That is Kevin's fact sheet, in his own words..but read on to find out more!
Name: Kevin Scott Richardson (Kevin is of Irish origin and means "handsome", and Scott is from old English and means "from Scotland".)
Nicknames: Kev, Kevy-kev, Boo(Bear), Emerald Eyes, Mr. Body Beautiful (FOR OBVIOUS REASONS!), Pumpkin, Old Man, and Train, "because he was a line-backer on his high school football team and ran over guys like a train". He is also nicknamed Train cause since he's so tall, he's very unaware of his limbs.
Birthdate: October 3,1971
Birthplace: Lexington, Kentucky
Current Residence: Orlando, Florida
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 158 pounds
Eye Color: Grenish Blue
Hair Color: Dark Brown
Zodiac Sign: Libra
Parents: mother Ann and father Gerald Sr.(Died in 1991 from colon cancer)
Siblings: Gerald jr.(32), and Tim(29)...both of his brothers are models.
Pets: A black cat named Quincy
Musical Instruments: He plays the keyboard and the bass guitar.
Favorite Jewlery: silver rings & earrings (2 in each ear)
Cologne: paco rabanne
Sport: Horseback riding
Heritage: Irish/English/Italian/American Indian
Color: Royal blue, black, purple
Music: "Uh, Elton John, Billy Joel and prince. I think that prince is a musical genius, just because of his writing ability." Others are: R.Kelly, Babyface, and Tessy Riley from BLACKstreet
Foreign country: Sweden
Movies: Top Gun and The Shawshank Redemption
Actors: Tom Cruis and Nicole Kidman
What makes him cry the most: Talking or thinking about his father.
Prized Possesion: His silver chain with two silver music notes hanging from it.
He likes anything to do with the outdoors
Dream vacation: Egypt or Jerusalem
TV shows: Roseanne and Martin
Food: Mom's home cooking, anything Asian, "I'll eat any food with peanut butter"
Book: Interview with the Vampire, by Anne Rice
Hobbies: b-ball, football, playing the keyboard, water skiing, swimming, surfing, and hockey.
What the others say about him: "he's the big brother"
What you should know: "I can be shy around girls"
Thought he would be: A pilot
Most likely to say: "Wuz up?"
Girl Qualities: kev's attracted to girls who accept him for who he is. "I'm a shy guy, sometimes I think too much about what to say to somebody or what they are going to think...I'm bashful. I like it when a girl tells me she likes me"
Worst habit: Sleeping late.
Previous experience: Singing in church choirs and barber shop groups. "I grew up singing in church with my family. My cousin Brian and I used to harmonize all the time..." he also moved from Lexington to Orlando in the early nineties and started working in Disney as 'Aladdin', and sometimes the occasional Ninja Turtle.
He spent 8 years of his life in a log cabin.
He hates racism.
Kevin knows an actor named Kevin Richardson.
He is a qualified ballroom dance instructor.
He's left-handed.
Kevin has a small role in "My Girl" in the carnival scene.
Kevin bites his tongue when he's thinking or bored.
Most likely to: Urge you to chase your dreams.
I describe myself like this: "Serious,concentrated on my work in the group. It's often good to be a perfectionist, but it can also be bad. Sometimes it can get too much. But I can let it go too sometomes. There's a time to be serious and a time for games"
I describe the other guys in the group like this: Brian and Nick:Both like to be clowns. Sometimes I have to look after them and make them clam down, when it's necessary. Howie:A genuine good person with a good heart. He's the peacemaker of the group. AJ:Theatrical, dramatic, a real storyteller!
Alone with Kevin:
-To be his best friend, talk to him about the things that are important to you. He is very sensitive and will listen to what your heart is saying.
-To make him fall in love, kevin is attracted to sensous women who wear classy clothes, try and be as elegant as possible. Don't curse, he hates that!
-The first kiss: You don't need to say anything, simply look into his eyes and he will understand, Kevin can really turn on the magic and be very romantic.
As the senior member of Backstreet Boys, responsibility just seems to fall naturally on the shoulders of Kevin Richardson. He's the one who most often tells the others to knock off the silliness and get focused when it comes time for serious work. Since he's a bit of a perfectionist it's a weight that he gladly bears, but there's a lot more to Kevin than just his drive to succeed!
For example, did you know that Kevin totally adores children? He loves taking time out to give autographs or take pictures with
Backstreet Boys' littlest fans. He admits that he's looking forward to being a father himself someday. Did you also know that he craves peanut butter? He's totally freaky for a snack of some of the sticky stuff with jam on a cracker. Kevin also enjoys night life and can often be found scoping out new dance floor moves with fellow BSB Howie at the hottest clubs. Whenever Backstreet Boys are visiting a new city or country, Kevin insists on taking some time out to organize a little sightseeing expedition for the Boys. He loves to explore new cultures and sample exotic food.
Born in Lexington, Kentucky on October 3, 1972, Kevin has always known what he wanted to do with his life. He discovered his love of music at an early age. "Me and Brian are cousins and both of our families are really musical," he explains. I grew up singing in church. Me and my mom-who is Brian's father's sister-I sang duets with her in church."
Kevin spent the first nine years of his life living on a 10-acre farm and the next eight living in a modern log cabin. I had a great childhood," he says. I loved school, played little league football, rode horses and dirt bikes and sang into a hairbrush in front of my bedroom mirror." Receiving his first set of keyboards as a high school freshman was an important landmark in his evolution as an artist. He eventually became skilled enough as a solo act to entertain patrons in restaurants and at weddings.
Musically, Kevin's inspired by artists who also play piano as well as vocal groups that specialize in heartfelt R&B. "My influences are Elton John, Billy Joel, Sting, Prince and all the groups like Boyz II Men and the Temptations," he says. "I really respect Elton John and Billy Joel and those guys-especially Prince, I think he's a musical genius. He's played every instrument known to man."
Kevin earned his first stage experience with local theatrical productions of famous musicals like Bye Bye Birdie and Barefoot In The Park. While still living at home, his natural grace and affinity for dance landed him a job as a ballroom dance instructor.
But eventually, Lexington became too small to hold Kevin's sizable talent and he bravely set out for Orlando, Florida hoping for a break into the fiercely competitive entertainment industry. Once established in the land where Mickey Mouse reigns, Kevin's striking good looks and outgoing personality convinced Walt Disney World to hire him to play the part of Aladdin on stage and in daily parades. While doing the Disney gig, a friend that Kevin met at a dance club told him about the auditions for a new vocal group called Backstreet Boys. Needless to say, Kevin's gorgeous voice landed him a place in the budding group. Soon after, he brought his cousin Brian into the mix.
Backstreet Boys has been an incredible learning experience for Kevin, who of all the guys, has taken the greatest interest in the technical and business sides of their organization. "It's been a great experience. We've learned so much and we're learning every day," he says. "Just the whole process of how the radio stations and the record industry works. And I've learned so much as far as production in the studio, I mean, I was just soaking all that in like a sponge."
For all these reasons, the other guys look up to Kevin as a big brother and the voice of reason in the group - even if they're not happy with what he has to say sometimes! "Kevin is a perfectionist," confirms cousin Brian. "He's got a lot of positive aspects, but he lets his perfectionist side get in the way sometimes because he wants things to be too perfect. He knows he needs to lighten up-sometimes he looks at people and they think he's going to rip their heads off!"
As time goes on, Kevin's learned to ask for the support of other members to make things go easier. "Sometimes, we'll get together and talk to the other guys because he doesn't want to come across as the one telling everyone what to do," reveals Howie, who especially appreciates Kevin's strong role in the group. "He's mature, responsible, professional and knows what he wants ... He's the authoritative one. You need someone like that, who has leadership qualities, to get the guys together."
For his part, Kevin doesn't mind being placed in the big brother position because the continued success of Backstreet Boys is the most important goal,~ for all its members. "Backstreet Boys is our life now. Right now we're pretty much eating, sleeping and living it," he says a tad wearily. "And in the time that's our own, we're sleeping in our hotels after the shows and the entire day is riding on the bus."
But all of the sacrifice and hard work pay off each time Backstreet Boys get on stage and the crowd begins to roar. "When you're a singer on stage, of course you can see the reaction of the people, and that's the greatest feeling of all.
That's what we're here for," he says. "It's a natural high. When you see someone singing your song, it's pretty wild. It can almost make you want to cry."
*When Kevin was little his brothers used to scare him with the KISS song "God Of Thunder." Kevin says, "They used to tell me, if you do this or you don't do that the God of Thunder is going to come and get you."
*Long after Kevin went to see "Star Wars" in 1977, he still had nightmares about the Storm Troopers.
*Kevin is a VERY heavy sleeper and sometimes he doesn't hear the alarm clock go off.
*When he gets home off the road the first thing he does is.....his laundry!
*His secret passion is working in his garden when he is at home.
*Kevin rents out his house to friends when he is on tour.
*If he weren't in the BSB he would probably be.."A teacher or a
coach."
*Here is Kevin's typical "OFF" day in his words..."I usually go to the gym, then to the mall to hangout, buy some CD's and check out some clothes, then I go home and take a nap and then usually just watch TV or movies."
*When Kev first moved to Orlando he tried getting a job on a cruise ship...after his Mom suggested it!
*Kevin collects leather jackets and Tommy Hilfiger boxers!
*He lost his first girlfriend to his BROTHER Tim.
*Kevin can play not only the keyboards but BASS and DRUMS! (He is WAY too modest) (he plays additional bass guitar on "Back to your heart" on the Millennium CD!)
*Kevy is so shy that he usually talks to a girl about music or something and waits for HER to let HIM know she is interested!
*Kevin has to move from his house he spent 2 years renovating because fans have found out where he lives and are showing up at his door!!
About eight years ago, Kevin's father Jerald, was an active man and looking forward to retiring," He was a big man," says Kevin about his father, " as tall as I am - about 6'1'' - and alot more muscley. He was an outdoors man and a handy man,who could fix anything around the house. He played football when he was younger, and he came to me and my brother's football games, cheering us on. He was dependable, always there for us. And my father would never complain if he's hurt himself, or if he was sick." Then,10 months after his diagnosis, his family lost him to cancer...
Kevin was living in Orlando, Florida, and was working at Walt Disney World, when his Mother, Father, and his Brothers went down to visit him on vacation," We had a really good time, but as soon as the vacation was over, my dad was diagnosed with Colon Cancer. I was 19."
When his father was diagnosed with cancer, Kevin didn't know that he was ill at first," I didn't know he was ill at first. He didn't want to worry me." Kevin's father went into surgery to have the tumor removed immediately," With immediate treatment, the survival rate is normally pretty good." However, even with the surgery, the cancer came back, but this time, it had already spread throughout his body," When I was told, I was devastated. I moved back home to Kentucky to be with him."
As time went on, Kevin saw all the stages of the cancer," He was taken too the hospital, and after a while, he was able to come home." Kevin's father then went through Chemotherapy, which caused clots in his blood, and eventually a stroke that put him back in the hospital," The doctors thought it was over, but he lived through that too. Through it all, I never thought my dad would actually die. I never thought something like this could happen too my family."
Ten months after his diagnosis of cancer, Kevin's father died. It was a very sad time for the family, however, their support of each other helped then get through the tragic time," We've always been close, so we were all really supportive of each other. My oldest brother, who was a model in Dallas, moved home too. I'm so proud of the way my Mom handled it. She and my Father were highschool sweethearts. My Mom was - has been - so strong."
Kevin himself went through some extreme emotions," I felt angry at God. I doubted him. I still haven't gotten over the anger, but eventually I realized my family is not unique. With all the illnesses around, such as cancer and AIDS - related diseases, people go through alot of pain. It helps me to understand that I'm not the only one. I just have to go on."
Even the time of seven years after his father's death, Kevin still misses many of the great things that his father gave too him in life," I miss his advice. I talked to him about what I wanted to do with my life. I was going to join the Air Force when I left high school. That was the logical thing, my brain told me to do that; Where as, my heart told me to pursue my music, and my Dad agreed. He told me to do whatever I wanted. Not long after we had that conversation, my best friend and I moved to Orlando."
When the holidays come around, it is a bit of a hard time for Kevin, especially around Christmas time," Whenever I hear Christmas music, it brings back all the memories of our times with him. When I was growing up, we used to collect the christmas tree together, shovel snow off the drive way, all the perfect christmas things."
With the success of the Backstreet Boys, and being on the road, it is a little hard to imagine, that there are still things out there to remind Kevin, of what his family went through," Things still remind me. What gets me, is when we meet terminally ill children. If I see a child who I know isn't going to have the chance to live life, it tears me up inside. I have to leave the room sometimes."
Whenever Kevin, or his cousin Brian have the chance to thank everybody for their support, they take the time out to remember Kevin's father, and thank him for what he has done for them, even though he is no longer around," To our family and friends, " Brian said to everyone at the MTV music awards in 1996," whether you're watching at home or up above, Thank you!" Kevin went on to add, " I knew if I said something too, I'd get emotional. But if I get the chance again, I'll mention him. I love my Father, and I want him to be remembered."
Throughout the pain, and other emotions that Kevin and his family have gone through, there has been one thought that has helped Kevin," I want to live my life in a way that would make him proud. I think he'd be pleased that I worked at the band. As long as I do what makes me happy, without sacrificing my morals, and follow what I was brought up to believe, he'll be proud."
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