A New Band from Backstreet Boys & ‘N Sync Starmaker

Lou Pearlman, legendary starmaker and mastermind of the boyband phenomenon, is at it again. After putting Backstreet Boys, ‘N Sync, LFO and MTV/ABC’s Making the Band TV show featuring O-Town on the world’s music map, the Trans-Continental Records CEO is introducing the next fab five t swoon over-Natural. They’re set to conquer the hearts of Filipinos with a series of campus and mall tours in February 2002.

Lou’s latest discovery is comprised of five young talents- Ben Bledsoe, "J" Josh Horn, Michael Jackson, Patrick King Jr., and Marc Terenzi. Their forst single, Put Pour Arms Around Me charted the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales Chart and was certified gold in September 2001. The single, to date has sold 600,000 copies and is currently playing in select radio stations in Metro Manila.

Natural vows to put the "band" back into the boyband as each of its members play his own musical instrument- from the electric guitar, bass, and drums to keyboards, violin and sax-while showcasing their five-part harmonies and dance moves. They’re more Beatles than Backstreet Boys but they’re definitely influenced by both and at the same time have their own unique pop-rock flavor.

"Boybands are mutating into something elsse. This is the kind of point where people are looking for the band again,"said Lou.

Lou should know. He was the one who brought back the boyband craze just when alternative music was phasing it out.

A native of Flushing, Queens, New York, Lou took up the guitar at age eight and has music icon and first cousin Art Garfunkel as his role model. He also has his own band, Flyer, which did front acts for such artists like Kool &the Gang ,Donna Summer, and Gloria Gaynor, among others.

Lou, however, made his initial mark in his other love-aviation. Armed with a strong vision Lou convinced Wall Street investors to help him start up an air chartering service. His visions came to fruition with Trans Continental Airlines and Airship International. The former leased chartered jets for artists like Michael Jackson, Madonna, Phil Collins, and Pink Floyd, among others while the latter has provided blimps for big companies such as McDonald’s and Budweiser.

After much research and attending New Kids concerts, Lou and a couple of friends organizing an audition for a new group. And in every search, this was emphasized: "You have to be able to sing first or it doesn’t matter how good-looking you are."

Today, Lou continues to weave his magic touch. Aside from Natural, his stable of talents includes C-Note, LFO, Take Five, Lugo, and many others. He has sprawling $6million recording studio that doubles as a training camp for the future pop icons in Orlando, Florida which be dubbed as O-Town.

Asked in one interview when the boyband fever will end, Lou replied: "When God stops making little girls and little boys."