Lance Bass Opens Up
Boy bander Lance Bass on his secret, the end of N'Sync and his new book.
Oct. 19, 2007— -- 'N Sync was one of the most successful boy bands in pop music history. But breaking record sales and performing for millions was just the beginning of the story.
The music business can be a tough industry, especially when you are young and naive. But for Lance Bass, the bass singer of the group, the worst thing about being a pop star was the lie it made him live.
Now Bass has revealed all in his new memoir, "Out of Sync," and for the first time is speaking publicly about his decision to come out as a gay man. "My first memories are probably when I was 5 years old," Bass told ABC's Elizabeth Vargas. "But as long as I remember, I knew that I was gay."
Lance Bass grew up in Mississippi, singing in church choirs and local groups. He was just 16 years old when his mother got a phone call that would forever change his life. Justin Timberlake's mother was on the other end of that call, and she was inviting Bass to join a new music group.
After auditioning for the other members of the band, Bass became the fifth member of 'N Sync, and said that each member soon developed a persona within the group.
"Justin was the sporty one, Chris was the crazy one, Joey was the flirt and J.C. was like, you know, the dad, like responsible one. I was the laid-back shy guy," said Bass.
After struggling for a year, the group hit it big. The crowds of screaming girls grew and record sales soared, and Bass knew he had to keep his secret. As time passed, the group only became more successful. Its album "No Strings Attached" sold 2.5 million copies in one week, making it the biggest-selling record of the new millennium, but that huge success only made Bass feel more pressure to keep his sexuality private.
"My biggest fear was harming the band," he said. "I totally blocked off the gay part of myself, and I walked the walk of a straight guy."
After the release of 'N Sync's third album, "Celebrity," Bass was not the only member of 'N Sync keeping a secret. Justin Timberlake was preparing for his solo career, unbeknownst to the rest of the group. Bass recalls his shock when he first learned the news.
"When you really look back at it, with the song 'Gone,' you know, it was just him," said Bass, "[but] never did we think that it was grooming him to become a solo artist so that he wouldn't go back to 'N Sync."
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