Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Nick Carter
How Nick Carter built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Nick Carter is an American singer, best known as a lead vocalist for the Backstreet Boys. He has also pursued a solo career, releasing three albums and collaborating with Jordan Knight. Carter has appeared on television, including starring in his own reality shows. He has faced serious allegations of rape.
1989: Early recordings between 1989 and 1993
Between 1989 and 1993, Nick Carter recorded popular songs, including "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" and "Uptown Girl" and a few original songs that he would perform at events.
1990: Appearance in Edward Scissorhands
In 1990, Nick Carter made a brief appearance in the Tim Burton film Edward Scissorhands as a child playing on a Slip 'N Slide during a neighborhood scene.
1992: Winning Performance on New Original Amateur Hour
At age 12, in 1992, Nick Carter delivered a winning performance on the New Original Amateur Hour.
April 20, 1993: Formation of the Backstreet Boys
On April 20, 1993, at the age of 13, Nick Carter formed the vocal group the Backstreet Boys along with AJ McLean, Brian Littrell, Howie Dorough, and Kevin Richardson.
1993: Early recordings between 1989 and 1993
Between 1989 and 1993, Nick Carter recorded popular songs, including "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" and "Uptown Girl" and a few original songs that he would perform at events.
2001: Oceans Campaign Start
In 2001, Nick Carter started the Oceans Campaign to raise awareness about the ocean, as part of the Just Within Reach foundation.
September 2002: Release of 'Help Me'
In September 2002, Nick Carter released "Help Me", the first single from his solo album, which achieved considerable worldwide success.
October 2002: Before the Backstreet Boys album release
In October 2002, Dynamic Discs, Inc. released an unofficial album titled Before the Backstreet Boys 1989–1993, featuring recordings Nick Carter made between 1989 and 1993.
October 29, 2002: Release of 'Now Or Never'
On October 29, 2002, Nick Carter's first solo album, Now Or Never, was released, selling over 500,000 copies in the first week and reaching No. 17 on the Billboard 200 charts.
2002: Appearing on American Dreams
In 2002, Nick Carter appeared on the NBC show American Dreams.
2002: Starts Nick Carter Racing
In 2002, Nick Carter got into powerboat racing and started his own team, Nick Carter Racing, which won the National Championship in its first year.
2003: Appearing on 8 Simple Rules
In 2003, Nick Carter appeared on ABC's 8 Simple Rules.
2003: Solo Tour in Smaller Venues
In early 2003, Nick Carter went on tour, performing at smaller venues like clubs.
October 2004: Starring in The Hollow
In October 2004, Nick Carter starred as Brody, a High School football player, in the ABC Family Halloween special, The Hollow, opposite Kevin Zegers.
2004: Backstreet Boys Reunion and Album Hold
In 2004, Nick Carter's second solo album was put on hold when the Backstreet Boys returned to the studio to record a new album.
May 2006: House of Carters On Air
In May 2006, Nick Carter and his siblings' reality television show, House of Carters, went on the air, reuniting them in Los Angeles to reconnect as a family.
October 2, 2006: House of Carters Premieres on E!
On October 2, 2006, House of Carters, a reality television show starring Nick Carter and his siblings, premiered on E!.
2006: Theme Song for House of Carters
In 2006, a track from Nick Carter's earlier recording sessions was used as the theme song to the television series House of Carters. The song was "Let It Go."
May 17, 2007: United Nations Special Ambassador
On May 17, 2007, Nick Carter was announced as the new United Nations Special Ambassador for the Year of the Dolphin (YoD).
2007: Filming Kill Speed
In 2007, Nick Carter filmed the independent movie Kill Speed, playing the character Foreman, alongside other actors.
2008: Started Work on Second Solo Album
In 2008, Nick Carter started to work on his second solo album.
2008: Kill Speed Release Delay
In 2008, the release of the movie Kill Speed was originally scheduled, but it was delayed due to distribution issues.
February 19, 2009: Appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
On February 19, 2009, Nick Carter appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to discuss his past with drug and alcohol addictions.
2009: Collaboration with Jennifer Paige
In 2009, Nick Carter recorded a duet with pop singer Jennifer Paige called "Beautiful Lie".
August 13, 2010: Public Viewing of The Pendant
On August 13, 2010, Nick Carter's short film The Pendant, which he wrote and directed, was publicly viewed at the Royal Theater in Toronto.
2010: Recording of I'm Taking Off
In 2010, Nick Carter began recording his second solo album, "I'm Taking Off," during downtime between Backstreet Boys touring.
2010: Recording New Songs
In 2010, Nick Carter started recording new songs for his second solo album, working with various artists.
2010: Kill Speed UK Release
In 2010, the movie Kill Speed, in which Nick Carter starred, was released in the UK and other countries.
February 2, 2011: Release of "I'm Taking Off" in Japan
On February 2, 2011, Nick Carter's second solo album, "I'm Taking Off," was first released in Japan.
May 24, 2011: Release of "I'm Taking Off" in the U.S.
On May 24, 2011, Nick Carter's second solo album, "I'm Taking Off," was released in the U.S. on iTunes only.
June 3, 2011: Release of I'm Taking Off in Germany
On June 3, 2011, Nick Carter's album I'm Taking Off was released in Germany.
June 2011: Success of I'm Taking Off in Japan
As of June 2011, Nick Carter's second solo album, I'm Taking Off, reached No. 8 in Japan, selling over 20,000 copies.
December 2011: Appearance on The Dr. Phil Show
In December 2011, Nick Carter appeared on The Dr. Phil Show's "Second Chances" special to talk about his struggle with drugs and alcohol.
May 8, 2012: Guest Appearance on 90210
On May 8, 2012, Nick Carter made a guest appearance on CW's 90210, playing himself.
June 12, 2012: Kill Speed US Release
On June 12, 2012, the movie Kill Speed, in which Nick Carter played the character Foreman, was released on DVD in the United States.
2012: Directing Another Movie
In 2012, Nick Carter directed another movie, but its release date was unannounced.
July 2013: Evil Blessings Crowdfunding Campaign
In July 2013, Nick Carter launched a campaign on Indiegogo.com to raise money for his movie "Evil Blessings," successfully raising $156,214.
2013: Big-Screen Debut in This Is the End
In 2013, Nick Carter made his big-screen debut, appearing in the comedy This Is the End along with the other Backstreet Boys.
2013: Publication of Memoir
In 2013, Nick Carter published his memoir titled Facing the Music and Living to Talk About It.
January 2014: Collaboration with Jordan Knight
In January 2014, Nick Carter recorded a duet album with Jordan Knight from New Kids on the Block.
April 2014: Wedding Featured on I Heart Nick Carter
In April 2014, Nick Carter's wedding to Lauren Kitt was filmed for his reality show, I Heart Nick Carter.
June 2014: Delayed Filming of Evil Blessings
In June 2014, the filming of "Evil Blessings" was initially scheduled to begin but was delayed due to the success of the Backstreet Boys' "In a World Like This Tour."
July 15, 2014: Release of One More Time
On July 15, 2014, Nick Carter and Jordan Knight released the first single, "One More Time," from their collaborative album.
September 2, 2014: Release of Nick & Knight Album
On September 2, 2014, the self-titled album Nick & Knight, a collaboration between Nick Carter and Jordan Knight, was released.
September 10, 2014: I Heart Nick Carter Premieres on VH1
On September 10, 2014, I Heart Nick Carter, a reality show starring Nick Carter and his then-fiancée Lauren Kitt, premiered on VH1.
October 2014: Evil Blessings Postponement and Dead West Announcement
In October 2014, Nick Carter announced the postponement of "Evil Blessings" due to the director's death and revealed plans to film a new movie called "Dead West" in January 2015, using the money donated for "Evil Blessings."
November 2014: End of Nick & Knight Tour
The tour to support the album Nick & Knight ran from September to November 2014.
January 2015: Delayed Filming and Reworking Screenplay
In January 2015, the filming of "Evil Blessings" was postponed again, providing Nick Carter with more time to rework the screenplay.
July 2015: Dead West Renamed Dead 7
In July 2015, Nick Carter announced that the movie "Dead West" was renamed "Dead 7" to give it more global appeal.
August 2015: Filming Dead 7
In August 2015, Nick Carter filmed Dead 7, a movie he wrote, directed, and starred in, in Butte, Montana.
August 26, 2015: Dancing with the Stars Participation
On August 26, 2015, Nick Carter was revealed as a participant in the 21st season of Dancing with the Stars.
September 14, 2015: Dancing with the Stars Season Begins
On September 14, 2015, the 21st season of Dancing with the Stars began with Nick Carter as a contestant.
October 1, 2015: Release of I Will Wait
On October 1, 2015, Nick Carter released "I Will Wait," the first single from his upcoming album All American, on Vevo. It's an acoustic ballad.
November 25, 2015: Digital Release of All American
On November 25, 2015, Nick Carter's album All American was digitally released via iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play.
2015: Releases third solo album
In 2015, Nick Carter had released three solo albums, Now or Never, I'm Taking Off and All American, during breaks between Backstreet Boys schedules, and a collaboration with Jordan Knight titled Nick & Knight.
February 2016: CD Release of All American
In February 2016, the CD release of Nick Carter's album All American occurred, and it was also released in Japan.
March 2016: Announcement of Las Vegas Residency
In March 2016, the Backstreet Boys announced an exclusive headlining residency at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas called Backstreet Boys: Larger Than Life.
March 2016: All American Tour
In support of his album All American, Nick Carter toured in February and March 2016.
April 1, 2016: Dead 7 Airs on SyFy Network
On April 1, 2016, the movie Dead 7, which Nick Carter wrote, directed, and starred in, aired on the SyFy network.
June 2017: Judge on Boy Band
In June 2017, Nick Carter appeared as a judge on the singing competition show Boy Band, alongside Emma Bunton and Timbaland.
2019: Release of Backstreet Boys album DNA
In 2019, the Backstreet Boys released their album DNA.
2020: The Masked Singer Appearance
In 2020, Nick Carter competed as the "Crocodile" on the fourth season of The Masked Singer, finishing in third place.
2020: Supports Cure 4 the Kids Foundation
Since 2020, Nick Carter has been a vocal supporter of the Cure 4 the Kids Foundation, Southern Nevada's pediatric cancer and rare disease treatment center.
2021: Hosts Holiday Dinner for Home for the Holidays
In 2021, Nick Carter hosted a sing-along holiday dinner for Home for the Holidays as part of his philanthropic work in Vegas.
October 14, 2022: Release of 'A Very Backstreet Christmas'
On October 14, 2022, the Backstreet Boys released their first-holiday album, A Very Backstreet Christmas.
2022: Raises money for On Our Sleeves after Aaron's death
In 2022, Nick Carter raised money for the On Our Sleeves organization with his sister Angel, following their brother Aaron's death.
July 2023: Announcement of Who I Am World Tour
In July 2023, Nick Carter announced his first solo tour in almost a decade, the Who I Am World Tour. The tour started October 4th, 2023 in Lexington, KY and featured music from his solo albums, Backstreet Boys songs, & covers of songs from the 1980s.
August 2023: Vocal Talents Offered for "Happy Xmas"
In August 2023, Nick Carter offered his vocal talents for the rendition of "Happy Xmas," a song featuring patients from the Cure 4 The Kids Foundation, celebrities, and well-known recording artists for the Christmas 4 The Kids digital album, released in 2023 for the holiday season.
2024: Fallen Idols Docuseries Premiere
In 2024, the Fallen Idols docuseries about Nick and Aaron Carter premiered, diving into sexual assault allegations against Nick and Aaron's struggles with mental health and substance abuse.
February 2025: Start of World Tour 2025
In February 2025, Nick Carter will begin his World Tour 2025 entitled "Who Am I" performing in various countries starting in United Arab Emirates.
March 2025: End of the first leg of the World Tour 2025
In March 2025, Philippines is the last stop of the first leg of Nick Carter's World Tour 2025 entitled "Who Am I" which started in United Arab Emirates in February 2025.
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