What Ever Happened to Dream Street, the Boy Band Only Millennials Remember?

How did Dream Street get together?

Around 1998, two producers by the names of Louis Baldonieri and Brian Lukow put together a band called Boy Wonder—which would later morph into Dream Street. This original group consisted of five boys from the New York City Broadway and acting scene, ranging from 11 to 14 years old. Greg and Chris were a part of Boy Wonder (with three other kids) for about a year. However, after some less-than-stellar feedback from various record labels, they decided to recast the group. Matt, Jessie and Frankie were chosen to join Chris and Greg. And voilà—Dream Street was born.

Dream Street’s self-titled debut album came out in October 2000. It debuted at number one on Billboard's Top Independent Albums chart, peaking at number 37 on the Billboard 200. By 2001, the group was opening for huge stars like Aaron Carter and Britney Spears.

Why did Dream Street break up?

In 2002, reports surfaced that the boys’ parents filed a lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan, alleging that Baldonieri and Lukow “engaged in a wide range of conduct and activities that plainly threaten and impair the minors’ well-being.” Things between the parents and the producers got super messy, and the band—well—disbanded.

What ever happened to Dream Street's members?

Chris Trousdale tragically passed away on June 2, 2020, from complications of COVID-19. On June 11, which would have been Chris's 35th birthday, his former Dream Street bandmates virtually reunited to perform their hit song, “It Happens Every Time,” in tribute to him.

After Dream Street parted ways, Chris stayed loyal to producers Baldonieri and Lukow. They worked together on his solo career, and Chris was signed to Columbia Records. Unfortunately, the record label wanted a new Dream Street featuring Chris and four new members. He really wasn't into that idea, and eventually, Columbia let him go. Chris went on to do some small solo tours and continued to hustle as an unsigned solo artist. Then, he put a pause on his career to care for his mother.

In a 2013 interview on his YouTube channel, Chris explained, "[My mom] had cancer—skin cancer. So I kind of gave up music for a while, and then moved to Michigan to take care of her for a good five years. So I took a long break from the music industry."

After returning to the world of performing, he went on to star in Disney Channel shows like Shake It Up and Austin & Ally. He even tried out for The Voice in 2012, but didn’t make it through the blind auditions.

Something you may not know about Chris is that he briefly worked as a dance teacher and a special effects makeup artist at a Halloween attraction in California. In 2019, he released a single called “Summer,” and let me tell you, it’s a vibe.

After his boy band chapter came to a close, Jesse became even more of a teen heartthrob through his solo music. He wasted no time, dropping his first solo EP in 2003, which featured the cherished teen anthem, "Beautiful Soul."

His first full solo album, appropriately titled Beautiful Soul, dropped the following year in 2004. By mid-2006, the album had sold more than 1.5 million copies. Over the years, he snagged quite a handful of Teen Choice Awards, Kids’ Choice Awards and—you guessed it—Radio Disney Music Awards.

Jesse also co-wrote Leona Lewis's hit song “Bleeding Love” with Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, which was nominated for Record of the Year at the 2009 Grammys. Fun fact: It was actually supposed to be on his third album.

As for his acting career, Jesse has appeared in Young & Hungry, Greek, and Summerland (just to name a few).

In October 2021, Jesse married his longtime partner, Katie Peterson. They met in 2012 when Jesse came into the bar she was working at. After trying to sweet talk her, he left his number on a napkin—and clearly, it worked.

Jesse's fifth studio album, “New Stage,” is out now—plus, he hit the road in May 2022 for his New Stage Tour. On May 17, 2022, his Dream Street bandmates attended his concert in Long Island, New York—giving fans the reunion they've been dreaming of for years.