Leslie Carter

Leslie Barbara Ashton ( Carter; June 6, 1986 – January 31, 2012) was an American singer best known as the sister of Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter and singer Aaron Carter.

Life and family
Leslie Carter was born in Tampa, Florida, the third of five children of Jane Elizabeth Spaulding Carter and the late Robert Carter (1952–2017). She was born at the Garden Villa Retirement Home, where the Carter family were living and working at the time. She was the older sister of singer Aaron Carter and his twin sister model Angel and the younger sister of BJ Carter and Nick Carter. She was the younger half sister of Ginger Carter. Leslie was the stepsister of Taylen Dobson and the older half-sister of Kanden Carter.

On September 12, 2008, Leslie Carter married Mike Ashton and moved to Toronto, Ontario, where she gave birth to a daughter Alyssa Jane Ashton on April 1, 2011.

Prior to her death, Leslie was planning to go to rehab to overcome her drug addiction with help from Aaron. In 2019, her widower, Mike Ashton, was granted a restraining order against her brother Aaron. Later, Aaron claimed his sister raped him for three years, from the ages of 10 to 13.

Early recordings
Carter signed a record deal with Dreamworks Records in 1999 and began recording her debut album. This album was set for release in June 2000, but it was delayed because Dreamworks wanted to test Carter's fan base before releasing the album in order to ensure its success. Her single, "Like Wow!" appeared on the Shrek soundtrack and received minor radio airplay, peaking at No. 99 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her debut album Like Wow! was set for release on April 10, 2001. However, Dreamworks later canceled the release. The cancellation followed a number of reported problems from the set of her debut music video. Promo copies later became available online and Metal Mike Saunders of The Village Voice described it as "the best bubblegum album of the entire '97-Y2K era." The album also included a cover of "They Don't Know" by Kirsty MacColl.

The Other Half
Carter started a small club tour in Canada in December 2005, and had a showcase in New York City on January 19, 2006, with hopes it would lead to a new record deal. The songs performed on this tour had her abandoning her bubblegum pop roots for a more mature, pop rock-oriented sound. Carter co-wrote her material with High Holy Days guitarist Dave Thompson. In late 2006, Carter created the band The Other Half with her backup musicians Mike Ashton, DJ Porter, Casey Clowater, Paul Davidson, and Dave Thompson. The final line-up consisted of Carter (vocals), Ashton (drums), Jason Eldon (electric guitar), and Sean Smit (bass guitar, back-up vocals). In September 2009, the band mutually decided to split up.

Carter was seen writing music and performing her own songs for her siblings on the family's reality show House of Carters. Carter also had been spotted with pop/R&B singer Nivea in January 2012 at Capitol Records offices both looking for recording deals which her brother Aaron who promised to get her a recording deal at Capitol Records.

Death
On January 31, 2012, at age 25, Carter, who had complained of feeling ill after falling in the shower, was found unresponsive at the home of Robert and her stepmother Ginger Elrod Carter, in Mayville, New York, and was pronounced dead on arrival at Westfield Memorial Hospital in Westfield, New York.

While not attributing a cause of death, a Chautauqua County police incident report and supplemental "Overdose Follow Up" report said Carter, identified by her married name of Leslie B. Ashton, had suffered an overdose and was taking the prescription medications olanzapine (Zyprexa), cyclobenzaprine (a muscle relaxant) and alprazolam (Xanax). Her daughter, Alyssa, was 10 months old when she died.

Carter is buried in Chautauqua Cemetery in Chautauqua, New York.

Albums

 * Like Wow! – unreleased (2001)

Singles

 * "I Need to Hear It from You" – promotional recording
 * "Like Wow!" – No. 99 US Billboard Hot 100

Filmography

 * House of Carters (2006) (TV)