The true crime story behind ‘Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam’
On July 24th, Netflix unveiled the intriguing documentary series, Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam, leaving many viewers intrigued about the story behind the show, which focuses on the schemes of Lou Pearlman. The three-part series is a stunning indictment of the music industry, and those who exploit artistry for personal gain, fame, and wealth, told through the lens of Pearlman’s murky career.
There was once a time when Pearlman was seen as a vitally important talent manager within the American pop music scene. After all, he was responsible for forming and promoting some of the biggest boy bands of all time, in the form of Backstreet Boys and, later, NSYNC. As a first cousin of Art Garfunkel, Pearlman had always been drawn to the bright lights of the music industry, but his desire for fame and fortune soon proved too tempting.
After forming Trans Continental Records during the early 1990s, Pearlman presided over a colossal empire of boy bands, starting with Backstreet Boys and soon encompassing multiple successful boy bands across the nation. During this period, Pearlman began to be noted for his lavish lifestyle and excessive spending. As it turns out, this was all possible as a result of one of the largest Ponzi schemes the American music industry has ever witnessed.
Seemingly, Pearlman was exploiting the success of these boy bands for personal gain; claiming revenue from the groups as both a manager and producer; in the case of the Backstreet Boys, he even claimed royalties as a sixth member of the group. This led to virtually every band Pearlman had been involved with launching legal cases against the music mogul, seeking reparations.
Aside from the lawsuits, Pearlman was using his success as a music manager to defraud countless investors. Using a variety of techniques, including forged bank statements and fake companies, Pearlman stole up to $1 billion from investors – the majority of which was never recovered. His various world trips and tours were often more focused on running away from FBI investigations than promoting his boy bands on a global stage.
After operating one of the longest-running Ponzi schemes in American history, Pearlman was finally arrested in 2007, after he was discovered hiding out at a tourist resort in Indonesia. He was charged with conspiracy, money laundering, and filing false bankruptcy, for which he was sentenced to 25 years behind bars. Pearlman subsequently died in prison in 2016, following a heart attack.
Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam is not the first documentary to focus on Pearlman’s bizarre story, but it certainly sheds more light onto the music mogul’s extensive schemes. Although the series has only debuted on Netflix, it’s sure to captivate viewers over the coming weeks.