| ~The Story~ |
| LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Teen heartthrob AJ McLean, a member of pop phenomenon the Backstreet Boys (news - web sites), is being treated for depression, forcing the group to postpone a series of concert dates, his publicist said on Monday. McLean's depression, ascribed to the recent death of his grandmother, has recently led to anxiety attacks and alcohol abuse, according to a statement from MSO Public Relations. The statement added the 23-year-old singer ``will immediately undergo a 30-day treatment.'' An MSO spokeswoman refused any further comment. The quintet has accordingly scrapped all shows from July 9 (Boston) through Aug. 4. (Edmonton, Alberta). The tour will pick up on Aug. 7 in Vancouver, British Columbia, with the dozen affected cities rescheduled in the following month. ``It's been suggested that we not be so forthcoming about this situation, as many artists in the industry have in the past, but we feel compelled as a group to be honest with our fans and not let them down,'' McLean's four bandmates said in the statement. ``AJ is our friend and our brother, and we wholeheartedly support him during this difficult time. Fortunately, AJ has realized he can't solve his problems by himself. ``Because he is unable to be on tour at this time, we are postponing dates and will make them up as soon as we can. At the same time we trust that our fans -- who've always stood by us -- will understand this decision is absolutely necessary in order for AJ to be well. We look forward to seeing all of you on the road soon.'' McLean alluded to psychological problems in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine last year, describing how he once took a baseball bat to a radio that was playing a Backstreet Boys tune after he had broken up with a girlfriend. ``When I get stressed out, I get really violent toward myself and just say, 'Screw the group! To hell with everything!' There have been times when I wake up like that and think I don't want to do this anymore,'' he told the magazine. Contrary to the clean-cut image projected by many of the teen-oriented pop stars ruling the charts in recent years, McLean never professed to be a choir boy. He drank, sported numerous tattoos and boasted of losing his virginity at age 16. News of McLean's depression comes amid signs of a waning in the teen pop craze, which has made superstars out of Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync (news - web sites) and Britney Spears. The Backstreet Boys' current album, ``Black & Blue,'' has sold 5.1 million copies in the United States, and ranks at No. 117 on the pop charts after 32 weeks of release. Their previous album, 1999's ``Millennium,'' had sold 9.3 million copies and was ranked at No. 3 after the same time in release. Rival boy-band 'N Sync is due to release its new album, ''Celebrity,'' on July 24. |