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The Backstreet Boys' Personal Promises - BOP
It's always fun and exciting to make New Year's resolutions, but
sometimes they're hard to keep--and easy to blow off. Yet when it comes
to the Backstreet Boys, New Year's resolutions are something they
definitely don't take for granted. Although Orlando, Florida-based band
members Kevin Richardson, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, AJ McLean and
Nick Carter are busy touring, performing such hits as "We've Got It
Goin' On" and "Anywhere For You" from their due-in-April CD, they're
also working hard to keep the New Year's resolutions they made a couple
of months ago.
Kevin, 24, knows that being on tour keeps him away from the people he
grew up with, so his first resolution is to stay in contact with his
friends. He's also trying to relax and enjoy the group' success. "That's
one of my goals because I tend to be such a perfectionist and I look far
ahead at what we have yet to accomplish that I forget to look back and
see what we've already done and be proud of it," he confides to BOP. His
cousin Brian, on the other hand, has just one simple New Year's
resolution: "To stop biting my nails!" the 22-year-old says.
Now that the Backstreet Boys are getting more and more popular, fans
will soon want to hear more songs. And 23-year-old Howie has already
given this much thought. "To keep writing music is a big resolution that
I want to start," he tells BOP. Howie also confesses that he still has a
resolution left over from last year that he's trying to work on. "I'm
going to try to be on time for things and not take so long to get
ready," he says. "Maybe I'll be less stressed it I'm more organized with
my time."
AJ's resolutions are all about being fit. Though he's known to eat very
little dairy products for health reasons, the 19-year-old does have a
craving for fast-foods, which he knows is not exactly good for him. "I'm
going to try chill out on the McDonald's food," he says. "Sometimes I
eat too much of it and I've had a problem in the past with my stomach. I
don't want to make it worse than it is, so I'm trying to eat less
greasy, fattening foods and take better care of myself." He points out
that being healthy not only involves eating well, but getting enough
exercise, too. "I'm going to try to work out more and be cautious of my
body," Howie adds.
Whew! Sounds like the Backstreet Boys want to accomplish a lot for
themselves with these New Year's resolutions. Doesn't anyone in the band
not want to make such heavy promises? The youngest member, Nick, does.
"I'm pretty much okay with myself" says the 17-year-old. "I think the
only thing is, is to just have fun!" Now that's a resolution we can all
keep!
The Backstreet Boys' Balancing Act - BOP
What's the secret of the Backstreet Boys' success? Well, aside form a
cappella harmonies they create in songs such as "We've Got It Goin' On"
and "Anywhere For You" the bandmates--Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian
Littrell, AJ McLean and Kevin Richardson--bring strong personalities to
the Backstreet Boys, which put together, create a perfect balance of
seriousness and silliness, fun and focus on success.
As the oldest members of the Backstreet Boys, 24-year-old Kevin and
23-year-old Howie bring maturity and responsibility to the band. "Being
older, Howie and I are the ones who have to say, 'Let's stop goofing off
band because we've got a lot to do,'" Kevin explains.
Howie helps him out by smoothing over disagreements when the Backstreet
Boys' exhausting schedule makes them tense and irritable, especially
during their tiring promotional tour for their due-in-April
When bandmates are looking for a good laugh, however, they turn to
22-year-old Brian and 17-year-old Nick. As the self-proclaimed "Jim
Carrey" of the Backstreet Boys, Brian brings a good sense of humor to
the band. With Nick, who loves playing practical jokes on people, he
makes sure things don't get too serious. As AJ tells us, "They're always
amusing--they keep our spirits up."
And AJ? "He brings the soul to the group," Nick says. A sensitive guy
who writes romantic poetry in his spare time, 19-year-old AJ's the one
who makes sure the band's soulful love ballads are filled with
sincerity. With soul, humor and maturity, no wonder the Backstreet Boys
have got it goin' on!
Backstage With the Backstreet Boys - BB
It's moments before a Backstreet Boys show. With thousands of fans
waiting around an empty stage, the big question is: Are the Backstreet
Boys freaking out backstage? Are they crossing their fingers and
nervously combing their hair in their dressing room mirrors?
Nooo way! While the crowd anxiously awaits for these five cuties--Nick
Carter, AJ McLean, Brian Littrell, Howie Dorough and Kevin
Richardson--to perform their hit songs "We've Got It Goin' On" and "I'll
Never Break Your Heart" from their 1996 self-titled European debut
album, they're tuning their pipes (that is, warming up their voices) for
the show. "We do a lot of a cappella singing together and warm up for
about 30 minutes before we go on stage," Kevin explains to BB.
Besides vocalizing as much as possible, Howie says it's important to
keep his vocal chords as moist as possible for a good performance. "I
try to drink a lot of herbal, hot teas with a lot of honey and lemon,"
the 23-year-old singer tells us. "And, I have a steamer that I use
sometimes."
When BB asked 17-year-old Nick if he, like Howie, was into tea-time, he
said no. But it isn't because he doesn't like tea, Nick just says that
in those last-minute moments before a show, he doesn't have enough time
for tea. "I would like to," he explains, "but basically, [I] just warm
up."
Brian, 22, tells us that all the singing, dancing, and road-tripping can
get pretty crazy at times and it takes more than their pre-show warm up
session to keep the Boys' voices fine-tuned. When he feels something
creeping up on him that might send his vocal chords into shock, he says
he just tries "to take a break for a second."
Aside from a few rest, and relaxation breaks, 24-year-old Kevin adds
that the Backstreet Boys also "try to stay away from dairy products
because they tend to make your throat"--OK, this is a bit personal--"get
a lot of mucus." Yuck!
Following the low on milk, ice cream and cheese diet, AJ, 19, watches
his health, not just his throat, to avoid vocal damage. He also says he
is extra-careful about kissing fans at shows. "All those fans, if you
give them a kiss on the cheek...they got a cold and boom! you get sick."
AJ explains. But knowing that some things are unavoidable, once he does
detect a throat problem, he takes action fast. "The day I get it," he
says, "I go out and get my prescription and I pop the pills and the
Thera-Flu and I'm on my way."
This month, the Backstreet Boys are all on their way. They're taking
their well-tuned tunes around Europe and making final arrangements to
release their US debut album at the end of April. And they're probably
kissing a few fans along the way, too.
Backstreet Boys Rule Europe - Teen People
Amsterdam-it's 11 am, and 50 Dutch girls are standing sentry outside the
Grand Hotel Kransnapolsky. They've been there since yesterday-shouting,
crying and pressing themselves up against the hotel's imposing iron
gates.
Inside the Grand--and out of the fans' reach--is an extraordinary
roster of rock's biggest stars (the members of Hanson, Aerosmith and U2
among them), who will all be attending tonight's MTV Europe Music
Awards in nearby Rotterdam. But when a passerby asks the crowd who
they're waiting for, the answer rises up in a shrieking wall of sound:
"Backstreet Boys!"
Back in the Unites States, this five-man vocal group from Orlando (Nick
Carter, 18; Howie Dorough, 24; Brian Littrell, 22; AJ McLean, 20; and
Kevin Richardson, 25), which has been performing together since 1993,
has caught fire with the chart-topping singles "Quit Playing Games (With
My Heart)" and "As Long As You Love Me". But in Europe, the band's
records have outsold albums by the Foo Fighters, LL Cool J--even Puff
Daddy.
"In Europe, there's no walking--anywhere--without a bodyguard," says
Howie from the hotel's lobby, where the Boys have convened after getting
a post-noon wake-up call. To prove that theory, AJ and Nick head outside
to greet some of the fans before climbing aboard their private bus,
which will take them to Rotterdam, where they'll be performing as well
as presenting and--hopefully--winning an MTV award. The band's five
bodyguards are not amused by the Boys' boldness. "When teenage girls all
push in a group, you can't stop them," says head guard Lonnie Jones. As
he speaks, the crowd erupts. A cluster of girls break free and charges
towards Nick. Lonnie (who's bigger than most refrigerators) quickly
intervenes, directing the other guards to keep the rest of the band at a
safe distance.
Once the Boys are safely aboard the bus, Nick shakes his head at the
girls pounding their fits against his window. "It's really weird. They
think they know who we are, but they don't." Brian sighs and points out
the irony of the situation: None of the Boys has a serious girlfriend.
"People say, Who cares? You're loved by thousands of screaming girls,'"
he says. "But it's not like there's somebody I can call anytime and say,
'This is how I feel.' There isn't someone who knows me inside and out."
They peer out the window as the bus passes the Gelredome in Arnhem. "You
guys sold that out in 20 minutes," says one of their managers, Jonny
Wright. "You almost beat the Spice Girls. They did it in 16." Everybody
groans. Tonight the band is up against the Spice Girls, as well as
Hanson and Puff Daddy & Faith Evans, for the MTV Select Award (the Boys
took this prize, for which the viewers cast the votes, last year).
"If we don't win, I want Puffy to," says Howie. "I think he's really
creative."
"The only musician I would be sorry to lose an award to is that Marilyn
Manson dude," says Brian, "and we'll never be in the same category as
him anyway, which is good."
At Rotterdam's Ahoy Stadium, the musicians are rehearsing for the big
night on the eerie, sci-fi-themed stage. Aerosmith's Steven Tyler walks
over to the Boys and shakes their outstretched hands. AJ whispers to a
photographer, "Can you get our picture with him?"
Moments later, the guys are practicing the routine for their
five-and-a-half minute medley, which features lasers, 20 dancers and a
costume change. The fact that the show will be airinfive-and-a-half
minute medley, which features lasers, 20 dancers and a costume change.
The fact that the show will be airing in the States seems to be on
everyone's mind. "A lot of people [in the US] look at us as just a 'boy
group,'" says Brian. "We may have a lot of screaming fans, but that
doesn't mean we don't pu
As the Boys head to their dressing rooms for hair and makeup (even guys
need this for TV), Kevin walks right into Missy Elliot. "Oh, hey, girl!"
he says casually. When he catches up with the group, he reports
excitedly, "I just bumped into Missy Elliot!" The Boys are clearly
psyched to be in the midst of so much musical talent.
"When Steven Tyler gave me a high five and a hug, I was like, yikes!"
says AJ. "He was showing us his guitar-string bracelets--you get a
hundred of them and put them on your arm."
"Do you think Janet Jackson is gonna be here tonight?" asks Howie. "I'll
talk to her if I have the nerve."
"The only thing I don't like about awards shows is that I don't think
you should single out individuals and say they're better than anyone
else," says AJ. "It wouldn't hurt to win, though..."
The Boys make their red-carpet entrance and take their seats. Hundreds
of fans hold up "Backstreet Boys" signs. The band members talk amongst
themselves, unfazed. ("Prodigy is over there, a few rows down... Did you
see who's sitting to our left? It's 98 degrees.")
The show begins, and the Boys place bets on the winners. When Bush is
announced as a nominee for best rock act, AJ groans. "You wanna kill
Gavin, AJ?" Nick asks laughing. AJ has a huge crush on Bush singer Gavin
Rossdale's girlfriend, Gwen Stefani. "As long as he doesn't win," AJ
mutters. Oasis takes the award. AJ smiles.
Finally, it's time for the MTV Select Award. "Look, the camera's on
you!" yells Jonny Wright as the envelope is being opened. "That means
you've got it!" AJ burries his face in his hands. "Don't say it until
it's true!" But it is true, and all five Boys jump out of their seats
and run to the stage.
They return to the spotlight an hour later for their end-of-show
performance. The Backstreet Boys rock the house, bringing the crowd to
it's feet.
And then, suddenly, it's all over. The music fades and the Boys are
shepherded back to their dressing rooms, the screams of the audience
echoing behind them. As they eye their prize, their thoughts turn to
home: "After tonight's performance, I think people will start to really
grow up about us," says exuberant Brian. "We're not just a teen group.
We're gonna be around for a long time."
The Backstreet Boys Share Fortune With Family - BB
The Backstreet Boys don't like bragging about how much money they make.
"It's really uncomfortable when people ask us how much we make," admits
the Orlando, Florida-based group's Brian Littrell. Still, it doesn't
take a superslueth to figure out that with all their sold-out concerts
and the fantastic sales of their 1997 self-titled debut CD, not to
mention the success of their groovy R&B singles such as "As Long As you
Love Me" and "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)", the Backstreet Boys'
bank accounts must be pretty big by now.
Other musicians might be tempted to empty these accounts by spending
only on themselves, splurging on luxury sports cars and shopping sprees
at way-expensice designer stores. Not Brian and his bandmates, Nick
Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean and Kevin Richardson. Instead, these
blessed-with-success bandmates are sharing their newfound fortunes with
the people who matter most to them in the world: their families.
"Financially, now we have the freedom to do things that we've always
wanted to do," says Kevin. And what the Backstreet Boys have always
wanted to do is give something back to the families who have always
supported them and cheered them on throughout their music careers.
Nick, for instance, has bought his family a new house. That's right, a
house! We think that makes Nick an incredibly generous guy, but when we
pointed this out to him, he was totally modest about it. "I help my
family out because it means a lot to me," the 18-year-old singer shrugs.
"It's weird, because I've always had an old-fashioned kind of feeling
about how, you know, everybody contributes to the family and everybody
helps out. That's the way I was brought up. I do it becayse I want to."
We're sure that all the Carters are totally grateful for Nick's
humongous contribution to his family, especially since it means hiis
'rents will never have to worry about monthly house payments again. nick
is determined to make all the payments for them. in fact, he shares,
"It's almost completely paid for now!"
Following Nick's lead, AJ is carefully setting some of his money aside
to buy a new house, too, and to fulfill a promise he made to his
grandparents, Ursula and Adolph Fernandez, when he first got into show
biz. "From the very beginning, every audition I went on, my grandmother
would say, 'If you get this part and you make a lot of money, I want you
to buy me house on the ocean,'" the 20-year-old performer remembers.
"I'd say, 'All right. Some day, some day.' Now that opportunity is at
hand, I want to buy her and my grandfather a nice little spot on the
ocean somewhere. I want to help them out, since I can."
For Howie, helping his family out means outfitting their historic house
in Orlando, Florida with an essential modern convenience. "The first
thing I did with my money was put central heating in my parents' house,"
he shares. "It's about 100 years old and it had, Orlando, Florida with
an essential modern convenience. "The first thing I did with my money
was put central heating in my parents' house," he shares. "It's about
100 years old and it had, like, the nice hardw
However, heating isn't the only home improvement on which Paula and Hoke
Dorough's devoted 24-year-old son has splurged for them. "Now, I'm
fixing up their place by landscaping the backyard and the front yard,"
Howie tells BB. "We've got a lot of plants in there now, amd I got my
mom an elephant water fountain, because her biggest thing is elephants."
Like Howie, Brian loves being able to give his family gifts that used to
be way out of their price range. That's why when birthdays and holidays
roll around in the Littrell household these days, Brian likes to find
spectacular gifts for his parents, Harold and Jackie, and his big
brother, Harold Jr. "This past year, I bought my brother a brand-new
Honda Civic for his birthday, because he was driving a pretty old
pick-up truck," the 23-year-old Kentucky-born cutie tells BB. "I also
got my mom a piano for Christmas this past year. She's always wanted one
because she's been able to play by ear for a long time, but she never
had a piano to practice on and play. She was like, 'Oh I love you! I
love you!'" Seeing this type of happy reaction makes Brian feel that his
extravagant gifts are worth every single penny he spends on them!
Brian's cousin, Kevin, also likes to take his money and splurge on nice
big gifts for his family. For instance, his recent Christmas presents to
his big brothers, Jerald and Tim, included super-cool and
super-expensive TAG watches.
Kevin uses his money to help his family out in more practical ways too.
He recently bought a new house for his mom, Ann, and found a
stress-free, fun job for her. "Right now she's a sales rep at a
department store, but she's done a lot of bookkeeping, too, so I'm
thinking she can help me with my company's books," says this 25-year-old
business-minded babe, who is now in the process of starting up his own
real estate company. "I want her to be part of my company, so she can
quit her job and just work with me and be with me."
If you ask Kevin and the rest of the Backstreet Boys, they'll probably
tell you that as long as they're successful, they'll keep sharing their
riches with their families. "It makes you feel good," Howie says about
is ability to help out his family. In that case, we're betting that the
Backstreet Boys must be feeling great these days!