 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
1 Lou Pearlman mistaken for another
By TAMARA LUSH © St. Petersburg Times, published October 23, 2000 This is the story of two men who share the same name but are worlds apart. One is 46 years old; the other, 85. One hangs outwith teen pop stars; the other enjoys evening walks around his Pasco subdivision. One loves 'N Sync; the other hums along to Dean Martin tunes. They are both named Lou Pearlman, and for the Pasco Lou Pearlman, the name is becoming quite the problem. For readers over the age of 15: Lou Pearlman -- the one who lives in Orlando -- is the rich and successful mastermind behind such teen pop stars as the Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync and LFO. Orlando Lou is also the man who plucked five young, good-looking guys from a pool of 1,800 aspiring stars and made them into a band called O-Town. The rigors of Orlando Lou's band-making schedule have been turned into an ABC TV series, Making the Band, currently in production for its second season. Since Making the Band debuted earlier this year, Pasco Lou has been inundated with hundreds of letters, tapes, videos and calls, mistaking him for the other Pearlman. The notes are usually handwritten pleas for a chance at stardom. Others, mostly young teen girls such as Vanessa (" 'N Sync's No. 1 fan truly") from Las Vegas, simply want to meet their heartthrobs. "The one thing in my life right now that I can look forward to is meeting them and giving them all hugs," she wrote. The letters left Pasco Lou puzzled. "I didn't know what it was all about," he said. "Out of the blue sky, mail starts coming in." But through them, some newspaper articles and TV, Pasco Lou found out about the other Lou -- and discovered a whole new generation. Pasco Lou, a retired beverage warehouse worker from Cleveland, learned a lot about the other Lou who lives two hours away, and the differences between the two couldn't be bigger. For instance, Orlando Lou started his career in the music industry in the 1980s, when he rented a plane to the pop group New Kids on the Block. Pasco Lou used to manage a softball team in Ohio and once bowled a game that was shown on TV, but gave up most activity after a surgery. Teen pop stars call Orlando Lou "Big Poppa." Pasco Lou's three great-grandchildren call him "Grandpa." Orlando Lou has also gotten himself in a legal tussle: Last year, the Backstreet Boys filed suit against Pearlman and other former managers, alleging they split $10-million in profits while only giving the group $300,000. "He was sued for millions," Pasco Lou said, shaking his head. He feels a bit of sympathy for his namesake, and carefully clips newspaper articles about Orlando Lou and the bands he manages. Pasco Lou often reads the letters at his dining room table. He sends the tapes and videos back to their owners, and isn't sure what to do with the letters. "I didn't want to open the tapes," said Pasco Lou. "It would be taking the things away from the people. Orlando Lou sympathizes. "I get the same thing, of course," said Orlando Lou, during a recent phone interview. Orlando Lou's home address isn't listed anywhere. But Pasco Lou's is listed, as is his phone. "I'm sorry for the confusion and inconvenience," said Orlando Lou, who first heard about his Pasco counterpart when a reporter called him for this story. Even though the brush with fame and youth has been interesting, Pasco Lou wants the flow of fan mail to stop. So does his 82-year-old wife, Marion. "When we got those phone calls, it drove me crazy," she said. "I feel sorry for these poor kids."
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
|
From today's Hernando Times |
