Jun 21 2000 12:00AM By Kate Hettinger Sun Staff Writer
A Shawnee Mission Northwest graduate became an
unofficial Backstreet Boy Saturday. Kristin Willits,
29, married Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson, 29, in a
private Kentucky ceremony, said her father, local
chiropractor John Willits.
The Backstreet Boys have been called the biggest pop
music group in the world. Their first album,
"Backstreet Boys," has sold more than 28 million
copies worldwide. Their follow-up, "Millennium," sold
1.1 million copies in the first week.
The Boys have been nominated for a "Best New Artist"
Grammy, and Richardson was named one of People
magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in 1999.
The news of the marriage will likely make Willits a
household name, but her own accomplishments prove she
has every right to her own fame.
Willits just finished filming "Metal God," a movie
starring Jennifer Aniston and Mark Wahlberg, John
Willits said. Her interest in the entertainment
business started long before that.
Willits graduated from Northwest in 1988. While in
high school, she was a member of the drill team,
cheerleading squad and gymnastics team.
"She was fun and funny," said gymnastics coach Janice
Miller. "Kristin was real vivacious in high school."
Kim Watts, who was co-captain of the team with
Willits, said they spent a lot of time together. "We
were in every activity under the sun in high school,"
she said. "She was always a captain, a leader, a main
choreographer."
Watts recalled Willits being fascinated with Madonna.
"She totally idolized Madonna," Watts said. "She
dressed like her, looked like her."
But Willits is not remembered as the "Material Girl"
Madonna sang about. "She was real bubbly and friendly
to everybody," Watts said. "She didn't care who you
were. She was very popular, yet never stuck up."
While in high school, Willits worked at Worlds of Fun
as a dancer and singer in the variety shows, John
Willits said.
Willits attended the University of Kansas for one
semester before calling her father and telling him she
wanted to go to Oklahoma City University to study
dance. "That started her career," John Willits said.
Willits worked at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Va.,
during the summers she was in college. After that she
worked on a Royal Odyssey cruise ship for a year.
Willits eventually moved to Orlando to work at Walt
Disney World in the Beauty and the Beast attractions.
That was where she met Richardson.
"We've known him the whole time," her brother Brad
Willits said.
They began a relationship, dating on and off for about
seven or eight years, John Willits said.
During this time, Willits auditioned for and was
accepted to spend a year as a Radio City Music Hall
Rockette in New York. She toured with the Will Rogers
Follies company across the United States and was on
Broadway in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the
Forum," with Nathan Lane, Whoopi Goldberg and David
Alan Grier.
After her time on stage, Willits made the transition
to television acting on the Comedy Central show "Viva
Variety.",p> Willits was also one of three dancers in
Cher's "Believe" tour.
The movie she just finished filming is tentatively set
to be released in October. Kim Watts was not surprised
Willits has added Rockette, professional dancer and
actress to her resume after her humble beginnings in
neighborhood yards.
"She just has raw talent," Watts said. "I'm not
surprised she's made it this far on her own."
Throughout this time, Richardson was also a rising
star. John Willits said he found out after the Kansas
City Backstreet Boys concert this past fall that
Richardson wanted to marry Kristin.
"He turned to me and said, 'May I speak to you
privately?,'" John Willits recalled. "'I'd like to ask
your permission for your daughter's hand in marriage.'
I said that would be fine. That was the first time in
my history, in my family, I found out first what was
happening. I thanked him for that."
John Willits said his daughter and Richardson were in
Kansas City for Christmas. Kristin has been back
since, though the last visit was at least two months
ago, John Willits said. "She's been real tied up with
this movie and hasn't been back lately," he said. "She
comes in and is gone again. And she travels a lot."
John Willits said he was very proud of his daughter
because she's proven hard work pays off.
"She's done it all on her own," John Willits said.
"She's accomplished it by herself one step at a time."