Aaron Carter dead: Pop singer and former child star turned 34

Aaron Carter, the pop singer who released his self-titled debut album in 1997 aged nine and was the brother of Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter, died Saturday. He was 34 years old.

Carter’s death was confirmed by Taylor Helgeson, his representative at Big Umbrella Management. A statement from Carter’s family and management is forthcoming.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Alejandra Parra confirmed that officials were responding to a 10:58 a.m. call about a suspected death at Carter’s apartment on Block 42000 of Valley Vista Drive. Parra said “a deceased person” was found in the home, but the identity has not been confirmed. The investigators remain on site.

Carter got his start in music by landing a record deal after opening for the Backstreet Boys in 1997. His first studio album, the hit “Crush on You,” went gold in December 1997, propelling him into the limelight at a young age.

Carter’s second album, Aaron’s Party (Come and Get It) was released in 2000. Featuring hits like “That’s How I Beat Shaq” and “I Want Candy,” the album went triple platinum, leading teenager Carter to the Top 1, opening for tours for Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys. The star has also appeared on Nickelodeon and Disney Channel shows including Lizzie McGuire and All That!.

Two more albums followed: Oh Aaron in 2001 and Another Earthquake! in 2002. Carter also starred alongside his siblings in the short-lived reality series House of Carters on E! and starred as Jojo in the Broadway production of Seussical the Musical.

Carter later appeared as a contestant on season 9 of Dancing With the Stars. He returned to music in 2016 with his single Fool’s Gold before releasing his fifth album Love in 2018.

Carter had become a controversial figure in recent years and revealed he had been diagnosed with multiple mental health issues related to a DUI arrest in a 2019 interview with Entertainment Tonight. Weeks later, his brother Nick obtained a restraining order against him.

In September, Carter enrolled in rehab for the fifth time in hopes of regaining custody of his then 10-month-old son Prince. He and his ex-fiancée Melanie Martin lost custody due to domestic violence and drug problems.

“I have decided to enroll in this program. This is my fifth time in rehab now, mostly to take care of aftercare,” he said at the time. “There were no relapses. I haven’t had any relapses…it’s just that triggers are big for me right now. You know, I just want my son back.”

Carter was born on December 7, 1987 in Tampa, Florida and grew up with his older brother, Nick, and three sisters, Angel, BJ, and Leslie.

Carter is survived by his son Prince.