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Lance Bass

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Lance Bass

James Lance Bass (born May 4 1979), known as Lance Bass (IPA pronunciation: [bæs]),[1] is an American singer, actor, producer and author who is best known as the bass singer for the American pop group 'N Sync. He is also known for his 2002 attempt at space travel, which received a large amount of media coverage. Bass was scheduled to be a part of the Russian Soyuz TMA-1 mission, but failed to come up with the funds necessary to board. In 2006, Bass came to wider media attention after he revealed, to almost nobody's surprise, that he was gay in a front page cover story for People magazine.[2]

Biography

Early life

Bass was born to Jim Bass, a lab technician, and Diane Bass, an elementary school teacher, in Laurel, Mississippi.[3] He has one older sister named Stacy. He moved to Clinton, Mississippi at age 10 and soon after began his musical career, singing as a chorus member for both his church and his school. While a student at Clinton High School, Bass joined Mississippi Show Stoppers, a state-wide group sponsored by the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum, and was a member of Attache, a competitive show-choir group that traveled across the country.

During his time as a student, Bass's two favorite subjects were "math, then science."[4]. He developed a fascination with space as a young child, and, after attending space camp at age 12 near Titusville, Florida, his heart was set on becoming an astronaut.[5] He aspired to study engineering in college, with the hope that he would one day work for NASA.

'N Sync

In 1995, Bass joined Mickey Mouse Club alumni JC Chasez and Justin Timberlake, along with Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick, in 'N Sync, a boy band turned overnight sensation. After former member Jason Watkins decided to leave the group, the band went searching for a bass singer. Justin Timberlake recruited Bass into the group, following the recommendation of a vocal coach the two shared[3]. The group toured Germany throughout 1996, before hitting it big in the United States two years later. In 2000, the group released the fastest-selling record of all time, No Strings Attached,[6] and in 2001 followed it up with their Celebrity album[7], which scored the second highest first-week album sales ever.[citation needed] Bass was known as "The Shy One".

Bass is the youngest person ever inducted into the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame.[8]

On The Line

Bass starred in the 2001 motion picture On the Line, co-starring Emmanuelle Chriqui and fellow 'N Sync bandmember Joey Fatone. The film was produced by Bass's production company, Bacon & Eggs (formerly known as A Happy Place), and featured appearances by Jerry Stiller, Al Green, Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora, former WWE wrestler Joanie Laurer, and Bass's bandmates Justin Timberlake and Chris Kirkpatrick (who were seen only in the end credits). Production on the film took place in Toronto and Chicago over the span of one month, as 'N Sync was in the midst of recording their Celebrity album at the time.[9]

Miramax marketed the film heavily towards 'N Sync's teen fans, and the film's soundtrack featured songs by teen pop sensations Mandy Moore and BB Mak, along with previously unreleased tracks by 'N Sync and Britney Spears. However, the film was a box-office flop, and grossed only $4.3 million domestically despite having a production budget of $10 million. Bass's acting abilities took the brunt of the film's criticisms, with one movie critic calling Bass "a pitiful actor [who] should never be put in a position where he will be expected to emote."[10] New York Post film critic Lou Lumenick also stated that Bass's acting "makes Freddie Prinze Jr. look like Al Pacino."[11]

Career as producer

In addition to film production, Bass has also dabbled in music management. He formed a management company called Free Lance Entertainment in 2000, and enlisted the help of his mother and sister as talent scouts. However, the only album released through Free Lance was Reach by Meredith Edwards, which debuted to low numbers on the Billboard charts. The company is now defunct.

Bacon & Eggs produced the 2007 film Lovewrecked, which starred Amanda Bynes, Chris Carmack and Jamie-Lynn Sigler.

On May 14, 2007, Brian Graden announced that Bass will be working with the Logo network in developing a reality project about the music business.[12]

Other work

In 2000, Bass played the character Rick Palmer in the WB series 7th Heaven. Bass has also appeared on VH1's I Love the '80s several times as a celebrity commentator and made cameo appearances in Wes Craven's Cursed and Zoolander. In the 2007 film I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, Bass makes an appearance as a wedding singer.

In March 2007, Bass announced he is releasing an autobiography entitled "Out Of Sync", which is expected to deliver "a behind-the-scenes look at the music industry, the struggle with his sexual identity as a celebrity and his decision to publicly come out".[13] The book will be released in October 2007.

On July 6, 2007, it was announced that Bass will be taking over the role of Corny Collins in the Broadway musical "Hairspray", starting August 14, 2007, the day before the play hits 5 years on stage.[14] Of making his Broadway debut, Bass said, "I’ve always wanted to do Broadway. I think every entertainer’s dream is to eventually do some kind of theater in New York."[15]

File:Lancesoyuz.jpg
Lance Bass, Commander Sergei Zalyotin, and Flight Engineer Frank De Winne during the familiarization training at the Johnson Space Center.

Spaceflight plans

In August 2002, Bass entered cosmonaut training at Star City, Russia. Of the opportunity to go to space, he said,

I am completely overwhelmed at the invitation. I'm looking forward to completing this lifelong dream. I am honored and privileged to represent my country in this history-making mission.[5]

In order to participate in the training, Bass had to undergo heart surgery to correct cardiac arrythmia, which was discovered in 1999 when he collapsed after a concert.[16] After several months of living and training in Russia, Bass was scheduled to fly into space on the Soyuz TMA-1 mission in October 2002. However, his sponsorship funds failed to materialize, and Russian cosmonaut Yuri Lonchakov ended up taking his place.[17]

Bass's failure to make it to space landed him on People magazine's list of "2002's Losers", coming in fourth place behind Michael Jackson, George Michael, and Trent Lott.[18]

On September 26, 2002, rumors surfaced that Bass was "depressed and suicidal" after his attempts at space travel had failed. Bass's camp denied reports, with one Jive Records executive saying, "Lance is a very happy person and I'm sure he's got more in his life than this trip, so I'd be very surprised if he got that upset about it all."[19]

In October 2004, during World Space Week, Bass was formally inducted as a member of the National Space Society's Board of Governors. Serving in an advisory and public outreach capacity, Bass has joined astronauts and prominent individuals who have made a lasting, positive impact on human space exploration, including actor Tom Hanks, journalist Hugh Downs and author and futurist Sir Arthur C. Clarke, among many others.[20]

In May 2007, Bass told The New York Post that he plans to renew his efforts to go to space after his memoir is published.[21]

Personal life

Bass was raised as a Southern Baptist, and still considers himself a Christian. He has said in interviews that he regularly attends church.[22]

An animal lover, Bass has had a myriad of pets, ranging from a ferret named Dirk, a cat named Orbit (who he adopted in Russia), a Yorkshire Terrier named Jackson, a Cocker Spaniel named Lexi, and, currently, two Australian Shepherds named Dingo and Foster.

Bass has said that he would like to have kids of his own as well as adopt other children.[23] He is the godfather of bandmate Joey Fatone's daughter, Briahna.[24]

File:Basslancepeoplecover.jpg
Lance Bass on the cover of People Magazine

Coming out

Bass announced that he is gay in a front page cover story for People magazine[2] on July 26, 2006. There had been considerable speculation about his sexuality due to numerous paparazzi snapshots of him at gay bars and nightclubs, most notably during the preceding July 4th weekend in Provincetown, Massachusetts.[25]

Celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton had consistently posted items on his website about Bass's sexuality beginning in September 2005.[26] However, Bass and his friends have claimed that it was not Hilton who outed him, but instead a blurb that ran in the Page Six gossip column on July 12, 2006.[25] Bass's mother read the blurb, and immediately went on the internet to discover various gossip sites reporting on her son's sexuality. "The worst part about it was my mom found out not from me," said Bass. "She found out on the Internet, and that's what just killed me. ... It destroyed her for a little bit."[27]

When asked how long he knew he was gay, Bass replied, "[My] whole life... from childhood on."[27]

The announcement received a large amount of media attention, and the American public's reaction was generally positive. One gossip blog even went on to say it was "a sign of the times, that someone so apple-pie American can come out on the cover of People."[28]

Of his decision to come out, Bass said,

"The thing is, I’m not ashamed – that’s the one thing I want to say. I don't think it's wrong, I'm not devastated going through this. I'm more liberated and happy than I’ve been my whole life. I'm just happy."[2]

In his People interview, Bass referred to himself and his friends as "SAGs". "I call them the SAGs — the straight-acting gays," Bass said. "We're just normal, typical guys. I love to watch football and drink beer."[27] Bass received much heat from the gay community over the statement, which many believed implied that effeminate gay men were not 'normal'.[29] Bass later apologized on his MySpace blog, where he wrote, "I am very new to all this and I feel like even if I said the word "Dog" I would get letters of concern. So I apologize to anyone offended by terms I use."

On October 6, 2006, the Human Rights Campaign awarded Bass its 2006 Visibility Award.[8] The term "lanced", which means "to be outed by someone in the public media", began to be used after Bass's 2006 decision to come out of the closet. In recent months, this term was applied to actors T.R. Knight and Neil Patrick Harris, both of whom were "lanced" after facing similar media scrutiny regarding their sexualities. The catchphrase was coined by Bass's ex-boyfriend, Reichen Lehmkuhl.[30]

Relationships

During his time in 'N Sync, Bass was in a year-long relationship with actress Danielle Fishel of TV's Boy Meets World, whose high school (Calabasas High School) prom he attended.[31]

After coming out, Bass had a highly visible relationship with reality TV personality Reichen Lehmkuhl. The couple split in January 2007. Bass's relationships continue to be reported by the tabloids.

In July 2007, People magazine reported that Bass is now dating Brazilian fashion model Pedro Andrade.[32]

Bass in pop culture

Professional skateboarder Bam Margera owns a painted mural of Bass that he hangs in his Pennsylvania home. The portrait features Bass in an astronaut uniform, with a NASA shuttle in the background, ascending to space on a giant rainbow.[33]

Canadian comedian Will Sasso's impersonation of Bass is considered by fans to be one of his best characters. Sasso's impersonation, which he regularly performed on the American sketch-comedy show "Mad TV", depicts Bass as a "perma-grinned and doe eyed" singer who seems too dumb to comprehend the situations going on around him.[34] Sasso's character always wears a large cross around his neck, which Bass was known to do during his days in 'N Sync.

In the 2007 parody film Epic Movie, a picture of Bass (with ex-boyfriend Lehmkuhl) is shown when one character reports that gay marriage is banned in the land of Gnarnia.[35]

References

  1. ^ Lance Bass. Hollywood.com biography. Hollywood Media Corp. Retrieved on May 8 2007.
  2. ^ a b c "Lance Bass: I'm Gay". People (magazine). July 26 2006. Retrieved 2006-07-26. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Text "People" ignored (help)
  3. ^ a b "'N Sync Discusses Their Rise to Stardom". Larry King Live. CNN.com. January 9 2001. Retrieved 2006-10-11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ "Space Explorers Chat Hosted by Lance Bass". Space-Explorers.com. May 17 2005. Retrieved 2007-07-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ a b "Lance Bass ... Plans to Travel Into Space". Cult of the Dead Cow. 2002-08-12. Retrieved 2007-07-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ "N*Sync, Celebrity Review". BBC. Retrieved July 11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ "'N Sync Artist Biography". Billboard.com. Retrieved August 20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ a b "Lance Bass Bio". Human Rights Campaign. Retrieved October 16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ "Greg's Preview of On The Line (2001)". Yahoo! Movies. July 27 2001. Retrieved 2007-07-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ "On The Line Review". EricDSnider.com. Retrieved July 16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ "IMDB On The Line Reviews". IMDB. October 2001. Retrieved 2007-07-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ John Clarke Jr. (2007-05-14). "Logo's In Sync With Bass". Variety (magazine). Retrieved 2007-07-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ "Lance Bass Out of Sync". ET Online. March 5, 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ "Lance Bass In Orbit Over Broadway Gig". NY Daily News. July 6, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ "Lance Bass Opens Up About Broadway". E!Online. July 6, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ "Lance Bass Has Heart Surgery". WENN. May 17, 2002. Retrieved 2007-07-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ "Pop star finishes his space training". MSNBC. December 23, 2002. Retrieved 2006-09-16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ "Michael Jackson Tops "2002's Losers"". IMDB. Retrieved 2007-07-16.
  19. ^ "'N Sync Chronology". WENN. September 27 2002. Retrieved 2006-10-16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  20. ^ "Lance Bass Brings Excitement of Spaceflight During World Space Week 2004". National Space Society. September 29, 2004. Retrieved 2006-07-28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  21. ^ "Flight of Fancy". New York Post. Retrieved 2007-07-16.
  22. ^ "'N Sync Members Suspected Lance Bass Was Gay". Starpulse. September 27 2006. Retrieved 2007-07-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  23. ^ "Pop Singer Lance Bass Comes Out of The Closet". Gaylinkcontent.com. Retrieved July 16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  24. ^ "Lance Bass: Gay Celebrity Profile". Gaylife.about.com. Retrieved February 2. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  25. ^ a b "No Privacy for Lance Bass at Gay Bar". ABC News. July 14 2006. Retrieved 2006-07-28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  26. ^ "Did gossip blogger out Lance Bass?". MSNBC. July 27, 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-08. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  27. ^ a b c Vineyard, Jennifer (2006-07-26). "'NSYNC's Lance Bass Reveals He's Gay". MTV News. Retrieved 2007-05-09. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  28. ^ "Lance Bass, Welcome To Reality. You Were The Last To Know?". rachel.vox.com. July 27, 2006. Retrieved 2006-07-27. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  29. ^ Christopher Rice (2006-09-25). "The myth of "straight acting"". The Advocate. Retrieved 2007-07-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  30. ^ "Lehmkuhl Says Harris Was 'lanced'". ABC News. November 7, 2006. Retrieved 2006-11-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  31. ^ "Danielle Fishel". AskMen.com. Retrieved 2006-10-23.
  32. ^ "New Boyfriend, New Job for Lance Bass". People.com. July 6, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  33. ^ "Bam Makes Room for Bass". NY Daily News. Mar 29 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-29. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  34. ^ "WorldOfJustin.com October Archives". WorldOfJustin.com. October, 2001. Retrieved 2007-04-10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  35. ^ McGranaghan, Mike. "Epic Movie". The Aisle Seat. Gamut Magazine. Retrieved 2007-07-13.
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