Sometimes you can’t help someone who is in self destruct mode. They are on a path and nothing anyone says or does will make them see any differently. What a shame he couldn’t get better. I have an anxiety disorder and totally understand not wanting to live with it anymore.
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I had the same with my father, and 7 years later and I’m still upset by the whole thing, some days I really beat myself up for cutting contact, but he had been an addict my whole life and at 34 years of age I’d had enough, he was found dead in bed 24 days later, broke my heart and still does, so Aaron’s passing has brought it all back for me
Same, I was no contact with my father. The day after his death I went to work and I was absolutely bewildered by it all. I did end up taking a few days off to try and get my head straight, spoke through the funeral with little “nice” memories to tell. It felt awfully fraudulent
To be honest, many self-destructive people are actually better-hearted. They self-harm without regard to profit. On the contrary, many of those who are successful are very self-absorbed and selfish. A summary of some observations from my life.
I saw it too. It was really so sad, I never thought this would happen.I saw a video from the BSB show tonight. Nick was crying (understandably). It seems incredibly tough having to do a show the day after your brother died.
It's sad to see how badly he tried to get the success he once had and now that he's dead people are paying attention
So be nice to James Bourne a little? I'm sorry for thread hopping, but I recognise you. Actually James and Aaron are a little bit alike, James is a lil better. but he is also a troubled soul.
What’s James Bourne got to do with any of this?!
Not the same thing. James dated an underage girl, left her stranded in the UK while he went to LA, has been known to be abusive... The list goes on. Unlike Aaron, James is doing well as a songwriter, just not a singer so he does get recognition
I don't want to jump off topic, it's just that I think there is a certain similarity between James and Aaron. They both had success in the past, teenage memories for many fans, but were disliked in middle age.
I think Aaron is more like Lil Chris who had success as a teen and it sadly led to depression, and he spiralled
I really don’t see the parallels myself, as far as I’m aware JB has a successful career still (okay maybe not on the same level as he did in Busted) and no history of drug abuse or severe mental illness? People don’t like James Bourne due to his penchant for younger ladies sure but he’s not a child artist who went bankrupt due to financial abuse from his parents and potential physical and sexual abuse from other sources. I’m really not sure it’s a similar situation or that he gets the same level of press coverage.
okay, I see your points. I'll say mine, I think JB's hidden problems are not minor. He relies on social networks, he works in bursts a lot, he has too many avoidance, relational distancing. his invisible mental problems are really not necessarily minor... If you ask me, I think JB is on his way to self-destruction too. But that's not the point. I don't want the conversation to be taken away from me.
This is a reflection of how toxic fame and money is, that it ends up destroying lives in pursuit of acknowledgement and recognition. I do pity Aaron in that respect.
he didn’t have BSB around him as his group, but even then Nick has had to accept that he appeals to the nostalgia era and is not going to be able to recreate his early career ever again. BSB are not in the charts anymore and their demographic is over 30. They aren’t getting new fans at a high rate and are somewhat outdated (I love them, for this reason).
Aaron had been trying to create a space for himself, I know he wanted to distance from child star Aaron but he was too old and his style was just not in fashion. I think that was way too hard to accept - chasing something you can’t have and resenting everyone for it. It’s a sad life
will we ever learn about child stars and how to protect them? Aaron was a product of the music industry and all the fakers and sharks out there promising you the world
he didn’t have BSB around him as his group, but even then Nick has had to accept that he appeals to the nostalgia era and is not going to be able to recreate his early career ever again. BSB are not in the charts anymore and their demographic is over 30. They aren’t getting new fans at a high rate and are somewhat outdated (I love them, for this reason).
Aaron had been trying to create a space for himself, I know he wanted to distance from child star Aaron but he was too old and his style was just not in fashion. I think that was way too hard to accept - chasing something you can’t have and resenting everyone for it. It’s a sad life
It’s sad he was stuck there though and became more well known for being a mess than any of his music. It overtook all his talents and became part of his identity - to some extent he was so desperate to cling to fame he leaned into it
will we ever learn about child stars and how to protect them? Aaron was a product of the music industry and all the fakers and sharks out there promising you the world
Good points about BSB. I think Aaron would've compared his career to Nick's all the time so it must've been hard seeing BSB performing in arenas as big as the O2, meanwhile Aaron was playing much smaller venues. He had such a difficult life and i hope he's at peace now. He should be proud of the legacy he left behind. I hope people remember him for his career, and not the battles he fought in recent years
I don’t think it helped that his parents were pushing his career, to eventually exploit him (and Nick) rather than being there as a support for their child. Rather than do what’s best for him and act in his best interests, they just saw their kids as cash cows.
This is the issue, if you aren’t protected by your parents, who is going to look out for you?
It is not a judgement on Aaron that he was chasing a dream, it’s admirable he kept trying, just it was a fools errand really. He had lived it so long he didn’t know what else to do? He was talented though, just that showbiz is so fickle and so many people fade out to be replaced by a younger face it is so hard to stay at the top of your game and it really must wreck you to keep fighting like this. It was all he had ever known. I suppose the goal is to care less about getting validation from fame and be happy with what you do have. When your parents treat you like cash cows, look what happens
Nick on his own would not be doing as well as he is now, he would be touring US malls as well.
I hope he is remembered for giving it his all, he really did try
I think another issue is how young he was. People hardly ever see child artists as anything other than the cute little kid releasing bubblegum pop or being cute in films, so when they get older, no one takes their work seriously. Of course there are exceptions.
Look I can’t even give up biscuits. Or numerous other bad habits.
There’s a reason some people are more susceptible to becoming addicts/ mentally ill and that some people have the ability to overcome it. It’s all individual circumstance and its hypocrisy to judge because you literally haven’t experienced what they have, be it nature or nurture.
I just think it’s so sad that people can’t show some grace and be less pompous. It’s possible to feel sorry for the child and Aaron at the same time.
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