Lance Bass: 'NSYNC Paid Me Pennies!

Lance Bass has shed light on the stark financial disparities experienced during his time in the mega-popular boy band 'NSYNC. Bass revealed in a recent interview that the group was given a daily per diem of only $35. He further stated that after years of releasing No. 1 albums and embarking on sellout tours, their first substantial check amounted to just $10,000, a sum they were told to be grateful for after years of perceived unpaid work.

The group, formed in 1995 and comprising Bass alongside JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick, and Justin Timberlake, officially went on an indefinite hiatus in 2002. Bass acknowledged receiving residuals but clarified that the immense wealth people assume he gained from 'NSYNC is inaccurate. He noted that while he achieved financial success and is proud of his post-'NSYNC endeavors, his earnings during the band's peak were minimal.

Bass pointed to the record label and disgraced music manager Lou Pearlman as the primary beneficiaries of 'NSYNC's success. Pearlman, who was later convicted for his role in a massive Ponzi scheme, made a significant amount of money from the band. Bass admitted to having resented Pearlman and the label's practices, lamenting the lack of adult protection for young artists who were advised to focus solely on performing.

He emphasized that the band members were left to navigate their financial futures independently, facing the challenge of rebuilding careers with the stigma of being boy band members, a status not taken seriously in the industry at the time. This required them to fight for recognition and career longevity after their boy band fame.