Hi, I'm Pauline. You might remember me--I made the "Luv Backstreet Forever" webpage. Well, here's another page devoted to my fave Boy, Kevin Richardson. It's still under construction and I don't have any pix or anything really yet, but keep checking back (sound familiar?). PeAcE and LUV 4-ever.
Kevin Scott Richardson was born on October 3, 1971, to Ann and Gerald Richardson. He has two older brothers, Gerald Jr. and Tim. Until he was eight years old, they lived in Harrisburg in Mercer County, Kentucky. When he was nine, they moved to a summer camp his father managed--it was a church camp. Says Kev, "I was fortunate to grow up there. I had tons of friends because every summer the camp was full of kids."
Childhood was a great time for Kevin. He learned to ride horses, play lots of sports, and helped his dad whenever he could. He also learned to play piano. He's played since he was nine years old. He taught himself and plays by ear. His "whole family sings and stuff." Kevin was exposed to lots of different genres of music--from the gospel-tinged hymns he sang in church to the traditional campfire songs he sang at his dad's camp. He was also influenced by the stuff he heard on the radio. "I've always loved Prince's music," he says. "I like the Eagles, Van Halen, Aerosmith, Elton John, Billy Joel, Boyz II Men, New Edition--I have a really wide variety of musical tastes. I just love music, so it depends on what mood I'm in. I like rap. I like alternative. I like rock and country. I really like it all!"
Soon after his high school graduation, Kevin headed to Orlando, Florida, to try and make his dreams of becoming a singer/songwriter come true. He landed a job playing Aladdin at Walt Disney World before he heard about the Backstreet Boys--then started by Howie, Nick, and A.J., who met at an audition. There were two other guys who didn't work out and Kevin replaced one of them. The band still needed a fifth member, so Kevin called his cousin Brian in Kentucky. "He came down to Florida . . . and he auditioned," says Kevin. Thus, the Backstreet Boys were formed.
Kevin has become the big brother of the group, the one who most often tells the others to knock off the silliness and get focused when it comes time for serious work. He and Howie are the dual voices of maturity and responsibility. "Being older, Howie and I are the ones who have to say, let's stop goofing off because we've got a lot to do," Kev explains. Can't you just tell this guy's a perfectionist?
Kevin doesn't get home too much these days. "Every chance I get I try to see my family. I try to see them two or three times a year." And although Kevin lost his dad to cancer in 1991, he still carries around the memories of his father and childhood everywhere he goes. He always brings an envelope with pictures of his family when he's on the road.
Kevin would eventually like to travel a little less so that having a relationship with a special someone could be a reality. "I don't want to be out on the road all my life," he says. "I want to have a family someday. Family is very important to me and, eventually, I'd like to have one of my own. I don't think I could manage a family and be the kind of father I need to be when traveling out on the road." A perfect date for Kevin is "some dinner, good conversation . . . and maybe a romantic walk in a park or on a beach."
Kevin's Quotes
Facts
Luv Backstreet Forever
Luv Backstreet Messageboard
The Official BSB Website
Ruty's Kevin Richardson page
