Tragic Details About AJ McLean

AJ McLean’s worsening substance misuse issues in 2001 were partly attributed to the death of his beloved grandmother, Ursula, that year. Considering that his grandmother raised him, along with his mom, McLean struggled to come to terms with the loss. At the time, his bandmates released a statement expressing their concern for his wellbeing in the wake of the bereavement. “I think when [A.J.’s grandmother] passed away, that just sent it over the edge,” Kevin Richardson told MTV.

Since Ursula’s death, McLean has been frequently paying tribute to her in his own special ways. In 2005, the Backstreet Boys dedicated their song, “Never Gone,” to Ursula, as well as other loved ones lost by the band. “I lost both of my grandparents; Nick, his grandmother; and Howie, his sister,” McLean told CBS News. “We’ve all experienced great losses, so this song really touches us personally.” And in a poignant gesture, when McLean released his own nail polish line in 2021, he named one of the shades “Ursula” after his grandmother, as her favorite color was turquoise.

Famed for his penchant for a McDonald’s breakfast, the singer also credits Ursula’s home cooking with inspiring his love of bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwiches, which his grandma dubbed “The McLean.” “Every morning if I asked for a McLean, I knew what I was getting,” he told Yahoo! Life, poignantly revealing that he’s been searching for a sandwich that emulates his grandmother’s specialty ever since.