Name: Alexander James McLean
Nickname: AJ, Bone, Alex, Mr. Tattoo, Jay, Jizzle
Date of Birth: 01/01/1978 in West Palm Beach/Florida
Location: Los Angeles, CA and Florida
Sign: Capricorn
Eyecolor: brown
Height: 1,75
Parents: Denise and James McLean (divorced), Stepfather Tony Solis
Siblings: none
Hobbies: sports, music, poems, drawing, collecting rings, sunglasses and hats
Instruments: guitar, piano
Favorite dish: McDonalds, junk food, salads
Favorite drink: Coke, orange juice
Favorite movie: „Pulp Fiction“
Favorite singer/band: Dru Hill, Shai, Blackstreet, Luther Vandross, Boyz II Men
Favorite actor/actress: Antonio Banderas, Jodie Foster and Greena Davis
Favorite color: currently black otherwise purple and yellow
Specials: AJ is lefty
Weakness: chatterbox, fear of spiders
Status: single
Alexander James McLean was born on January 9th, 1978 as the only child of Denise Fernandez and James McLean in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Alex was spoilt by Denise very much since he is her only child. She found out that she was pregnant again when Alex was two years old. She expected twins. But in the fifth pregnancy month it was found out that the two girls have no survival chance and Denise brought them deadly to the world. It was a serious stroke of fate for the parents. They divorced in 1982. Alex lived together with his Mom in a new housing estate in West Palm Beach where he often played with friends in the nature.
Already as a small boy AJ often took part in fashion shows as a modal and was discovered there by a director, who engaged him for the fairytale "Snow White and the seven dwarves". He played the role of the dwarf "Dopey". Spectators and auxiliaries of the play were equally inspired and as a result he received a two-year contract. Besides, during his basic school hours Alex was still taught in ballet and dancing (Boca Raton Dance Studio).
At the age of 12 he moved with his Mom to his grandparents Ursula and Adolph Fernandez. They divided 80 m ² big appartement in Kissimee. There he visited during four years the private actor school "Florida Academy of Dramatic Arts".
He improved himself pocket-money as a model.
In 1990 he moved with his Mom to Orlando, Florida to concentrate on his career.
After many small roles his mother succeeded in getting him the leading role in the popular US-child series “Hi Honey, I’m Home”. Finally, he could prove his talent.
Appearances followed in "The Nutcracker”, "The Violinist On The Roof " and "The King And Me".
At the age of 12 he has already took part in 27 productions.
Alex has a big talent - he can not only sing, but also dance.
In his spare time he played with pleasure billiards and basketball or spent a lot of time with the drawing. One of his biggest passions also is even today the drawing, writing poems, reading Shakespeare or in the Bible.
When he was 13 years old he lost his best friend Christie by a tragic car accident.
Already after one season the popular US-child series “Hi Honey, I’m Home” ended and Alex finished the elementary school.
He became acquainted with Howard Dwaine Dorough during a talent competition in 1992. Nickolas Gene Carter joined short time later. They fairly often met at castings for commercials or musicals.
Together they practiced their song arts.
The trio recited with Lou Pearlman who wanted to found a new Boygroup. Shortly after there came Kevin Richardson who earned his money as a model at the time. He brought his cousin Brian along, who was a well-known church choir member in his native country.
In 1992 he met Marissa Jackson, daughter of Donna Wright. The relationship held for six years - the couple separated on Valentine's Day 1997.
The Backstreet Boys were founded in Orlando, Florida on April 20th, 1993.
Alex’ biggest passion are probably his tattoo’s. He has so many that he himself can’t already mention the exact number at all. Moreover, he collects sunglasses. He himself claims that he would take second place to a woman in the matter of shopping into nothing, since he goes shopping just with pleasure.
From 1998 till 2000 he led a relationship with Amanda Latona, a former member of the girlgroup “Innosense”. Alex and Amanda bought a common house for themselves in Orlando.
In 2000 he dated the singer and former child actress Sarah Jo Martin. He was convinced she is the woman of his life and got engaged to her. The couple separated in 2003, though. They are still good friends.
In 2001 he gets a supporting role in the film "Olive Juice", where he plays a naughty DJ.
In the same year Alex caused attention, when he confessed his alcohol and drug addiction in public. He acknowledged to be an alcoholic and have taken cocaine.
In spite of his huge success with the Backstreet Boys Alex went to ruin in depressions - the death of his dearest grandmother made the situation worse in addition. He did not have himself and his addiction behaviour any more under control.
The turning point was reached during the tour in 2001 when bandmate Kevin Richardson opened the eyes to him. Alex understood that he has a problem to be taken seriously.
The Backstreet Boys interrupted their tour in July, 2001 and Alex could be helped in a denial clinic in Arizona. First separation rumours appeared, however, the band stays together. No further CDs were published and it became quietly around them.
After one year he suffered a relapse, however, since his second denial he is still “clean”.
Meanwhile Alex is healthy and speaks also in the general public about his former problems to encourage other people. During the heavy time his mother Denise always stood to him with words and deeds aside. In 2003 Denise published a book "Backstreet Mom" which describes those hard times.
On the 10th December, 2003 Alex and Denise appeared together in the talkshow "The Oprah Winfrey Show", to speak about his alcohol and drugs problems. Meanwhile, his bandmates Brian, Kevin, Nick and Howie were flown in from England to surprise him in the show. Still in the same evening they decide to record a new album.
Beside the band, Alex created the character "Johnny No Name". He was similar to Alex, because also he has lived together with a single mother and the grandparents. Indeed, there were also differences: Johnny was already in the prison. Alex appeared now and then in New York as "JNN". He also founded the "Johnny No Name Foundation" which been involved in the diabetes research and exerted itself for music programs at schools.
In 2005 Alex fell in love with the singer Kaci Brown. After a year of relationship the couple separated.
Then he gets to know Rachel during a photoshooting and falls in love with her. They were about one year together. Today, however, they are only well friends.
In December 2006 he sold his house in Malibu, California. Meanwhile, he has a house in Los Angeles and in Orlando.
During the "Unbreakable”-tour 2008/2009 with the BSB Alex performed a piece of his solo album "Drive By Love" for the first time. He promoted the solo album in summer 2008 which contains the following titles: "Gorgeous", "Have it all", "London", "Sincerly yours" (written for the not existing relationship between his father and him), "Hate it when you' re gone", "Love crazy" (written by Alex and the former singer of N’Sync, JC Chasez), "What if", "Life is just” and "What it do".
For his solo album he got artists like Ryan Tedder (OneRepublic), Dan Muckala, Kristian Lundin and JC Chasez in the boat.
In an interview Alex said, that he wants to find a woman before his 40th birthday, with whom he wants to share his life and found a family like Howie, Brian and Kevin.
as of 2009
© German BSB Supportteam