AJ McLean

Biography

Alexander James McLean was born on January 9, 1978, in West Palm Beach, Florida, to Denise Fernandez (of Cuban-Puerto Rican and German descent) and Bob McLean (of Scots-Irish and English descent). His parents divorced when he was two, and he was raised primarily by his mother and grandparents. From an early age he pursued performing arts — acting, dancing, and singing — and his first notable stage role came when he played Dopey in a school production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Despite being only 14 and technically below the age requirement of 16–19, he auditioned for a new vocal group in April 1992 and became the first official member of what would become the Backstreet Boys.

The Backstreet Boys — completed by Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Kevin Richardson, and Brian Littrell — became one of the best-selling pop acts of all time, dominating the late 1990s and early 2000s with albums like Millennium (1999) and Black & Blue (2000). McLean was distinguished within the group by his baritone-to-tenor range, soulful delivery, and theatrical stage presence — drawing comparisons to artists like Michael Jackson and Prince. Behind the scenes, however, he struggled with drug and alcohol addiction at the height of the group's fame; he first used cocaine on the set of "The Call" video in 2000, and after an intervention by bandmate Kevin Richardson in 2001, he entered rehabilitation. His public candor about recovery became a defining part of his public identity.

Beyond the Backstreet Boys, McLean pursued a solo career that allowed him to explore R&B, rock, and country-inflected pop — releasing solo material including the album Have It All (2010). He collaborated with Finnish rapper Redrama on the single "Clouds" (2013), formed the cross-group project ATCK with *NSYNC's Chris Kirkpatrick, and joined Joey Fatone for Dunkin's novelty "Iced Boys" EP in 2024. He competed on Season 29 of Dancing with the Stars (2020) alongside partner Cheryl Burke, finishing in 7th place. Widely recognized for his extensive tattoo collection (reported at 35+) and flamboyant style, McLean remains the most visually distinctive member of the Backstreet Boys and one of pop music's most resilient personalities.

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Fun Facts

• McLean was technically underage (14) when he auditioned for the Backstreet Boys in 1992 — the ad called for singers aged 16–19, but he got the spot anyway and became the group's first member.
• He has over 35 tattoos, each carrying personal significance, making him one of the most heavily tattooed members of any major 1990s pop group.
• McLean completed the remainder of his high school education via correspondence courses with a road tutor after joining the Backstreet Boys — finishing three years of school while on tour.
• He reunited with his estranged father in 1997 after a 17-year separation, a relationship milestone that influenced his personal songwriting.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Michael Jackson - Primary stylistic influence on McLean's vocal delivery and performance theatrics
• Prince - Cited as an influence on his solo songwriting and stage persona
• Boyz II Men - R&B vocal harmony influence during his formative years
• New Kids on the Block - Direct genre inspiration that shaped his desire to join a boy band

Key Collaborators

• Nick Carter - Fellow Backstreet Boys member and long-time creative partner [1993–present]
• Howie Dorough - Fellow Backstreet Boys member [1993–present]
• Kevin Richardson - Fellow Backstreet Boys member who staged the intervention that led McLean to seek rehab [1993–present]
• Brian Littrell - Fellow Backstreet Boys member [1993–present]
• Redrama - Finnish rapper; collaborated on the single 'Clouds' (2013) (Clouds (2013))
• Chris Kirkpatrick - *NSYNC member; formed cross-group project ATCK together, releasing the single 'Air' (Air) [2022–present]
• Joey Fatone - *NSYNC member; collaborated on Dunkin's 'Iced Boys' EP (Iced Boys EP (2024))

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia