I'm Not a Princess, This Ain't a Fairytale

The art of music has been in my family since before any of me or my brothers were born. It was what we had grown up with, what we had been raised on, what we knew. We had been traveling on the road with my dad's traveling Christian choir since we were born. Our second home was the backstage in halls, and other venues.

And so, of course my parents were so ecstatic when one of my younger brothers decided he wanted to be on Broadway when he was three. That's a big surprise for a family of musicians, no? That's when music really became a family agenda. My two older brothers and I started starring in commercials, and from then on our second home became Broadway. I was actually happy there. Three of us were in a few productions, singing and performing without the pressures people always complained about. My parents handled everything. We just memorized lines and performed. The actual business, we left to our parents. My four brothers and I did not want to deal with the annoyances grown-ups did yet.

Yes, I had four brothers. It was a nightmare. The bathroom was always gross, the second floor smelled like socks, and being the only girl besides my mom in the house, I got out voted on everything. Of course, it wasn't always so bad. My brothers were pretty cool at times. Kevin, Joe, Nick, and Frankie. And I was the great Amelia, third born of Denise and Paul Jonas. Joe was my twin. But unfortunately, he had been born six minutes before me. But I was closest to him out of all my brothers. We had that weird twin telepathy, though Nick still swears we lie. He was my other half – literally.

Joe, Nick, and I were the Broadway stars of the family. Kevin was more into helping our parents with the business aspects. And with playing his guitar. Joe, Nick, and I always made fun of him for it. Kevin usually got mad and told our parents, who would always yell at Joe for some reason. This made Nick and me laugh even more. In my second year on Broadway, I stopped singing. I was done with it. It held no value to me anymore. Unfortunately, music was still part of our lives 24/7.

Nick eventually got signed with Colombia Records, and when the president of Colombia Records heard their song, Please Be Mine, which he performed with Joe and Kevin, he said they reminded him of Hanson, and just like that, music became even more of a family agenda. They got started as The Jonas Brothers, and we started touring all around the country.

Three years passed. Their label dropped them, and Hollywood Records picked them up. And so my brothers became Disney property. Millions of girls fawned over my brothers. I wanted to gag. These girls should have seen their rooms. Well – except Nick. Nick was too clean. They were becoming bigger than ever, being compared with Hanson, and other big names. Life was amazing. Joe, Nick, and Kevin were working their butts off, and they really were living the dream.

As for me? Well, I was happy to remain in the shadows.