Editing Aaron Carter (section)

===1997–1999: Music beginnings and self-titled debut album===
Carter began his career as the lead singer of Dead End as a 7-year-old.<ref name="Biography Today Page 16">{{cite book |editor1-last=Abbey |editor1-first=Cherie D. |title=Biography Today Vol. 11 No. 3 |date=September 2002 |publisher=Omnigraphics |isbn=0780804996 |page=[https://archive.org/details/biographytodayvo0000unse_o8a5/page/16 16] |chapter=Aaron Carter 1987- |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/biographytodayvo0000unse_o8a5/page/16 }}</ref> He left the band after two years because he wanted to perform pop music, while the other members were interested in [[alternative rock]].<ref name="Biography Today Page 16" />

Carter made his first solo appearance at age 9, singing [[The Jets (Minnesota band)|The Jets]]' "[[Crush on You (The Jets song)|Crush on You]]" when opening for the [[Backstreet Boys]] in Berlin in March 1997.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/dyeH4mZ3bqM Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20121222235350/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyeH4mZ3bqM&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web |title=Crush On You HQ – Aaron Carter | date=January 15, 2011 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyeH4mZ3bqM |via=YouTube |access-date=October 22, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Abbey |editor1-first=Cherie D. |title=Biography Today Vol. 11 No. 3 |date=September 2002 |publisher=Omnigraphics |isbn=0780804996 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/biographytodayvo0000unse_o8a5/page/19 19–20] |chapter=Aaron Carter 1987- |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/biographytodayvo0000unse_o8a5/page/19}}</ref> The performance was followed by a record contract, and in the fall of 1997, he released his first single "Crush on You". Carter's [[Aaron Carter (album)|self-titled debut studio album]] was released on December 1, 1997. The album achieved [[Music recording certification|gold]] status in Canada, Denmark, Germany, Norway, and Spain, and was released in the United States on June 16, 1998.<ref name="bbtimeline">{{Cite magazine |last=Iasimone |first=Ashley |magazine=Billboard |title=Aaron Carter's Career Timeline: From 'Crush on You' and 'Aaron's Party' to Broadway, TV and 'Love' |url=https://www.billboard.com/lists/aaron-carter-career-timeline/ |access-date=November 6, 2022 |date=November 6, 2022 |url-status=live |archive-date=November 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221106041335/https://www.billboard.com/lists/aaron-carter-career-timeline/ }}</ref>