Fort Lauderdale Magazine: It’s a pleasure to interview such a multi-talented man. You not only sing but dance, act, host shows, appear on magazine covers and made your Broadway debut. Do you come from a musically talented background?
Joey Fatone: My dad was a singer, and he was always into music and theater. I did theater in college and also was in a doo-wop ’60s band. They weren’t very popular but they were a band nonetheless. I just love performing and I got the bug by listening to my dad sing. I came to love that doo-wop a capella style and that’s how I got into it. My sister sings as well. My mom can definitely carry a tune. My brother, however, does more of the technical side.
FLMag: I understand you started out in Orlando directly from high school working at Universal Studios as “Wolfie the Werewolf.”
JF: Yes, that is correct. It was the “Beetlejuice Graveyard Rock N Roll Revue.” It happened many, many moons ago and now the “Fast and the Furious” ride is over there where the theater used to be.
FLMag: That must have been so fun for you at such a young age. Tell me about that. How long did that last?
JF: It was great. I was a senior in high school. I think I was the youngest to get hired being 16. [I was] 16 and doing five shows a day during the summer, learning to do repetitions in that sense and doing theater in high school at the time. So for me, it was just a fun time. It was also a little confusing because it was almost a transition into the real world. For instance, my high school director/drama teacher was always talking about how you need to make sacrifices. But I was already working and was actually acting and singing in a theater show, but I still [had] to do the theater show in my high school. I was learning the ins and outs of this stuff so it was an interesting learning tool and a curve there [combining] getting a job, singing and dancing, and making money with the passion of theater. [I] actually got kicked out of the high school play my senior year because I was working too much at Universal.
FLMag: How did you connect with the other guys from NSYNC? Was your musical debut with them?
JF: Well, right after high school, I was in a group called The Big Guys. It was three other friends; one was Luis Fonsi, who sings “Despacito.” After that, everybody went to college and I was still pursuing music. My parents and I couldn’t afford college, so I was going to auditions. But I happened to run into two of the guys who were in The Mickey Mouse Club — JC [Chasez] and Justin [Timberlake]. They were shooting in Orlando and I knew JC from the tapings I used to go to at MGM Studios in Disney because Jen McGill, who [went] to my high school, was in The Mickey Mouse Club. So we became friends. They were in a group. I also knew Chris Kirkpatrick, who was singing in another venue in front of Mel’s Diner at Universal. I asked Chris, “How do you know JC and Justin?” And he said, “We’re getting this group together.” They were looking for a bass but I sing baritone. I showed them what I can do and they liked it. So I became part of the group. We were looking for a bass and we found Lance [Bass] through Justin’s vocal coach.
FLMag: The ’90s was a huge boy band era and you were all competing for the same goal. It was the same style of music. It was a dream come true for you. How did you stay in check? Wasn’t there hostility among all of you?
JF: No, not at all. That’s the funny thing about us. We became friends before we became a group. We bonded before any of that stuff even [happened]. We were learning to sing together. Everyone knew somebody before in one way, shape or form and because of that I think there was never any animosity. It was just “I’ll sing this part, I’ll do that part.” We tried to be team players in any way we could and I think that’s why us working together came out so well. It was just fun for us. We were hungry and passionate to perform, sing and play music.
FLMag: I remember that NSYNC was very polished and accessible to their fans. Do you think that’s why you stole the spotlight?
JF: I think because I kept my feet on the ground in that sense. It wasn’t like “I’m too big for everybody.” It was more like “What we’re doing is great and we really enjoy it.” Again, I really love performing. I don’t need to be the main person or in charge of anything. That’s why we worked so well as a group together.
FLMag: What about your accomplishments? Runner-up on Dancing With the Stars, starring role in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, announcer for Family Feud, host of game shows like The Price Is Right. Is there anything you haven’t done that you would like to sink your teeth into?
JF: There [are] always interesting projects that come up. Right now, the sky’s the limit. I’m doing this show coming up with AJ [McLean] from the Backstreet Boys. I’ve done television, I’ve done film, I’ve done animation in the sense of voiceover, I’ve done Broadway, I’ve actually co-directed a video. I’m a performer; I love being creative and doing these different shows that I’ve been doing [since] NSYNC. It’s been such a blast. I did this gig in Vegas that was like a rat pack with myself, Wanyá Morris from Boys II Men, and Nick Carter and AJ McLean from Backstreet Boys. That’s where this whole thing with AJ stemmed from. It was understanding this isn’t our career but is just a step to explain and enjoy our career. It’s interesting when you have a guy from Backstreet Boys and a guy from NSYNC singing each other’s songs and singing some originals and telling stories. It’s been nice to branch off and do these kinds of one-off shows [that are] now starting to become a tour, which is great.
FLMag: What can we expect on this legendary night at the Broward Center besides high energy?
JF: It’s one of those things where a lot of our fans have never seen anything like this, where it will be a bit more free-spoken and intimate. A lot of what we are going to do is be more interactive; we may have the audience ask some questions. We may have this wheel that will have songs the fans have chosen prior to that night and we’ll spin it and whatever it lands on, we will sing. We’re going to take all the elements we have learned over the years and put them all in this one shell. I like a small theater because it’s more intimate and you’re able to see everyone and reach out to all of these people, which I love doing. It’s going to be a fun night. It’s kind of like a sing-a-long. We will be backed up by an amazing band I put together. There’s spontaneity — we may stop the show and do something different. That’s the fun part; it’s very loose and off-the-cuff.
FLMag: Have you performed with any of your idols? If not, is there anyone in particular who interests you — living or deceased?
JF: Frank Sinatra would have been a great one for me personally. Other than that, there are so many other people. You have Ed Sheeran, Teddy Swims. I still love Lionel Richie from back in the day.
FLMag: Can you share something about yourself that other people may not know about you?
JF: I’m an open book but I really love puppets and I used to do that as a kid. One day I would love to work with the Muppets. Even if I’m not on [the show] but doing a puppet or coming up with a Muppet and doing their character.
FLMag: Well, you’ve done so much already. Will there be a reunion for NSYNC?
JF: Not that we know of right now. There’s still a conversation that has to happen. I know Justin just released his album with new songs and he’s going on tour. So once his tour takes off, maybe there will be a conversation if we’re going to do something or not. The thing is hopefully when or IF we are — that’s really the question.
WHAT: Joey Fatone & AJ McLean: A Legendary Night
WHERE: Broward Center for the Performing Arts
WHEN: March 28 – 8pm
TICKETS: browardcenter.org
