An Article from Bop *new*
An Article from YM *new*
An Interview from Teen *new*
An Interview from somewhere *new*
Nick Carter -- Naughty and Nice *new*
Ohh! That face! *new*
Life on the Road *new*
BSB Got the Look! And They Got it goin' on for real! *new*
Hugs For Sale! How often do the Backstreet Boys need a little TLC? *new*
News and Gossip *new*
A Gift From Backstreet Boys *new*
Febuary is the time for sweethearts to enjoy the finer things in life. So, you ask yourself, what's better than a budding romance, freshly cut roses and a gigantic box of chocolates? How about some ultra-exclusive inside scoop on the five most romantic guys in the music biz, the Backstreet Boys? Since we at BOP know that most boppers are, like us, suckers for romance, we asked the babes behind the love songs "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" and "As Long As You Love Me"--Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Kevin Richardson, Nick Carter and A.J. McLean--to heat up our pages their most romantic Valentine's Day gestures. After reading their anedotes, you might want to rename them the Lovestreet Boys. But before you continue, there is one thing to keep in mind: None of these guys currently have girlfreinds! Everything the guys shared with us on these two pages are stories from the past, so there's no need to panic! Okay?!
Only a year ago, the Backstreet Boys were leading a double life; Throughout Europe, Asia, and Canada, and they were superstars. Paparazzi tracked their every move, and huge arenas were filled to capacity with their screaming fans. But back in the United States, almost no one had ever heard of AJ, Brian, Kevin, Howie D., and Nick and their soulful, five-part harmonies. All that changed last summer, when their killer single "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" raced up the charts. Now the B. Boys are conquering the States with a North American tour and a second rockin' tune, "As Long As You Love Me".
Was it weird or wonderful going so far from home to kickstart your career? Nick: The best thing about we got to experience while we were young something a lot of people never get to do in their whole lives-I was 15 when we first went to Europe.
What about the lanuage barrier--could your foreign fans understand your songs? Brian: I think they liked what they saw and liked what the heard, even if they didn't understand everything. Coming from the United States, we were something different for them--it was totally fresh and new.
You've all wanted to be singers since you were kids. How come you went group route, instead of going solo? AJ: A group is more powerful. We've got five-part harmony, and we feed off each other on stage. If you're solo, by yourself on stage, that's it. We give each other energy-it's an all around good thing.
Any downsides to being in a group? Kevin: You have to learn to compromise and tak things out. You can't have what you want all the time-it's a team. Sometimes we fight-like about what song we should do first, what clothes we should wear.
Does all the attention you've been getting-especially from yur girl fans-ever freak you out? AJ: What five guys wouldn't want that kind of attention from girls? But then again, we used to be able to go out, have a good time and leave; now we have to plan, have security.
When your performing, what's more fun-slow jams or dance tunes? Nick: All the songs are fun to do. When you do the up-tempo stuff, you get a chance to move around, but with the ballad's it's a time to be more intimate with the audience.
So what's up next for you guys? Brian: We're trying to write more of our own stuff. Howie: We're learning to play instruments too. We want to be well-rounded musicians, but our man thing is we're singers.
You all seem so grounded, like regular guys.
Brian: Well, that's another good thing about being in a group-we keep each other in check so we have our feet on the ground.
And is fame all it's cracked up to be? Kevin: With success, there are all these people coming around, so you have to make sure you know what they're really interested in. A lot of people can try to get in your ears, but you have to follow your heart.
Do guys like you still cry?
Kevin: Of course! I cry in movie theatres all the time. I
get that from my grandfather - we're a real sentimental
family. Brian's like that as well. When we got our first
gold record we bawled lie babies!
Nick: I'm not embarrased about crying, but I'd try not to
bawl in front of just anybody. I'd feel most relaxed crying
in front of my mum or the guys.
Howie: For me crying is something I'm pretty open about.
It's just a way of expressing your feelings. Recently my
gran passed away and my whole family was crying together.
It was so sad.
Do you think it's possible tobe just good friends with a
girl?
AJ: Ah-hah...I've got a lot of close girl friends - in fact
I've got more girl friends than boy friends. I get along
cool with guys, but they're more into that sprot/male
thing. I am too, but I'm also into shopping, buying phat
clothes and stuff.
NIck: Yeah. I meet a lot of girls when we're traveling and
I make friends with some. Then we go back to that country
and I call them up for a chat!
Kevin: I think it's hard because we're traveling so much -
it's hard to tell if s ome people are real friends ot not.
This is just Nick's.
Nick's Confession: I don't have many friends. I just have these guys.
NIck's parents, Bob and Jane Carter, always maintained that their blond-haired, blue-eyed baby boy was a 'firecracker" from the day he was born on January 28, 1980-in the same Jamestwon, New York hospital as legendary comedienne Lucille (I Love Lucy) Ball! Even as a toddler, "Little Nicky" was a born entertainer. His family gladly tells tales of their baby boy, clad only in diapers, bustin' a move on the dance floor of the family club. "It was a lounge called the Yankee Rebel, which my father and Grandfather owned-it was a small place," Nick recalled in an interview with SuperTeen. "We had a little dance floor at the Yankee Rebel, and my dad used to be a DJ and play records. When I was real small, I used to get up there in my diapers and dance around. I have pictures of me in headphones on that were bigger than my face. I was just a little chunk; everybody used to call me Charlie Brown." At any rate, the Carters knew very eary on that Nick loved to perform, loved to make people smail and clap as he sang and danced. Soon, a new addition to the Carter family was clapping along with Nick's "fans". That was sister B.J., who was born when Nick was two. Those times in the warm and loving vountry home on Webber Road held happy memories for Nick, but when he was almost six years old, his parents decided tomove down to Florida and start a new business. "They packed up their old Cadillac El Dorado and loaded all our stuff into a little trailer," Nick continued in his superTeen interview. "So we made it to [Tampa] Florida and we moved into out first house. It was a retirement home- that's where my dad started working. We lived there for maybe a year. It was [big enough] for sixteen people, but we built on to it." When NIck was about seven, the show biz bugbit and he evens remembers entertaining the residents at his parents' retirment home. "I'd come and sing for the," he told Live & Kicking magazine. It was kind of said 'cuase I had a few favorite [residents] there, but they soon passed away. as nick was perforning to larger and larger audienes, his family was growing by leaps and bounds, too. His siter, Lesley, an ffraternal twins, Aaron and Angel, were born down in Florida. In the fourt garde, Nick landed the lead in a production of Phantom of the Opera. He entered a lot of talent shows and recalls one in which he tried an inpersonation of Elvis-leg shake and all! "I had dto try," he told Live & Kicking. "I'm not really a dancer though. I was always s nervous doing those things. You gotta remember, I was really young when I started doing that stuff." But he was doing smoething right and was soon the featured vocalist at the Tampa Bay Buccaneer pre-game shows. This NFL gig lasted two years, and then when Nick was twelve, he won the 1992 New Original Amatuer Hour TV show. Local commercial gigs came quickly after that-Floridians may remember little Nick promoting the Money Store and the Florida State Lottery. Nick kept himself busy performing and auditioning at local Tampa and Orlando events, and though he was only in junior high, he made friends with two older guys he kept running into at the same gigs-A.J. McLean and Howie Dorough. The three started passing the long waits at auditions and performances by harmonizing together. They started kicking around the ideaof forming a group, and when NIck was offered what many would consider the chance of a lifetime, a gig at Disney World, he had to make a decision. It was easy. Nick said no thanks to Mickey and Minnie and said yes to working with A.J. and Howie. And that was the birth of the Backstreet Boys! But what about Nick off stage? Who's his best friend? What are some of his favorite childhood memories? Just ask him-he'll be glad to tell you all about it. When the Carter family moved to Tampa, NIck made a whole new group of friends, but when he was about eleven or twelve years old, he becae best buds with a boy named Brent. "We used to always hang out together," Nick told a Scholastic magazines writer. "We used to get introuble all the time-not bad trouble! There was this big pond where we lived-we used to go fishing there. And I remember one time Brent and I sneaked into this shed tht wa there and took some shovels out. We started digging in thelawns and everything and just took off! We were bad!"
Of course, Nick grew out of that mischievous stage, and sfter his love of performing, he developed an interest in water sports, especially scube diving. "I've been a scuba diver scince I was twelve, he told 16 magazine. "When I was fifteen I got my open water permit-that's a regualr diving license. Before that I had a junior permit that allowed me to go only go seventy-five feet deep. With an open water permit there are no restriction...My dad is a diving instructor, so he was always with me when I went deep. With an open permit, you can go wreck diving, night diving, and deep [sea] diving." When NIck turned seventeen, he als got a boat. "I keep it berthed on the canal next to my house that leads to the Florida coast, he revealed in an online interview. I fill the enigine with gas and just head out to the sea. The Florida Keys are the greates strect of ocean in the world with lots of small islands you can stop off at. Many a time, I've played footbal on the beach with my brothers and sisters. A lot of times I go out on the boat alone. Being on my own, with just the silence of the sea, is suchj an escape from the constant screaming of fans on a Backstreet Boys tour. It's something I need to do-just to get away from it all. To me, the Florida Keys is Pardise on earth!"
Nick Carter has that kind of face. You just want to go up and pinch him. As a matter of fact, a lot of girls try it and are quickly grabbed by security guards. If everyone who wanted to went up and pinched Nick's face, he wuld probably have only half of face and the other half would be bleeding! Nick is a self-proclaimed "regular guy" who like to have a good time. Out on the road, he loves meeting fans and actually keeps up correspondence with 20 or 25 of them that he's met since the Backstreet Boys started. The only things he says he doesn't like about fame are "not enough sleep, not enough privacy and getting homesick". But he's quick to add that the pleasures of being a successful singer far outweigh the pains-and if he had his life to live over, he'd definitely do everything the same. When NIck gets off the road, the first thing he does is "hit the mattress," as he puts it. On those occasions, he has no trouble sleeping 10 or even 12 hours straight. Next he catches up with freinds and family. Unpacking his suitcase after a tour and unloading all those clothes and souvenirs he's picked up can take up tp six hours-even with the help of his mom. "I'm a pack rat," Nick admits. "What can I say?" Maybe someday his mom will pack up his entire "collection" and create a Nick Carter museum in his native Orlando! That would bring out the fans!
"We love our fans," Kevin says, "and we love the places this life has taken us, but...." The tall, dark and sexy Backstreet Boy laughs. Touring, he and te rest of the boys have discovered, is sometimes hard on the stomach. "We don't always like the food," Kevin adds. "In fact, there have been a few cases of food poisoning-or what felt like food poisoning. A couple of nights we never left our hotel rooms!" The guys learned that touring can be lonely. Their moms have frequently traveled with them, and that's great, but in the future that boys plan to ask additional family members to accompany them. "It feels better to go onstage when there are as many family members in the audience as possible," says Howie D. "You're at your best when you have family support out front." "We would also love to get some of our friends to travel with us," says Brian. "We rack up outrageous phone bills, becuase we miss our friends so much. We can afford the bills-that's not what I'm whinng about-what I mean is we miss getting to hang with our buds!"
maybe a movie Of the Spice Girls can be movie stars, why not the Backstreet Boys? In fact, the boys may soon move from the back street to the back of a Hollywodd studio. "In the fture we want o branch out into acting," says Brian. "Some of us already have a lotf experience, especially in local theater. We all would tak movie or TV roles, if they were appropriate for us. I don't think any of us whatto play psycho killers or anything."
Their future plans Future plans for the Backstreet Boys include a US tour this summer and following that a tour of the Far East. "I look forward to going abroad again," says Nick. "We were 'discovered' over in Europe, so we have a lot of loyalty to those fans." "Anyone who has ever given us support, especially early on, has out hearts forever," says A.J. with a smile. To spread the word about the tour, the guys will do all the late night shows. Their most interesting talk show experience so far has been doing the RePual show. A couple of the boys said the cros dressing star has "the best legs in the business!"
Each Backstreet Boy has their own trademark style that sets them apart. As the oldest of the group, Kevin Richardson, 22, has startling blue esyes, chestnut hair and stands above everyone at 6' tall. Kevin keeps in shape by dancing and has been dubbed Mr. Body Beautiful. It's easy to see why! He also has been known to sport an assortment of silver rings on both hands, silver and black leather braclets.
Brian "B-Rok" Littrel, 20, is Kevins cousin, but he's completely opposite. Blonde and blue-eyed, Brian is the all-American guy. He's athletic and keeps his bod in top form by swimming, playing basketball and golfing. As far as any accessories, Brian is rarely seen with any jewelry; his good looks don't need and help.
Howie Dorough, 21, is labeled as the sweet and romantic Backstreet Boy. Often called the Latin Lover, Howie D. is half--Puerto Rican and half-Irish. Tall, dark and handsome, Howie knows he looks hot, but his sweet, sincere manner keeps his feet on the ground. Also a sports buff, Howie enjoys water sports and raquetball.
A.J. McLean, 18, is known best for his homeboy style and his liking for funky looking accessories. A.J. has been seen wearing huge silver hooped earrings, rings and he's never without his famous sunglasses. this brown eyed guy is the most poetic out of the group as well as the most dramatic.
Last but not least is Nick Carter, the baby of the roup at 16. Nick's cover-boy good looks sets him apart from just about anybody. Light blonde hair and a great smile for a perfect appearance, but NIck has much more than just a pretty face. Energetic and clean-cut, "Nicky" as he's been nicknamed, likes all sports and loves to give his drums a workout as well.
AJ: As often as I can get one! For me, it's even better than a kiss.
Kevin: I could use a hug every day, but I'm not likely to get it! It's something I really miss. we get a lot of attention, but not a lot of affection phsyically.
Nick: Every day, I get a lot of hugs from fans and the guys, but I don't get a proper hug every day-I wish I did!
Howie: I love hugs and kisses. I think it's becuase I greq up in a big family. Even now I grab my mum and give her kisses all over her cheecks and she's like "Oh Howard, pleeeeeeeease!" When I'm with a girl, I love her to give me hugs-it really touches my heart.
How The Backstreet Boys Handle Fan Frenzy The boys are now touring the U.S., which means that across America, screeching young fans are pushing, shoving, and otherwise propelling themselves at the group. This is nothing new for the Backstreet Boys, who have been inspiring similar reactions in Europe for quite some time. Now that they're making it over here, we cought up with the group to find out how they were handling fan-mania Stateside. "We're very concerned about the fans' safety," says A.J. after a recent show in dallas that was particularly rowdy. "We make sure we've got enough security so that fans won't be pushed up against the front. If it's cold and fans are waiting outside, we get the guys to take them hot cocoa to keep them warm. But sometimes irls wait so long without eating or drinking that they start dropping like flies." The group's audences aren't just kids anymore. "We expect young fans," A.J. says, "but the really coo thing is t hat reently I've seen a lot of couples, more guys and families-young and old. It's really cool."
What's New "On the Street" At press time, the boys were looking forward to their homecoming concert at Orlando's House Of Blues. "This is going to be a great night, becuase we get some time off after the show," A.. says. "And also, becuase all our friends and our original fans will be there. Playing in such a small place is our special thank you to theem." Also pn the agenda for the boys are some charity shows, and, as a psrt of their work for the Make-A-wish FOundation, visits to kids in the hospital. "We're not allowed to to discuss specifically where we visit or who the kids are," Howie points out, "becuase it's a charity that wants their work down done quietly. Only the kids and their familes know we are going to visit them. It's a very personal kind of thing. we made it clear a long time ago to the people who run the Foundation that we'd help out anytime we could."
Home News We asked the guys when they are going back into the studio and the said that they are aiming for the late summer. The plan is to have a new album out for Christmas. They have not yet started accumulating material, but they hope to start around the Fourth of July holiday. "I can't wait to get back into the studio," says Kevin. "I love it. It's a great enviromentfor me. I kind of miss it. On the nest album, we're going to try and show the new musical direction we've been giong in lately."
Brian, Nick, A.J., Howie and Kevin have been on the ride of a lifetime thanks to the love and support of fans just like you!
"Off stage we're still pretty much-if you want to consider us normal-just normal people," says Nick Carter, relaxing over a sandwich with the editors of Teen Machine . "yeah," chimes in Howie Dorough, or Sweet D. as the other guys call him. "We're still normal, everyday people." The wils ride to stardom t hat Backstreet Boys-Nick, Howie and their buddies A.J. McLean, Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell-have been on for a past year has been anything but normal. after achieving star status witht thier red hot hit "Quit Playin Games (With My Heart)" in the summer of '97, Backstreet Boys mania hit fever pitch in the early weeks of '98 on the strengh of their second single "As Long As You Love Me." Suddenly, the group's self=titled U.S. debut CD was battling for the top of the charts in the company of such music monsters as Puff Daddy, Leanne Rimes, Celine Dion and the soudtrack to Leo's mega-hit flick Titanic. Clearly, these Boys were back in town! Backstreet Boys spent the winter touring around the country (and frequently sharing concert stages with fello Teen Machine pinups Hanson, Savage Garden and the chart-topping British band Chumbawamba) and appearingkat major events like the American Music Awards. through all the craziness-the frantic rides to airports, te bad road food, the hotel rooms with no hot water-Backstreet Boys have always been thankful for the fans who've cheered them on since the days when they were just five cool kids singing in Orlando, Florida..
One For All, All For One "It's a natural high, looking out that audience, remarks Howie. "We've played arenas that, when the lights are out can't see the back wall at all. Then, the lights come up and you're like 'Wow, there's that many (people)." Despite all the fame and acclaim of the past year, the Boys take pride that they have all remained grounded and down-tp-earth. "The five of us keep our selves in check. Our parents and the five of us," explains A.J., who celebrated his 20th birthday on the road in Europe last month. "We don't let any of us act like they're better than the other one. Each of us sing lead fair and we always give each other a chance to shine. There is no Backstreet Boy better than the other Backstreet Boys, we are equally talented." It's so true! One of the main reasons that girls all over the world have fallen in love with Backstreet Boys is becuase the groups members all have diverse talents and personalities. There's a Backstreet Boy that's right for every girl! If you love to laugh and have a seriously romantic side, then adorable A.J. is the guy for you! If you're a serious-minded gal who likes to think deep thoughts, well, one look into the deep blue-green eyes of the intense Kevin and you'll know you've found a kindred spirit. Are you a fun and bubbly sports girl who can play with the big boys on the b-ball court? Well, hello Brian! If you're sensitive and love being a girl-then the generous and thoughtful Sweet D.-Howie-is the guy for you! If you're young (or young at heart) and refuse to take life too serious, then you know that gorgeous Nick is your guy for sure! Of course, Backstreet Boys have a lot of dedicated fans-even some who've managed to surprise the members of the group with their unrelenting enthusiam for all things Backstreet. "Dedicated fans," says A.J. "They're everywhere. They follow us everywhere-even back hime. They show up at our recording studio in Germany. You walk in and it's like, 'hel-lo, where did you come from?" But no matter how loud they scream or how far they travel to see their Boys, all the guys will remain foreverthankful to teir fans. We love our fans," says Brian. "Without them we wouldn't be where we are today."
The Future! What's next for Backstreet Boys? well, they're spending most of the spring in Europe but they'll be back in Florida next month to play five "Grad Night" shows at Walt Disney WOrld. After that, they're flying up to BOston foranother all-star show as a prelude to their first large-scale U.S. tour. There may even be some new Backstreet Boys projects in the works. If it was up to Nick, you'd be seeing the Backstreet Boys follow in the footsteps of the irrepressible Spice Girls witht heir very own movie soon. "The thing is that we've talked about this a few times that maybe in the future it would be cool to make a movie about ourselves," he says. "I came up with a storyline and I think it would cool." Backstreet Boys should also be heading back into the studio soon to produce new music for your listening pleasure. "When I was little, I grew up dreaming about singing in front of thousands of people and noe, I'm getting to do it," says Kevin. Thanks to loyal fans like you, all of the Backstreet Boys' dreams have come true!