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Welcome to a chat with Ashley, Erik, Dan, Trevor, and Jacob from rising pop band O-Town.From the initial cross-country talent search to the bands training and recording process, every moment of these young men's lives has been recorded for the world to see.Now they are living together in a house in Orlando, Florida and have embarked on a 40-city major-market radio tour. O_Town: Everyone says What's UP! I hope you are all doing as well as we are! Slayton says: Did each of you think you were going to make it or did you have doubts? Ashley: we all had doubts because there was so much talent there in the beginning there was 2000 guys in the project. Erik: Each of us went into this knowing we had the potential to make it, but we had to stay humble, and know that if you work hard enough you could make it. TORONTO_O-TOWN_FAN-g says: Who inspired you to try out for the band? Erik: No one inspired me to try out, it was my love of music and to be a performer. I've had inspirations in my life, such as Boyz to Men, Take six, but it really was my love to be a performer that took me to Orlando to join this. Ashely: Well, ever since I was young Michael Jackson was the first pop star that I totally idolized. I had like brought all of his videos and i would try to sing and dance like him. I have been playing piano since i was 4 years old, my mom was a teacher, so inspired me as well. GG says: Hi O-Town Boyz! I have been watching you guys since day one and loving every minute of it! How did you all fell about the cameras watching your EVERY move practically? Was it distracting? Dan: At first it was really weird to have the cameras watching you because you weren't sure of what you could or couldn't say, but after a couple of weeks you forget there their. You just open up to the camera andjust be yourself. Ashleys_lady says: Do you think that you will be compared to backstreet boys and N Sync? Dan: I'm positive that we will be compared to them! The only thing that will actually compare us is that we have five guys in the band. We will try to be very different and creative in our style. We don't want to do what has already been done. SHORTY4EVR says: Have you guys meet any other boybands? Dan: We've met Boys II Men, a couple members of NSync and Backstreet and LFO! We just had a couple members of the Jackson 5 too! IlovUAshley says: I wanted to just tell you guys that you so completely rock! I'm looking into getting into this business soon so i was wondering if you all had any tips and i also wanted to know how you guys felt about having your lives on camera 24/7? I love you always Ashley. Jacob: Advice is not to be afraid to do things that are different and if you believe in what you are doing is all that matters. jared says: Was there any point when the cameras became frustrating and you considered giving up? Jacob: They never became frustrating to give up, but they definately got in the way sometimes. Donna35 says: Ashley, do you feel you understand what your stepdad meant when he said the music business would eat you up and spit you out now that you've had a taste of the business? Ashely: I understand where he is coming from but I don't agree with him. He basis his opinions off his own experiences and I understand why he feels that way, but I have to do what makes me happy. Jakesgal1 says: If you had to choose between what you are doing now and being with your family, what would you choose and why? Ashely: I would choose to be doing this, I love my family but as far as a career goes I get to do every single day what I love to do. I work very hard to take it very seriously, so that someday I can take care of my family, like I want to. Erik: Well, I was given a decision and I chose this. I chose this because my family knows that I have wanted to do this my whole life and I love what I'm doing. They know I've worked very hard to get where I am and I was willing to work that much harder in the years to come. I was fortunate I was given this opportunity so soon in my life. AshleysO-townAngel says: When are O-Town planning to have their album out? Erik: We finished our radio tour. We will be recording our first single this month, along with the rest of the album in a month and a half to come. Sweet Memory says: With all the success you will have as a band, do you think that ya'll will change with the way you treat your fans after you get big? I see that right now, you guys say "i love you too" and hug and kiss fans, but do you think that will change? Erik: I think that as people our personalities generally love people I don't think we will change but the circumstances will, that is why at this point in our career we try to spend as much time with fans as possible. Sooner or later we will not be able to have that much of a personal relationship with them because of saftey reasons. We will always love our fans and show them we love them as much as we can. Keen99cmg says: What is your next tv appearance? Jacob: August 15th and it's the Teen Choice Awards, you might want to check that date though. OTown-fan-guest says: y did you choose the name Otown Dan: O-Town was the name of the project that started, ABC was calling it the O-Town Project for slang. We would go places and everyone would know it as the O-Town Boys. otown_leelee676 says: Hey O Town! I'm asking this question for my friend Kara who couldn't make it to chat tonight. She wants to know where you guys came up with the saying "keepin it real". She loves saying that and so do i.Oh, and Ash, we wanted to say that we luv ya! Dan: Keepin it real is just something I think we all just said and wekindof feel because we are in this situation, where we are going to get alot of success and exposure right away, we think its really important to staygrounded and humble. we don't want anyone to think that we will change. Some_GiRL: What goals do you guys plan to achieve in o-town? Dan: We just want to be creative and push the lines of music. If we keep doing the same thing it will get boring, so right now we are just trying to make ourselves happy. Jacob: To be successful, we have a really big opportunity to make a name in this business for ourselves. Ashley: We just want to say that we love the fans so much because there helping make O-Town history because they are help bringing us to the top! We just can't wait until we go on tour so we can show all you fans in person what we are all about and we LOVE YOU! We are sorry the Boys had to run and they will catch up with you soon! Take care and thank you ALL for joining us this evening! |