New Delhi: American Singer Aaron Carter who rose to fame with his superhit album 'Aaron's Party (Come Get It)' died on Saturday, as per a report by TMZ. He was 34 years old. He was reportedly found dead in the bathtub at his residence in Lancaster, California. A police spokesperson told AFP that the police had discovered a body at Carter's home when they arrived at 10:58 am, but they were unable to formally identify the deceased at that time.
The death was confirmed by family representatives. His fiancée Melanie Martin requested solitude as the family mourns. “We are still in the process of accepting this unfortunate reality,” Martin said in a statement Saturday. “Your thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated.”
The singer-rapper was the younger brother of Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter and is best known for songs like "I Want Candy." Born on December 7, 1987, in Tampa, Florida, Aaron started performing at the age of 7 and put out his debut album in 1997 when he was 9.
With the release of his sophomore album, "Aaron's Party (Come Get It)," in 2000, which featured the popular single "I Want Candy", he attained a triple-platinum status. He started appearing frequently on preteen Nickelodeon and Disney programmes, including an episode of the well-liked "Lizzie McGuire."
With the musical "Seussical," Carter made his Broadway debut in 2001 as JoJo. He participated in "Dancing with the Stars" on ABC in 2009, where he and his partner Karina Smirnoff came in fifth. In 2012, he was also a guest on the Food Network cooking competition "Rachel vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off."
Aaron passed away two weeks before his and ex-Melanie Martin's son Prince turned one, and a month before he turned 35. The reason behind Aaron's demise is still unknown. For many years, the late singer battled addiction problems and occasionally shared about them in public. Several times, most recently earlier this year, he reportedly went to visit drug rehabilitation facilities.
Many celebrities and fans expressed their condolences on social media as soon as the news of Aaron's death emerged, including his ex and former Lizzie McGuire co-star Hilary Duff. The singer-actor paid a touching tribute to Aaron at his demise.
She had written, "For Aaron – I’m deeply sorry that life was so hard for you and that you had to struggle in front of the whole world. You had a charm that was absolutely effervescent… boy did my teenage self love you deeply. Sending love to your family at this time. Rest easy."
Carter's fifth and final studio album, "LOVE," was released in 2018.