The Hit Charade
Lou Pearlman, Boy Bands, and the Biggest Ponzi Scheme in U.S. History
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نقد و بررسی
September 15, 2008
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.
October 15, 2008
Gray, a senior editor for "Blender" magazine, has written a juicy tale of the sinister goings-on behind some of the biggest bands in popular music. He describes the machinations of Lou Pearlman, who promoted squeaky-clean pop bands 'N Sync and the Backstreet Boys while doing the dirtiest of deals, ultimately cheating hundreds of investors out of nearly $500 million. This sordid story receives a tabloidlike treatment, and Gray's subpar writing and reliance on secondhand sources and peripheral players are a bit heavy on a he said/he said style of journalism; however, Gray also scored the only interview with a jailed Pearlman, and there is plenty of innuendo and backstage dealing to sustain the reader's attention. This tale of dreams, schemes, fame, fortune, and fraud is recommended for those interested in the backstage dealings of pop music. Public libraries should purchase.Bill Baars, Lake Oswego P.L., OR
Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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