Hollywood has lost a beloved young star.
Chris Trousdale, one of the five members of the early 2000s boy band Dream Street, has died, E! News can confirm.
“It is with a heavy heart that we confirm the passing of Chris Trousdale on June, 2, 2020 from an undisclosed illness,” the star’s rep said in a statement. “He was a light to so many and will be missed dearly by his family, friends and fans all over the world. Although it felt like he belonged to us all, the family is requesting that you respect their privacy at this time of grieving. Should you wish to make a donation in his honor, please give to ASPCA.”
He was 34 years old and just over a month away from his July birthday when he passed away on Tuesday.
“It pains me to say that an old friend, Chris Trousdale, from my early days in the music industry has passed away due to complications from COVID-19,” his former bandmate Jesse McCartney wrote on Instagram. The cause of his death has not been confirmed.
“Chris had an explosively charming personality with boundless amounts of talent. Together we made up two of the five members of a boyband called DreamStreet,” McCartney recalled.
“We were young kids with budding talent who shared an overwhelming love for music and performing. Chris, in my opinion, was the most popular among us, who had a way of drawing every eye to what he was doing on stage. As an incredibly trained dancer, he would pick up an entire dance number in a matter of minutes; something that would take us days. I truly envied him as a performer. We were a part of something people never get to experience in an entire lifetime at the tender ages of 12 and 14. Although we were a band for only 3 years, at that age, it feels like a lifetime and we built a real brotherhood. In later years, we would grow apart as our lives would take different turns, but I would often reflect on our early days together and think about how exciting it all was. My deepest sympathies go out to his mother whom I know cherished him dearly. RIP Chris. I’ll never forget your smile.”
Following the breaking news of his death, fans have flocked to Trousdale’s Instagram account to pay tribute to the late longtime performer.
After appearing on Broadway and in musical theater productions, Trousdale rose to fame as a teenage member of Dream Street alongside fellow group members McCartney, Greg Raposo, Matt Ballinger and Frankie Galasso.
The group ultimately put out a debut album, which featured their hit “It Happens Every Time,” and one soundtrack album for a film of the same name, The Biggest Fan, which Trousdale starred in and which was released to DVD. The group disbanded amid a legal dispute in 2002 and Trousdale went on to pursue a solo career and appeared in a handful of films and one-time TV roles.
In 2018, he released the single, “Dance for Love,” and dropped “Summer” in June 2019. His last Instagram post came on Tuesday, when Trousdale shared a black square in honor of #blackouttuesday and the Black Lives Matter movement. “#theshowmustbepaused,” he captioned the post.
