Nick Carter Says It Was ‘Tough to Get Up on Stage’ with Backstreet Boys After Brother Aaron’s Death
Getting back on stage after the death of his younger brother wasn’t easy for Nick Carter — but the support from his band members and fans meant the world to him.
On Friday, the Backstreet Boys sat down for an interview with Extra, and Nick opened up about the London concert where he broke down in tears as the band honored the late Aaron.
“It was very emotional for me, having my guys with me,” Nick, 42, told the outlet. “That night, it was tough to get up on stage.”
He continued, “There’s the old saying, ‘The show must go on,’ that’s been with us for years, but that night, I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know what was going to come from it, getting on that stage. Getting the reaction from the fans, it was definitely comforting, and it meant a lot to me.”
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At the concert, singer Kevin Richardson told the crowd at the O2 Arena, “Tonight we got a little bit of heavy hearts because we lost one of our family members yesterday.”
“We just wanted to find a moment in our show to recognize that Nick’s little brother, Aaron Carter, passed away yesterday at 34 years old,” added Richardson, 51, about Carter’s tragic death on Nov. 5.
“He was a part of our family and we thank you guys for all the love and all the well wishes and all the support.”
According to footage posted on the website All That Dazzles, Nick then became emotional. In response, bandmates AJ McLean, Howie Dorough and Brian Littrell rushed over to embrace him — with Littrell offering his sleeve for Carter to wipe his eyes.
“We’d like to dedicate this next song to our little brother Aaron Carter. You will be missed brother,” Dorough announced before the band launched into “Breathe.”
Nick also addressed the news on social media the day after his death, writing, “My heart has been broken today.”
“Even though my brother and I have had a complicated relationship, my love for him has never ever faded,” he added in a post featuring several throwback photos of the brothers in their youth. “I have always held onto the hope, that he would somehow, someday want to walk a healthy path and eventually find the help that he so desperately needed.”
“Sometimes we want to blame someone or something for a loss,” Nick continued. “But the truth is that addiction and mental illness is the real villain here. I will miss my brother more than anyone will ever know. I love you Chizz., now you get a chance to finally have some peace you could never find here on earth….God, please take care of my baby brother.”
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