Family first.
On Jan. 18, more than two months after his death, Aaron Carter's twin sister Angel Carter co-hosted the Songs For Tomorrow benefit concert with Lance Bass. The show, inspired by the life of the late "I Want Candy" singer, featured performances by several major pop singers of the late ‘90s and early aughts to raise money for the children's mental health organization On Our Sleeves.
Among the performers was Aaron and Angel's older brother, Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter, 42, who took the stage with bandmate AJ McLean, Bass and 98 Degrees' Jeff Timmons to perform acoustic versions of BSB's hits "Shape of My Heart" and "I Want It That Way" with the help of Aaron's pianist of 20 years, Stan Jones.
The 42-year-old also performed his new single inspired by his late brother, "Hurts to Love You," for the first time and debuted its music video. In addition, Aaron's unreleased song "Recovery" was also played for the crowd, with a three-piece band accompanying. Childhood home videos of him and Nick were also screened.
Other performers at the show included David Archuleta, LFO's Brad Fischetti, Ryan Cabrera and B. Howard.
To close out the show, the performers all joined together for a performance of John Lennon's "Imagine," a song Nick said was something his Aaron often sang.
Aaron, who rose to fame in the late '90s as a child pop star, was found dead at 34 at his California home last November. The cause of his death has not been revealed.
In recent years, he had been open about his struggles with substance abuse as well as conflicts with both Angel and Nick, who both obtained restraining orders against him in 2019. In her filing, Angel alleged her twin brother "threatened" her family's lives, while the Backstreet Boys singer alleged Aaron told him he had thought about killing Nick's then-pregnant wife, Lauren Kitt Carter, and unborn child. Aaron denied any wrongdoing.
In the days following his death, both Angel and Nick paid tribute to him on Instagram, with the BSB member reflecting on their rocky relationship. "Even though my brother and I have had a complicated relationship, my love for him has never ever faded," he wrote. "I have always held onto the hope, that he would somehow, someday want to walk a healthy path and eventually find the help that he so desperately needed."
Angel also honored her twin again on Dec. 7, their 35th birthday. "Aaron dying was the worst day of my life," she wrote on Instagram. "I have loved him since we were born… it feels like a piece of my soul is gone. And yet, despite all this pain, his passing has lit a fire within me. I feel a calling and responsibility to help other families and continue the conversation to further break the stigmas that surround mental illness."