What does a now 9-year-old kid do after becoming the infamous subject of an infamous hoax? He fronts a metal band, natch.
In 2009, then 6-year-old Falcon Heene became wrapped up in an elaborate hoax staged by his parents, Mayumi Iizuka and Richard Heene. On the afternoon of October 15th, news broke that a balloon was floating over Fort Collins, Colorado, and that Falcon was trapped inside. The scoop quickly went viral, with people everywhere tuning in as the balloon swept across the skyline, squinting to try to see if there was a boy inside.
When the balloon eventually landed, it turned out that Falcon was never in it at all; he was hiding in the rafters above his parents’ garage. A strange admission–“You guys said we did this for the show”–followed on a family CNN appearance, fueling rumors of a hoax. The Heenes were both eventually charged and forced to pay a $47,000 fine.
Now, the New Times reports that Falcon and his two older brothers, Ryo and Bradford, have a band called Heene Boyz, and they want to grow up to tour with Metallica. Their dad, the sketchy guy behind the original balloon hoax, is of course their manager.
When their dad encouraged them to write about something they believe in, they did just that. Their debut single is called “World of Warcraft.”
You know what they say: if the balloon hoax scheme doesn’t make you famous, you may as well try a record deal.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17BVReUeUE0]