Dream Street was a pop boy band that made themselves known in the early 2000s. They released several songs including “It Happens Every Time”, “With All My Heart”, and “I Say Yeah.” Where are they now in 2024? Let’s find out.
The Group’s Beginnings
Dream Street was put together by music producers Brian Lukow and Louis Baldonieri, with the goal of making an impact on the pop music industry. Originally named “Bob Wonder”, the group consisted of several boys between the ages of 11 and 14, all of whom were active in the New York acting scene.
The original members included Chris Trousdale and Greg Raposo, both of whom were former The Broadway Kids members. Not long after they debuted, however, the lineup was changed.
In the end, Jesse McCartney, Frankie J. Galasso, and Matt Ballinger ended up joining the group, which was now called “Dream Street” (after the recording studio where they recorded in New York).
Having scrapped many of their original jazzy songs, the only title that Baldonieri and Lukow kept for the group was “Jennifer Goodbye.” Originally written for the latter’s fiance, the song was subsequently changed into a teen pop track and was later included in their self-titled debut album.
The Release of Their Debut Studio Album
The eponymous debut album, Dream Street, was released on October 31, 2000, via Edel Records. Composed by Kevin Clark and Berny Cosgrove, it featured fourteen tracks including “Feel the Rain”, “Gotta Get the Girl”, “It Happens Every Time”, “Let’s Get Funky Tonight”, “Someone to Hold Me Tonight”, “With All My Heart”, and Dream On.”
While it wasn’t a smash hit per se, it did peak at number one on the Independent Albums chart and at number 37 on the Billboard 200. Several of the songs including “I Say Yeah” and “It Happens Every Time” also received airtime on Radio Disney, which helped boost their popularity. Before they know it, they were appearing on various talk shows and TV events. At one point, McCartney also landed a recording role on ABC’s soap opera All My Children.
By the end of the year, the album had earned gold certification in the RIAA, with more than 500,000 sales.
The Biggest Fan
In 2002, they released their second and final album, The Biggest Fan. A soundtrack to a film of the same name (which they also starred in), it featured eleven songs including “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me”, “It Happens Every Time (Dance Remix)”, “Fallen For You”, “That’s What Girls Do”, and “Jennifer Goodbye.”
As for the film, it starred the band members as themselves, with Chris Trousdale taking the lead role. The other members including McCartney, Rposo, Ballinger, and J. Galasso, all played cameo roles that appeared at the beginning and end of the movie. The project also starred Kalia Amariah as Debbie Warden, the female lead whose favorite band is Dream Street (the film centers around her and Trousdale’s relationship).
While the film was filmed in 2002, however, it wasn’t released until 2005 due to an ongoing lawsuit between the members’ parents and the band’s management team.
Lawsuit and Split-up of the Band
Not long after the release of their second album, the members’ parents filed a lawsuit against Lukow and Baldonieri, alleging that they were exposing them to “women, booze, and pornography.” While McCartney had left the band prior to the lawsuit, three of the remaining members including Raposo, Galasso, and Ballinger, had wanted to continue singing as a trio.
Because Trousdale was still part of the group at the time, however, their request was ultimately denied in court.
Several months later, in August 2002, the court ruled in favor of the parents, which allowed the boys to be released from their contracts. Following that, there was an attempt to create a new “Dream Street” with the remaining boys, however, nothing ever came out of it.
Once the band was officially disbanded, Edel Entertainment severed its ties with Atlantic Records and Sony Music Entertainment; this meant that the band’s master recordings could not be distributed in the US as they had no label.
Several years later, Lukow founded All for One Media, an entertainment company that currently holds the band’s master recordings. At one point, they had wanted to make a documentary called The Rise and Fall of Dream Street, one that would include updated interviews as well as never-before-seen footage. As far as we can tell, however, they never moved forward with the project.
What’s Dream Street Doing Now in 2024 – Recent Updates
On June 2, 2020, Trousdale passed away at a hospital in Burbank, California; he was 34 years old. While it hasn’t been confirmed (his family and managers have stated that his death was due to an “undisclosed illness”), it’s said that he suffered a strep infection, which shut down his organs and put him in a coma.
A little over a week later, on what would have been his 35th birthday, his former bandmates reunited for a virtual performance of “It Happens Every Time” in his memory. It was the first time that they reunited since the group disbanded in 2002.
Prior to his death, Trousdale had always been private about his personal life, though he had disclosed that he still spoke to the other members.
Where is Frankie Galasso Now in 2024?
Galasso hasn’t been in the limelight since the early 2010s when he starred in a national tour of Jersey Boys. In 2014, he and Alissa Salvatore also collaborated on a cover of “Say Something.”
Where is Jesse McCartney Now in 2024?
McCartney has been featured in several TV shows including I Can See Your Voice, Talking Dead, and Celebrity Watch Party. Not only that but he has also played guest roles in Fear the Walking Dead and Major Crimes. In 2020, he also competed in The Masked Singer as the Turtle, and ultimately finished in second place.
That’s not all, he also lent his voice to the films Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip and The Big Trip 2. In 2020, he also starred in the romantic comedy film Love, Weddings, & Other Disasters.
 Where is Greg Raposo Now in 2024?
Raposo released an independent album titled Loss, Love, Life, in memory of his cousin, on May 3, 2012. That summer, he was also featured on the Rock Camp Tour around Long Island, New Jersey, and New York.
Where is Matt Ballinger Now in 2024?
Ballinger married his wife Dannielle Manning in the summer of 2013. Since then, they’ve welcomed a daughter in 2018 and a son in 2021.
