*Original Fifth Member of NSYNC Revealed: The Early Days of the Iconic Boy Band

Before Lance joined *NSYNC, Joey Fatone reached out to a former high school mate to join his group

Before Lance Bass joined *NSYNC, the boy band’s lineup included an unexpected name: Jason Galasso. Joey Fatone, who was a few years behind Galasso in high school, reached out to his former choir mate to see if he was interested in joining a new group.

Galasso, now a loan officer in Orlando, discussed his early connection to the band during an interview on The Digital Get Down podcast in 2019. After high school, Galasso pursued an entertainment career, landing roles in commercials and TV shows like Family Matters. Fatone contacted him about joining a group he was forming, and Galasso agreed to meet with him.

Galasso recalled visiting Fatone’s parents’ house where he encountered another member, Andrew Rogers, who would later join C Note. Although Fatone left this initial group, he eventually asked Galasso to consider joining *NSYNC, which by then included JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick, and Justin Timberlake.

 

Galasso auditioned and was impressed by the talent of the young band members, particularly Timberlake. Despite feeling that Timberlake was exceptionally young yet highly skilled, Galasso remained with the original group, Unreal, as they developed an R&B-focused sound that he preferred.

When it came time to sign contracts, Galasso found the paperwork for *NSYNC, managed by Lou Pearlman, to be overwhelming compared to Unreal’s “industry standard” agreement. This hesitation led him to back out of joining *NSYNC, a decision he later regretted, especially as the band achieved massive success.

Reflecting on his choice, Galasso admitted that while he was happy for *NSYNC’s achievements, he couldn't help but think about what might have been. “They deserve every bit of success they’ve had,” Galasso said. “It would be nice to have that money.”

In a recent interview, Lance Bass shed light on the tough realities of working with Pearlman, who was notorious for his financial misdeeds. Bass revealed that despite their fame, the band members did not enjoy substantial financial rewards during their time with Pearlman, who took the majority of their earnings. Pearlman, convicted of financial crimes, passed away in federal prison in 2016.

The story of *NSYNC's early days and their challenging journey under Pearlman’s management is explored in the new Netflix documentary, Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam.