Chasen Hampton
The details
Who: Chasen Hampton with Jay DiBella
When: 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday
Where: Firehouse Restaurant and Lounge, 923 E. New Haven Ave., Melbourne
Admission: No cover
Info: Call Firehouse at 321-327-7919. For more on Hampton’s music, visit www.buzzfly.com. To see a YouTube video of Hampton performing circus-like tricks, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1DwI3iX4oY.
Who: Chasen Hampton with Jay DiBella
When: 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday
Where: Firehouse Restaurant and Lounge, 923 E. New Haven Ave., Melbourne
Admission: No cover
Info: Call Firehouse at 321-327-7919. For more on Hampton’s music, visit www.buzzfly.com. To see a YouTube video of Hampton performing circus-like tricks, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1DwI3iX4oY.
As a child, Chasen Hampton (who went by Chase) appeared on the “All New Mickey Mouse Club” with Justin Timberlake, Keri Russell, Christina Aguilera, Ryan Gosling, JC Chasez and Britney Spears. As a teen, he was a key member of one of the first bands signed to Disney’s Hollywood Records label — The Party, which spawned five top hit singles on the Billboard charts. And, finally, as a young adult he starred in “Hungry,” one of the most popular episodes of “The X-Files.” Now as a young adult, the singer/songwriter is paving a new path in a competitive music business and recently released an EP of original music — “Drugstore Girls” on his own Buzzfly Record label.
I spoke with Chasen about his early start in the business, his development as a performer and his solo music. So Let’s Shake Rattle & Know: Chasen Hampton
SRK: A lot of celebrities struggle after achieving success at an early age. How difficult was the transition for you from childhood actor to adult performer?
Hampton: I really didn’t have a choice. I grew up doing this so I can’t say I had any other options. I am fortunate to be doing what makes me happy. I’m not so sure my music is terribly successful right now, but it’s hard to survive in this business. Most people move to Hollywood with a dream of making it big, and then they go home. I’m just lucky I can still be doing this after all these years.
SRK: Did it take a while for people to take your music seriously, because of the shadow cast from the “Mickey Mouse Club”?
Hampton: Absolutely. It was more of a problem when I was in the band The Party, because we were one of the first bands to come out of the “Mickey Mouse Club” and signed to Hollywood Records. It wasn’t considered “cool” then. We would do interviews, and the stations would be hard on us, call us lip-synchers, and were just brutal to us. We had to prove we really could sing. We see that we opened the door for a lot of bands that came after us in that era. Now, with my music, it isn’t as much of a hassle as it was then because of the success of people like Justin, Britney, Christina, Ryan and JC. It is almost like a badge of honor. It’s finally considered cool to have been a part of something so big.
SRK: What can you tell me about the “Drugstore Girls” EP?
Hampton: I would say it’s a bluesy record in the singer/songwriter vein. It isn’t so much pop-oriented. My friend’s wife, Kendra Jade, appears on the cover of the CD, because I figured I would sell more CDs with her on the cover than with myself there (laughing). My friend, Lukas Rossi, was the winner of won the show “Rock Star: Supernova,” and I also sing on his upcoming CD.
SRK: Your IMDB (Internet Movie Database) listing shows no activity since 2001. Have you quit the acting business to concentrate on music?
Hampton: I’ve pretty much quit the acting stuff for now. The acting business is such a crapshoot. A casting call would go out, and there would be me and 12 other redheads in the room. The music business is different and gives me more of an opportunity to stand out. The acting business isn’t a sure thing, but then again music isn’t either.
SRK: Why did you decide to start your own independent record label rather than pursue a more conventional record label route?
Hampton: There are so many ways to get music out there now with iTunes and others that the business is different. The entire industry is different, and no one knows what will happen next with all the illegal downloading of music and everything else. I figured, why not cut out the middle man if I can do a record on my own? A record label is a lot like a bank in the fact that you’re expected to pay it back if you borrow money from them. The difference is with a record label you have no control over how or where the money is spent and yet you’re still expected to pay it back. I certainly got an education on how the business works when I was with The Party. I am really enjoying working with my co-writer and producer Mike Vizcara and getting a chance to do things my way as opposed to having a record label dictate everything.
SRK: I have seen your YouTube clicks and you have mad circus skills including slackline, juggling, bullwhip, unicycle, and you also write and record music. Is there anything Chasen Hampton won’t try?
Hampton: It’s funny you say that because I’m with a friend right now (Ted Campbell) who I grew up with who does that stuff (circus) for a living. Everything he would learn growing up, I would try, and that’s how I learned most of it. He does fire eating and I gave that a try, but as a vocalist I don’t really want to mess with my vocal chords. He does sword swallowing, too, and that is one thing I will not try at all. It grosses me out to even think of it.
SRK: Do you stay in touch with any of your old “Mickey Mouse Club” alumni?
Hampton: Well, Tony Lucca and I are still close friends. Deedee just had her second child and has been starring in “Wicked.” The guys from The Party are pretty much retired from the business now. Ryan Gosling, Justin and JC, I see from time to time. I haven’t really seen Britney or Christina in years, but I remember even as a kid Christina had that amazing voice. They are all really cool people to this day.
If you have an artist/band you’d like to recommend for review, e-mail Nunez at www.myspace.com/shakerattleandknow or srkmusic@cfl.rr.com.
I spoke with Chasen about his early start in the business, his development as a performer and his solo music. So Let’s Shake Rattle & Know: Chasen Hampton
SRK: A lot of celebrities struggle after achieving success at an early age. How difficult was the transition for you from childhood actor to adult performer?
Hampton: I really didn’t have a choice. I grew up doing this so I can’t say I had any other options. I am fortunate to be doing what makes me happy. I’m not so sure my music is terribly successful right now, but it’s hard to survive in this business. Most people move to Hollywood with a dream of making it big, and then they go home. I’m just lucky I can still be doing this after all these years.
SRK: Did it take a while for people to take your music seriously, because of the shadow cast from the “Mickey Mouse Club”?
Hampton: Absolutely. It was more of a problem when I was in the band The Party, because we were one of the first bands to come out of the “Mickey Mouse Club” and signed to Hollywood Records. It wasn’t considered “cool” then. We would do interviews, and the stations would be hard on us, call us lip-synchers, and were just brutal to us. We had to prove we really could sing. We see that we opened the door for a lot of bands that came after us in that era. Now, with my music, it isn’t as much of a hassle as it was then because of the success of people like Justin, Britney, Christina, Ryan and JC. It is almost like a badge of honor. It’s finally considered cool to have been a part of something so big.
SRK: What can you tell me about the “Drugstore Girls” EP?
Hampton: I would say it’s a bluesy record in the singer/songwriter vein. It isn’t so much pop-oriented. My friend’s wife, Kendra Jade, appears on the cover of the CD, because I figured I would sell more CDs with her on the cover than with myself there (laughing). My friend, Lukas Rossi, was the winner of won the show “Rock Star: Supernova,” and I also sing on his upcoming CD.
SRK: Your IMDB (Internet Movie Database) listing shows no activity since 2001. Have you quit the acting business to concentrate on music?
Hampton: I’ve pretty much quit the acting stuff for now. The acting business is such a crapshoot. A casting call would go out, and there would be me and 12 other redheads in the room. The music business is different and gives me more of an opportunity to stand out. The acting business isn’t a sure thing, but then again music isn’t either.
SRK: Why did you decide to start your own independent record label rather than pursue a more conventional record label route?
Hampton: There are so many ways to get music out there now with iTunes and others that the business is different. The entire industry is different, and no one knows what will happen next with all the illegal downloading of music and everything else. I figured, why not cut out the middle man if I can do a record on my own? A record label is a lot like a bank in the fact that you’re expected to pay it back if you borrow money from them. The difference is with a record label you have no control over how or where the money is spent and yet you’re still expected to pay it back. I certainly got an education on how the business works when I was with The Party. I am really enjoying working with my co-writer and producer Mike Vizcara and getting a chance to do things my way as opposed to having a record label dictate everything.
SRK: I have seen your YouTube clicks and you have mad circus skills including slackline, juggling, bullwhip, unicycle, and you also write and record music. Is there anything Chasen Hampton won’t try?
Hampton: It’s funny you say that because I’m with a friend right now (Ted Campbell) who I grew up with who does that stuff (circus) for a living. Everything he would learn growing up, I would try, and that’s how I learned most of it. He does fire eating and I gave that a try, but as a vocalist I don’t really want to mess with my vocal chords. He does sword swallowing, too, and that is one thing I will not try at all. It grosses me out to even think of it.
SRK: Do you stay in touch with any of your old “Mickey Mouse Club” alumni?
Hampton: Well, Tony Lucca and I are still close friends. Deedee just had her second child and has been starring in “Wicked.” The guys from The Party are pretty much retired from the business now. Ryan Gosling, Justin and JC, I see from time to time. I haven’t really seen Britney or Christina in years, but I remember even as a kid Christina had that amazing voice. They are all really cool people to this day.
If you have an artist/band you’d like to recommend for review, e-mail Nunez at www.myspace.com/shakerattleandknow or srkmusic@cfl.rr.com.
