THE book about Lou Pearlman
Sep. 18th, 2008 12:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lincolnkwThe Hit Charade: Lou Pearlman, Boy Bands, and the Biggest Ponzi Scheme in U.S. History Tyler Gray Collins, $24.95 (320p) ISBN 978-0-06-157966-0
In the wake of phenomenally successful tweeny-bopper pop stars like Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers—as well as the recent reunion of boy-band New Kids on the Block—the time is right for a good look at the ever-present sleaze of the music industry, and journalist Gray provides it in great, greasy bucketfuls. His focus is Lou Pearlman, the manager of the Backstreet Boys and INSYNC who, Gray explains, used their earnings to finance his exorbitant lifestyle including a multimillion-dollar mansion, a fleet of private planes and expensive cars, and, inevitably, “a shady world of endless investments.” Gray’s look at the bands’ music is serviceable. However, Gray has a keen eye for business, and he writes fluently in detailing how Pearlman with “an assembly of hucksters as his new business partners,” massively scammed not only his boy bands (he collected “50 percent of all recording royalties, 100 percent of all advances”) but hopeful model wannabes as well as gullible investors, including Pearlman’s first cousin Art Garfunkel and government officials of Orlando, Fla. (Nov.)
Did you SEE those percentages??? Good grief. I can't wait until November.
In the wake of phenomenally successful tweeny-bopper pop stars like Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers—as well as the recent reunion of boy-band New Kids on the Block—the time is right for a good look at the ever-present sleaze of the music industry, and journalist Gray provides it in great, greasy bucketfuls. His focus is Lou Pearlman, the manager of the Backstreet Boys and INSYNC who, Gray explains, used their earnings to finance his exorbitant lifestyle including a multimillion-dollar mansion, a fleet of private planes and expensive cars, and, inevitably, “a shady world of endless investments.” Gray’s look at the bands’ music is serviceable. However, Gray has a keen eye for business, and he writes fluently in detailing how Pearlman with “an assembly of hucksters as his new business partners,” massively scammed not only his boy bands (he collected “50 percent of all recording royalties, 100 percent of all advances”) but hopeful model wannabes as well as gullible investors, including Pearlman’s first cousin Art Garfunkel and government officials of Orlando, Fla. (Nov.)
Did you SEE those percentages??? Good grief. I can't wait until November.
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no subject
Date: 2008-09-18 04:14 pm (UTC)The world makes no sense anymore.
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Date: 2008-09-18 04:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-18 11:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-18 06:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-18 11:30 pm (UTC)And now I want to know the guys' responses when the book comes out.