by disgraced pop Svengali Lou Pearlman, properly broke him in America. They did so with a banger of an introduction. In August 2000, “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It)” was released as his stateside debut single.

The song became Aaron’s first top 40 Billboard hit and received major rotation on Radio Disney, Nickelodeon, and the paid music video channel The Box. It would be the latter where I first heard the song myself – and the earworm became an instant favorite.

As pop music lore tells it, Aaron followed Nick into the music business to remain close to his eldest sibling. Likewise, to my adolescent self, my brother was the epitome of all things cool. I emulated him as closely as possible, down to the style of clothes he wore and mass-viewing the bad karate movies he liked to watch.

I would go on to mold an identity separate from my brother, but Aaron seemingly never stopped chasing Nick’s footsteps, figuratively and literally.

In the Investigation Discovery docuseries, Nick & Aaron Carter: Fallen Idols, several close friends of the Carter family claimed that along with aiming for the same heights of fame as Nick – often egged on by the parents who raised them - Aaron also took on some of Nick’s worst habits.

One friend specified to ID that Aaron was caught several times huffing aerosol cans around the family’s compound to get high. To make matters worse, Aaron often engaged in this behavior with his father, Bob Carter. Nick was similarly known to throw wild parties and drink massive amounts of alcohol with his parents, siblings (including Aaron), and all their young, teenage friends.

Still thriving professionally, Aaron released his third and fourth studio albums, Oh, Aaron and Another Earthquake in 2001 and 2002, respectively. Within months of the release of Another Earthquake, his parents filed a suit against Lou Pearlman, Aaron’s former manager, for failing to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in royalties on past recordings.

In 2003, Aaron himself filed a suit against his other manager; his mother, Jane Carter (now Scheck), for allegedly stealing more than $100,000 from him throughout his career. He also requested to be legally emancipated from his parents. Both suits were settled out of court and he continued to work with Pearlman and his mom.

After a failed music comeback in 2005 with the underrated “Saturday Night,” Aaron signed on to appear with his four siblings – Nick, Bobbie Jean, Leslie, and twin sister Angel – in the controversial E! reality series, House of Carters. For some of the Carter kids, it would be the first time since childhood that they lived under the same roof.

I wish I could say more about the show, but after seeing the scene of Aaron and Nick physically fighting one another as a preview, I chose not to tune in. That moment hit a little too close to home… and that’s all I’d like to say on that right now.

Like most of the entertainment world, I lost touch with Aaron’s life and career after 2006, save for a few notable mentions. His impressive 2009 Dancing With the Stars run saw me tuning back into the competition series after a years-long break (which went back into immediate effect following Aaron's elimination).

I kept him in my thoughts upon hearing of his 2011 rehab stint and applauded his Off-Broadway turn in The Fantasticks. This was around the same point when the very first whispers of Aaron’s bisexuality started creeping around corners of the internet. He would confirm his bisexuality in 2017 – yet another parallel between him and I.

Please note: Contrary to some reports, Aaron did not "go back into the closet." In 2018, Aaron told People that while he was attracted to both men and women, he ultimately saw himself "being with a woman and having kids." Many bisexual men feel similarly. It does not make them any less bisexual. And now, back to our originally scheduled post.

It wouldn’t be until 2016 when Aaron did something that fully reinvigorated my interest in his career. That year, he dropped “Fool’s Gold,” a single from his fifth studio album, Love. From the first listen, it was clear that despite his occasionally turbulent life, his talent had never abandoned him. As a fan, I was so proud of Aaron for finding his way back to music and himself.

It also happens to be a great song.

The Love album followed in February 2018, around the same time I started to pull out of my depressive period. I wish this could be another positive link between Aaron and me… but sadly, 2018 saw Aaron’s life take its sharpest turn yet.

Ironically, he and I would share one final connection that I can assume neither of us desired: Being diagnosed with manic depression and anxiety (Aaron claimed he also battled schizophrenia). Alas, there was one moment of beautiful reprieve for Aaron: In 2021, he welcomed his first son, Prince Lyric Carter, to the world.

On November 5, 2022; just a month shy of his 35th birthday, Aaron Charles Carter was found dead in his Lancaster, CA home. Some may find it strange for someone who didn’t know him personally to be so heartbroken two years later. To them, I say, you must be new here.

Fate dealt Aaron a heavy hand early in life; one that he never fully mastered or bested, despite several valiant attempts otherwise. He may have entered the arena of life and fame as the little brother of someone more famous than he’d ever be, but Aaron’s talents and the many accolades he received because of them were all his own.

For starters, Aaron was a talented musician. Starting from childhood, he taught himself how to play multiple instruments. His 2018 Love album was co-written and co-produced entirely by him, save for a remake of his popular cover of “I Want Candy.”

Additionally, his contentious moniker, “the prince of pop” wasn’t one he nor his fans came up with – it was bestowed upon him by the legendary Michael Jackson. Seeing Aaron perform, Michael said he saw many of the same musical gifts within the young singer. By the way, this is what Aaron was trying to express in 2015 when he tweeted that Michael “passed the torch" to him. It’s also why Aaron named his son “Prince.”

In the final years of his life, Aaron faced his biggest controversy - and backlash - when he publicly supported several women who alleged to have been sexually assaulted by his brother, Nick. I want to take this moment to remind others that Aaron claimed to have been sexually assaulted by his late sister Leslie, who died of an overdose in 2012.

As an SA survivor, I know how heavy it is to heal from such an experience while feeling conflicted regarding someone close to you being accused of sexually assaulting others. The burden is massive beyond the written word. Aaron deserved more grace from those who condemned him, including himself. Please be kind. You never know what someone else is dealing with.

In the Fallen Idols docuseries, one of Aaron’s friends fondly remembers him as a “sensitive” soul who “wanted people to love him.” As someone just as sensitive who often sought love in all the wrong places, I feel this is what initially drew me to Aaron. Our paths in life led us to sharing our gifts with the world, although Aaron’s had far more reach and brought more pain. I don’t know if he ever found the love he craved, but there is no doubt that he left so much of it behind. Aaron Charles Carter had much more to give, not just to the world but to himself. I wish he was still here to do so.

“For as long as I can remember, I've chased unconditional love and hoped for true stability in my family,” Aaron tweeted in 2019. “I started to get a chip on my shoulder when I kept coming up short on something that doesn't cost a thing – love. All I want is love.”

Fly high, Aaron. You are missed.

In early 2024, Aaron's surviving twin sister, Angel Carter Conrad, released Recovery, an album of unreleased songs by Aaron. The project benefits both "On Our Sleeves - Kids Mental Health Foundation" and a trust for Aaron's son, Prince Lyric Carter. Please check out The Recovery Project for more information, and feel free listen to the title track below.