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Boys to Man Band?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
VH1 has become the land where has-beens try to resurrect their careers (Flavor Flav anybody?), can’t can’t decide whether to call their latest project the cheesy “Man Band” moniker or the more noble “Band of Men.”
Either way, it’s a TV-created combination of four former boy band members: a man from the top of the food chain (‘N Sync’s Chris Kirkpatrick), another from an act nipping at ‘N Sync’s heels (98 Degrees’ Jeff Timmons), a third from a group that made 98 Degrees sound like the Beatles (LFO’s Rich Cronin) and a fourth from an act well forgotten since the days when Paula Abdul was known as a singer (Color Me Badd’s Bryan Adams). They’ll record some music in hopes of getting back in the spotlight.
Since their heydays, their fates have diverged. Based on clips shown to writers at the TV Critics Association tour in Pasadena Thursday, a bloated Kirkpatrick wiles away his days partying at his mansion. Adams, who is not the Canadian singer who sang “Heaven,” lugs around tires at his family business. Cronin was diagnosed with leukemia and has been in remission since he was treated with stem cell therapy.
Financially, Kirkpatrick said he felt “lucky” he ended up in a band that did so well and avoided the fate of MC Hammer, another 1990s-era star who overspent his “U Can’t Touch This” fortunes straight into bankruptcy protection. Timmons said he’s doing okay financially “but I didn’t exactly hit the jackpot.” Adams has the most reason to be bitter: “We sold over 12 million records. Where was our money? We never saw it.” At the same time, he said “I’m not ashamed to work a regular job.”
Ironically, Color Me Badd was recently mocked by a fellow boy band alum Justin Timberlake, a man who has truly transcended his roots. Timberlake on “Saturday Night Live” last month wore Color Me Badd-era facial hair and did dance moves that evoked the “I Wanna Sex You Up” era. The raunchy “Gift in a Box” parody has become an online sensation, amusing Adams. “I loved it,” he said. “I thought it was the most hilarious [expletive] I’ve seen in a long time.”
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