The Backstreet Boys Story
All five of the members of the Backstreet Boys believe that fate had a hand in
bringing them together. Their ultra-romantic singles "Quit Playing Games (With My
Heart)" and "As Long As You Love Me" have conquered the music charts, both at
home in the U.S.A and abroad where they've become superstars. Nick Carter,
Howie Dorough, Kevin Richardson, A.J. McLean and Brian "B-Rok" Littrell are
extremely grateful that fate--and their multitude of CD-buying fans--has been so
very good to them.
BACK IN THE DAY
In the early 90s, A.J., Howie and Nick were all Orlando based teenagers auditioning
for commercials, TV shows and the occasional film. Howie was a veteran of
children's theater and has a first flush of success with tiny roles n movies like
Parenthood and Cop And A Half. A.J., meanwhile, had studied dance and was a
skilled puppeter and a natural cut-up. Singing was an afterthought. "I wanted to be
a dancer or an actor," he recalls. "I never really wanted to be a siger, but it just kind
of went that way." Not so for Nick Carter, who lived to sing. He spent the 1991
and 1992 football seasons as a featured vocalist at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers'
half-time show. He also turned down a role on a TV show just to join Backstreet
Boys.
"I got called back by The Mickey Mouse Club and Backstreet Boys all at the same
time," reveals Nick. "Of course, I turned MMC down for Backstreet Boys, but it
was kind of scary."
Kevin Richardson entered the picture when a friend he met at an Orlando club
mentioned the fledgling vocal group. Kevin, a native of Lexington, Kentucky
working at Walt Disney world to pay the rent, auditioned. "There were two other
members who didn't work out and I replaced one of them," Kevin recalls. "Then,
we needed another member. Brian's my cousin, and I called him up and he came
down to Florida...and he auditioned," Brian, who'd been singing in church his entire
life, was the final piece of the Backstreet Boys puzzle.
INTERNATIONAL SENSATIONS
Backstreet Boys' first single "We Got It Goin' On" made a slight ripple on the Hot
100 charts in the U.S. but blew up like a roman candle in Canada and Western
Europe! The Boys were soon fielding invitations to perform on MuchMusic in
Canada, Top Of The Pops in the U.K. and many more TV music shows. Leaving
the U.S. behind, they spent the next year touring Europe and Canada. Backstreet
Boys, their debut CD, racked up quadruple-platinum sales up in the Great White
North and double-platinum honors in Germany and much of Asia.
HOME AGAIN
No matter how many accolades were heaped on them or how many crying fans
screamed for them abroad. Backstreet Boys never forgot America. It was their
fondest dream to come home and cultivate the kind of success they had
experienced overseas. Finally, on August 12, 1997, they released Backstreet Boys,
their first American full-lenght CD. Blending their most popular songs from their
international debut as well as tunes from their European follow-up CD, Backstreet's
Back, it had a little something for everyone.
Backstreet Boys' success at home is finally catching up with their fame abroad.
"The whole thing is like a dream come true," says Kevin. "Coming home to the
United States where all of my friends and family can see what is really going on has
got me very excited."
What's next for Backstreet Boys? Well, after a winter tour of Europe they'll be
back in Orlando to do five shows at Walt Disney World's annual grad night
celebration. After that, they're scheduled to perform a live show in Boston and then
begin more American springtime dates.
No matter how huge Backstreet Boys mania grows, Nick, A.J., Kevin, Brian, and
Howie want one thing to remain perfectly clear--they're in show business for the
love of the music. Everything else is just icing on the cake! "We want to be
perceived as five guys who love to sing, love to perform, who love to share the
gifts of music that we have with the whole world," says Brian. "We finally have an
opportunity to focus on the U.S. because it's very personal to us. I'm very exicted
and happy...and we owe it all to the fans." Adds Howie, "I think we all hoped and
dreamed about it...but you can never expect it. It's a blessing. We thank God every
day for helping us.
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