O-Town
{{short description|American boy band}}
{{about|the band}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = O-Town
| alias = OTWN, OTOWN
| image =
| caption =
| background = group_or_band
| origin = Orlando, Florida, U.S.
| genre = Pop
| years_active = 2000–2003, 2013–present
| label = {{flatlist|
| current_members = Dan Miller
Erik-Michael Estrada
Jacob Underwood
Trevor Penick
| past_members = Ashley Parker Angel
Ikaika Kahoano
| website = {{official website|http://www.otownofficial.com}}
}}
O-Town is an American boy band formed from the first season of the reality television series Making the Band in 2000. As of 2015, the group consists of Erik-Michael Estrada, Trevor Penick, Jacob Underwood, and Dan Miller. The original line up included Ashley Parker Angel and Ikaika Kahoano, who was replaced by Miller after dropping out of the group.
After releasing two albums near the end of the boy band fad of the late 1990s and early 2000s, the group disbanded in 2003. The group was originally managed by Lou Pearlman during their first season of Making the Band, but later managed by Mike Cronin and Mike Morin for their debut album and remaining television seasons.
History
=Formation and debut album (1999–2001)=
O-Town was assembled for the first season of the ABC reality television series Making the Band; the group was named after Orlando, Florida, the city where auditions were held. In the selection process, Lou Pearlman and a panel of judges selected Ashley Parker Angel, Erik Michael Estrada, Trevor Penick, Jacob Underwood, and Ikaika Kahoano.{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/o-town-mn0000884251/biography|title=O-Town Biography|last=Azpiri|first=Jon|publisher=allmusic|access-date=December 17, 2020}} However, Kahoano left for personal reasons and was replaced by Dan Miller.
After season one, former Arista Records executive Clive Davis signed O-Town to his new label J Records. Their first release, the self-titled O-Town, boosted by the publicity of the weekly television series, debuted at no. 5 on the Billboard 200 album chart for sold more than three million copies worldwide.{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020208103905/http://www.mtv.com/bands/o/otown/news_feature_110201/index.jhtml|archive-date=February 8, 2002|title=O-Town: The Perfect Fit|publisher=MTV News|date=November 2, 2001|access-date=December 17, 2020|url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/o/otown/news_feature_110201/index.jhtml|url-status=dead}} Their first single, "Liquid Dreams", peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/o-town/chart-history|title=Chart History: O-Town|publisher=Billboard.com|access-date=December 17, 2020}}
In the late spring of 2001, O-Town released "All or Nothing", which became the biggest hit of their career as a group, reaching no. 3 on the Hot 100.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7768145/o-town-all-or-nothing-interview-chorus-week/|title=O-Town Discusses to the 'All or Nothing' Chorus Was an Instant Classic: 'It is a key change'|last=Weatherby|first=Taylor|magazine=Billboard|access-date=December 17, 2020|date=April 24, 2017}} In 2001, the group was the opening act for Britney Spears' Dream Within a Dream Tour in the U.S.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}
=''O2'' and split (2002–2003)=
O-Town's second album O2 was released in November 2002 by J Records. It included a newer single, "We Fit Together".{{cite web|url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/o-town|title=O-Town|last=Naden|first=Corrine J.|work=Contemporary Musicians|publisher=Cengage|date=2002|access-date=December 17, 2020}} The album was observed to have a different sound from O-Town's debut album, with a mix of "soulful ballads and songs with more of a rock ‘n’ roll approach," according to Contemporary Musicians. MTV News reported that O-Town hoped that the album would show the group to be more than "'NSYNC wannabes."{{cite web|last=D'Angelo|first=Joe|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1456293/o2-gives-o-town-members-room-to-breathe-write/|title=O2 Gives O-Town Members Room To Breathe, Write|publisher=MTV News|date=July 25, 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020823020859/http://www.mtv.com:80/news/articles/1456293/20020725/story.jhtml|archive-date=August 23, 2002|url-status=dead|access-date=December 17, 2020}} However, with teen pop trending down in listener interest in 2002, O2 did not sell as well as the first O-Town album. As a result, in 2003, J Records released O-Town from their contract, and the group disbanded.{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031207050448/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1480282/20031107/story.jhtml|archive-date=December 7, 2003|title=For The Record: Quick News On Disturbed, O-Town, Guns N' Roses, Madonna, Simple Plan, Jack Johnson & More|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1480282/20031107/story.jhtml|publisher=MTV News|date=November 7, 2003|access-date=December 17, 2020|url-status=dead}}
=Solo careers (2003–2013)=
The members of O-Town moved on to solo careers. The most successful member was Ashley Parker Angel, who was signed to Universal's Blackground Records, also given his own reality show on MTV, There and Back. Angel released a solo album, Soundtrack to Your Life, in 2006.{{cite web|last=Brown|first=Maris|title=Ashley Parker Angel Biography|publisher=allmusic|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ashley-parker-angel-mn0000531886/biography|access-date=December 17, 2020}} In 2007, he began playing the role of Link Larkin in the Broadway production of Hairspray.{{cite web|url=https://www.playbill.com/article/making-the-band-idol-joins-broadways-hairspray-com-137818|title="Making the Band" Idol Joins Broadway's Hairspray|last=Jones|first=Kenneth|work=Hairspray|date=January 19, 2007|access-date=December 17, 2020}} Trevor Penick signed to Mach 1 Music and performed as Tre Scott.{{cite web|url=https://okmagazine.com/news/catching-withtre-scott/|title=Catching Up to...Tre Scott|work=OK!|date=September 26, 2007|last=Eng|first=Joyce|access-date=December 17, 2020}} Erik Michael Estrada stayed in the music business as a songwriter. Jacob Underwood went on to start his own country band, Jacob's Loc.{{cite magazine|url=https://assets.billboard.com/articles/news/9339741/making-the-band-artists|title='Making the Band': |last=O'Brien|first=Jon|magazine=Billboard|date=March 24, 2020|access-date=December 17, 2020}}
In 2013, Angel declined to join the O-Town reunion: "It was a difficult decision, that ultimately necessary to move on to the next chapter of my career."{{cite web|url=http://www.tmz.com/2011/01/18/ashley-parker-angel-otown-o-town-reuinion-concert-tour/ |title=Ashley Parker-Angel - I Won't Rejoin O-Town ... |publisher=TMZ.com |date=2011-01-19 |access-date=2014-05-26}}
=''Lines & Circles'' and single ''Empty Space'' (2013–present)=
On May 28, 2014, O-Town released a preview of the single "Skydive" on SoundCloud. The single is from their third studio album Lines & Circles. The album was released on August 24, 2014.{{cite web|title=Skydive by All About The Melody on SoundCloud|url=https://soundcloud.com/all-about-the-melody/skydive|publisher=SoundCloud|access-date=4 June 2014}}
In 2017, they premiered a new single "Empty Space" in addition to announcing a new EP.{{Cite news|url=http://ew.com/music/2017/04/18/o-town-empty-space-new-song/|title=O-Town Return With New Song, 'Empty Space'|work=EW.com|access-date=2018-03-06|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.yahoo.com/music/song-premiere-o-town-debuts-empty-space-161357362.html|title=Song Premiere: O-Town Debuts 'Empty Space'|access-date=2018-03-06|language=en-US}} They also announced a new 2017 tour featuring Ryan Cabrera on select dates, as well as some spots on the I Love the 90s nationwide tour.
Their Part 1 EP was released on August 4, 2017.{{Citation|last=O-Town|title=Part 1|url=https://www.amazon.com/Part-1-O-Town/dp/B073RZ2HFD/|access-date=2018-03-06}}{{update inline|date=September 2018}}
In June 2019, O-Town planned on filing a trademark for their band name, which Universal Music Group believed was too similar to the Motown Records label.{{Cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8517477/boy-band-o-town-universal-music-group-motown-trademark-dispute|title=O-Town Locked in Trademark Dispute With Universal Music Group|date=June 24, 2019|website=Billboard.com|access-date=2020-04-25}}
On August 2, 2019, they released The O.T.W.N. Album.
In January 2025 it was reported that the band had suffered significant damage to their brand due to the false assumption that they are associated with disgraced music mogul Diddy, who was arrested in September 2024 on sex trafficking and racketeering charges. The confusion comes from the fact that both O-Town and Diddy starred on Making the Band, however Diddy didn't join the show until after O-Town had left.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/o-town-making-the-band-diddy-1236107176/|title=O-Town Members Distance Themselves From Diddy: "We Have Nothing to Do With Him"|last=Tailor|first=Leena|publisher=The Hollywood Reporter|quote=Now, as the group nears 25 years since forming on the musical reality series, they’re facing brand damage, hesitant show bookers and a major event cancellation due to being associated with Diddy through Making the Band. Yet the group’s episodes were helmed by another disgraced music mogul — late Lou Pearlman — and they weren’t involved with the series once Diddy took over.|date=January 14, 2025|accessdate=January 14, 2025}}
Members
;Current
- Dan Miller (2000–2003, 2013–present)
- Erik-Michael Estrada (2000–2003, 2013–present)
- Jacob Underwood (2000–2003, 2013–present)
- Trevor Penick (2000–2003, 2013–present)
;Former
- Ashley Parker Angel (2000–2003)
- Ikaika Kahoano (2000)
Discography
{{main|O-Town discography}}
;Studio albums
- O-Town (2001)
- O2 (2002)
- Lines & Circles (2014)
- The O.T.W.N. Album (2019)
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable" |
| scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Award ! scope="col" | Category ! scope="col" | Work ! scope="col" | Result ! scope="col" | Ref. |
|---|
| rowspan="2"|2001
|rowspan="2"|Teen Choice Awards | Choice Music: Breakout Artist |rowspan="2"|Themselves | {{Won}} |rowspan="2"|{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywood.com/general/2001-teen-choice-awards-57162725/ |title=2001 Teen Choice Awards |publisher=Hollywood.com |date=August 12, 2001 |access-date=July 8, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626162508/http://www.hollywood.com/general/2001-teen-choice-awards-57162725/ |archive-date=June 26, 2015 }} |
| Choice Music: Pop Group
| {{Nom}} |
Tours
=Opening act=
- Britney Spears – Dream Within a Dream Tour (2001)
- Pop2000Tour hosted by Lance Bass. (active)
- Viral campaign surfaced which suggested O-Town as the headliner for the Upstate NY annual festival at the Afton Fairgrounds. Rumor turned out to be false, disappointing many local fans (2000).
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.otownofficial.com O-Town Official Website]
{{s-start}}
{{s-new|first|reason=First season of show}}
{{s-ttl|title=Making the Band winners
|years=2000}}
{{s-aft|after=Da Band}}
{{end}}
{{O-Town}}
{{Lou Pearlman}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Otown}}
Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2003
Category:Musical groups established in 2000
Category:Musical groups from Orlando, Florida
Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2013