Natural
Many publicity stories exist as to how Natural was started, but the most likely one is that in 1999, Marc Terenzi met a man named Patrick King at a party. Michael was friends with Patrick King, and Marc was friends with a man named Ben Bledsoe. After many lineup changes, the men added Michael 'J' Horn to their lineup and decided to call themselves Natural
The boys tried to get signed with many major labels but were turned down despite a huge local following in Orlando, FL. One day as they rehearsed at Transcontinental Studios, boyband king Lou Pearlman noticed them and liked their act. Soon after, they were signed with Transcontinental Records.
Lou Pearlman had a new twist for his old boyband vision: not only would they dance, sing, and look cute, but they would also play instruments. Many of the other members already played various instruments but Michael had not. It was through this arrangement that he started learning percussion. By the time the first single was out, Michael was officially the drummer of the group and played well enough to be recorded on the first album 'Keep it Natural'.
Lou Pearlman spared no expense and promoted the guys' first single with Claire's and a tour with the Monkees. However, American fame came slowly, and the band soon traveled to Germany, where they produced songs targeted to young women. to conquer little girl's hearts. They had much success with such hits as "Put Your Arms Around Me", "Will It Ever", and "Runaway".
In the summer of 2002 Marc Terenzi met German pop star Sarah Connor at a music festival, and the two soon began dating. Their relationship continued despite Lou Pearlman's strict prohibitions of facial hair, of piercings or tattoos, and of girlfriends.
Meanwhile Michael was having his own trouble with Lou's rules. He was dubbed the 'bad boy' in the image of the group but wasn't allowed to do anything remotely 'unwholesome'. Although he had his lip piercing, Lou caused him to remove the jewelry. On top of this he had to constantly have his hair in blue spikes — an image he kept until the group dismembered.
In the summer of 2003 Sarah Connor, became pregnant and the couple became engaged. Around this time, Natural was coming back from a hiatus and releasing a single 'What if' from their 2nd album It's Only Natural. Lou Pearlman wasn't happy with the news and wanted Marc kicked out of Natural and replaced with someone new. The other members (except Patrick King) were not thrilled with this and decided to break Natural up. They finished the tour and Michael was left to a new phase in life.
Read more about this topic: Michael Johnson (drummer)
Famous quotes containing the word natural:
“Numerous studies have shown that those adults who feel the most frustrated by children—and the least competent as parents—usually have one thing in common.... They don’t know what behaviors are normal and appropriate for children at different stages of development. This leads them to misinterpret their children’s natural behaviors and to have inappropriate expectations, both for their children and themselves.”
—Lawrence Kutner (20th century)
“The love of truth, virtue, and the happiness of mankind are specious pretexts, but not the inward principles that set divines at work; else why should they affect to abuse human reason, to disparage natural religion, to traduce the philosophers as they universally do?”
—George Berkeley (1685–1753)
“When a natural discourse paints a passion or an effect, one feels within oneself the truth of what one reads, which was there before, although one did not know it. Hence one is inclined to love him who makes us feel it, for he has not shown us his own riches, but ours.”
—Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)