i want it THAT way
From Out.com, we get the story of the Backdoor Boys, a Drag King boyband of epic proportions:
Once described by pop culture commentator Judith Halberstam as "quite simply the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and George Michael all rolled up into one rather large, cumbersome and bulging package," the Backdoor Boys played around the world, from Miami to Malaysia. But they became too big at too young an age and eventually crumbled under the weight of their own triumphs.
When the Backdoor Boys broke up in 2001, T-Rok never expected to get a second chance at success -- let alone become a best-selling author and be preparing for a massive solo tour.
The diminutive lead singer recently talked to Out.com about hitting bottom, the sex stories too hot to be included in his memoir, and how his former best friends shunned his offer to guest on his new album.
Out.com: Like a lot of hard-core Backdoor Boys fans, I cried for days when you split up. Why did it have to end?
T-Rok: We had different views on where the band could go. I just wanted to fulfill my contract and go solo, while they were trying to milk it for all it was worth. So we went our separate ways and, to be honest, I'd say my solo career turned out like Justin Timberlake's, while my bandmates' are more like Nick Carter. Plus, I've been traveling with the book and telling the story -- it's an international best-seller, you know.
But it's taken you a while to get to that point. I don't want to pry too much, but how did you know you had hit bottom?
At a certain point, I ran out of memorabilia to auction on eBay. I ended up asking Lou Pearlman for more, but I sold that too. So the low point was probably selling handjobs on Santa Monica Boulevard. I will also admit that I did graduate to blowjobs. But only for a certain price.
What was your drug of choice?
Peach schnapps and NyQuil. Just because it's over the counter does not mean that it's safe. That's going to be part of my Got Milk? ad.
How did you crawl out of that hole?
I would love to say that I met an Air Force pilot from Germany, but it's not that romantic. One of my good friends died in a motorcycle accident on Sunset Boulevard, which really shook me up and made me think twice about the direction my life was going. And then I met Pamela Anderson and she literally put a typewriter in my hand. We met at a gay bar, and she remembered me -- she loved our music. She was writing her best-selling novel Star at the time and we talked about how cathartic it is to just be honest with your fans about all the bullshit you've survived. I was living on Franklin in Hollywood, in a four-room house with 10 people, and the next day a Dell computer, printer and scanner showed up -- you know, in a box with the cow-print on the outside. All it said on the card was, "Tell your story, boy. XO, Pammy." I wrote it and six months later I had a publishing deal.
I heard you had to cut some of the more sexual details out of your book. Are the rumors about orgies on the Backdoor Boys' tour bus all true?
It wasn't just all of us hooking up, you know. I slept with all the members of 'N Sync, too.
Who was the best lay of 'N Sync?
Justin, hands down.
Not Joey?
Ew.
Tell me about your new album.
There are a few collaborations with Timbaland, and Snoop makes a guest appearance. I'm still waiting to hear whether Kanye is going to contribute some beats or not.
How would you describe the sound?
Edgy. There's one ballad that I wrote by myself at my lowest point. All I had left of my belongings was my guitar. It was just me and my guitar. I won't tell you who it's about. That's just between me and that person.
Have you talked to any of the other Backdoor Boys?
I sent them a cut of the record and asked a couple if they would be willing to guest. One didn't respond. The other two straight up said no. But through my AA I know that I send them love and healthy detachment. I wish them the best, but there's nothing I can do. I'm just going to live my life.
I heard that the Jonas Bros offered you a slot opening for them.
After my cross-country solo tour, I'm going to go out with Miley Cyrus instead. I think it's better exposure.
Is there anything else that T-Rok needs to tell the world?
Just one question: Is the world ready for T-Rok's new sound?
*
And then from Popnography:
The Backdoor Boys owe their existence to T's crappy job at Teen People magazine: "I had to to fact-check the lyrics of hit songs -- so readers could learn them. I was on the phone with the publicist, fact-checking the lyrics to 'I Want it That Way.' And it was back and forth and back and forth and it was so awful. I was like, this song makes no sense. And then I thought -- I know what this song is about. This song is about anal sex. There's all this push and pull and I want it but I don't want it and I never want to hear you say it... So I decided that was what it's about. I decided there had to be a performance."
> When I was busy going to, ahem, several 'N Sync concerts in my day, T was doing time at Backstreet Boys shows. "I had 4th row tickets to one," he told me. "And I tossed a pair of our Backdoor Boys underwear on stage. Brian actually caught them and opened them up -- he thought it was a t-shirt or something. Turned out to be male tighty-whities, and he turned bright red, wadded them up, and then threw them at AJ McLean, who then tossed them at their band's drummer, who wore them on his head for a few minutes until they transitioned into the "save the environment" song, and everybody had to get real serious for a moment."
> Speaking of serious moments: "I was dressed like an 18-year-old boyband member," T said, on how the drag king performing impacted his own transition. "On the way to gigs, I would walk or take a taxi or a train. It was my first time passing all the time as male. It was kind of liberating for that. I don't think I saw it at the time as that, but I could feel, oh, I'm comfortable like this."
FOR THE FUCKING WIN. Brian caught the underwear. BRIAN. And then he threw them at AJ. \0/ Words cannot express my delight.
Once described by pop culture commentator Judith Halberstam as "quite simply the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and George Michael all rolled up into one rather large, cumbersome and bulging package," the Backdoor Boys played around the world, from Miami to Malaysia. But they became too big at too young an age and eventually crumbled under the weight of their own triumphs.
When the Backdoor Boys broke up in 2001, T-Rok never expected to get a second chance at success -- let alone become a best-selling author and be preparing for a massive solo tour.
The diminutive lead singer recently talked to Out.com about hitting bottom, the sex stories too hot to be included in his memoir, and how his former best friends shunned his offer to guest on his new album.
Out.com: Like a lot of hard-core Backdoor Boys fans, I cried for days when you split up. Why did it have to end?
T-Rok: We had different views on where the band could go. I just wanted to fulfill my contract and go solo, while they were trying to milk it for all it was worth. So we went our separate ways and, to be honest, I'd say my solo career turned out like Justin Timberlake's, while my bandmates' are more like Nick Carter. Plus, I've been traveling with the book and telling the story -- it's an international best-seller, you know.
But it's taken you a while to get to that point. I don't want to pry too much, but how did you know you had hit bottom?
At a certain point, I ran out of memorabilia to auction on eBay. I ended up asking Lou Pearlman for more, but I sold that too. So the low point was probably selling handjobs on Santa Monica Boulevard. I will also admit that I did graduate to blowjobs. But only for a certain price.
What was your drug of choice?
Peach schnapps and NyQuil. Just because it's over the counter does not mean that it's safe. That's going to be part of my Got Milk? ad.
How did you crawl out of that hole?
I would love to say that I met an Air Force pilot from Germany, but it's not that romantic. One of my good friends died in a motorcycle accident on Sunset Boulevard, which really shook me up and made me think twice about the direction my life was going. And then I met Pamela Anderson and she literally put a typewriter in my hand. We met at a gay bar, and she remembered me -- she loved our music. She was writing her best-selling novel Star at the time and we talked about how cathartic it is to just be honest with your fans about all the bullshit you've survived. I was living on Franklin in Hollywood, in a four-room house with 10 people, and the next day a Dell computer, printer and scanner showed up -- you know, in a box with the cow-print on the outside. All it said on the card was, "Tell your story, boy. XO, Pammy." I wrote it and six months later I had a publishing deal.
I heard you had to cut some of the more sexual details out of your book. Are the rumors about orgies on the Backdoor Boys' tour bus all true?
It wasn't just all of us hooking up, you know. I slept with all the members of 'N Sync, too.
Who was the best lay of 'N Sync?
Justin, hands down.
Not Joey?
Ew.
Tell me about your new album.
There are a few collaborations with Timbaland, and Snoop makes a guest appearance. I'm still waiting to hear whether Kanye is going to contribute some beats or not.
How would you describe the sound?
Edgy. There's one ballad that I wrote by myself at my lowest point. All I had left of my belongings was my guitar. It was just me and my guitar. I won't tell you who it's about. That's just between me and that person.
Have you talked to any of the other Backdoor Boys?
I sent them a cut of the record and asked a couple if they would be willing to guest. One didn't respond. The other two straight up said no. But through my AA I know that I send them love and healthy detachment. I wish them the best, but there's nothing I can do. I'm just going to live my life.
I heard that the Jonas Bros offered you a slot opening for them.
After my cross-country solo tour, I'm going to go out with Miley Cyrus instead. I think it's better exposure.
Is there anything else that T-Rok needs to tell the world?
Just one question: Is the world ready for T-Rok's new sound?
*
And then from Popnography:
The Backdoor Boys owe their existence to T's crappy job at Teen People magazine: "I had to to fact-check the lyrics of hit songs -- so readers could learn them. I was on the phone with the publicist, fact-checking the lyrics to 'I Want it That Way.' And it was back and forth and back and forth and it was so awful. I was like, this song makes no sense. And then I thought -- I know what this song is about. This song is about anal sex. There's all this push and pull and I want it but I don't want it and I never want to hear you say it... So I decided that was what it's about. I decided there had to be a performance."
> When I was busy going to, ahem, several 'N Sync concerts in my day, T was doing time at Backstreet Boys shows. "I had 4th row tickets to one," he told me. "And I tossed a pair of our Backdoor Boys underwear on stage. Brian actually caught them and opened them up -- he thought it was a t-shirt or something. Turned out to be male tighty-whities, and he turned bright red, wadded them up, and then threw them at AJ McLean, who then tossed them at their band's drummer, who wore them on his head for a few minutes until they transitioned into the "save the environment" song, and everybody had to get real serious for a moment."
> Speaking of serious moments: "I was dressed like an 18-year-old boyband member," T said, on how the drag king performing impacted his own transition. "On the way to gigs, I would walk or take a taxi or a train. It was my first time passing all the time as male. It was kind of liberating for that. I don't think I saw it at the time as that, but I could feel, oh, I'm comfortable like this."
FOR THE FUCKING WIN. Brian caught the underwear. BRIAN. And then he threw them at AJ. \0/ Words cannot express my delight.