Dream Street


Dream Street were an American pop boy band that was formed in 1999 by Louis Baldonieri and Brian Lukow. The band disbanded in 2002 following a legal dispute between parents of the band members and the band's managers.

History

The group was initially put together by music producers Louis Baldonieri and Brian Lukow. Originally named 'Boy Wonder'. The band featured several boys aged 11–14 from the New York Broadway/Acting scene. Baldonieri and Lukow hoped to make an impact on the pop music industry by introducing a group of teenagers to the scene, all of whom had prior stage-singing experience. Among these original members were Gregory Raposo and Chris Trousdale, who would continue on into the remade group from 1999 until 2002. The lineup was changed not long after they debuted the show in front of several talent agents and record label reps. Their debut included a tap dance number and a jazzy theme song, both of which were sacked quickly after. It also included a cover of the popular song from the musical Rent "Seasons of Love."
Matt Ballinger, Frankie J. Galasso, Jesse McCartney, Raposo and Trousdale would become the new faces of the group and were given the name "Dream Street," which was the name of Lukow and Baldonieri's recording studio in New York City. The only original song they kept was titled "Jennifer Goodbye", which was initially written for Brian Lukows fiance, then was changed into its modern incarnation months later. Their eponymous debut album was released in 2000 It was certified Gold in the US by the RIAA peaking No. 1 on Billboard's Independent Albums chart and at No. 37 on the Billboard 200. The songs, "It Happens Every Time" and "I Say Yeah" were frequently played on Radio Disney. The boys soon made appearances on various talk shows and television events. In late 2000, Dream Street made an appearance on a show that fellow member McCartney had a recurring role on, ABC's All My Children. The final Dream Street release was the soundtrack album to the released 2002 film The Biggest Fan, which starred Trousdale.

Breakup

In mid-2002, parents of the band members filed a lawsuit against Baldonieri and Lukow, alleging that the underage band members were "exposed to booze, women, and pornography". In August 2002 the producers were ruled against, releasing the five band members from their contracts.
On June 11, 2020, McCartney, Galasso, Ballinger, and Raposo reunited for a virtual performance of "It Happens Every Time" to pay tribute to Trousdale following his death on June 2, 2020.

Post-break-up careers

Albums