But when asked if they feel like they owe Cyrus for helping to launch them, it seems they haven't even considered the possibility. Kevin quickly blurts, ''That's a weird question,'' before realizing that, despite all their talent and hard work, the tween queen may have had a role in their meteoric rise. ''She definitely, you know...she let us be on her tour,'' he adds sheepishly. (Cyrus wasn't available to comment for this story.) It seems they have learned from the scrutiny Cyrus has faced (false pregnancy rumors, personal photos made public). ''Those paparazzi people...they pressure situations,'' says Kevin. ''But we're just going to stay true to who we are, so it doesn't really matter.''
Who they are today are proven headliners: As the brothers' stint with Cyrus wound down, they struck a deal with Live Nation for a two-year worldwide excursion. Launched Jan. 31 in Tucson, Ariz., their tour is causing Cyrus-like levels of hysteria. When demand for a stop in Los Angeles exploded, the group's management scrambled to add performances, eventually tearing through some 18,000 stubs. And their three-song set in the 3-D movie version of the Cyrus concert, which hit theaters in late January and mopped up $31 million on its opening weekend, has only fanned the flames: A concert scheduled for next month in their home state of New Jersey sold 12,000 seats in two minutes. If it's even possible, the mania will get a further shot in the arm with three upcoming projects on the Disney Channel: the TV movie Camp Rock in June; a behind-the-scenes reality series later this year; and this fall, the scripted series J.O.N.A.S.
As is standard operating procedure for teen acts, the lines between family and business are blurred: Kevin Sr. contributes as comanager of the group, and Denise (whom the boys refer to as the CBO, or ''Chief Birthing Officer'') keeps the brood in check while traveling. Even littlest brother Frankie, 7, has a place at the group's merch tables, which sell T-shirts emblazoned with his photo and the slug ''Bonus Jonas,'' a pet name for the fan favorite. Given the amount of exposure the Jonas parents are sanctioning for their brood, it's hard not to, in this day and age of infamous family flameouts in Tinseltown, ask Kevin Sr. if he has any concerns for his kin. After quoting scripture, Kevin Sr. then adds, ''If we have healthy communication, if we continue to stay together as a family...the opportunity is there for them to be an exception to the rule in Hollywood. That's our hope. That's our prayer.''
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