JC Chasez | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Chasez in 2007 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | JC |
| Born | Joshua Scott Chasez (1976-08-08)August 8, 1976 (age 49) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of | NSYNC |
Joshua Scott "JC"Chasez (/ˈʃɑːzeɪ/; born August 8, 1976) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and record producer. He started his career as a singer, actor, and dancer onThe All-New Mickey Mouse Club before rising to prominence as a member of theboy bandNSYNC in the late 90s and early 2000s. The band has sold over 70 million records, becoming one of thebest-selling boy bands of all time.[1] Chasez released his debut single "Blowin' Me Up (With Her Love)" in 2002, following NSYNC's decision to go on a hiatus earlier that year.Schizophrenic, his debut solo album, was released in 2004. Chasez has written and produced for a wide variety of music acts such asLiam Payne,Diplo,Backstreet Boys,McFly,The Cheetah Girls,Sugababes,Victoria Duffield, andMatthew Morrison. He also served as a judge on the first seven seasons ofAmerica's Best Dance Crew.
Joshua Scott Chasez was born on August 8, 1976, inWashington, D.C.[a][3][4] When he was five years old, his biological mother entrusted guardianship of her son to her own former foster parents Roy and Karen Chasez, who worked as a technology company consultant and an editor, respectively.[5] He was adopted by the couple who lived inBowie, Maryland, and was raisedMennonite[6] along with his younger siblings, Tyler and Heather.[7] Chasez attended the former Robert Goddard Middle School andBowie High School.[2][8] He then got transferred toDr. Phillips High School after moving toFlorida to filmThe All New Mickey Mouse Club.[9]
As a child, Chasez was extremely shy, but became interested in dance and got involved in competitive dance troupes.[10] When he was 13, he entered a talent contest on a dare from a friend. He sang "Right Here Waiting" byRichard Marx and won first place.[5][11][12][13] In 1990, his mother saw auditions for the Disney movieNewsies advertised inThe Washington Post and encouraged him to try out. At the audition, Chasez was told that he was not the correct age for the character role they were casting for that day and was turned down. He was then told that there were auditions forDisney Channel's revival ofThe Mickey Mouse Club next door.[9] After successfully auditioning forThe All New Mickey Mouse Club, Chasez was cast as aMouseketeer in the fourth season and subsequently moved toOrlando to film the show. He went by his initials because there was already another cast member named Josh (Ackerman).[10] Chasez was on the show from 1991 to 1995, seasons 4 through 7. During his time on the show, he befriended future bandmateJustin Timberlake and performed alongsideChristina Aguilera,Britney Spears,Keri Russell,Ryan Gosling,Rhona Bennett, andTony Lucca.[12] In 1995, it was announced that the show would not return for a new season.
AfterThe All New Mickey Mouse Club, Chasez attempted to pursue a solo music career inLos Angeles, but decided to return home toMaryland after he was left feeling cheated.[12] On his drive back he stopped atJustin Timberlake's house inMemphis, Tennessee, where they wrote demos together.[12] Chasez and Timberlake eventually went toNashville to continue writing songs and demo tracks with Robin Wiley, who had been a songwriter and vocal coach onThe All New Mickey Mouse Club.[12]
Timberlake then got a phone call fromChris Kirkpatrick, who was asking him to join what would become the boy bandNSYNC. Timberlake decided to join the group and recommended Chasez as well. Chasez was still back home in Maryland saving up to return to Nashville.[12] Together the three of them then decided to go toOrlando to look for abaritone. There they ran intoJoey Fatone, who already knew Kirkpatrick from their time working together atUniversal Studios Florida and was already acquainted with Chasez and Timberlake through friends from their time onThe Mickey Mouse Club. After several auditions, the group recruited Jason Galasso as theirbass singer.[12] Timberlake's mother created the name NSYNC after she took the last letter of each of the initial members' names: JustiN, ChriS, JoeY, JasoN, and JC and commented on how "in sync" the group's singing voices were.[14][15] After Galasso decided to permanently leave the group, he was soon replaced byLance Bass.
Chasez and Timberlake served as the two lead singers of the boy bandNSYNC. The group was formed in 1995 byChris Kirkpatrick, and they began recording and performing the following year in Europe.[12] In 1998, the band released its debut album*NSYNC which sold 11 million copies, earning them popularity in the United States with four number one singles includingTearin' Up My Heart and(God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time on You.[16] After the band had a series of legal struggles with managerLou Pearlman, they signed withJive Records. They released their third studio albumNo Strings Attached in 2000, which became the fastest-selling album of all time, selling 2.4 million copies in the first week. They held this record until 2015 whenAdele surpassed the single-week sales record with her third album25. Singles from theNo Strings Attached album include "Bye Bye Bye", "This I Promise You", and the number one hit "It's Gonna Be Me". The band produced their fourth studio album,Celebrity in 2001, which sold 1.8 million copies in the first week. NSYNC performed at theAcademy Awards in 2000,[17] the2002 Winter Olympics,[18] and theSuper Bowl XXXV halftime show.[19] The group sold more than 70 million records globally, making them thefifth-best selling boy band in history.[20]
After theirCelebrity Tour in 2002, NSYNC went on an indefinite hiatus but never formally disbanded.[21][22][23]
While still a member of NSYNC, Chasez appeared on the remix and album versions of the 1999 single "Bring It All to Me" by the girl groupBlaque, though his vocals were credited to NSYNC as a whole. During the band's time Chasez became involved with songwriting and production for his group and other artists, includingWild Orchid.[24][25]
During NSYNC's hiatus, Chasez continued to work as a songwriter and producer. ProducerDallas Austin asked Chasez to record the song "Blowin' Me Up (With Her Love)" for theDrumline soundtrack, which was later released as a single.[26] Chasez subsequently began work on a solo album withJive Records, with tracks written and produced by Austin,Basement Jaxx, Robb Boldt and Riprock 'n' Alex G as well as Chasez.[27][28] After numerous delays,[29] his debut albumSchizophrenic was released in February 2004.[30] Promotion for the album was affected by former bandmate Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson'sSuper Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy, after which Chasez was dropped from performing at half-time at the 2004 Pro Bowl. With the NFL unhappy with the lyrics of the single "Some Girls (Dance with Women)" expressing too much sexuality, Chasez agreed to alter his performance[31] but was met with too much resistance from the organizers, who ultimately replaced Chasez's act with Hawaiian hula dancers.[32][33][34]
At the same time, Chasez sang vocals on theBasement Jaxx track, "Plug It In", which reached number one in the UK Dance Charts. Following the release ofSchizophrenic, Chasez began work on his second album,[35]The Story of Kate.[36][37] The album featured production from Chasez's former NSYNC bandmate Timberlake,[38]Timbaland,[37] Dallas Austin,[39]Jimmy Harry,[37] andEmanuel Kiriakou.[40] Timberlake, who produced a few songs for the album, said, "In my opinion, (JC) had the best voice out of all of us...Out of all the boy bands, call 'em what you will, he was the one that could out-sing all of us. And I've known him since I was twelve, so it was fun to sit behind the board and push him."[41]
Though slated for release in 2006,[37]The Story of Kate was delayed to the following year.[39] The two lead singles, "Until Yesterday" and "You Ruined Me" were released online.[42] Chasez performed material from the new album during guests spots on TV showsGhost Whisperer,[43]Las Vegas,[44] andPussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious.[45] After the album's release was further stalled,[46] it was effectively cancelled when Chasez and Jive parted ways through mutual decision in September 2007.[47]
Though theStory of Kate was never released, Chasez continues to work as a songwriter and producer, with songs written forDavid Archuleta,[48]Matthew Morrison[49] andBackstreet Boys.[50] He has written forTaemin,[51]Liz,[52] andNU'EST.[53] In 2008 he became a judge on Randy Jackson'sAmerica's Best Dance Crew onMTV,[54] serving on the panel for the first seven seasons of the show's original run.
In November 2010, the song "IF U C Kate" written by Dallas Austin,Taio Cruz, Alan Nglish, and Chasez was featured on the British bandMcFly's album,Above the Noise. Chasez wrote and produced two songs onAJ McLean's debut albumHave It All, released in the US in February 2011.
In February 2012, Chasez and producer Jimmy Harry held auditions for an all-girl group[55] which was formed in November the same year under the name Girl Radical.[56] Girl Radical was an eleven-member pop musical act inspired by large Asian pop supergroups.[57][58]
NSYNC performed for the first time together again at the2013 MTV Video Music Awards to mark Timberlake winning theVideo Vanguard Award.[59]
In 2014, Chasez was selected to join the North American tour ofAndrew Lloyd Webber'srock operaJesus Christ Superstar asPontius Pilate. Other cast members includedSuperstar winnerBen Forster and other well-known artists, includingIncubus'Brandon Boyd,Destiny's Child'sMichelle Williams, andPublic Image Ltd'sJohn Lydon.[60] However, on May 30, 2014, the entire North American tour was abruptly canceled, with poor projected ticket sales cited as the reason.[61][62]
Along withMiguel andAloe Blacc, Chasez was featured on a new version of "My Girl" withSmokey Robinson on the albumSmokey & Friends.[63] In 2015, Chasez appeared, along with3OH!3, on the title track of theBlues Traveler albumBlow Up the Moon, and on the song's accompanying music video.[64] In 2016, Chasez starred in the filmOpening Night, in which he played a dramatized version of himself.[65]
In April 2019, Chasez and bandmatesLance Bass,Joey Fatone, andChris Kirkpatrick performed withAriana Grande as part of headlining set atCoachella.[66]
In January 2023, Chasez appeared as a guest on former bandmateLance Bass'Frosted Tips podcast, and revealed he is currently working on a musical.[9]
On September 12, 2023, following weeks of teasers and speculation regarding a potential reunion, Chasez and the other four members ofNSYNC appeared together at the2023 MTV Video Music Awards to present the award for Best Pop toTaylor Swift.[67] On September 14, it was confirmed the group recorded a new song titled "Better Place" for theDreamWorks Animation filmTrolls Band Together. The song, which was released on September 29, 2023, was the group's first new song in 22 years.[68]
On March 13, 2024,NSYNC reunited and performed live atJustin Timberlake's "One Night Only" show atThe Wiltern in Los Angeles. They debuted their new song "Paradise" and performed their other songs like "Bye Bye Bye" and "It's Gonna Be Me". The performance was the first time all fiveNSYNC members had performed together since the2013 MTV Video Music Awards. "Paradise" is one of the tracks from Timberlake's albumEverything I Thought It Was.
On October 25, 2024, Chasez releasedPlaying with Fire, amusicalconcept album that he produced withJimmy Harry.[69] Inspired byMary Shelley'sFrankenstein, the work features Chasez's vocals alongside singers Cardamon Rozzi andLily Elise.[70]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Longshot | Pizzeria Worker | Along withNSYNC, credited as Joshua Chasez in credits |
| 2008 | Killer Movie | Ted Buckley | |
| 2009 | 21 and a Wake-Up | Dr. Tom Drury | |
| 2014 | Red Sky | Alex Cruise | |
| 2017 | Opening Night | Himself | |
| 2019 | The Boy Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story | Himself | Documentary film onYouTube |
| 2020 | Famous Adjacent | Himself | |
| 2023 | Trolls Band Together | Hype | Voice |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991–1996 | The All New Mickey Mouse Club | Himself | Seasons 4–7 |
| 2000 | Saturday Night Live | Himself / Musical Guest | Along withNSYNC |
| Live with Regis | Himself / co-host | ||
| Billboard Music Awards | Himself / co-host | ||
| 2001 | The Simpsons | Himself | "New Kids on the Blecch" (Season 12, episode 14) |
| 2002 | Summer Music Mania | Himself / co-host | Also hosted byChris Kirkpatrick andJennifer Love Hewitt |
| What I Like About You | Himself | "Spa Day" (Season 1, episode 2) | |
| 2003 | Greetings from Tucson | Jay Dugray | "Home Sweet Home" (Season 1, episode 18) |
| 2004 | All That | Himself | "JC Chasez/Drake Bell" (Season 9, episode 7) |
| 2005 | What's New, Scooby-Doo? | Himself | "A Scooby-Doo Valentine" (Season 3, episode 3) |
| 2006 | Ghost Whisperer | Samson | "The Curse of the Ninth" (Season 2, episode 9) |
| 2007 | Britain's Next Top Model | Himself | Week 2 (Cycle 3) |
| 2008 | Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious | Himself | "Confidence" (Season 1, episode 2) |
| Las Vegas | William | "I Could Eat a Horse" (Season 5, episode 12) | |
| 2008–2012 | America's Best Dance Crew | Himself / Judge | Seasons 1–7 |
What's wild is I didn't start listening to music until I was a teenager ... I was kind of the black sheep because all these kids had dreams of doing music since they were five and my family just weren't musical. I was just kind of there because I got the job, so everybody thought it was their job to show me what good music was.
Tentatively the album is gonna be calledKate.
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