On the Radio: Lance Bass

From boy band to satellite radio host (and coming out in between)

Lance Bass in the studio (courtesy of SiriusXM)

In case anyone tuned into SiriusXM late last week, they may have noticed a new gay voice on the satellite radio network Friday. Former *NSYNC member Lance Bass joined the fray as host of The Pop Ten every Friday night (10 a.m.-12 a.m.) with an encore presentation on the station’s all-LGBT channel OutQ on Saturday nights (9-11 p.m.). The show counts down music favorites with the help of special in-studio guests.

Bass is in good company, joining other openly LGBT SiriusXM hosts like Michelangelo Signorile, Rosie O’Donnell and Frank DeCaro.

“I want The Pop Ten to be the soundtrack my fans jumpstart their weekends with,” says Bass, who calls the show a “weekly pop culture party” that he’ll host in both New York and L.A.

The doe-eyed host says as well as showcasing his own favorite new songs on the air – everything from dance, pop and rock to world music (yes, world music), he’ll also accept suggestions from fans via Twitter @lancebass, on Facebook and during live calls. So if you can’t possibly live another day without hearing, say, “Bye, Bye, Bye,” you’ll know exactly who to call.

“Lance is a pop music aficionado whose personality and perspective – as both a fan and an artist – make him a great fit for SiriusXM,” says Scott Greenstein, president of the satellite radio group. “As an artist, he’s earned his spot in pop culture history. As the host of The Pop Ten, he will delight millions of longtime fans and have fun making new ones.”

Bass is also openly gay. He came out publicly in a cover story for People magazine in 2006 after rumors swirled for years during the height of his boy band fame (and after he was photographed celebrating July 4th weekend in oh-so-gay vacation resort Provincetown). He’s also been linked to several leading men over the years, including Reichen Lehmkuhl, who reprises his role on The A-List New York on Logo starting July 25th.