Backstreet Mom: A Mother's Tale of Backstreet Boy AJ McLean's Rise to Fame, Struggle With Addiction, and Ultimate Triumph (7 page)

There is no doubt in my mind
that the staff in that school, aptly
named Unity, started Alex out on
the right track. He was given a
good foundation with which to
start his journey into the real
world. At the school, everyone
filled his or her role in a loving and
respectful way. Private schools are
not cheap, but I felt that since my
son had so many outside activities
it would be easier for him to adjust to smaller classes where he
would receive more individual attention. It was not easy to come
up with the money and every year
the tuition rose. But, as usual, I always found a way.

Alex's promo page at age seven

SINCE ALEX WAS JUST A CHILD, I wasn't sure how seriously to take his
fascination with theater. It soon became clear to me, along with the rest
of the family, that Alex was in his element. Every time Alex walked onto
that stage, whether it was in front of five people or five hundred, the audience took notice. Time after time, our little Alex left his mark on
them. I came to believe that mark was made with indelible ink.

Another close friend at that time was Richard Lustig, a local talent
agent who produced talent shows that were booked by local bars and
nightclubs. He took a shine to Alex right away and included him in the
shows. By then, Alex had come to be a celebrity of sorts among the
performers and audiences that followed them from venue to venue.

Richard must have been a frustrated singer since he always managed
to work his signature song, "Moon Dance," into every show. He was the
quintessential master of ceremonies, with his white fedora and classy
clothes, and he had a charm all his own. He and Alex hit it off right
away. He was totally enamored of my son's talent and the skill with
which this tiny boy could grab hold of an audience.

At the time, Alex was heavily into puppeteering. His act included a
rendition of several songs from the musical Little Shop of Horrors. As
part of the act, he performed a "duet" with his puppet. They would
move together while lip-syncing to the voices of the lead characters in
the show. It was quite amazing really.

The way that Alex showed the different personalities of the two characters by making the puppet come alive proved what a real knack for
puppeteering he had. Every time we went to a mall or anywhere that
puppets were sold, he talked me into buying him another one to add to
his family of friends. Each one had names and personalities. It was one
more way for Alex to unleash yet another side of his imagination. He
developed otherworldly accents and deepened his voice to create different characters for his stories.

Alex had a briefcase in which he kept a video-game electronic arm
and he cut a piece of foam to fit the arm so it did not move around in the
case. Sometimes, when we were in the car, he took it out and slipped in
onto his arm so he could become "Killer Jack," an evil character who
was actually (according to Alex) a good guy. Killer Jack was a super
hero of sorts or maybe an anti-hero.

The first time that Alex met my boss, Linda, he was carrying that
briefcase and wearing a white fedora, another habit he had developed.
He had a large collection of hats and loved developing personalities that
fit each one. Upon meeting Linda, he extended his right hand and very
formally introduced himself as Alex McLean. She just chuckled and gave
him a hearty handshake. Then she asked him what was in the case.

"You really don't want to know," he said.

Linda just left it at that. To this day she still speaks of that meeting
and fondly recounts her first encounter with my son.

RICHARD LUSTIG'S TALENT CONTESTS took place every weekend. Alex wanted to attend them all, but sometimes that was impossible. When it was
necessary for him to miss a show, he was terribly disappointed. Each
show always meant a new routine. Alex was always eager to show off in
some new and different way. The talent shows gave him the venue.

However, the one thing that stayed the same was Richard's insistence
that Alex do his puppet routine. During one of the shows, Alex surprised me with a dedication that he apparently had worked on for weeks.
I was sitting in the audience when out came little Mr. Entertainment,
microphone in hand. He announced that he was dedicating the next
song to his mom, whom he described as his hero.

"I love you," he said, then launched into "Wind Beneath My Wings,"
a big hit at the time. I cried as my heart swelled with pride. I think it
brought tears to the eyes of most of the people in the audience. It remains a moment I will never forget.

On more than one occasion, Alex won the talent contest, leaving the
adult entertainers in his dust. No one ever got angry. He was just so cute
and charming that he never failed to win them over as well. And he was
only eight years old.

As I look back, I realize that Alex was already developing his charm
with women and had a real knack for winning over everyone's heart.
The agent ran a series of shows for a couple of months and performers
were eliminated week by week. Every time, Alex managed to come in at
the top of the running and continue on to the next show. By the time the
series was done, Alex had come in first place at many a show.

A few months later, Richard came to us and told us he was getting
together all of his winning acts from the past year to put together a
television talent show on local cable. He had booked an hour time slot
and really needed Alex to be a part of it. Alex and I decided this would
be a good idea, given that this agent had done so much for him over the
past year. We quickly put together some highlights of past performances. In addition, Alex came up with a couple of dynamite numbers for
the show. It was filmed at a local hotel conference room and the budget
was small, but it was a fun event and gave Alex a chance to perform in
front of a television camera.

Alex was very excited about it. He made certain that all of his props,
like puppets, hats and wardrobe, were perfect. The show took place without any problems and aired on late-night television a few weeks later.
Nothing ever came of it as a regular cable show, but it gave Alex a new experience in performing. That was the last event I remember doing with
Richard. We lost touch after that and Alex returned to musical theater.

THE FINAL PROOF OF ALEX'S COMMITMENT to his dream came during the
opening-night production of The King and I at the Burt Reynolds Dinner
Theater. It was Alex's first role in professional theater. I remember sitting at the table, waiting for the show to begin with my heart in my
throat. My mom, dad, brother and sister-in-law all sat there with expressions of sheer terror.

As usual, I helped my little actor apply his stage make-up and wriggle
into his costume. I gave him a big hug and kiss for good luck, and then
he was gone, off to play with the other children in the cast just like it
was any other day. It was as if it didn't occur to him to be nervous. In his
mind, he was going to be doing what he had done hundreds of times
during rehearsals.

Alex with the child cast from The King and 1

I sat there, frozen in my seat, eyes glued to the stage. My worst fear was
that Alex would forget what he was supposed to do, or freeze up once he
hit the stage. A hundred "what iP' scenarios played out in my head. I was
also worried that something would go wrong with the whistling. Alex's
character was a whistler, but Alex, despite many attempts, simply could
not whistle. For that reason, the director decided to let someone offstage
whistle for him. We held our breath as the curtain went up.

I will never forget the look on my family's faces when he walked out
onto the stage. Their eyes bulged, their mouths dropped to the table. I
joined them in their state of utter disbelief. Alex's stage presence, charisma
and confidence were like that of a seasoned performer. He bounded around
the stage and recited his lines in a way that made them his own. Joy and
exhilaration emanated from his entire body. It was obvious that Alex reveled in being on stage, hearing the audience react to his every word.

From that moment, Alex radiated the same confidence and exhilaration every time he hit the stage. Whatever his personal issues, when he
performed he was in total control. After that initial performance, there
was no turning back for either of us. His goal was to perform. Whatever
form that performance took was of little consequence. I became completely dedicated to helping him make his goal a reality.