Backstreet   Boys:   tears   for   Howie...

How must be those black eyes that so many times made us dream? Where must be that smile that made us be in love by him? Howie's face, that we all know, always full of sympathy and dream, it's complety covered by pain: his sister Caroline died. The new let us frozen but 'till the last moment we had a little of hope that it was just a rumour. Meanwhile, Denise's voice, A.J.'s mum, told to the world the tragedy: Caroline had lost her long batle against a terrible ill. Howie left his tournée with the Backstreet Boys to join his family in Raleigh, in South Carolina, where his sister spent her last hours of life.

HOWIE AND BACKSTREET BOYS' TEARS

It was 13th September. The Backstreet Boys were in their American tournée. Noone could imagine that the phone call Howie received would change things. As a witness told, all the Backstreet Boys could hear the signal of Howie's pain before hang up: "We thought the worst had happened, because his sister was in a terrible way". When Howie told them the new, he had his eyes fulled with tears... The first to hug him was Kevin, maybe because he knows best what is like to lose a dear person to us. Then, A.J. and Brian, that had been paralised to the chairs, got up and joined the hug: "It was like if they wanted to calm down Howie's pain with their arms. I never saw them so united... It was sad, but also very exciting", explained a member of the team. The last member of the group to know the new was Nick, that went to Tampa to see his family and was closer to get a plain to join his fellows. Who told the new to Nick was Kevin, because Howie caught the plain to join the family and confort them: "Howie could only thing about his parents. He was always saying that his mother was needing him very much and that he wanted to join her". Everybody that were with him in that moment, noticed the same thing: Howie's corage that he showed in that terrible moment... Before leaving, Howie talked a little with the other Backstreet Boys and told them that he didn't wanted any show canceled, that BSB tournée had to go on. At the beginning, the boys tried to follow his advice, but the sadness they were feeling was stronger. Brian, couldn't hide his feelings: "Brian and Kevin are very emocional and they couldn't stop crying. A.J. is stronger, but everybody had their hearts broken, because they knew Howie was really in pain. And the second reason, because they all knew Caroline and loved her as a sister", told Denise. After they think very much about the matter, the BSB decided to cancel the show they were going to give that night in Shakopee, in Minesotta and, some hours before the show, they gave a official statement: "The concert was canceled because of a familiar tragedy. We are really sorry to do this with our fans, but we hope you all understand the painfull moments we have been through. Anyway, the concert it's only canceled and we promess to perform here as sooner as we can". Besides the deception, the fans from Shakopee understood the hard moments they were passing and, in signal of support, they all got together in silence in front of the hotel where they were instaled, with candles in their hands. "It was like being in the middle of a shinning sky and think that Caroline was there, as a star", told Brian later. Nick joined the group in the next morning and they kept contact with Howie and his family. They had to decide what they would do with the tournée, but Howie's opinion was the same: "You have to keep going". With their heart tight, the Backstreet Boys decided to follow his advice and, in the next night after the tragedy, Kevin, Nick, A.J. and Brian appeared again in a stage in the city of Allegan. The concert, as it couldn't be other way, was dedicated to Howie... The pain they had it inside, but, once more, the BSB showed profissionalism and after all, the love and tender they feel about their fans.

CAROLINE'S LAST BATTLE

Try to imagine Howie's pain in that moments, brake us our hearts. He had told us so many times about his love by his family! Being the youngest always ment being the spoiled one, but besides normal tender, Howie and his family had always been united by a big friendship. Polly Anna, the next sister in age to him, had made company to him in all BSB european tournée and also in his last vacations in South America. John and Angie, the older ones, always had protectec him. And Caroline... was special. It was her that gave strenght to the youngest of the family to get into the show business. She was the first person to find out his little brother talent and, without asking, she get him a little role in a play. Howie was only 7 years old, but he always remembers to tell that story.

Messages   to   Howie...

If the guys' hug was the first support Howie got, now it's our turn to surround him with the heart full of tender, comprehension and true frienship. This pain will take a little of time to desappear, but Howie must feel that, also now, in the hardest moment of his life, we are by his side. He and the other Backstreet Boys need us right now more than ever and this time not only as fans but also as true friends. This is the address where you should write if you wanna support Howie in this time:

Denise McLean P.O. Box 421837, Kissimmee FL 34742

Denise, A.J.'s mum is going to receive all the letters and give them personaly to Howie and the rest of the group.

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