Noted boy band Svengali Lou Pearlman has died at age 62.
Pearlman’s mark on the music industry was undeniable, but also one tainted by misdeeds and a questionable reputation. You may recognize Pearlman as the decidedly non-Tiger Beat pin-up looking manager that would sometimes appear in pictures with clients like *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys and O-Town. A master at selling youth-oriented pop acts, Pearlman was able to turn many of his clients into very lucrative business propositions. The trouble was those same clients would later file lawsuits over the lack of payout they saw in return for being pop music money machines. (*NSYNC even morphed their issues with Lou into some savvy visuals for No Strings Attached.) That’s sort of the uncomfortable spot Pearlman has in music history. His accomplishments in pushing his clients to megastardom are incredible, but his name brings to mind more negative stories than positive.
*NSYNC talent Lance Bass commented on Pearlman’s passing on Facebook.
Pearlman was in prison for a 25-year sentence after being convicted for his part in a half-billion dollar Ponzi scheme. In 2014, he told The Hollywood Reporter that he “deeply regret(s) what happened.”
“And I’ll be back,” noted Pearlman right after.
(Via Billboard)
