Many former boy-band devotees remember Ashley Parker Angel as the blond, short-haired member of the pop group O-Town, who won the hearts of teenyboppers all over the country.

With sold out concerts, a platinum album and millions of screaming fans, the fame that surrounded O-Town -- an act that was the creation of ABC's reality show Making the Band in 2000 -- seemed like it would never end. But it did.

Now, with longer locks, serious girlfriend Tiffany and limited funds, Angel has returned to the public spotlight once more. His new MTV reality series, There and Back, airs Monday nights at 10:30 p.m.

Some Penn State students are excited to see a former boy-band member back on TV.

Kristall King (junior-human development and family studies) said she used to like the boy band *NSYNC but still watches There and Back.

"I think that the plot's cool, bringing someone back who used to be successful and watching him rebuild himself," King said. "It's cool that he got his start on MTV and now he's recreating himself on MTV as well."

King said that Angel was her favorite member of O-Town.

"He's hot so it's not hard to watch," she said. "He's my favorite out of all the O-Town guys."

King also said it is interesting to see Angel as a struggling musician.

"I think it's cool because it's really real, he actually is broke, he actually has a girlfriend who's pregnant, you're watching him buy a house," she said.

Others doubt just how "real" the reality series is.

"I kind of like it because he's cute. I don't know how real it is though," Leila Rad (sophomore-division of undergraduate studies) said.

A former boy band fan, Rad said she said she likes Angel's new music because it is more personal.

Many former O-Town fans show their support by tuning into the show every week.

"I liked O-Town, I'm not going to lie. And Ashley was my favorite," Staci Pesin (sophomore-political science) said.

Pesin said she also liked the show.

"It really does show if you did lose everything you can still get back on top," Pesin said. "We've all messed up, you know."

Angel discussed his new reality series and career goals in a phone interview.

Back to reality

"Actually MTV found me, I really wasn't perusing a reality television show," Angel said.

He said that after the two and a
half years spent on Making the
Band, that ran about 50 episodes, he thought he was done with reality TV.

"I didn't really want to go back to reality TV, but I did know I wanted to pursue music," he said.

MTV asked Ashley if it could document his life by following him with cameras.

"To be honest I was a little hesitant at first," he said.

Angel said he wanted to establish credibility as an artist, something he felt O-Town lacked because of the Making the Band situation.

"[MTV] asked me what was going on in my life, a lot had changed for me," Angel said. "I decided to go for it again."

Life after O-Town

When O-Town broke up in the summer of 2003, Angel said he moved to Los Angeles.

"I felt like I had a lot more to prove of myself as an artist," he said.

Angel said he was able to get a record deal on his own, and midway through recording the album, MTV contacted him.

"I share this weird connection with MTV, we have the same birthday," Angel said. "We were both born on Aug. 1, 1981. We were both 18 years old when I was on Making the Band."

Angel said a big misconception out there is that you're not automatically rich after producing platinum records like O-Town did.

He explained with his boy band, there were a lot of people taking from the pie; as a result, there wasn't a lot left over for the actual band members.

"When I moved to L.A., I had limited savings, I met with MTV right at the time that money kind of ran out," Angel said. "I had all these troubles getting a recording advance. I couldn't get that, so I basically had to move in with my girlfriend's mom and crash with them for a while. MTV really felt like there was a story."

Family matters

As for being constantly tracked by cameramen, Angel admits it was very intense.

"I actually give most credit to Tiffany, because what girl wants to be on TV 24-7 pregnant," he said.

The cameras even recorded Tiffany giving birth to the couple's first child.

"This is going to be the first baby born on MTV; it's very tastefully done," Angel said.

Band buddies

Angel said he still keeps in touch with former O-Town band mates.

"I'm friends with all the guys," he said. "We went through such a crazy time together. We're really bonded because of it."

Jacob Underwood, a former member of O-Town, was in one of the earlier episodes, but Angel said that viewers can expect to see more of the O-Town boys.

"As the season goes on you'll see some of those guys pop in and out," he said.

"I think the show is about making it on your own. I think that this show is a real window into the music industry. It's about my struggles in music and a struggle to make it on your own," Angel said.

New musical direction

As for former O-Town followers, Angel said they should be excited to hear the new direction he is taking with his music.

"I think that people who were fans of O-Town have grown as well, I think music is in a different place now," Angel said. "I have to say [my new music is] definitely more in a rock direction. It's always a challenge to try come up with music that is artistic and also commercial, I think I've been able to come up with some really cool tracks. I think that the hardcore O-Town fans always kind of knew what direction I was going in. I've always been a songwriter. I did get three songs on the second O-Town album." "

Angel said he used to listen to his dad's record collection which consisted of artists like The Doors, The Beatles, Queen, and Elton John.

"My musical influences are kind of all over the place," he said. "As I got older I got into bands like Oasis. My sound is definitely more live-band driven."

Final thoughts

Angel said audiences will see him go on job interviews and pick up a little construction work: it's real and differentiates itself from other shows.

"There's a saying I always like to tell myself, and that's 'the road to success is paved with failure' and it's so true," he said. "You have to keep pushing through and keep your chin up."