Inside Ashley Parker Angel’s Life Out of the Spotlight: Where Is the O-Town Singer Now?

Long before Simon Cowell put One Direction together on The X Factor UK, there was O-Town: the five-person boy band formed by the late Lou Pearlman on Making the Band.

The group has been touring as a quartet in recent years, with Dan Miller, Erik-Michael Estrada, Jacob Underwood and Trevor Penick leaning into the early 2000s nostalgia sweeping the world. Fifth member Ashley Parker Angel, however, left O-Town in 2003 and never returned — but where has he been?

On October 1, Angel, now 44, explained why he left the music world in a lengthy Instagram post shared with his followers.

“After 20 years of performing I realized chasing entertainment wins left me feeling anxious and depressed,” he wrote. “I’m grateful for the successes — sold 10 million records, two hit television shows, movie roles, and starred in the biggest shows on Broadway with over 2000 performances. I realized during that time the LIFESTYLE of being away from your family, on the road, on location and the constant pressure of creating the next BIG HIT on my resume was becoming disastrous for my physical, mental and emotional health… As they say in entertainment ‘you’re only as good as your last hit.’”

Angel, who released a solo album in 2006 titled Soundtrack to Your Life, explained that trying to keep up left him “feeling empty inside.” At one point in his mid-20s, he claimed, he considered taking his own life “to avoid ever being called ‘washed up’ and escape the mental pressure I felt to keep up with my success.”

The former pop star credited his “family, friends, mentors, peak performance coaches, therapists, fitness trainers, nutritionists and health & wellness experts” with helping him “take back control” of his life “by breaking my addictions and learning healthy coping mechanisms.”

After leaving the entertainment world behind, Angel decided to become a fitness coach so he could “help people change their lives forever.” He also cofounded a medical supplement company called High Level Science that aims to “[redefine] wellness with a foundation in solid science and real-world performance.”

“The FREEDOM that starting my own company has given me, like traveling the world on my own schedule, spending quality time with my family, friends and those I have the privilege and honor of coaching, has unlocked the most rewarding and fulfilling chapter of my life,” Angel continued in his Instagram post. “It required letting go of my ego in chasing validation through entertainment. Quitting a career of prestige and following a passion to pursue something more meaningful and lasting. … Always bet on yourself!

While Angel left O-Town more than 20 years ago, he’s made occasional appearances on the stage and screen since then. In 2014, he starred as Fiyero in a touring production of Wicked before playing the role on Broadway from 2017-2018. Fans of The Masked Singer may also remember that he appeared as S’more in season 10 of the Fox singing competition series.

After his elimination, Angel exclusively told Us Weekly that he felt his work as a fitness trainer had helped him perform in the “very heavy” S’more costume.

“You’re overcoming the physicality of this large costume,” he explained in November 2023. “It’s very heavy. I’m in a giant graham cracker body with giant marshmallow legs and huge fire boots, so it was a hard suit to move around in. … The muscles I was using were completely different. I really feel like, because I’ve been so focused on fitness in the past several years, it gave me a real advantage.”

At the time, Angel noted that performing “will always be a part” of who he is but said he was happy to focus his time and energy on his fitness business. “It’s more than just a fitness community. It’s a support group,” he explained. “Health and wellness in general plays such a big part in our mental health. When you talk about physical exercise, I don’t think a lot of people realize the benefits [you also get] for mental health.”

While his Instagram followers are certainly aware that Angel’s time in the gym has paid off — he does love a thirst trap — he told Us that the mental health benefits of exercise are as important to him as anything he gets from the physical side of things.

“I fell in love with it because of the mood boost I get every single day,” he said. “The boost to my emotional and mental health is my primary focus [and] falling in love with moving our bodies. And then if we do it with a group of people, there’s a certain joy of moving our body in a group.”

O-Town, meanwhile, will celebrate the 25th anniversary of Making the Band in November with fellow boy band Dream Street. Their Pop 2000 Tour — hosted by ‘NSync’s Chris Kirkpatrick and featuring LFO, BBMak and Ryan Cabrera — continues through December.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.