Brian couldn’t be there, but the other members of Backstreet Boys were in high spirits. And why not? Backstreet Boys had every right to be proud. After years of trying to break into the American market, the group’s eponymous debut CD had gone four times platinum, firmly residing on the top 10 album charts for weeks, Backstreet Boys ere finaly bona fide stars at home with super successful singles such as Everybody and I’ll never break your heart healing up the airwaves across the country!
But their success as a group wasn’t the only reason spirits were high the day Tige Beat called Brian Littrell. The BSB’s own sporty spice, had come through heart surgery to correct a latent condition with flying colors. Everyone from his family, to his brothers? In the group to his fans, were greatly relieved. As the other guys make the interview rounds, he was home resting up for their tour.
So with Nick alling from pool side at his Tampa Bay area home, Kevin and Aj phoning in from their new houses in Orlando, and Howie chatting from the heart of his parent’s place. Tiger Beat got on with the question. Read on!
What does it mean to you to finally be stars here in the US?
Kevin : It’s a chance for us to show all of out friends and family what we’ve learn doing for the past four or five years we’ve been together. So, It’s really just kind of a person al thing for us.
How is Brian feeling?
Kevin : When I talked to him last time he sounded great. He’s doing really good. I was pretty scared when Brian went into the hospital. It’s just like a wake up call to make you appreciate every day that you have and not take things for granted. I’m just thankful that he make it through and he’s excited and ready to get back to work.
Nick, How do you feel about your looks being compared to Leo DiCaprio?
Nick :You don’t know how many times I’ve gotten that! I guess I kind of take it as a compliment. I mean, it’s a compliment, but not one that I like, I’d rather them say, that’s Nick Carter, that’s not Leo, you know?
With Geri leaving Spice Girls this summer, we have to wonder if there’s any chance of one of you leaving Backstreet Boys. Is there?
Aj : Since the group started up until now it’s always been five. And if will always be five. It’s one for all and all for one. I don’t think anyone is going term thing. The five of us are like brothers and family. What the paying public wants is to see five members and that’s just the way it’s going to stay for a while.
Here’s a sort of wacky question. If you could meet anyone, past or present, who would you like to talk to?
Howie :I’d like to meett the Pope.
Kevin : I think I’d like to have a conversation with Elvis. I would just like to talk to him and get his feedback on what he went through and talk about music.
Aj :I’d say Sammy Davis, Jr. He was one of my idols when I was growing up with he whole tap dancing act and the whole pack with him. Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. They were just really cool.
Nick :I ways thinking about maybe an older President from the past, maybe like Lincoln. Taht’d be cool to talk to him.
Nick, what’s it like having your baby brother Aaron tagging along on tour?
Nick : I think it’s great. Me and him are going to be spending a lot more time together than usual. He’s a lot younger than me, so that’s why I’m there to knock him down a few notches!
Are you doing a lot of writing for your next album?
Kevin : I just got my home studio installed this past week and Nick just got his installed to. So whenever we come home now, all the ideas we have, we can put them down and get them on tape and send them to the record company. That’s a lot of fun. I’m excited. I can’t believe I’ve got a studio in my house now.
Does the sreaming from your fans at concerts bother you?
Howie : When we first started touring it was quite a shock to us how loud the crowd was. We couldn’t really hear our own vocals on stage. Now we’ve pretty much got a wall of sound around so we can hear ourselves. But there are parts of the show where it just gets so loud that you can’t hear. Then there’s certain points where everybody’s quiet and they listen to your vocals. It’s all good.
How do you deal with the loneliness of being out one the road?
Howie : It’s kind of weirk for me, I went on a trip on behalf of the group down to South America during this time off. That’s when it finally hit me, you know, the loneliness of not having the four other guys around me. You learn to appreciate something that you take for granted. But just having the five of us as brothers, kind of out there on the road and looking out for each other and just being friends, that taked away a lot of the loneliness. And, AT&T calling cards help also!
Although you’re not all teenagers anymore, some people still insist on calling you teen idols. How does that make you feel?
Aj : I don’t think we really want to be classified as teen idols. We might get looked at that way just because of our ages and, I guess, the kind of image that we have, I think we just want people in respect us for our music first and then look at us however they want to look at us. I mean we’re not perfect. We’re just a bunch or regular loes that just want to do something that they love. If people look at us as just being normal, which is what we are, then that’s cool. If they want to look at us as being teen idols, or look up to us or envy us, that’s also cool. I don’t know what really goes through a 12 year olds mind or anything. I was there once myself but I don’t know what goes through their heads looking at us now. If they want to look at us as being teen idols, it’s cool. We’re all about being positive but it’s all about the music.
If you weren’t in Backstreet Boys, what do you think you’d be doing?
Nick : I could answer this for all of us. We’d be doing some kind of entertainment. Singing or some form of acting. I think also Howie would probably be going to school still.
Howie : College for me. Hopefully, by new, I’d be finished with college. I was going to college for communications and music. Now, actually learning what I’ve learned in the music business, I think I would have probably switchect over to business by now.
Aj : I would have been studying psychology. I just like getting inside of people’s heads.
Kevin : I’d be doing some music or acting. I love entertainment. I love music. I’d be doing some producing or writing as well.
Does anyone have a girlfriend right now?
Howie : I don’t have a girlfriend.
Aj : I’m dating but I don’t have anybody serious. I’m still trying to find somebody that can put up with my schedule. It’s a little hard. You kind of get things going and then you’ve got to leave for two or three months. It’s really difficult to try to maintain a decent relationship, especially when you’re a person like me that wants to give either all or none.
Kevin :I’m dating a little bit, but nothing like really serious.
Nick : Same for me. There’s not really that much time to actually put that much effort into it.
When are we going to see a Backstreet Boys movie?
Howie : Not anytime soon.
Aj : When I grow chest hair!
Kevin : We want to concentrate on our music. We just want to give our music 100 percent. We’ve been offered things here and there, but not until later down the road will we ever start really thinking about that stuff.
Howie : Plus we couldn’t fit it into our schedule. Our schedule is booked up until next year!
Backstreet Boys concert tickets sold out really fast. Do you have a message to our readers who were unable to come see your show?
Aj : We’ll be back!
Kevin : We’re going to do another tour all over the US with bigger venues. We’re getting ready to rehearse for our world tour.
Howie : It’s going to start in Europe in November through December. Then we’re going to break for Christmas. Then we’re going to finish Europe and Southeast Asia, South America, Canada and North America.
Wow! That sounds great.
Aj : It’s going to be a big one! If you don’t catch us this time, see your on the rebound!
Nick : We’ll be back.
Howie : Because Backstreet’s Back!
