Lance Bass Reveals *NSYNC Members Received Just $35 a Day in Allowance, Recalls First $10,000 Check
Lance Bass is opening up about how little money he says he made during his time in *NSYNC.
via: EW
Lance Bass is getting candid about how much NSYNC made in its early days — and it’s not what you’d expect.
In fact, for one of the best-selling boy bands of all time, NSYNC members Bass, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Justin Timberlake, and Chris Kirkpatrick made $35 a day during the first few years of their careers.
“Our first check was a $10,000 check after years of No. 1 albums, sellout tours,” Bass said on The Zach Sang Show on Thursday. “I don’t know how many millions they made off of merchandise because merchandise was insane. And then they finally gave us a check for $10,000. You’re like, ‘Oh, thanks.’ We should be grateful for that, been working for free for two, three years now.”
NSYNC had gotten their start in the European market after initially being signed to Germany-based record label BMG Ariola Munich. Their self-titled debut album was first released in Germany in 1997 and hit No. 1 in the country. The album would eventually get the rare certification of Diamond by the RIAA in the U.S.
“It’s so weird how people think I’m so filthy rich from NSYNC,” Bass said. “No, not at all. You know, I did well after NSYNC and I’m very proud of everything I did after that. But I didn’t make money with NSYNC.”
But someone had to reap the benefits of their success. In 1999, the group sued their late former manager Lou Pearlman for defrauding them of half of their earnings, eventually settling out of court. Pearlman would later go to prison in 2008 for various crimes, including money laundering and conspiracy. He died on Aug. 19, 2016, at the age of 62.
Bass called Pearlman “one of the biggest scam artists of all time,” although he no longer carries resentment toward him.
“I was kind of mad at the adults in the room,” Bass admitted. “You know, the adults in the room saying, ‘Oh, you’re just a kid. Oh, you’re fine. Oh, dance, you know, land on your knees. You’re young. You know, you don’t need to sleep. You’re a kid.’ Everyone just kept saying, ‘You’re young. You’re young.’ Well, who cares if you’re young? You still need to, you know, make a living and set yourself up for the future.”
Watch the full interview on The Zach Sang Show below.
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