Brian
Describe the girl of your dreams.
"She has long hair, but the color isn't important. What is though, is her
personality. She must
know what she wants and she must know how to obtain it. Sadly, amongst the
girls I've been
going out with, I haven't yet met the one of my dreams."
What's more important to you- physical appearance or personality?
"Of course I like to look at pretty girls in the street. What average hot-
blooded boy doesn't? But
from past experience I nkow that most of these girls are very snobbish. That's
why I think
personality goes before anything."
Would you go out with a fan?
"Yes, no problem! When we're on tour we meet a lot of fans but I haven't got
enough time to get
to know them. This is why I enjoy so much when we have a break, cause it allows
me to meet
other people- people outside the group. I like to spend an evening just talking
to a girl."
A.J.
What type of girl attracts you?
"I particularly like ones who have a strong personality, charisma and are sure
of themselves. I
also like girls with a sense of humor, who like to laugh. Physical looks are
not important."
Would you date a fan?
"Of course. In fact it has already happened. When fans put a phone number in
their letters, I
always phone them to ask how are they doing. I have this strange habit that
when I see a phone I
have to call somebody. Girls don't believe it's me and always hang up the
phone. I love our fans.
They are really nice, especially when you realise that no one knew us two years
ago."
Howie
How far would you go for love?
"All the way. I'd give the girl flowers, take her out for a romantic
dinner...the whole deal. I've
even gone after girls who didn't like me. When I'm in love, nothing can stop
me!"
How would you define love?
"Above the sexual aspects, love is to be great friends with someone. My
girlfriend must be my
best friend. I like honesty, and the idea that no one hurts each other. I know
I'll be in love the day
I met the girl of my life."
Describe your ideal girl.
"I prefer natural girls to sophisticated snobbish ones. I like all kinds of
girls, really - I don't have
any specific type. They can be big or small, blonde or ginger...it doesn't
matter. I like bright and
sincere girls. I like to feel that the girl I'm talking to doesn't just think I
speak a lot of rubbish."
How do you show a girl you really care about her?
"The best way is to keep your eyes on her when you're out somewhere. To assure
her that she's
the only one you need. I don't like to have a steady girlfriend, though, but I
do like to go on dates."
Kevin
What kind of girl do you go for?
"I don't have a specific type but I like the ones who dress sexy and classy at
the same time. That
doesn't mean that they have to wear mini skirts. I like to spend time with a
girl I like, just to talk
and get to know her. Physical appearance isn't important. The important thing
is being able to
speak to each other as equals. She must be clever and sure of herself."
Have you ever two-timed a girl?
"Yes, I have. It just sorta happened. I felt very guilty afterwards and vowed I
would never cheat
on a girl again. You have to be honest with someone if you're in a
relationship, otherwise you'll
never be happy."
Nick
What do you look for in a girl?
"I like girls with long hair and a strong personality. A girl who is always
agreeing with me
would be a bit boring. I like the challenge, I like to take risks, like having
an argument for
instance. There are no dream girls, though. None who really crack me up. But I
hate girls who
smoke, have bad breath, or think they're better than anyone else."
Would you date a fan?
"Yes, why not! We like to have a good relationship with our fans. I could go
out with one of
them but I don't think that it could become serious. We haven't got time to see
our family and
friends so how would we find time for a serious relatonship? It would be too
hard on the girl."
Embarrassing Moments (only some of them)
A.J.
1. "I embarrassed myself when we did a photo shoot where I was dressed as The
Riddler in this
green spandex outfit, I mean I looked like Jim Carrey! Anyway, I went out on
stage and
introduced our two opening acts dressed like that. The audience went absolutely
nuts and all the
guys were tripping out - they were, like 'I can't believe you did it'."
Nick
1. "We play jokes on each other. One time on stage, I found myself singing into
a banana! They
stuck it on my microphone."
2. "We did a number, I danced too wild and was going to do a certain move we
practiced. My
pants were a bit too big and they were held up by my boxers. So when we landed
from the jump,
my pants fell down! Swoosh! The whole audience got to see (my boxers) and they
screamed, of
course."
3. Once before a concert the other boys locked Nick out in the hall in his
boxers and the fans got
to see.
Brian
1. "Once we were performing a song from the new album on stage and I had to
sing the first two
verses. The dance routine was really difficult and I was concentrating so hard
on it that I blanked
on the words. The others were useless. They were cracking up laughing and
didn't try to help
me out at all!"
16 Magazine
Florida's own Backstreet Boys have made a name for themselves around the globe.
They've sold millions
of albums around the world and sold-out countless concert performances that
leave girls screaming for
more. They've topped the music charts with the singles "Quit Playin' Games
(With My Heart)" and "As
Long As You Love Me" and they're tops with girls everywhere!
Nicky Carter, Kevin Richardson, Brian Littrell, A.J. McLean, and Howie Dorough
know the way to girls'
hearts. Nick sez: "I'd love to take a girl for a barefoot walk on the beach."
How romantic! AJ makes no
"bones" about it when he sez: "Meeting a girl is all about looking across a
room and catching a smile."
Dreamy Howie says he'd love to cook a meal for a girl "then dine with her by
candlelight." Bashful Kevin
admits, "I like it when a girl tells me she likes me." And Brian loves doing
anything that allows him to
"spend time getting to know somebody."
August 1998-What's It Like To Meet The Backstreet Boys? What
Are They Like In The Flesh? We Know And We're Tellin!
One of the really cool things about working here at 16 Magazine is that we get
the chance to know some
of your absolute favorite music guys--and these days, that spells Backstreet
Boys, big time! kevin
Richardson, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, A.J. McLean, and Nick Carter have
been longtime 16 buds,
and they've spent many a long afternoon here, takin' pictures, doin'
interviews, looking cute
and...well...eating! What are they like in person? Here's the deal! Gorgeous,
gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous
and gorgeous! In person, the Backstreet Boys are better looking than any photo
can reveal; Kev's tall,
dark and handsome; Howie positively glows with warmth and sincerity; Brian,
who's the shortest BSB, is
a total stunner with a heart of gold; adorable A.J.'s got brown eyes that'll
melt your heart and tall, blonde
'n lanky Nick is eye candy deluxe. No wonder so many fans across the country
swoon when the BSB
stroll on stage--we do the same thing every time we see 'em!
All five of the Backstreet Boys know how to mix comfort with style. A.J.'s the
one who's most likely to
sport a new hairdo (or hair color!) or fingers full of brand new silver rings.
Recently, Howie's been fooling
with his dark brown hair too, but he's definitely the jeans and t-shirt member
of the group. Kevin, Brian
and Nick all favor sweatsuits, or jerseys from their favorite sports teams.
Since we've known 'em for so
long, we thought you might want to know this little factoid: Over the past four
years, all the BSB have
changed physically--they've all buffed up a lot, for example. But of the five,
Nick is the one who's
changed the most--we've watched him sprout up almost a foot in height and turn
into one of the
handsomest dudes on the planet. And Brian's the BSB who's doing the time warp--
his beauteous face
hasn't changed one bit.
One's a little serious, one's a lot wacky and they're all totally sweet, fun
and full of life. Since he's the
eldest, Kevin's taken on the responsibility of group leader--when you ask him a
question, he takes a while
to answer, 'cause he's seriously thinking about what he wants to say.
Nick's the wild card! During his last visit to 16 he grabbed Brian and started
wrestling with him right on
the office floor. He loves getting silly and making goofy jokes. One thing
you'll definitely notice about all
the Backstreet Boys--they're perfect gentleman; thoughtful, polite and well-
mannered. The kind of guys
you'd love your mom to meet!
We'll tell you no lies--we absolutely love the Backstreet Boys and genuinely
look forward to seeing them
when they're in town. Do we have a favorite? Nope, they're all extra-special to
us. And you can believe
this--they're a hard-working, talented bunch who truly deserve every ounce of
success! We love you
guys!
BB Magazine (some of this is a little...
out of date)
C'mon, admit it: There are one or two thing you wouldn't mind changing about
yourself. Maybe you want
a bod that's totally toned and muscled. Or maybe you wish you could stop
procrastinating and start doing
your homework as soon as you get home from school instead of frantically
stressing about it at the last
minute.
Well, what are you waiting for? Now is the perfect time to make those changes!
You can start off the
new year with a new-and-improved you, just like the Backstreet Boys. As the
five Orlando, Florida-based
bandmates recently shared with BB, they're sure that their New Year's
resolutions will totally change their
lives for the better.
In Nick Carter's case, that means cutting back on candy bars and fast food. "I
don't get into New Year's
resolutins, really," the 17-year-old singer tells BB. This year, however, Nick
does have one serious
resolution: "To not eat so much," he says.
However, that's hard to do when you're on the road and you have to grab a bite
at the closest, most
convenient restaurants, which often means fast-food joints and greasy spoons.
"It's really hard to stay
healthy on the road," Nick confides. "It takes work."
For Nick, his healthy resolution means cutting back on the cans of his fave
beverage, Mountain Dew, that
he drinks every day and not eating more then a few slices of his all-time fave
food-pizza-in one sitting. It
also means that when he and his bandmates chow down at fast-food joints like
McDonald's, Nick might
want to resist ordering those yummy but fat-and-calorie-filled French fries
that he likes so much with his
burger.
Yet Nick won't be the only one answering "no" when the McDonald's cashier asks,
"Do you want fries
with that order?" A.J. McLean is also determined to stick to a healthier diet
in 1998 by cutting back on
fast food. "My New Year's resolution is to stop eating at McDonald's," says
A.J., who turns 20 on
January 9. "But it's going to be so hard because I've been eating it since I
was 6. It tastes so good, I'd eat
it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if I had a choice!" But as yummy as this
greasy food may be, A.J.
knows that it isn't as good for his bod as vitamin and nutrient-packed veggies
and fruits, which is why
he's reluctantly resolving to stop eating it.
In addition to filling his bod with healthier food, A.J. also plans to start
managing his money more
responsibly in 1998. "I need to budget," the singer admits to us. "I spend way
too much money on
frivolous things. I'm an impulse shopper. I don't have time to go shopping, so
when I do, I don't take my
time. I just buy."
While A.J. works on managing his money, BSB's Kevin Richardson will be busy
trying to manage his
time more effectively. "My New Year's resolution is to manage my time more
wisely then I have in the
past," the 26-year-old singer tells BB. "With all the touring that we do, and
with our schedules, I don't
have a lot of free time. I want to make the most of the little time that I do
have so I can get my personal
life in order."
But that's hard to do when you get so little sleep that you feel totally
exhausted most the time. That's
why, Kevin shares, "I'm also going to have to work on my sleeping habits. We're
so busy now that when
we do get some free time, we don't want to waste it sleeping. So I get back to
the hotels and I'm watching
TV, reading, writing music or playing video games. It's hard for me to wind
down and just go to sleep."
Like Kevin, Brian Littrell knows that he has to put some effort into taking
care of himself while the band
is on the road. It's way too easy to let yourself get too little sleep, stop
working out and eat nothing but
bad-for-you foods. But Brian also knows that depriving your bod of a healthy
diet, exercise and sleep
eventually takes its toll, leaving him exhausted and cranky. "My resolution is
to focus on me rather than
the band a little more," Brian, 22, tells us. "I need to eat healthier and
start taking better care of myself."
That includes continuing to take good care of his fingernails. "My resolution
last year was to stop biting
them, and I stuck with it," Brian declares. "But I'd still like to gnaw them
off right now! I still have that
craving, but I'm not embarrassed by my hands anymore when I'm signing
autographs and holding
microphones. I've seen many photos that I didn't like because of my hands."
But of all the Backstreet Boys, Howie Dorough may be the one who has to work
the hardest to keep his
New Year's resolution. Trying not to nibble on your nails, adding sleep to your
daily schedule and steering
clear of fast foods are easy compared to what Howie will be doing in 1998:
trying to overcome serious
insecurity. "This is the same resolution I have every year, and I never
actually deal with it," the
24-year-old singer confesses. "I'm very bad at making decisions. I'm the type
of person who's always
asking everyone's opinions on everything, whether it's clothing, or whether
it's to do this or that or
whatever. I ask too many people and I end up getting too many different
answers. That gets me
confused, which makes it even harder to make a decision. So, I want to try to
become secure enough
with my own decisions that I can just accept them."
Trusting himself to make good decisions won't be an easy thing for Howie to
learn. After all, it takes
many months of therapy for some people to learn to do this! But with Howie's
determination to change,
and with the support his bandmates are sure to give him, we're betting that
this will be the year he finally
succeeds with sticking to his New Year's resolution. In fact, we're sure all of
the Backstreet Boys have
the willpower to stay true to their resolutions-which means, of course, that at
this time next year, you'll be
seeing an even better version of the Backstreet Boys!
June 1998-
Share Fortune With Family
The Backstreet Boys don't like bragging about how much money they make. "It's
really uncomfortable
when people ask us how much we make," admits the Orlando, Florida-based group's
Brian Littrell. Still, it
doesn't take a super sleuth to figure out that with all their sold-out concerts
and the fantastic sales of their
1997 self-titled CD, not to mention the success of their groovy R&B singles
such as "As Long As You
Love Me" and Quit Playin' Games (With My Heart)," the Backstreet Boy's bank
accounts must be pretty
big by now.
Other musicians might be tempted to empty these accounts by spending only on
themselves, splurging on
luxury sports cars and shopping sprees at way-expensive designer stores. Not
Brian and his bandmates,
Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, A.J. McLean and Kevin Richardson. Instead, these
blessed-with-success
bandmates are sharing their newfound fortunes with the people who matter most
to them in the world:
their families.
"Financially, now we have the freedom to do things that we've always wanted
to," says Kevin. And what
the Backstreet Boys have always wanted to do is give something back to the
families who have always
supported them and cheered them on throughout their music careers.
Nick, for instance, has bought his family a new house. That's right, a house!
We think that makes Nick
an incredibly generous guy, but when we pointed this out to him, he was totally
modest about it. "I help
my family out because it means a lot to me," the 18-year-old singer shrugs.
"It's weird, because I've
always had an old-fashioned kind of feeling about how, you know, everybody
contributes to the family
and everybody helps out. That's the way I was brought up. I do it because I
want to."
We're sure that all the Carters are totally grateful for Nick's humongous
contribution to his family,
especially since it means his 'rents will never have to worry about monthly
house payments again. Nick is
determined to make all the payments for them. In fact, he shares, "It's almost
completely paid for now!"
Following Nick's lead, A.J. is carefully setting some of his money aside to buy
a new house, too, and to
fulfill a promise he made to his grandparents, Ursula and Adolph Fernandez,
when he first got into
showbiz. "From the very beginning, every audition I went on, my grandmother
would say, 'If you get this
part and you make a lot of money, I want you to buy me a house on the ocean,'"
the 20-year-old
performer remembers. "I'd say, 'All right. Some day, some day.' Now that that
the opportunity is at hand,
I want to buy her and my grandfather a nice little spot on the ocean somewhere.
I want to help them out,
since I can."
For Howie, helping his family out means outfitting their historic house in
Orlando, Florida with an
essential modern convenience. "The first thing I did with my money was put
central heating in my
parents' house," he shares. "It's It's about 100 years old and it has, like,
the nice hardwood floors and
stuff, but no central heating. So, I put it in throughout the whole house."
That will definitely make
Florida's cool winter nights a lot more comfortable for Howie's folks!
However, heating isn't the only home improvement on which Paula and Hoke
Dorough's 24-year-old son
has splurged for them. "Now, I'm fixing up their place by landscaping the
backyard and the front yard,"
Howie tells BB. "We've got a lot of plants in their now, and I got my mom an
elephant water fountain,
because her biggest thing is elephants."
Like Howie, Brian loves being able to give his family gifts that used to be way
out of their price range.
That's why when birthdays and holidays roll around in the Littrell house these
days, Brian likes to find
spectacular gifts for his parents, Harold and Jackie, and his big brother,
Harold Jr. "This past year, I
bought my brother a brand-new Honda Civic for his birthday, because he was
driving a pretty old pick-up
truck," the 23-year-old Kentucky-born cutie tells BB. "I also got my mom a
piano for Christmas this past
year. She's always wanted one because she's been able to play by ear for a long
time, but she never had a
piano to practice on and play. She was like, 'Oh, I love you! I love you!'"
Seeing this type of reaction
makes Brian feel that his extravagant gifts are worth every single penny he
spends on them!
Brian's cousin, Kevin, also likes to take his money and splurge on nice big
gifts for his family. For
instance, his recent Christmas presents to his big brothers, Jerald and Tim,
included super-cool and
super-expensive TAG watches.
Kevin uses his money to help his family out in more practical ways, too. He
recently bought a new house
for his mom, Ann, and found a stress-free, fun job for her. "Right now, she's a
sales rep at a department
store, but she's done a lot of bookkeeping, too, so I'm thinking she can help
me with my company's
books," says this 26-year-old business-minded babe, who is now in the process
of starting up his own real
estate company. "I want her to be a part of my company, so she can quit her job
and just work with me
and be with me."
If you ask Kevin and the rest of the Backstreet Boys, they'll probably tell you
that as long as they're
successful, they'll keep sharing their riches with their families. "It makes
you feel good," Howie says
about his ability to help out his family. In that case, we're betting that the
Backstreeet Boys must be
feeling great these days!
