1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:06,440 Speaker 1: Conversations on life, style, beauty and relationships. It's The Velvet's 2 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:08,760 Speaker 1: Edge Podcast with Kelly Henderson. 3 00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 2: Producer, musician and former boy vander Michael Johnson is here. Hi, Michael, 4 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 2: how are you? Chip is also joining us? Chip? This 5 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 2: is interesting that you're joining us on a Wednesday. But 6 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 2: there was a big connection here. We've been talking about 7 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:27,040 Speaker 2: the small world connection, but you and Michael have actually 8 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:28,680 Speaker 2: known each other for how long? 9 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 3: What year did we sign you guys? 10 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:32,880 Speaker 4: So we met in twenty eleven? 11 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 3: Twenty eleven? Wow? 12 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:39,479 Speaker 4: Yeah, you guys signed us in like twenty twelve maybe. Yeah, 13 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:41,159 Speaker 4: it was a long courting process. 14 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:42,240 Speaker 3: Yeah. 15 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 5: So I worked at Red Bull Records in last right 16 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:48,240 Speaker 5: and Michael was in a band called New Beat Fund 17 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 5: that we loved and fought very hard to get and 18 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:53,200 Speaker 5: we had some adventures over the years. 19 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 3: So it's nice to come back around. 20 00:00:56,960 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 4: Yeah. And this this was during a time where nobody 21 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:01,400 Speaker 4: knew was previously in a boy band. 22 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:04,320 Speaker 3: No, we had no idea. 23 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:09,760 Speaker 5: We did find out about it, but but I will 24 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 5: say his boy band played instruments, so it was different. 25 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 2: It was different instead of just singing and dancing, is 26 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:16,520 Speaker 2: that what you mean? 27 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 3: Dance and played drums at the same time. 28 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:20,280 Speaker 2: That would be hard. 29 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 4: I tried. 30 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 3: I tried. 31 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:25,960 Speaker 2: Well, the band the boy band is called natural, right 32 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:29,199 Speaker 2: if any of the listeners are wanting to know which one, 33 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 2: But do you want to talk through a little bit, 34 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 2: like what was your band? Like I loved the boy 35 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:33,680 Speaker 2: band era. 36 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 4: I'll just start with uh, Lou Pearlman and BMG's slogan 37 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:44,840 Speaker 4: for us putting the band back in boy band. That 38 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:46,280 Speaker 4: was what we were doing for the world. 39 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 2: I mean, that makes sense with all the instruments you made, 40 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 2: the drums I was. 41 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 4: I was the drummer, and unlike a lot of the 42 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:57,600 Speaker 4: other boy bands, we actually formed ourselves and then got 43 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 4: signed by Lou Pearlman and then BMG. We met at 44 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 4: a at a party when I was fifteen years old. 45 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:06,680 Speaker 4: That was in high school. Still there was like the 46 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:10,959 Speaker 4: height of Backstreet boys in sync Brittany a band called 47 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 4: Wild Orchid that Fergie was in. 48 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 2: All of the bands. 49 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:19,240 Speaker 4: That's incredible, So yeah, this will be easy. It was 50 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 4: just like Orlando was like the epicenter of pop music 51 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 4: and pop culture at that time, so there would be 52 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:28,640 Speaker 4: these like Wild the Bourbon House parties with all of 53 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:31,760 Speaker 4: like the artists and producers and like want to be 54 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:36,639 Speaker 4: artists and like somebody's rich uncle like scouting young kids 55 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:41,840 Speaker 4: to form a band, which was weird. It really well, 56 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:44,120 Speaker 4: and I don't mean there was just one uncle there 57 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:46,079 Speaker 4: was just like anybody that had money at that time 58 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:47,640 Speaker 4: was like I'm going to be the next little Pearlman. 59 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 4: So they would just be like scout these like weird 60 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:52,359 Speaker 4: people scouting Orlando all the time. 61 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:54,120 Speaker 3: I had no business doing it. 62 00:02:54,480 --> 00:03:00,880 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, well lootn't either, but yes, yeah, but yeah. 63 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:03,080 Speaker 4: So we all met each other at this at a party. 64 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:06,440 Speaker 4: I believe it was at this like condo or it 65 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 4: was a house that Brittany was throwing a party at. 66 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:12,040 Speaker 4: So we were like at this party. We all met 67 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:15,840 Speaker 4: each other and just kind of took to each other 68 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:18,800 Speaker 4: right away, just like same such a humor, similar ages. 69 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 4: And then we all realized that we could play instruments, 70 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:24,519 Speaker 4: were like, well that would set us apart. Cool, It's 71 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 4: like get in the garage and start jamming, and like, 72 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:30,880 Speaker 4: because we had like no money or no backing or anything, 73 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 4: we would actually set up outside of House of Blues 74 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:36,320 Speaker 4: Orlando when there were like local team nights where like 75 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 4: the biggest boy bands of the time were performing, we'd 76 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:43,200 Speaker 4: sing a cappella outside and like pass out flyers. So yeah, 77 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 4: we were just like busting our asses trying to get 78 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 4: any fan base we could. And then we just started 79 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 4: gaining momentum and recognition here in Orlando, and then we 80 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 4: caught the attention of mister Lou Pearlman, who was the 81 00:03:56,880 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 4: guy at the time. He was the guy that everybody 82 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:01,160 Speaker 4: was trying to get discovered by because he was at 83 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 4: the time the biggest like pop music mogul there was 84 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:06,720 Speaker 4: in the world. And we had gotten enough money and 85 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 4: teamed up with a producer to like rent space and 86 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:13,440 Speaker 4: lose studios to rehearse for our big House of Blues show. 87 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 4: And Lou walked into our rehearsal space and we played 88 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:19,480 Speaker 4: instruments for um saying agapella form and he signed us 89 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:22,360 Speaker 4: and I left high school and went on a world. 90 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 3: Tour that wow, did you ever graduate high school? 91 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:28,200 Speaker 4: I did. I went to like this tutoring school that 92 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:32,840 Speaker 4: like it was me, Lance Bass, Mandy Moore, Justin Timberlake. 93 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 4: Justin was in my graduating class. My graduating class was 94 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:38,800 Speaker 4: four people. 95 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:42,040 Speaker 3: Off of each other's like tests and papers. 96 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:46,159 Speaker 4: Were never yeah yeah, yeah, like Justin. 97 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:47,279 Speaker 3: Did my geography test. 98 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:50,560 Speaker 4: Well, well, here's the deal. In our graduating class, I 99 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:51,400 Speaker 4: was valedictorian. 100 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 3: So yeah, people, yeah, take that exactly. 101 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:00,520 Speaker 2: This is a whole different era. I feel like if 102 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 2: some younger people are listening to this podcast, they're like, wait, 103 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 2: what used to stand outside of a house of blues 104 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 2: and try to get attention. It's like these days people 105 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:11,040 Speaker 2: just get on TikTok or social media and that's how 106 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:12,719 Speaker 2: you do it. But the hustle back in the day 107 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:13,360 Speaker 2: was real. 108 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:17,680 Speaker 4: It was in person hustle, and I have to say 109 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:22,640 Speaker 4: the discomfort of in person hustle is way more than 110 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:25,040 Speaker 4: if you can like delete a video then try to 111 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:28,960 Speaker 4: get right, like just trying to like showcase for people 112 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:31,080 Speaker 4: and like sing for people that don't want to listen 113 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:33,000 Speaker 4: to you, but like you're trying to win them over. 114 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 4: It's a whole different thing. Like our social media at 115 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 4: the time was our website message board, so like we 116 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:42,080 Speaker 4: would have that on our like little flyers, and then 117 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:44,680 Speaker 4: like fans would come into our would like set times 118 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:46,920 Speaker 4: during the week for our message boards we could talk 119 00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:50,480 Speaker 4: to fans and like promote our shows. I always think 120 00:05:50,520 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 4: back to like if we had social media back then, 121 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:55,480 Speaker 4: it would have been a completely different thing. But we 122 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:59,479 Speaker 4: did it the old school way and it was a 123 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:01,159 Speaker 4: whole different, whole different world. 124 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:04,039 Speaker 5: It's also wild you mentioned that you rented space to 125 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:07,400 Speaker 5: rehearse at lose facility. I didn't gather that from Dirty 126 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:11,080 Speaker 5: Pop that it was like available to outsiders just to rent. 127 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:13,039 Speaker 5: So that was a form of income for him too. 128 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 5: To me, it looked like it was just, you know, 129 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 5: a facility that he had, like that was a machine 130 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:19,720 Speaker 5: just churning people out. 131 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 3: But I didn't realize you could pay to get in there. 132 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:26,120 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, I mean anything that was bringing money, and 133 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:29,600 Speaker 4: he was he was happy to take the money, right. Yeah. 134 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:32,680 Speaker 4: Like when we did get signed, it was like our 135 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:35,880 Speaker 4: rehearsal space and next to us was like Creed and 136 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:39,159 Speaker 4: then like Matchbox twenty was over the way and like 137 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:42,359 Speaker 4: some of Johnny Wright's artists were there. R Kelly was 138 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:43,159 Speaker 4: there for two months. 139 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:46,320 Speaker 2: Wow, I can imagine the stories you have. 140 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:49,880 Speaker 3: Is there insane security at this compound? 141 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:53,240 Speaker 4: There was in like r Kelly. R Kelly had his 142 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 4: own which stood outside of the studio shooting at raccoons 143 00:06:56,640 --> 00:06:59,120 Speaker 4: that were at the dumpster. He basically like had his 144 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:02,559 Speaker 4: tour bus there there was apparently there was that's where 145 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:07,240 Speaker 4: one of the tapes happened. Wow, But that I was 146 00:07:07,279 --> 00:07:07,839 Speaker 4: not there for that. 147 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:11,440 Speaker 2: Experience. 148 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:14,440 Speaker 4: It felt like you were at the epicenter of like 149 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 4: the entire world, because like eminem was renting out the 150 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:19,480 Speaker 4: studio like Studio A for a while, and Doctor Dre 151 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 4: was there, and Alicia Keys did a bunch of stuff there, 152 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:25,360 Speaker 4: and it was just like constantly the biggest artists in 153 00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:28,640 Speaker 4: the world were coming to Orlando, Florida of all places 154 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:32,200 Speaker 4: because of the appeal of like this pop music explosion 155 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 4: that was happening here. And it was just a moment 156 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 4: in time that you can compare it to like the 157 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:42,720 Speaker 4: Motown era or like the Seattle grunge scene or something. 158 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:46,560 Speaker 4: It was just like its own. 159 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:47,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, totally. 160 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:49,480 Speaker 4: It was like the Sunset Strip scene was like downtown 161 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 4: Disney here. 162 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 2: Well, we've mentioned Lou Pearlman a couple of times, and 163 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:58,120 Speaker 2: unless the listeners I'm talking to you, unless you live 164 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 2: under a rock, you've heard the name Loup. And most 165 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 2: recently the Dirty Pop Documentary, which is a series on 166 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:10,200 Speaker 2: Netflix documenting bands like Michael's Backstreet Boys in Sync. Lou 167 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:13,280 Speaker 2: Pearlman is responsible for discovering these bands. I mean I 168 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:17,000 Speaker 2: was literally watching this thinking what would my high school 169 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:20,680 Speaker 2: experience have been like without Lou Pearlman, truly, because that 170 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:24,240 Speaker 2: was such a huge moment in time, this like boy 171 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:28,600 Speaker 2: band pop huge thing. So when you first got signed 172 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:31,120 Speaker 2: by Lou, was that just like you thought the world 173 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:34,280 Speaker 2: was your oyster, like things were about to just blow up. 174 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:38,280 Speaker 4: It was really crazy because he had so much influence. 175 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:41,480 Speaker 4: Like we did our first tour on a jet, like 176 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:44,240 Speaker 4: on a private jet, and that's just it. It's the 177 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:47,719 Speaker 4: most backwards type of career anybody could ever have. And 178 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:53,120 Speaker 4: because we were Lou's next band, like we had fans 179 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:56,240 Speaker 4: before we would even arrive in countries or release music 180 00:08:56,280 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 4: in a country because we were the next one in line, 181 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:03,200 Speaker 4: and so we would have like a gold record overseas, 182 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:06,520 Speaker 4: like on our first single, and like that's the influence 183 00:09:06,559 --> 00:09:10,400 Speaker 4: that he had at that time on the pop music scene. 184 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:12,120 Speaker 4: It didn't even feel like it was too good to 185 00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:14,559 Speaker 4: be true. It was just like this is how it 186 00:09:14,640 --> 00:09:18,600 Speaker 4: is amazing, Like it was like the craziest ride ever. 187 00:09:18,679 --> 00:09:21,800 Speaker 4: And like we were supposed to be going to Europe 188 00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:24,439 Speaker 4: for like three weeks the first time, and we were 189 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:26,840 Speaker 4: over there for six months and then we would go 190 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:28,760 Speaker 4: over to Japan and things would go really well. So 191 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:30,520 Speaker 4: we were there for months at a time, and it 192 00:09:30,559 --> 00:09:33,840 Speaker 4: was just like once we started the ride just like 193 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 4: didn't stop. We were just constantly going. And I don't 194 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:41,760 Speaker 4: know if it's ever happened since then, of like being 195 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:45,760 Speaker 4: this Mogul's next band, you have a built in fan 196 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:48,480 Speaker 4: base already. I don't know if. 197 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:51,120 Speaker 5: That only Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift would be the only 198 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:53,679 Speaker 5: example of someone that's sort of influenced today. 199 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:57,200 Speaker 2: I think like if she and. 200 00:09:58,840 --> 00:10:03,520 Speaker 4: Yeah, she's not man though, but right, it was completely 201 00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:06,800 Speaker 4: backwards to what most young bands experience. 202 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:09,679 Speaker 5: Yeah, at that age, did you, like, did it ever 203 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:13,079 Speaker 5: occur to you, like wait, what what is paying for this? 204 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:16,120 Speaker 5: Like there is zero income and we're flying on private 205 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:19,120 Speaker 5: jets and all over the world, Like where's the money 206 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:21,160 Speaker 5: coming from? Did that occur to you or were you 207 00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:23,040 Speaker 5: so wrapped up in it that it was hard to 208 00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:23,880 Speaker 5: even think about that? 209 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:26,200 Speaker 4: We didn't say twice. 210 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:28,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't think. 211 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:32,160 Speaker 4: Yeah, we ordered more Lobster Tale thirty five thousand feet. 212 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:36,600 Speaker 4: We didn't know the music industry at all. We didn't 213 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:38,920 Speaker 4: know how it worked or how it was supposed to work. 214 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:42,600 Speaker 4: Like most of us grew up performing, Like I started 215 00:10:42,679 --> 00:10:45,640 Speaker 4: dancing when I was four, and like was like working 216 00:10:45,679 --> 00:10:48,720 Speaker 4: at Disney and doing Disney specials and like all that stuff. 217 00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:51,240 Speaker 4: And my sister was in Broadway and doing all this stuff. 218 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:54,240 Speaker 4: So we knew that the entertainment business, and like we 219 00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:57,480 Speaker 4: didn't ask where the money came from for our Disney 220 00:10:57,520 --> 00:11:01,120 Speaker 4: special or like, it just wasn't a thing that we 221 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:04,400 Speaker 4: thought about. So it was just like, Okay, there's this 222 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:07,360 Speaker 4: giant music mogul that has the biggest bands in pop 223 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:10,800 Speaker 4: music history. He can afford this. We didn't realize that 224 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:11,920 Speaker 4: we were going to have to pay that. 225 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:13,000 Speaker 1: Back right right. 226 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:24,600 Speaker 2: Well, the interesting thing for people who don't know about 227 00:11:24,640 --> 00:11:27,080 Speaker 2: the music industry, like flying on a private plane when 228 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:30,600 Speaker 2: you first start, that is unheard of because your band 229 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:33,600 Speaker 2: is not making money yet. And so he almost had 230 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:36,920 Speaker 2: this like larger than life persona. It sounds like which 231 00:11:37,040 --> 00:11:39,600 Speaker 2: chip do you remember at this time of music? Though, 232 00:11:39,640 --> 00:11:42,720 Speaker 2: like I remember thinking pop stars are all just super 233 00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:45,520 Speaker 2: rich like that the second you had one song out, 234 00:11:46,160 --> 00:11:49,439 Speaker 2: you had millions and millions of dollars. And although there 235 00:11:49,559 --> 00:11:51,880 Speaker 2: was more money and music back in the day, or 236 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:54,800 Speaker 2: you know, at the beginning, maybe our bigger budgets or 237 00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:57,000 Speaker 2: anything like that. You do have to work your way up. 238 00:11:57,080 --> 00:11:58,839 Speaker 2: And I know that now being a part of the 239 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:02,319 Speaker 2: music industry, but at the time of TRL and all 240 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:05,400 Speaker 2: of that stuff, it's almost than it to us that 241 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:07,760 Speaker 2: way as well, So I can see why that would 242 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:09,280 Speaker 2: be like a big selling point. 243 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:11,559 Speaker 5: Yeah, And that was a time too when CDs were 244 00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:12,600 Speaker 5: still selling really right. 245 00:12:12,679 --> 00:12:14,679 Speaker 3: I mean, the labels were making the money. 246 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:18,000 Speaker 5: The royalty rate was so small that like that money 247 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:20,480 Speaker 5: wasn't really making its way back to the artist in 248 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:24,080 Speaker 5: a significant way unless you were selling like Brittany and 249 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:27,559 Speaker 5: Backstreet Boys. But you know, as we learned in the documentary, 250 00:12:27,679 --> 00:12:29,800 Speaker 5: like they weren't even the Backstreet Boys. 251 00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:31,360 Speaker 3: Weren't getting paid what they should have been paid. 252 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:35,240 Speaker 5: And I've heard of this before with some artists where 253 00:12:35,280 --> 00:12:39,440 Speaker 5: the manager names themselves a member of the band, And 254 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:42,440 Speaker 5: in some ways it's actually really brilliant because if you 255 00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:45,320 Speaker 5: have enough people in the band, if the manager's taking 256 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:48,920 Speaker 5: fifteen or twenty percent whatever their negotiated rate is, they 257 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:52,520 Speaker 5: end up making more money than any band member because 258 00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:55,160 Speaker 5: the band share is divided across the four or five 259 00:12:55,240 --> 00:12:57,400 Speaker 5: or six people in the band. But a way to 260 00:12:57,480 --> 00:13:01,160 Speaker 5: avoid the band being mad at the managers. They're like, well, 261 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:04,400 Speaker 5: I'll just go in for an equal cut. But what 262 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:08,080 Speaker 5: we learned in Dirty Pop was that A Lou was 263 00:13:08,120 --> 00:13:11,280 Speaker 5: not only a member of in Sync and Backstree Boys, 264 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:14,200 Speaker 5: he was also taking his management commission, so he's making 265 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:15,280 Speaker 5: forty three percent of. 266 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:19,760 Speaker 3: All their royalties and he was l and he and 267 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:20,400 Speaker 3: the publisher. 268 00:13:20,520 --> 00:13:22,800 Speaker 5: So the amount of money that he was making off 269 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:26,120 Speaker 5: of these artists was insane. And they were out there 270 00:13:26,120 --> 00:13:26,840 Speaker 5: doing the hustle. 271 00:13:26,960 --> 00:13:28,880 Speaker 3: You know. I think it was AJ that was like, 272 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:31,319 Speaker 3: was AJ interviewed now? It was. 273 00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:33,640 Speaker 4: Yeah. 274 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:36,240 Speaker 5: One of them said like, yeah, of course he did 275 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:38,560 Speaker 5: a lot for us, but he wasn't out there doing 276 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:40,720 Speaker 5: the work that we were doing, and he was making 277 00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:44,120 Speaker 5: a lot more money. And it's crazy because you know, 278 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:47,880 Speaker 5: those guys after that first record like made nothing and 279 00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:48,920 Speaker 5: they were massive. 280 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:51,920 Speaker 4: One of the biggest things, like talking about the jets 281 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:54,920 Speaker 4: and the limos and all these things. As a new band, 282 00:13:55,360 --> 00:13:57,960 Speaker 4: the biggest thing that Lou was trying to do was 283 00:13:58,120 --> 00:14:01,920 Speaker 4: create the spectacle so that people would look at him 284 00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:05,040 Speaker 4: as a big music mogul to then invest in his companies. 285 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:07,959 Speaker 4: That was more important to him than even the success 286 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:12,359 Speaker 4: of the bands. But I was digging into this to 287 00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:16,920 Speaker 4: make this series for almost a decade, and the more 288 00:14:16,920 --> 00:14:19,800 Speaker 4: and more I dug in, I realized how much the 289 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:24,240 Speaker 4: bands were a front for this Ponzi scheme and this 290 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:27,440 Speaker 4: financial crime that had been going on for like thirty 291 00:14:27,480 --> 00:14:31,080 Speaker 4: five years. There was a time in his crime that 292 00:14:31,240 --> 00:14:33,320 Speaker 4: his back was against the wall and he owed people 293 00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:36,760 Speaker 4: so much money that he decided he had a blimp 294 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:40,320 Speaker 4: company at the time, he decided to crash these blimps 295 00:14:40,360 --> 00:14:43,000 Speaker 4: to get the insurance money to then pivot to starting 296 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,360 Speaker 4: boy bands because he had seen new kids on the block. 297 00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:49,520 Speaker 4: And so the biggest thing that I was saddened by 298 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:53,840 Speaker 4: was that his purpose in the music industry was to 299 00:14:54,280 --> 00:14:58,880 Speaker 4: continue this scheme that he had going in his financial crimes. 300 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:03,800 Speaker 4: There's one thing that he was maybe the best at, 301 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:08,240 Speaker 4: which was selling celebrity. And everybody wants to be a 302 00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:11,120 Speaker 4: part of something that is like a pop culture movement. 303 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:14,520 Speaker 4: And the more and more the bands looked like they 304 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:17,360 Speaker 4: were successful, the more and more people would invest in 305 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:20,160 Speaker 4: his companies. So that was a big reason why everything 306 00:15:20,240 --> 00:15:23,080 Speaker 4: was so extravagant. But he was charging all that back 307 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:25,400 Speaker 4: to the bands, so that the amount of money that 308 00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:28,760 Speaker 4: the bands owed when their records were doing really well 309 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:33,040 Speaker 4: was millions and millions of dollars, so they were barely 310 00:15:33,080 --> 00:15:36,880 Speaker 4: breaking even even though their records were so massive, and 311 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:39,360 Speaker 4: due to the fact that Lou was a sixth member 312 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:41,320 Speaker 4: of the band and the label and the manager and 313 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:43,600 Speaker 4: the publisher and owned their merch as well. 314 00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:47,320 Speaker 5: Yeah, I remember there was a moment where very early 315 00:15:47,360 --> 00:15:50,160 Speaker 5: on in the Backstreet Boys, they each had their own 316 00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:53,640 Speaker 5: security guard when they didn't need them, just as a 317 00:15:53,680 --> 00:15:56,920 Speaker 5: method to make them look bigger appearance. Yeah. 318 00:15:57,120 --> 00:16:00,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean it's he's good. I mean, it was 319 00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:01,800 Speaker 3: a brilliant man. 320 00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:06,320 Speaker 5: His motivations were just off. That's a shame because he 321 00:16:06,360 --> 00:16:09,640 Speaker 5: could have actually gotten really fucking rich well, and everyone 322 00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:13,040 Speaker 5: around me could have gotten very rich without him having 323 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:14,000 Speaker 5: to steal from people. 324 00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:17,200 Speaker 4: Yeah, a lot of people think that it was like 325 00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:21,120 Speaker 4: a typical, like my manager stole my money situation, But 326 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:25,160 Speaker 4: it was like so beyond that that, Like he was 327 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:28,440 Speaker 4: stealing people's money starting in like nineteen eighty one and 328 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:32,479 Speaker 4: just to like kind of cycle through his fraudulent businesses 329 00:16:32,520 --> 00:16:36,800 Speaker 4: and things to try to look like this impresario. But 330 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:40,440 Speaker 4: when it got to the bands, like when he had 331 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:43,240 Speaker 4: both Backstreet and then Sync. They had brought in, like 332 00:16:43,280 --> 00:16:45,200 Speaker 4: I think it was like two point eight billion dollars 333 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:50,280 Speaker 4: before they sued him. But he had done such horrific 334 00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:54,440 Speaker 4: business deals like the distributor for Transcon Records, which Transcond 335 00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:58,600 Speaker 4: Records was Lose label. The distributor was BMG, and in 336 00:16:58,720 --> 00:17:01,280 Speaker 4: order to like show his vesters that he could get 337 00:17:01,320 --> 00:17:07,000 Speaker 4: this major label distribution deal his deal with BMG. BMG 338 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:10,600 Speaker 4: got eighty percent, he got twenty percent. So he didn't 339 00:17:10,640 --> 00:17:13,639 Speaker 4: know anything about the music business at all. He was 340 00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:16,320 Speaker 4: just trying to show that he knew these people at 341 00:17:16,359 --> 00:17:19,879 Speaker 4: big labels. So the trickle down of the money, even 342 00:17:19,960 --> 00:17:23,320 Speaker 4: Lou was not getting hardly anything to like even pass 343 00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:26,600 Speaker 4: on to the bands. But yet he was laying out 344 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:28,840 Speaker 4: all of the money for the records, for the travel, 345 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:32,280 Speaker 4: for the tours, for everything. It was the most backwards 346 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:35,560 Speaker 4: type of thing that I think has ever existed in 347 00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:40,480 Speaker 4: the music business. I've never seen or heard about somebody 348 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:45,159 Speaker 4: creating these bands as a front for his white collar 349 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:48,840 Speaker 4: crimes that then became the biggest bands the world. 350 00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:51,600 Speaker 2: Right, It's not like they weren't successful well. 351 00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:54,840 Speaker 4: And like you said, your life wouldn't be the same 352 00:17:54,960 --> 00:17:57,800 Speaker 4: without a proment and your life wouldn't be the same 353 00:17:58,320 --> 00:18:02,200 Speaker 4: without the crimes that he committed. Exactly. The craziest thing. 354 00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:05,679 Speaker 2: I was so emotionally torn watching Dirty Pop because I 355 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:08,040 Speaker 2: had those two things going through my head. Like, on 356 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:12,159 Speaker 2: one hand, you feel really sorry for anyone whose life 357 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:15,560 Speaker 2: savings he stole. You know, their entire lives were just 358 00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:18,560 Speaker 2: uprooted and they're never going to see that money and 359 00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 2: all of that piece of it. And then on the 360 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:23,600 Speaker 2: other side, I was like, uh, Justin Timberlake's been hanging 361 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:26,200 Speaker 2: in my locker since I was in like eighth grade, 362 00:18:26,280 --> 00:18:28,679 Speaker 2: you know what I mean, And think about Justin is 363 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:31,719 Speaker 2: still really really successful in the music industry, and so 364 00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:34,960 Speaker 2: it's like, oh, yeah, all of these massive stars like 365 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:37,520 Speaker 2: Britney was a part of one of the bands. I mean, 366 00:18:37,920 --> 00:18:41,159 Speaker 2: it's just insane to think about that time period without 367 00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:41,880 Speaker 2: lou Pearlman. 368 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:45,639 Speaker 4: Yeah, that's one of the things that we were in 369 00:18:45,840 --> 00:18:49,600 Speaker 4: like creating this series, were like, Okay, the ripple effect 370 00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:53,200 Speaker 4: of this one man spreads throughout the entire planet. There 371 00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:56,119 Speaker 4: are people that met their best friend for life at 372 00:18:56,160 --> 00:18:59,280 Speaker 4: an instinct concert and they were like they're made of 373 00:18:59,320 --> 00:19:03,040 Speaker 4: honor or whatever, like like the relationships that were built 374 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:06,160 Speaker 4: from this scene are so deep and they spread throughout 375 00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:11,240 Speaker 4: the whole world, and yeah, exactly, and like that music 376 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:13,679 Speaker 4: was I know it's a cliche, but like the soundtrack 377 00:19:13,720 --> 00:19:17,120 Speaker 4: to people's lives still like they still I was at 378 00:19:17,400 --> 00:19:19,720 Speaker 4: a wedding when they walked down the aisle to a 379 00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:22,840 Speaker 4: backstreet point so like a year ago. I mean, like 380 00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:26,399 Speaker 4: it's so lasting and the relevance of these bands is 381 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:31,280 Speaker 4: still so strong. But it's like there so much positive 382 00:19:31,800 --> 00:19:36,080 Speaker 4: came from such dark crimes, and like people lost their 383 00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:39,720 Speaker 4: life savings, they lost their lives. There were suicides attached 384 00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:42,239 Speaker 4: to this whole thing. There was suicide for hire that 385 00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:46,000 Speaker 4: happened throughout this whole thing. I don't know another time 386 00:19:46,040 --> 00:19:49,200 Speaker 4: where like so much darkness and so much criminality has 387 00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:53,840 Speaker 4: spawned so much positivity that has like resonated through the 388 00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:57,080 Speaker 4: world and completely changed pop culture and like the music 389 00:19:57,119 --> 00:19:59,920 Speaker 4: industry as we know it. It's it was very, very 390 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:02,120 Speaker 4: hard to try to tell both of those stories, and 391 00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:05,480 Speaker 4: we tried to walk the line, but it's nearly impossible 392 00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:09,399 Speaker 4: to actually get into the details of both sides of that. 393 00:20:09,840 --> 00:20:12,720 Speaker 5: Well, actually, my crimes can't be taken back, you know, 394 00:20:12,840 --> 00:20:15,880 Speaker 5: That's the really hard part. You know, it's like, yeah, 395 00:20:16,359 --> 00:20:19,480 Speaker 5: what's amazing is like the music will endure forever, and 396 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:22,280 Speaker 5: you know, if in Sync were to get back together 397 00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:24,399 Speaker 5: into a world to where every ticket would sell, like, 398 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:28,840 Speaker 5: it's an incredible legacy that this man built, but the 399 00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:31,879 Speaker 5: crimes that he committed will never be forgotten by these people. 400 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:34,560 Speaker 5: Do you think that any of the members of Backstreet 401 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:38,879 Speaker 5: Boys or in Sync feel any responsibility to the victims? 402 00:20:39,720 --> 00:20:44,600 Speaker 4: Eric from Otown did. He felt like, oh my god, 403 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:45,959 Speaker 4: these people are going to think that I was in 404 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:48,800 Speaker 4: on this right, And I certainly did too for a 405 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:51,679 Speaker 4: little while because I was very I stayed close to 406 00:20:51,720 --> 00:20:55,200 Speaker 4: Lou until his death, just because I have more loyalty 407 00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:56,000 Speaker 4: than I should. 408 00:20:56,359 --> 00:20:57,879 Speaker 3: At least you got the show out of it. You 409 00:20:57,880 --> 00:20:58,720 Speaker 3: got the show out. 410 00:20:58,560 --> 00:21:03,919 Speaker 4: Of it, exactly exactly. But when we were interviewing Backstreet 411 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:08,440 Speaker 4: and Sync, they didn't know the details of the crimes yet, 412 00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:11,560 Speaker 4: and they didn't know that they were a front for 413 00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:15,680 Speaker 4: the crimes. They thought, oh, our manager became a criminal. 414 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:18,600 Speaker 4: They didn't know yet that they were an extension of 415 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:23,480 Speaker 4: a thirty five year Ponzi scheme. So post the series 416 00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:27,280 Speaker 4: coming out, there's been fans being like just kind of 417 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:30,640 Speaker 4: blaming them a little bit, which is not which is ridiculous. Yeah, 418 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:34,920 Speaker 4: it's ridiculous, but everybody involved is grappling with both sides 419 00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:37,680 Speaker 4: of it. Of like, nobody would have had the careers 420 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:41,280 Speaker 4: without him, But oh my god, if we could have 421 00:21:41,359 --> 00:21:43,720 Speaker 4: changed something, we would have. If we would have known 422 00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:46,960 Speaker 4: anything like this was going on at any time. I 423 00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:49,280 Speaker 4: think every single person that worked at the label, all 424 00:21:49,280 --> 00:21:53,199 Speaker 4: the bands, anybody would would have spoken up and changed 425 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:56,320 Speaker 4: it or tried to do something about it, but nobody 426 00:21:56,359 --> 00:21:58,919 Speaker 4: had any idea. And looking back at it, all of 427 00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:02,000 Speaker 4: the bands had the same and perform at the drop 428 00:22:02,040 --> 00:22:04,720 Speaker 4: of the hat. If Lou was like, hey, there's this 429 00:22:04,880 --> 00:22:07,920 Speaker 4: banker or this politician or whoever it may be, this 430 00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:10,960 Speaker 4: like business leader wants to hear you guys sing, we 431 00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:15,800 Speaker 4: would sing. And like we were performing as boy bands 432 00:22:16,119 --> 00:22:20,560 Speaker 4: for these investors who were then investing in an airline. 433 00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:23,399 Speaker 4: It makes no sense, Like it makes no sense. And 434 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:26,040 Speaker 4: also the airline didn't exist. So yeah, it was just 435 00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:30,480 Speaker 4: so crazy that like so many people were duped by 436 00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:34,199 Speaker 4: the proximity to celebrity, and that that was one thing 437 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:37,119 Speaker 4: that we wanted to convey is like kind of a 438 00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:40,640 Speaker 4: bit of a cautionary tale of like the shiny object 439 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:42,840 Speaker 4: isn't always shiny all the. 440 00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:44,320 Speaker 3: Way through and worth anything. 441 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:48,480 Speaker 4: Yeah, exactly, And like we talked about in the series, 442 00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:52,840 Speaker 4: like we would have major politicians in our green rooms 443 00:22:52,920 --> 00:22:55,760 Speaker 4: or like the presidents of banks in our green rooms, 444 00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:58,720 Speaker 4: and like we would have to hold the show. Like 445 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:01,959 Speaker 4: in Europe, we would be playing like arenas and we 446 00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:04,680 Speaker 4: were not allowed to play until the investors were there 447 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:07,520 Speaker 4: so that they could see the spectacle. And it was 448 00:23:07,640 --> 00:23:10,639 Speaker 4: just like that sense of like being a part of 449 00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:14,680 Speaker 4: something and being backstage or whatever at something special. We'll 450 00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:18,760 Speaker 4: make people do anything, but it's just so scary, really, 451 00:23:18,840 --> 00:23:20,200 Speaker 4: it's very bizarre. 452 00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:22,240 Speaker 2: I think you guys did a really good job actually 453 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:24,600 Speaker 2: of telling both sides of the story because not only 454 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:29,520 Speaker 2: were you guys the ponds in like the proximity to fame, 455 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:33,040 Speaker 2: he did pick very talented people, so obviously that's where 456 00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:35,919 Speaker 2: the success came from. But then on the flip side, 457 00:23:35,960 --> 00:23:38,520 Speaker 2: like you said, they were actually investing in a company 458 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:42,080 Speaker 2: that did not exist, which was mind blowing. So it 459 00:23:42,119 --> 00:23:44,679 Speaker 2: is a cautionary tale because it's like what we do 460 00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:47,840 Speaker 2: on social media these days, we're all comparing to each 461 00:23:47,880 --> 00:23:50,680 Speaker 2: other's like outsides or presentation, and it's like, you really 462 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:53,959 Speaker 2: got to do your due diligence on everyone in every situation. 463 00:23:54,520 --> 00:23:57,680 Speaker 2: And this is the perfect example. You've mentioned the Ponzi scheme. 464 00:23:57,920 --> 00:23:59,480 Speaker 2: At the end of the documentary, it says this was 465 00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:05,520 Speaker 2: the longest running Ponzi scheme of all time in American history. 466 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:09,320 Speaker 2: That's crazy, all right, y'all. Our conversation with Michael Johnson 467 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:11,080 Speaker 2: has been so good we had to make it a 468 00:24:11,119 --> 00:24:14,320 Speaker 2: two parter. From his first encounter with Lou Pearlman to 469 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:17,920 Speaker 2: growing up alongside the members of In Sync and Backstreet Boys, 470 00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:21,240 Speaker 2: the stories are just too incredible to fit into one episode, 471 00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:24,200 Speaker 2: but there's even more to uncover, so in part two 472 00:24:24,600 --> 00:24:28,160 Speaker 2: we'll dive into the emotional and mental confusion surrounding Lou Pearlman. 473 00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:31,000 Speaker 2: Was he a visionary or a villain? I could not 474 00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:34,159 Speaker 2: figure it out? And also, how do you look beyond 475 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:36,840 Speaker 2: the glitz and the glamour when the person behind it 476 00:24:36,880 --> 00:24:40,000 Speaker 2: isn't what they seem. Michael also gives us a glimpse 477 00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:43,400 Speaker 2: into what he's working on next, So hit subscribe, share 478 00:24:43,400 --> 00:24:45,200 Speaker 2: this with a friend, and join us for part two 479 00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:48,080 Speaker 2: on Velvet's Edge on Friday. You won't want to miss it. 480 00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:51,680 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to The Velvet's Edge podcast with Kelly Henderson, 481 00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:54,359 Speaker 1: where we believe everyone has a little velvet in a 482 00:24:54,359 --> 00:24:58,520 Speaker 1: little edge. Subscribe for more conversations on life, style, beauty 483 00:24:58,560 --> 00:24:59,600 Speaker 1: and relationships. 484 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:02,240 Speaker 3: Velvet's Edge wherever you get your podcasts.