O-TOWN

O-TOWN.. that is not just the nickname for Orlando, Florida, no its also a symbol of passion, enthusiasm and love for music.

In 1999, the man himself, Lou Pearlman was looking for a new boyband. After his success with bands like NSync and the Backstreet Boys he decided to begin a new era: official castingshows. He toured around the country, looking for new guys who would fit into the usual boyband pattern. What he found were thousands of young men willing to do everything to fullfill their dream: to become a musician. The search for the new pop sensation was followed by cameras all the time and so the audience could witness what it is like to become a boyband member. 'Making the Band' was the first casting show that has ever been seen on TV and the channel 'abc' always had viewing rates which hit the roof. After Ikiaika Kaohano, who made it to the band left it again because he couldn't deal with being away from his family and girlfriend, it was sure: Ashley Ward Parker AngelErik Michael EstradaTrevor Lee Scott PenickJacob Christopher Underwood and Daniel Mark Miller made it to the band.

But the new millenium started and so did the career of five independant musicians who cut Lou Pearlman off right from the beginning. They did not had the intention to be replaceable rats but honest musicians. So it came that Jacob Underwood wrote one of the songs of their debut album "O-TOWN" which was released in 2000. The album got double platin and so it was no surprise that their released singles Liquid Dreams, All or Nothing, We Fit together and Love Should Be A Crime carried the world before one.

They conquered the world and toured also in Europe and Asia. O-TOWN was not just a casted boyband anymore, they became more: The love of thousands, or even millions, of girls. A love that should last longer than anyother boyband love before.

But it is said that the second album is always the hardest for an artist. So why not writing the second album on their own? Well.. that would have been a dream because it is known that the business is hard and heavy but at least they got a chance to prove theirselfes. Followed by cameras for the third season of 'Making the Band' the guys begun to write songs again. The fans loved it and Clive Davis, the owner of J-Records, well lets say... he tolerated them. At the end some of the songs which were written by the band itself made it to album. It should become as essential as the air to breathe so the CD got titled 'O2'. Unfortunatly there was a phoneprovider in Germany at that time that had the same name. So the band had to figure a new title out. They decided to give the responsibility to their fans and gave them the choice between 'O-TOWN 2', 'Sorry we are late', 'Been Around The World' and 'These are the Days'. The choice was made and the second album got the title 'O-TOWN 2'. An other tour followed and the single 'These Are The Days' had been released. The sound of the new music was what the boys promised: more rock, more live instruments and pure love of the bandmembers. Unfortunatly the record sales couldn't match those of the first album and hard as the business is, the boys lost their record contract and had to split up at the end of 2003.

Even if the group disbanded, the fans still supported them and voted for O-TOWN and they won the price for 'Having the Best Fans in the World' even one year after the split.

That should be prove enough that there still enough fans who are willing to support the band, even eight years after the break up. At January,16. 2011 they finally anounced it: O-TOWN is back! Unfortunatly without the former member Ashley Parker Angel but anyway we wish them all the best.

To be continued....

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