PARENTS, SIBLINGS TAKE J.C.'S SUCCESS WITH POP SUPERGROUP 'NSYNC IN STRIDE.
Credit: Bowie Star Newspaper
August 3rd (1999?)

They have an unpublished phone number, receive phone calls in the middle of the night and occasionally have to convince young girls that their son "does not live here."

It's the price they pay for having a famous son who's adored by millions of fans. To millions of teen-agers, Josh "J.C." Chasez is a star that shines as a member of the group 'N Sync, but to Roy, Karen, Heather and Tyler Chasez he's just another member of the family.

For years, Roy and Karen Chasez, who until recently were Bowie residents, have lived with the overflow of their son's success. The couple recently moved.

Before the whirlwind of fame engulfed the group, Karen Chasez was able to have the group over for a barbecue at her Bowie home. "We could have never done it six months later," she said.

Still, the Chasezes have retained their normalcy.

"I don't go around believing I'm different," said Roy Chasez. "I don't go around believing he's different."

Tyler Chasez, 18, who graduated from Bowie High School this year, takes the opportunity to "just hang out" with his brother when he comes home a few times a year.

"We're perfectly fine just sitting and talking," Tyler Chasez said, adding that the brothers do get a chance to watch movies and go to a batting cage. Most of the time, Tyler Chasez visits his brother at his home in Florida, where Tyler Chasez will attend college, or when he's on tour around the country. Tyler Chasez has traveled to Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Nashville, Detroit, Chicago, New York and even Germany to hang out with his famous brother. His trip to Germany two years ago was especially memorable.

"I'd never been anywhere where they speak a different language," said Tyler Chasez. Although he's sometimes had to answer questions from his brother's fans, Tyler Chasez is more involved in his own life.

While in high school, Tyler Chasez played varsity ice hockey and was a baseball pitcher and outfielder. "It's pretty fair to say that I'm better at sports than he is," said the outfielder. But music also is a part of the younger Chasez's life. He's part of a punk band, Justy, made up of Bowie kids, that has played clubs in Baltimore. Chasez had an opportunity to be a part of the sequel to "The Blair Witch Project," but he "didn't pursue it because of baseball," said his father.

"The other two children have goals that are their own goals, just like Josh's are his own," said Karen Chasez.

At their son's concerts, the fans show less restraint. "It's funny how the fans know who we are," says Karen Chasez. The wily fans typically look to see who's sitting in the VIP section.

Tyler Chasez has his own following of fans that have set up a Web site in honor of the star's younger brother.

The family has traveled around the country to witness his son's appearances and concerts. J.C.'s fame "impacts us in a positive way," said Roy Chasez. "We do get to do some special things," he said, recalling how he's met musician Eric Clapton, blues artist B.B. King and actor Christopher Reeve, among other celebrities. He also spent 15 minutes talking with Garth Brooks. "We didn't talk music, we talked baseball," Roy Chasez said. The family traveled on a tour bus from Atlanta to Raleigh, N.C., and spent the Christmas holidays with J.C. in Hawaii.

"We've always been a traveling family anyway," said Karen Chasez. "We travel to see him because that's the way to stay connected," said her husband. The family also stays connected by communicating with their son about twice a week, much as any young adult keeps in touch with his parents.

"Occasionally we tape something or we stay up long enough to see what he did" in an awards show, said Roy Chasez. His wife scans Web sites from work to keep tabs on his career and communicates regularly with his agents, lawyers and managers.

...."It gives us a level of trust that his affairs are being handled properly. We're really privileged that our young adult kids have a lot of trust" in their parents, said Karen Chasez.

"I'm proud of the boys' success," she said. "I'm more proud of the boys being level-headed and down to earth." Although some expect the couple to move to a mansion and live the lives of the rich and famous, Karen Chasez said their personal validation comes from their own careers and not their son's. Karen Chasez is an editor, and Roy Chasez is a project manager.

"We're not looking for Josh to retire us," said Roy Chasez.

"He supports himself," said Karen Chasez. "That is gift enough."