Pop singer Aaron Carter has passed away at the age of 34.
Known for his childhood hits like “Aaron’s Party” and “I Want Candy,” Carter was born in Tampa and spent his early life there before finding fame as a pre-teen after opening for the Backstreet Boys. Carter’s older brother Nick was one of the members of the wildly successful boy band formed in Orlando.
Prior to the brothers’ pop success, both kicked around in Tampa performances. Nick performed at Tampa Bay Buccaneers home games, appeared in commercials for the Florida lottery and even showed up in a scene in Tim Burton’s Florida-set Edward Scissorhands. Aaron performed in a child rock band called Dead End before finding fame at the age of 9.
Carter was found unresponsive at his Lancaster, CA home on Saturday morning around 11 a.m. TMZ reports that he was in his bathtub, but Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has not confirmed that information publicly.
Carter had struggled publicly with mental health problems and addiction, though he’d made several indications in recent months that he was hoping to turn over a new leaf. In a recent interview with Adam Grandmaison of the No Jumper podcast, Carter said he was looking to focus on his family.
“I’m about to be 35 years old,” Carter said. “I’m a grown man and it’s time to start behaving that way and doing the right thing and focusing on myself, my career, my kid and my family.”
Carter echoed those sentiments when sharing that he was selling the Lancaster home back in October.
“Selling my 2nd home. Real estate has been super good to me. Ready for a new chapter in my 3rd home which I plan on staying to make a beautiful life for my family,” he wrote on Twitter.