This Orlando, Florida-native, who was born Howard Dwaine Dorough on August 22, 1973, has been perfomring for most of his life. The last of five close-knit sibilings. Howie credits his sister Pollyanne with showing him the way to the bright spotlight. "She got me started when I was 7 and she was 11 years old," he explains. "She just tagged me along with her to all the musicals and plays she was in. The very first play I did was the Wizard Of OZ. I was a munchkin. She was 'Glenda, The Good Witch'."
From this humble start, Howie learned that performing was what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. He went on to appear in local productions of famous musicals like The Sound Of Music, Showboat, Camelot and more. But musicaltheater usn't the extent of Howie's experience. As an actor, he starred in pilot of a Nickeloeon series called Welcome Freshman and had roles in the movies Parenthood and Cop and A Half. As a teen, he also appeared in a commerical for Walt Disney World.
But singing had always been Howie's first love. "I've been in singing lessons since I was around 12 years old," he says. In fact, a vocal coach he shared in common with fellowBackstreet Boy A.J. McLean was the first link in a chain of events that would make him and rest of the Backstreet Boys famous all over the world.
The two most important things in Howie's life right now are the group and his family. "I'm pretty close to my family," he says proudly. "We're one those tight families." On each circle around the globe of a Backstreet Boys, Howie has crammed his luggage full of little gifts for his whole family. He writes postcards to them on the tour bus and videotapes everything that happens to him to share with his mom, dad and siblings when he finally returns home.
In Backstreet Boys Howie has broadened the group's fan base by suggesting that they record two of their songs-"Anywhere for you" and "I'll Never Break Your Heart"-in Spanish. "I grew up speaking English but as I got older through high school and college, I started [learning Spanish]," explains this brown-eyed cutie who's of Puerto Rican and Irish heritage. "It was somthing I really wanted to incorporate."
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rally, Howie has a lot of respect for othere bilingual performers like Jon Secada. Jon is one of Howie's all-time favorite singers and he'd lovee to share a microphone with him someday. "We all have individual artists that we'd like to work with," he explains. Howie also appreciates the music of Bobby Brown and Boyz 2 Men.
Howie's other role in the group is to play peacemaker. "Howie's Mr. Mediator," says A.J of his older friend. "Like brother, [the group member]may agrue ut the really cool part is that as soon as we walk off the bus it's just like walking into character. We always make up. There's never any 24-hour'I hate you' kind of thing. And Howie's like 'C'mon guys, lets be serious. Let's be fouced."
What other secrets can the other Backstreet Boys tell us about the guy they've nicknamed "Latin Lover" and "Sweet D"? Well, all the guys agree that Howie's the neatest of the group--it takes him forever to pack his suitcase because everything has to be folded just right. Backstage before a show, he insist on drinking his ritual cup of hot tea with lots of lemon and honey. When it comes to food, all the guys agree that Howie and Kevin are the most adventurous-- they've tried everything from sushi in Japan to sauerbraten in Germany. howie is also very much into health---he tries to eat right and never goes to bed with out doing his stomach crunches. Howie also sometimes snores! "It's because he sleeps with his mouth open," opines Nick. "I stuck a bit of Kit Kat in his mouth once, and he tried to take a bit out of it!"
It's no deep, dark sercet that Howie is really into girls. Like the rest of the group, he doesn't have alot of time for a steady someone, but that doesn't stop him from appreciating the attributes of the opposite sex! While he admits that girls with blonde hair have often caught his eye, he's much more interested in a girl's personality than her appearance. "I always look for someone who is very supportive of what I do because it's something that I've waited so long for." he says. He also likes a girl "With a really good personality who likes having fun... and someone who I can feel comfortable talking with. Communication is a big thing in a relationship. Without communication there is no relationship."
Howie also doesn't want someone who's only going to stand on the sidelines and cheer him on! He's interested in girls who have dreams of their own. "I like someone who is always looking at things in a positive way," he says. "Someone who knows what she wants in life and how to go about getting it."
Like the rest of the group, Howie is extremely excited about bringing the Backstreet Boys' sultry style and soaring harmonies to their home in the U.S this summer. "I just think it's been a long-waited homecoming," he says. "I'm really excited to see it happen this year. We've really had a chance to hone our craft and to appreciate all the fans who stood behind us in keeping the word going back home."
And it's about time that girls in the U.S get a chance to better taste the sweetness of the guy they call Howie D.!