*NSYNC's Anti-Drugs

Scolastic Scope
November 13, 2000
By: Marie Morreale
p. 22

What you don't know about *N Sync's Chris Kirkpatrick

As a member of the band, he's on top of the world! But it wasn't always so. Check out Scope's exclusive interview with Chris about his tough teen years.

Breaking records is nothing new to the top pop group *N Sync. Last March, they released No Strings Attached, it sold an unprecedented 2.4 million copies the first week. It has since been certified platinum nine times - that's music-industry "speak" for selling 9 million copies.

Such success definitely affords luxuries like limos, designer clothes, and first-class, well everything. However, for the 29-year-old Chris Kirkpatrick, achieving superstar status isn't his driving force. Music, family, and a strong work ethic are what it's all about for Chris. These aren't the things that made him famous - they are what got him through a very difficult childhood that included poverty and homelessness.

Hard Times

For most of his early life, Chris's mom, Beverly raised him and his four younger half sisters, Molly, Kate, Emily, and Taylor, as a single parent. They lived mainly in rural area along the Pennsylvania-Ohio border. It wasn't easy - but the family stuck together.

Because his mom was always there for him, Chris says he was in junior high before he realized how tough times were. "Everyone else was talking about, 'Oh, yeah, we'll call you,' or 'We'll drive over and pick you up,'" Chris told Scope. "Well, we didn't have a phone; we didn't have a car."

No Home of Their Own

Indeed, there was a time when Chris's family did have a car - a Chevy Suburban - but they didn't do a lot of driving in it. They sort of lived in it. Chris's mom described that difficult time. "We couldn't keep the apartment where we were. Chris stayed with some friends of mine, and the girls and I stayed with other friends." Beverly said, adding that the separation of the family was the worst part. "All of our possessions were in the Suburban. It was hard on the pride," she said.

Going to Work

By the time Chris was 13, he wanted to help the family financially. His mom was holding down several jobs and taking college courses. Chris took a job working on a family friend's farm. Every day after school, Chris would go and help plant crops and feed the sheep. It was hard work, but Chris felt it was his responsibility to help take care of and support his younger sisters. Chris remembers, "We went without food a lot. All the money we had would go to bills, so the food part kind of got pushed back. [But] we figured out how to make do with what we had."

When he was 16, Chris took another job. This time it was at a grocery store. "Sometimes I'd have to go to work before school to load [stock] at the grocery store - it was like 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning. Then I'd go to school at 8:00."

The Music Man

Chris's hours at work made concentrating in school difficult, so sometimes his grades suffered. Work also didn't leave him much time for dating or hanging out with friends.

In spite of all the obstacles, Chris was determined to make his dreams come true. "I had a lot of long-term goals set," he told us. One of his goals was to be the first in his family to graduate from college, and another was to pursue a career in music.

Chris had started performing in junior high, when he landed the lead in the local high school's production of Oliver! He kept performing in musical theater throughout high school.

After graduating, Chris moved to Orlando, Florida, to go after both goals; college and music.

He earned an associate's degree in art while he supported himself by singing in shows at Universal Studios theme park. He also took night jobs at restaurants as a waiter. Chris continues to work very hard, just as he had when he was growing up. At times, he was juggling three jobs and college classes. He kept his eyes on the future he wanted. "I knew I had to go to high school to get into college," Chris said, "and I know I had to go to college to get the job I wanted." Still, as goal oriented as he was, Chris never imagined what the future would bring, when in 1995 he put together a singing group called *N Sync, with Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, and Lance Bass.

Dream Believer

The amazing thing about Chris is that in spite of all the sacrifices he had to make early on, he didn't go on a mad-crazy spending spree when *N Sync exploded onto the scene. "I have as much money as I need for a comfortable living," he explained. "I don't have a house in every city, or a huge, 10 bedroom, million dollar home…If this all ends, I have no problem with going back and getting a regular job again. I'm not afraid of work. Indeed, though Chris accepts the fact he had to have talent to rise to the heights he has, he also knows that he's been very lucky. He wants to share that good fortune with his family and friends. One way that Chris is doing that is with his new company, FuMan Skeeto. Run by Chris and a few of his closest friends, FuMan Skeeto is a clothing design, visual arts, and music-production company. Chris has recruited young artists, many of whom are getting their first break in business. The mission of the company, according to its Web site, is to project "a positive and uplifting message which resonates throughout every creation we release. The message? Believe in your dreams."

It worked for Chris, why not you?

-- Marie Morreale