N*Sync! Backstreet Boys! 98 Degrees! These 90s boy bands defined a decade, but sadly, none of them stood the test of time. (Okay, so *technically* the Backstreet Boys have never broken up and have been together for 22 years. Technically.)
While reboots and reunion tours abound among the former imaginary flames of teenage girls everywhere.
(Seriously. Don’t even pretend you didn’t dream of marrying Justin Timberlake. Or that a tiny part of your once-teenage heart didn’t die the day he married Jessica Biel.)
While some members rose to fame, others felt their stars fall rapidly from the sky, and we all watched it happen. Check out this gallery to find out where these 90s boy band members are now!
Chris Kirkpatrick
N*Sync’s Chris Kirkpatrick traded his crazy hair for a pair of golf clubs and an appearance as a contestant on CMT’s second season of Gone Country. He ultimately lost to Sebastian Bach, but he gave it his best shot.
Joey Fatone
(Getty) Joey Fatone, oh ye of the unfortunate last name, is probably the second most famous former member of N*Sync. (Some would say that role belongs to J.C. Chasez. Some would be wrong.) Joey continued a career in entertainment following the demise of the band that made him a celebrity. He’s had stints hosting game shows and performed with great success on Dancing With the Stars.
Lance Bass
Lance Bass turned his musical talents from the studio to the stage following N*Sync’s break-up. He took over the role of Corny Collins in the Broadway production of Hairspray in August of 2007, just one year after coming out on the cover of People magazine and receiving the Visibility Award from the Human Rights Campaign in 2006. Then Bass trained to be a cosmonaut in hopes of securing a seat on the TMA-1 space station mission, but his sponsors all backed out. He married Michael Turchin in 2014 in the first same-sex marriage ceremony to be aired on national television.
JC Chasez
JC Chasez, whom fellow groupmate Timberlake dubbed “the best singer of us all,” released a solo album in 2004 but it debuted to little success. Eventually, his second album was scrapped as his relationship with Jive Records ended. Now he works behind the scenes in the music industry writing songs for artists such as American Idol alum David Archuletta and, shockingly, his former competition the Backstreet Boys. Speaking of…
AJ McLean
(Getty) Myriad issues have cropped up for the Backstreet Boys during their two-decade tenure. Member AJ McLean suffered from a notorious addiction to drugs and alcohol and did stints in rehab in both 2001 and 2002 at the behest of fellow group member Kevin Richardson. McLean is now clean and credits his wife, Rochelle Karadis, for helping in stay that way.
Kevin Richardson
(Getty) Kevin Richardson joined Backstreet Boys in 1993, bringing his first cousin Brian Littrell along for the ride. In 2006, Kevin left the group to pursue acting, a decision which was met with moderate success. Richardson returned to the band responsible for his fame in 2012.
Nick Carter
Hmmm. What to say about Nick Carter… arguably the cutest of the Backstreet Boys, Carter was also one of the troubled. Carter struggled with drug and alcohol addiction and, like McLean, credits Richardson with helping him get clean. (Seriously. Someone give Kevin Richardson a life coach job. Dude has skills!) Carter also starred in two reality TV shows and is currently producing and starring in a film he also wrote which features A LOT of people on this list among its cast. (A LOT. For real.)
Brian Littrell
Brian Littrell, who joined Backstreet Boys when the group needed a fifth member, is now a Christian recording artist on Sony’s label, but he makes time to kick it with the guys whenever they go on tour. Which is shockingly often. Brian and cousin Kevin Richardson were inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame.
Howie Dorough
Talk about diversifying your portfolio! Backstreet Boys’ Howie Dorough, in addition to touring with the guys and continuing to release records, is also a band manager and…real estate mogul. He’s a married dad of two when he’s not busy doing all the other things he does.
Nick Lachey
(Getty) And now we’ve come to the 98 Degrees portion of this walk down memory lane. Nick Lachey is literally THE most famous former member of the short-ish lived boy band, and he’s mostly famous for his high-profile marriage to Jessica Simpson and their subsequent divorce. He’s now married to Vanessa Minnillo and actively pursues a career as a solo recording artist.
Drew Lachey
While brother Nick was cozying up to cameras for his reality series with then-wife Jessica Simpson, Drew Lachey was busy dancing his way to a win on the second season of Dancing with the Stars. (He returned for the show’s All-Stars season but ended up leaving in the third week.) Drew and his wife Lea run a performing arts day school in the Cinncinnati area and Drew is surprisingly good at home decor.
Justin Jeffre
98 Degrees’ Justin Jeffre left the world of music and pursued a career in, of all things, politics. He ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Cinncinnati in 2005. His wikipedia entry is literally only five paragraphs long. And there are no photos. Probably because he regrets that terrible dye job he sported in the 90s.
Jeff Timmons
This is Jeff Timmons. Jeff Timmons is now the poster child for the slogan “Tattoos are forever.” (JK JK.)
Donnie Wahlberg
(Getty) Donnie Wahlberg’s most recent claim to fame is that he’s married to Jenny McCarthy. His own (more famous) brother, Mark Wahlberg, famously skipped the ceremony. When he’s not being part owner of Wahlburgers, a Boston restaurant founded by the Wahlberg brothers, Donnie is acting, producing, and directing for television and film. And he makes time to tour with New Kids on the Block whenever the lesser-known members need a bump in their bank accounts.
Jordan Knight
Jordan Knight, second-best looking dude in NKOTB, was actually pretty successful post-split. He has 4 Top 40 singles to his name. Knight most recently toured with NKOTB for their 2015 summer tour, and prior to that he teamed up with Nick Carter for a little aging popstar duet. He also has a 16 year old in case you needed to feel super old today.
Jonathan Knight
Jonathan Knight looks hella fierce in this picture, first of all. And second of all, after leaving NKOTB (he was the first to do so) Knight left the music industry. He got into real estate and later revealed that part of his decision to leave the spotlight was due to the fact that he suffered from panic disorder. He waspublicly outed in 2011 by Tiffany, a 90s popstar to whom he was frequently linked.
Danny Wood
Here’s what we know about Danny Wood, aside from the fact that he’s one of NKOTB’s key choreographers: He’s divorced and he has four children. He also continues to make music as a solo artist and as a member of NKOTB.
Joey McIntyre
Joey McIntyre, whose hair paved the way for Justin Timberlake’s, is one of the most successful members of New Kids on the Block, in large part to his dedication to music. (But that’s not saying much because he’s only had one hit, so…) Fun fact: He played Fiyero on Broadway in 2004.
One Direction
(Getty) Hang in there, 1Ders…information coming soon! (Or maybe a for-real reunion. Or at least a reunion tour when you have children of your own some day. Or grandchildren.)