News: March & April of 2000

April 30th: It's a slow news day. The Rock 'n Roll Hall Of Fame will be adding a new exhibit dedicated to teen idols from way back when to today's teen dreams. The exhibit is called "Sealed with a Kiss" and will be installed on the fifth and sixth floors of the Museum. Right now, as a preview of the new exhibit, called "Recent Aquisitions", being featured are some of the Boys outfits that they wore while on tour.

April 28th: The world premiere of "The One" on Total Request Live has been moved from May 1st to May 4th. Kevin said he's not sure if the new album is going to come out this year. He said they're not in a rush to finish it, so the release time is uncertain. It was reported that tickets to the Lupus 2000 Fundraiser were $15, but because of the venue it's taking place, the prices have been raised to go from $30 to $45. The fundraiser takes place on June 25th. It was mentioned on an MTV News Brief today, saying a lot of big names have been appoarched about performing, but it's not set in stone. But Howie and Pollyanna will be performing. A Les Paul electric guitar signed by all the Backstreet Boys is being auctioned off at VH1.com. Last I heard, the highest bid was $800 (that's the about the amount it would cost to buy that guitar without the signatures). If you'd like to bid on it, CLICK HERE. A fan wants to promote the Brian Litrell Healthy Heart Fund and wants to know if anyone else would like to help her. She's already got some ideas, she's just needs help putting them into motion. If you'd like to help, email her HERE. *Site News* There will be no update tomorrow (unless I do it at 2am) because I'll be out of town attending a concert with some friends.

April 26th: On June 25th at Universal Studios, Florida, Howie and his sister, Pollyanna are to perform "Fly To Heaven" at the Lupus 2000 Fundraiser. Also, Howie's clothing and some items from videos and appearances will be part of a silent auction. All money will benefit the "Caroline Dorough Cochran Lupus Memorial Fund", a foundation Howie set up in his sister, Caroline's name after she died of Lupus almost two years ago. Brian, as well as AJ and Nick, has made the cut for "Teen People's 25 Hottest Stars Under 25". Right now, the Boys are in an undisclosed tropical location ::cough:: Bahamas ::cough:: working on the new album. Well, AJ's mother, Denise McLean set the record straight by going to Florida newspaper, Orlando Sentinal and saying that AJ is not engaged to his girlfriend, Amanda, nor is she pregnant. Hmmm, I thought that rumor of the pregnancy was squashed last year. Some Backstreet Fans are making a quilt for the Boys and are asking other fans to be a part of it. All you have to do is made a 12 by 12 square and get creative. You can use anything like glitter, messages, pictures, whatever on your square. But, be sure to leave some space around the edges so it can it sewn onto the quilt. There are three being made: one for the USA, one for everywhere else on the planet, and (if there are enough) one from Canada. For more information or the address to send your square, send your questions HERE. The new Backstreet Boys book is the only book that is completely authorized by the Boys themselves. BACKSTREET BOYS: The Official Book is a hardcover book with 128 pages, over 300 pictures with captions by the Boys themselves, will cost $14.95, and will be released on July 5th. AJ said this book is like a special "thank you" to all the fans that have support the Backstreet Boys throughout the years. Only 500,000 copies will be printed first, so if you want one, better reserve it now. On Star 94, Atlanta, GA, during DJ's Steve and Vicki's interview with Sir Elton John, he revealed that Brian will be moving to the house he bought in Atlanta sometime this week or beginning of May. Elton John also said he thinks the Boys are great. Nick made it onto People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" list for 2000. To find out what number he made, check out the issue out on newstands now.

April 25th: Sorry for no update yesterday. I got home last night instead of the day before from my trip. Now that that's out of the way.... Howie and his sister, Pollyanna are planning to release "Fly To Heaven". All the proceeds will go to a Lupus 2000 Fundraiser. There is an EP out right now with the songs "Fly To Heaven", "Andele Mi Corazon", "Take Me Away", and "Don't Wanna Live My Life Without You", but it's very hard to get. A new Backstreet Boys book is due out in July. There will be over 300 pictures with all the captions written by the Boys themselves. There will be a new Ultrasound on MTV called Ultrasound: Backstreet Boys. It will be aired on May 8th at 4:30pm. The Boys did pretty well on the "Smash Hits Poll Party" walking away with "Best Song of '99"- "I Want It That Way", "Best Pop Video"- "Larger Than Life", and "Best Band In The Universe". The Boys weren't there to accept their awards in person, but sent out a "thank you" message via satellite. They also placed in these categories: "Best Haircut"- Nick in 3rd; "Funniest Guy In Pop"- Brian in 4th; and "Most Fancible Male"- Nick in 3rd. Nick's sister, Leslie Carter will be joining the Nickelodoen All That Summer Tour after July 11th. It's being said Nick is going to have knee surgery. Something about fluid behind his knee. I don't know if that's true, but keep an ear out about that. Brian's mother, Jackie Littrell will be a keynote speaker at the "Maternity Fair" at St. Joseph East Hospital on May 13th. She will be talking about the joys of motherhood and her experience with Brian's heart condition when he was a child. The "Maternity Fair" is from 8:30am to 2pm and it's open to the general public, but it's suggested you register for the event. Last night on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Jay Leno announced that AJ was getting married. It's NOT true. AJ was misquoted in a newspaper and Tommy Smith, keyboardist for the Backstreet Band, has said AJ and his girlfriend, Amanda have no plans to get engaged any time soon.

April 22nd: It's 12:56 in the morning. Why am I updating this early?? Because I'm going to see Simon Rex ("Mikey" on the TV show, Jack & Jill), No Authority, Josh Keaton (former No Authority member), and some of my favorite Days Of Our Lives characters tomorrow in Glendale. I'm totally excited. I can't wait. Now, on with the news. Something I forgot to mention on Thursday's update. It was April 20, 1993 the Backstreet Boys became "whole" as a group. That was the day Brian joined the group, completing it, thus the Backstreet Boys were born. So, it was the whole entire group's birthday. HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!! As you may have heard, the Boys plan to go to a undisclosed tropical island soon to write and create for the new album. Like Howie said, they'll either come up with some great ideas for the album or kill each other. Some fans are putting together some photo albums of fans' personal pictures of the Boys the Lupus 2000 fundraiser. Three photo albums will be constructed: one from the USA, one from Canada, and one from England. For more information, email the fans HERE. I scored some sweet tickets to the All That Summer Tour today. Me and the 102 crew are going on July 11th & 12th in Phoenix, AZ, and Albuquerque, NM. It's rumored that Nick's girlfriend, Mandy (aka Willa Ford) will be on that tour. It's also said Nick's sister, Leslie Carter will be on that tour. We'll see....

April 20th: Not much going on. I saw the Men Strike Back concert for the third time today and I can't get over what Kevin was wearing. I was really surprised when I saw Kevin wearing what appears to be a skirt, with pants underneath. Usually, Kevin is dressed so incredibly great, but I guess he wanted to try something different this time. Nick looked pretty good, but the turtleneck made him look a little bit chubby. But, I repeat, he still looked pretty good. Brian look great. AJ looked great. Howie looked pretty good, except his hair was really bothering me. I know it was worn the way he usually wears it, but most of the time the ponytail is curly, not the way it was that night. All in all, they looked good, they're performances were totally awesome as usual. I especially like when they performed "The One". Speaking of which, Carson announced on Total Request Live that the video for "The One" will be premiered on May 1st, so don't forget to watch. Also, they announced Nick's sister Leslie's single, "I Wanna Hear It From You", is due out on June 6th, which is also her 14th birthday, with her album soon to follow. Also, Nick's brother, Aaron's album is due out June 20th.

April 18th: The Backstreet Boys were one of many honored at the 5th annual American Latino Media Arts Awards in Pasadena, CA. I forgot to mention something about Howie yesterday. Howie and Pollyanna hope to perform "Fly To Heaven" for the Pope this summer. The weddingchannel.com has some listings for Brian and Kevin's weddings. The wedding dates listed are August 2, 2000 in Georgia for Brian and June 30, 2000 in Los Angeles for Kevin. There is no way to know for sure this are the dates are the actual wedding dates. It also has both couples registered with Macy's department store and a list of things for you to buy for them. But like I said, there is no way of knowing this information is true. It looks like anyone can get in and put this up. There are also listings for the other Backstreet Boys. The weddingchannel.com is not responsible for any untrue info put on the site either. As previously reported, Nick's great-grandmother, Thersa Phillips Spaulding, passed away last week. If you'd like to send your condolences to his grandfather, Doug, email him at douglas@cecomet.net. NBA.com conducted interviews with some basketball player and asked them if any of them were fans of boybands. Jerome Williams of the Detroit Pistons said he like the Backstreet Boys. He said he know they're in a battle with 'N Sync but he likes Backstreet Boys better because when he met them, they were cool. He hasn't met 'N Sync, but he says if you meet him, you're cool with him. VH1's Daily One was showing highlights of the Men Strike Back special. They showed part of the Backstreet Boys performances. They also showed backstage interviews with AJ and Howie. Now, don't forget to watch Men Strike Back tonight at 9pm on VH1.

April 16th: Hey, people!! Finally, an update! I'll explain about that later, so on with the news.... I'm sure a lot of you caught the Nick Carter show on March 30th. Nick's best friend, Brent was there, as was his girlfriend, Mandy (aka Willa Ford). And Nick actually prank-called Britney Spears. I thought that was hilarious. He played songs from up and coming artists including a rock band he manages called Chaos (I'm guessing it's spelled that way). Just in case you missed it, though, it's being re-broadcasted on April 28th at 7pm. Speaking of Nick, his great-grandmother Theresa Phillips Spaulding passed away on April 13th. Keep the Carter family in your thoughts and prayers. Also, the Carters are moving back to Florida, minus Bobbie Jean. It's said they are moving into their old house by the lake in Ruskin. Moving on, the VH1 special, Men Strike Back (airing on VH1 on April 18th) has been getting pretty great reviews. There was a story about it on Access Hollywood. It also talked about Kevin and Brian's wedding planning. Kevin and Kristin are planning the wedding themselves while Brian and Leighanne have a wedding coordinator to help them out. If you missed the charity basketball game, "The Bucs vs. The Boys", that Brian and Nick played in or you just wanna see it again, the Channel WB in Florida is showing it on April 27th at 7:30pm. Lionel Ritchie talked about recording "Cinderella" with the Backstreet Boys. He said he met the guys in Germany, asked them to accompany his during his song "Easy" at one of his concerts, and the crowd loved it. So, he thought it would be cool to record a song witht them. He also said even if the song doesn't do well (which it probably will), his kids thinks he's cool again for working with the Boys. Nick was interviewed by DJ Steve Roy, LiteFM 106.7, New York, yesterday. To listen to it, click HERE. You'll need a Real Player to listen. Aaron chatted at the Nick Carter Chat Flat today. I wasn't there because I wasn't home. It was an announced chat, so that's how I know he was there. Howie is the second person in the Backstreet Boys to hint at doing a solo album, which he says would be closer to his Puerto Rican roots. Also, Howie will be appearing in The WB's Roswell as an alien in the show's season finale on May 15th. A Backstreet Boys theme park is in the works. All the rides will be based on the character in their comic book, Backstreet Project, which they worked on with Stan Lee. From what I understand, Stan Lee will be designing the rides. The park will be located in either Los Angeles or Orlando. The Boys won "Favorite Music Group" at the Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards. They also won "Best Live Act- International" at the TMF (The Music Factory) Awards in Holland. Tommy Smith, the keyboardist for the Backstreet Band, said that neither "That's What She Said" or "Where Can We Go From Here" were written about Samantha Stonebraker, as she states in her book. Well, now she know. I still think she's cool. Now for my explanation:
I was in Lake Havasu City, AZ, for the past two weeks to help take care of my 18-month-old nephew Hunter after my brother Michael and sister-in-law Christy had been in a car accident. Some of my friends went with me to help out (which means we didn't go to the charity game as planned). We all had fun because Hunter is such a cutie and we met some cuties of our own down at the lake where we spent a lot of time. Since it's spring break for colleges, there were alot of college guys around. I met a guy named Chris who is 20, lives in Lake Havasu, drives a silver 2000 Camaro, and when he needs to pull his family's boat to the lake, a black four-door Ford truck. My friend Michelle's guy had jet skis, so we all had a lot of fun. We all had different time shifts to take care of my nephew, which our guys did with us. Chris had a job, so he came over on his days off. He worked morning, so we spent afternoons on the beach. I got a nice tan. Anyway, Chris is so cool. He took my and my friends out on his boat every other day, which is how my friends met their guys. So, even though the reason for going out there in the first place was bad, we made some good come out of it. We stayed there until Michael and Christy could handle taking care of Hunter without our help. And I have money coming in from their lawsuit against the drunk driver who hit them. Luckily, my nephew was strapped in tighter than anything in his car seat. Anyway, that's why I was out of town. Just wanted to let you know.

March 30th: Well, the golden retriever AJ got last week appeal to him as much after a couple days. He went back to the pet store and traded it in for a Yorkie, black and brown (I think). He decided he wanted a smaller dog. On April 1st, Howie will be singing with his sister, Pollyanna, at the Jubilee 2000. They will performing a song called "Fly To Heaven". It's about their sister Caroline, who passed away from Lupus in 1998. The Real Audio clips and pictures of "The Bucs vs. The Boys" charity game Brian and Nick played in are now up at 933flz.com in the picture section. Speaking of 93.3 FLZ, Tampa, don't forget to catch Nick's DJ gig today which starts at 7pm EST/4pm PST. There will also be webcams so you can watch it. To listen live, click on the link to the station website, then click on "Listen Live". There might not be an update tomorrow because I might be out of town. There won't be an update on Saturday for sure because I'll be at a charity baseball game. The teams are the cast of Days Of Our Lives (my favorite and only soap opera to watch) and the cast of Passions, I think it is. Who cares who they're playing? I just want to meet Jason Cook who plays "Shawn-D Brady" on Days.

March 29th: It's time to say goodbye to "Millennium TV". The final episode should either be coming out or is out now. According to the letter I got from ARTIST DIRECT, it came out yesterday. Here's some cool news. Three major studios are interested in making the Backstreet Boys' comic book, Backstreet Project into a full-length animated film. Keep an ear out for more new on that. I got an email from a friend of mine today and said that Nick was home for Christmas and New Year's. She said Bobbie Jean and Nick hung out with her and two of our friends on New Year's. I wasn't there because I was out of town partying with Freddie Prinze Jr. and the drummer for Motley Crue.
**LATER TODAY**
Well, I got another email from another friend of mine, basically in reply to the other email I talked about earlier. She asked Bobbie the same questions earlier today that I did last night at the "Nick Carter Chat Flat" and she said that Bobbie said the same thing she told those of us in the chat room last night. Oh yeah, Bobbie also said that she's going to be moving out of her house to share a place with a few of her friends.

March 28th: On with the news. Speaking of Howie, he was in Alabama working with Gary Baker on songs for the new album. At the charity basketball game, "The Bucs vs. The Boys" Brian and Nick played in, The Boys won, 108-104. And one of the female DJs on The Bucs, Jennifer Jordon, got fouled for "groping" Nick and Nick got a foul shot. That's really weird, but it's funny. The Boys were shooting something up in Canada, for a video I guess. Puff Daddy told the Sun newspaper from England that he plans to record something with the Backstreet Boys and he said, "They're great." It was also mentioned on a radio station, but the DJ said he didn't know what the project was. AJ bought a new golden retriever puppy last week on Wednesday. No word on a name yet. Nintendo made a deal with the Boys to come up with a game along the lines of a virtual Backstreet Boy. Darren Hayes of Savage Garden said he thinks the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears are good pop musicians, "but the rest are crap...." That reminded me of what he said at the 1998 Billboard Awards. A friend and I were sitting in front of Savage Garden at the beginning of the show and then 'N Sync came out to present (I think) and Darren Hayes said to the guy next to him, "They're just wannabe-Backstreet Boys". And on MTV Asia he said that he likes the Backstreet Boys and the reason he bought their Millennium album was because of "Show Me The Meaning....". He loves that song. Sam Goodys is already letting people reserve a copy of the new BSB album, and it hasn't even been recorded yet. I listened to "Show Me The Meaning...." backwards today and I heard the guys say "missing you". It was weird! Then if you listen to "I Want It That Way" backwards, it sounds like a totally different song, more like rock. Mandy Moore (who toured with the Boys on the first leg of the Into The Millennium Tour) has confessed that she has a big crush on AJ. Who wouldn't?? (Besides me). Also, speaking of AJ, his ex-girlfriend Marisa as put together a one-hour video of behind-the-scenes stuff she recorded while on tour with the Boys and is selling it. It's release date is April 20th. And she says she didn't do it for the money. Finally, Howie is going to be the Master of Ceremonies at some concert for teens at the Miami Beach Convention center on April 1st. Oh yeah, before I forget, at the beginning of that show, Making The Band, the vocal coach guy said to the finalists (or the actual five members, I don't know which), "You already think your the bomb because you got picked, but you ain't got nothing on 'N Sync or the Backstreet Boys." Then it showed one of the guys looking like he felt stupid. Wow, this is long. That's what I get for putting two days of news together.
**LATER TODAY**
I had my Johnny No-Name experience up here earlier, but took it down and moved it to the Reviews section. Guess who I talked to today?? Bobbie Jean Carter. It wasn't at her house, though. My friends and I ended up not going back like we planned to. But I was just at the "Nick Carter Chat Flat" and Bobbie Jean was there chatting with everyone. I asked her a couple questions that she answered. I asked her why she didn't go to the Grammys this year and she said it was because it was Leslie's turn. She said she hadn't seen Nick since October!! Then one person asked Bobbie if she saw Nick during Christmas or something like that. She said Nick didn't come home for Christmas. I asked her why and she said, and I quote, "One word- Mandah." I asked that just to see if she would say Nick's gf, Mandy was the reason he didn't come home for Christmas and she did. Someone asked Bobbie if she was friends with Mandy and she said, "I tried to be friends with her for Nick- but I couldn't do it" or something like that. After that everyone just kept bombarding (I sound like Howie *LOL*) her with questions about Nick and Mandy. Finally she said, "I don't want to talk about her anymore." I don't blame her. Then I told her "bye" and she said "bye". Anyway, just wanted to tell you all that.

March 27th: Right now it's 1:25am (as in "in the morning"). Why am I updating now?? Because I am too freakin' excited to sleep. I'm at a hotel with my friends Jamy, Elisha, Tiffany, and Mary Jane (I'm updating using Mary Jane's laptop). We're all going to AJ's conference and the Johnny No-Name concert today in Los Angeles. Remember, you can catch the conference at www.hardrock.com at 11am PT. Also, the guy that helped us carry our stuff to our room said he'd tell us where AJ was staying if we didn't say anything. Of course we agreed, so now we got info. I didn't catch the charity basketball game Nick and Brian played in via webcams yesterday because my friends and I decided to go star-gazing at the Oscars and we had to wake up DAMN early to get good spots. And guess who we saw there?? Howie and Kevin!! Yup, they were at the Academy Awards. And Howie shaved off his goatee. Anyway, on with the news. It's time to vote for the Teen Choice Awards. Go HERE to cast you vote. I guess the Backstreet Boys are up for something. Sad news.... Nick's grandmother is very ill in the hospital and she may pass away soon. It isn't know whether it's his grandmother Jean or his other grandmother. But, either way, pray for her that she may get well. As long as the subject is on Nick's family, the Official Carter Connection now has a chat room called "Nick Carter Chat Flat". All the family members have genuine screen names and Nick's Uncle Steve and Aunt Deb have already been there chatting with fans. Also, Elisha led the way to Nick's family home, where we all stood in awe. When one of the Carters came out, we bolted. Don't ask me why, nervousness, I guess. But we're going back tomorrow to see if we could talk to any of them. That's it for now....

March 25th: Just a quick reminder to watch "The Bucs vs. The Boys", the charity basketball game Brian and Nick are playing in tomorrow. 933flz.com will have live webcams. I'm excited 'cause in two more days is the first "Johnny No-Name" concert of the tour and the conference AJ is having that morning. Today I went to see the movie Erin Brockovich starring Julia Roberts, and I saw myself and my friends in the BBQ scene!! My sister-in-law's mom was in the court house scenes, too. Anyway, just thought I'd share that with you all. Don't forget about the game tomorrow.

March 24th: Can't go to the charity basketball game that Nick and Brian are playing in?? Don't worry. 933flz.com, I believe, will have live web cams for the game. Also, while Nick is acting as DJ on March 30th, there will be live web cams there. A lot of people are wondering if Nick's gf, Mandy will be there and if Nick will play her music. The only way to find that is to watch and/or listen. Continuing with more news on Nick, he will be chatting while doing his DJ thing. Moving on, the Boys' choreographer, Fatima Robinson, is not only in Aaliyah's video, "Try Again", she's in the movie, Romeo Must Die as one of Aaliyah's co-workers. It's just a small part, but that's cool. Alright, Fatima! For those of you who have heard that AJ is probably going to announce his engagement to his girlfriend, Amanda, in the next six months, it's not true. AJ's people (as they're called) have said no such announcement is planned on being made.

March 23rd: Backstreet Boys will be on an upcoming Lionel Richie album. The song entitled "Cinderella" will feature the Boys. There is a rumor going around that the Backstreet Boys will be touring Canada this summer and they have set a date for a show in Calgary. Both of those rumors are NOT confirmed. Here's a funny story. A girl, who is best friends with a big Backstreet Boys fan, met AJ in a clothing store and didn't know it until the end of their conversation. This girl, who is a big Korn fan, didn't know much about the group and ran right into a cute guy on her way to the dressing rooms. When she came out, the guy was still there. They talked and he introduced himself as "Alex". Finally, it dawned on her why this guy seemed so familiar. He was "AJ" from the group her best friend loved so much. She said they talked, they flirted (typical AJ), and he was one of the nicest famous guys she'd ever met. She said she told her friend, who was in another store, and she was quite jealous. She also said they had a chance to meet with him later that night, but didn't tell about that one. A 21-year-old Norwegian girl named Randi Kloeve was found in a Lexington shelter after missing for a few weeks. Her parents got worried when they hadn't heard from her in a while after receiveing an email from their daughter saying her vacation in New York City was going quite good. After weeks of searching by Interpol, the Norwegian Embassy in Washington D.C., the FBI, and New York City Police, they finally got a tip to look over in Lexington. Randi Kloeve, I believe, is now back home and her parents say she might have gone to Lexington, Kentucky because that's the hometown of Backstreet Boy, Brian Littrell. Randi didn't now she was being searched for by her parents until she was found. Another story, campus police at the University of Toronto have been blasting Backstreet Boys music and AC/DC music in hopes of bringing an end to a sit-in being done by some students of the school. They're protesting the selling of the UT shirts made by third world countries. So far, out of the 19 students that first started this, only 8 of them are left. E! Online says that the homevideo, Standing Room Only will be released on March 31st. Hopefully they're right. We've been waiting too long for that video. Here's some great news. An email address has been set up for when Nick acts as DJ on 93.3 FLZ on March 30th. So, you can email him your questions now at: nick@933flz.com. Then the question will be given to Nick on March 30th.

March 21st: Four of five Backstreet Boys went to a Toronto Raptors/Orlando Magic game while in Toronto. The only one named was Nick, the other three I don't know. They had court-side seats near the Raptors bench. Nick was wearing his Vince Carter jersey, who happens to be his 2nd cousin, and the Boys were shown throughout the game, cheering for which team, I don't know. During halftime, the Boys did a brief interview and Vince Carter was with them. He seemed to like Nick quite a bit and the reporters did mention they are related. Here's some great news. On March 30th, from 7pm to 11pm EST, Nick will be the DJ for 93.3 FLZ, Tampa. To listen to it live, CLICK HERE then click on "Listen Live". Tomorrow, I will be in Los Angeles, so there will be either an early morning update or no update. I'm going to former BSB, Phoenix Stone's concert. He's a great singer and I highly recommend getting his single, "Nothing Good About Goodbye". Sorry for no update yesterday. I went to a premiere party for the TV show Jack & Jill on Sunday. The whole cast was there and I have to say that Simon Rex (former MTV VJ, was also on a couple episodes of Felicity) is way more gorgeous in person than on TV. And he's really nice, too. After talking to him all night, I needed a day off.

March 19th: Kiwibox.com is holding a contest for Backstreet Boys fans and 'N Sync fans. Yes, once again, we're going up against each other. It started on the 17th, but that's okay. Check out Kiwibox.com every two days for the next 20 days for the daily questions (there are separate questions for 'N Sync fans). At the end of the contest you should have answered 100 questions. Should you miss one of the days, there will be links to past questions. Then at 7pm EST on April 16th, be one of the first 50 to send all your answers to contest@kiwibox.net. The prizes are points, Authentic Rolling Stone posters, concert tickets, and a chance to get Backstage Passes. Also, if BSB fans answer more questions correctly, we'll get double the points and vice versa. So, check it out and let everybody know the Backstreet Fans are the best. VH1 announced that rehearsals for their Men Strike Back special will be on April 10th, so the Boys will be there, hopefully all of them. The Johnny No-Name Tour ends on April 9th, so hopefully AJ will be able to make it.

March 18th: AJ's chat as "Johnny No-Name" was yesterday and believe it or not, I forgot about it. But I hear it was really good. Speaking of which, "Johnny" will be holding a press conference at the Hard Rock Cafe in Los Angeles on March 27th at 11am. You can bet I'm going. I'll also be at the show later that night. The press conference will also be webcast at www.hardrock.com if you want to see it. All proceeds from the Johnny No-Name Tour will go to the VH1 Save The Music Foundation. The BSB Fun Club website is now up and running, as of around 3pm today. It's run by AJ's mom, Denise McLean. In the Fun For You section, they're asking for feedback and for ideas for the site. A fan recently bought Elton John's El Durado album and said the Backstreet Boys sing background vocals for almost every song. I thought it was just "Friends Never Say Goodbye". She also said Elton John thanks the Boys in his liner notes. A fan who attended the March 10th concert in Indianapolis said there were a bunch of MTV cameras everywhere and Kevin said something about being sorry the cameras were taking up so much room. I guess we'll find out what's up later on. In Max magazine's poll, the Boys were awarded: "Best Group", "Hunk of the Year"- Nick, "Best Album"- Millennium, "Best Video"- "Larger Than Life", and in "Best Song", "Larger Than Life" got 2nd while "I Want It That Way" got 3rd. Tommy Smith, BSB Band keyboardist, will not be updating the BSB Band website for a while because his laptop is out for repairs. But he sends his best wishes out to everyone and when he does update, he will have lots of news and other things. Fatima Robinson, the Boys' choreographer, is in the new Aaliyah video, "Try Again". She's the one dancing on the left side of Aaliyah when they show the dancing.

March 17th: Happy St. Patrick's Day!! There isn't much to tell. Only one thing. The Backstreet Boys broke Madonna's 1991 record of attendence at the Skydome in Toronto. 36,000 BSB fans flooded the venue while, 9 years before, 32,000 Madonna fans showed up. This was also the sixth time the Boys sold out the Skydome, if I'm not mistaken. That's about it.

March 16th: Due to technical difficulties at MCY.com, the webcast was delayed for several hours. I saw the entire concert today, and it brought back a lot of memories of the concerts I went to last year. For those of you who haven't gotten the chance to see the Boys' Millennium Tour, you have to check out the webcast. Pogo.com's question of the day is: "AJ McLean is a member of what musical group?". You win $50 if you get it right. Mark this on your calenders, Florida fans. March 26th Brian and Nick will be playing a basketball game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Brad Culpepper, Shaun King, and Martin Gramatica. The game starts at 2pm at USF's Sun Dome. Tickets go on sale today at the Sun Dome's box office. Nick's girlfriend, Mandy (aka Willa Ford) will be performing the halftime show. Also, lucky ticket holders could get auctioned off items shot by the player themselves. Remember, March 26th at 2pm, USF's Sun Dome. Good luck to Nick and Brian. Mindi Abair, BSB Band saxaphonist, and her band will be the opening act for the Johnny No-Name Tour, as well as a girl group called Nobody's Angel. I think tickets for the tour go onsale this weekend. The Boys had a lot of thinking to do after somebody found out the aliases they used to check into hotels and told a radio station, who announced it all over the air. So, for those of you who think you know their aliases, think again 'cause the Boys have come up with new ones.

March 15th: Today's the day, folks! Get over to MCY.com and re-live your concert experience, or if you didn't get to see the guys this tour, here's your chance. One thing I for got to mention yesterday (even though I had it in my notes) is that AJ will be having a chat at Yahoo on March 17th at 4:30 PST. According to MTV yesterday, AJ will be doing covers of Eminem, Stone Temple Pilots, and Brian McKnight, as well as "If You Knew What I Knew" which AJ wrote with former BSB Band member, Billy Chapin. I'm not gonna bother with a lot today 'cause I doubt many people will be seeing this.
**FIVE MINUTES LATER**
I just went to check out the PPV Webcast. I wanted the "Millennium 2000" package (which is the entire concert), but guess what?? It's not available until tomorrow. You can still order, it just can't see it until tomorrow. All other packages you can get today.

March 14th: Sorry, for no new update the past couple of days. I've been sick and believe me, it's not pretty. The Backstreet Boys PPV webcast is tomorrow, I believe, and here are the different packages you can get: "Here We Are"- $3.99, "Where Are The Moms"- $3.99, "Spanish Eyes"- $3.99, "Larger Than Life"- $3.99, and "Millennium 2000"- $6.99. Each package contains songs from different parts of the concert and the "Millennium 2000" package is the entire concert. Also, with any package you get, that includes access to exclusive photos and video interviews in the Backstage Section. So, go check out what you want and have fun. The Boys are up for a Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Award, so go HERE to vote for them. The Boys won "Best-Selling Album (Foreign or Domestic)" at the Juno Awards on March 12th. AJ and Howie were there to accept their award. AJ wanted the group 2gether to open up for his Johnny No-Name Tour, but their management said that it would confusing enough for AJ to be touring solo, and he didn't need a fake boy band opening for him. A lot of people are gonna be disappointed when they hear that one. While in Indianapolis, the Boys were spotted everywhere, renting out bowling palaces, rooms in clubs, and Brian was seen at a Indiana Pacers game in front row with his fiancee, Leighanne. After the couple left the game right before it was over, the family sitting next to them grabbed the napkin Brian used!! That's a little over the top. Ticketmaster.com reported that AJ will be playing The Quest on April 2nd, and not 1st Avenue. On April 11th, the Boys will be on Howard Stern's show. Check your local listing for times and channels.

March 11th: A soon-to-be mother watched the show Whose Line Is It Anyway to see the Backstreet Boys skit to be done. She said she was very disappointed because the guy who did it is usually right now his impressions. However, she said he was way off with the Boys and that she doubted whether he even know who the Boys were. Glad I didn't watch. Speaking of TV shows, Howie is going to write the music for and guest star in a TV sitcom pilot called Love They Neighbor. Howie's best friend asked him to do it and he agreed. Anybody watch the Soap Opera Awards last night?? I did, and they continued to use Backstreet Boys music in one of the categories. They played "If You Want It To Be Good Girl (Get Yourself A Bad Boy)" while announcing the "Best Villian" nominees. They used a couple BSB songs last year also. According to an online poll given by Billboard, the Backstreet Boys and Elton John performance was the highlight of the Grammys. Not surprised. They were amazing. Bad luck hit two BSB fans. One fan's parents got her two tickets to the concert in Cleveland. Her and her friend were chillin' downtown when one of them took out the tickets to look at them, then some guy grabbed them from out of her hand and ran. She had her tickets stolen right out of her hands. The girl's friend tried to run after him, but couldn't catch up. They talked to security, but didn't get to see the show. That really sucks. I'd hate to have that happen to me. Now for the best news. Mindi Abair, BSB Band saxophonist, and her band will be touring and opening for AJ's alter-ego, "Johnny No-Name"!! There's a short list of tour dates in the TOUR DATES section.

March 10th: The fans have spoken. "The One" will be the new single off the Millennium album. That's great and I love that song. It's been confirmed that the Boys will be performing on VH1's Men Strike Back special. It's like the whole Diva thing that VH1 does, only with men. The Backstreet Boys will be among the judges of an online film contest entitled "Show Off Your Shorts", which will award $100,000 cash prizes for the best film shorts in five categories. The contest begins tonight with the launch party happening at the Sky Bar in Los Angeles, CA. After a council meeting on March 7th, the East Lansing City Council have APPROVED a request made by a student from Michigan State University that the Boys receive the key to the city of East Lansing, MI. They will be presented the key on March 13th, during their concert on the MSU campus. Bad news for the members of the UK BSB Fan Club. It will be closing, so they are not accepting any new members. If you've already sent in your money, you will either get a full refund or receive the last two newsletters and some BSB merchandise. Ever wonder how hard it was for groups like the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync to make it in the music business? ABC and MTV have collaborated on a show entitled Making the Band which will premiere on ABC on March 24th at 9pm. The half-hour series will then be moved to the time slot of 8:30pm on Fridays. While the beginning of band named "O-Town" will be somewhat different than that of the Backstreet Boys, it's supposed to show what a "boy band" goes through to make in the music industry.

March 9th: Sorry for no update yesterday, something came up that I'll tell you about later. A couple nights ago, I was channel surfing when I came across a show called Millennium on FX (an extention of FOX) and heard "Everybody" playing in the background. The scene was a little girl having a birthday party. Her and all her little friends were in the living room of her house and were dancing all dressed up like ballerinas. It was so cute. Almost the whole song was played. If you're an avid watcher of Total Request Live like I am, you know Nick called in to the show yesterday. I had to watch the encore presentation later last night because of that something that came up. Anyway, Nick sounded like he really wanted to next single to be "The One", but so far, "Don't Want You Back" is in the lead. Be sure to watch TRL tomorrow to find out what the next single will be. Also, last night was the MTV's Diary for Korn. Here's basically what Jon Davis said about the Backstreet Boys. He doesn't like them, he can't believe their managers are managing them, he knows that they're talented and they can sing, but he doesn't have respect for anybody that doesn't write their own songs. He also said he had his girlfriend take her niece to a Backstreet Boys concert where he was told that Nick was looking at her breasts. Well, guess what, Jon Davis? Nick has already admitted to looking at girls' breasts. Nothing new there. Second, Jon Davis obviously doesn't follow up on the Boys' careers 'cause it's a wide-known fact that the Boys have been writing and co-writing a lot of their songs. Just because their whole album isn't written by them like Korn, doesn't mean they don't write their own songs. Now I guess I'll tell you the reason why there was no update yesterday. I was auditioning at my community college for a show that MTV is putting together. There was an open casting-call yesterday and me and a bunch of friends went to audition. Don't ask me what the show's about 'cause I don't know. Nobody does. It's a big mystery thing. But I was asked the basic getting-to-know-you questions, what I like to do, what kind of music I listen to, where I'm from, things like that. They also asked stuff about psychics and astrology. So, I guess I'll find out what the show is about if I get picked.

March 7th: Wow, I didn't realize it's been this long since I've updated. I'm sure you all have heard that the new name for AJ's alter-ego is "Johnny No-name". He told Jojo, DJ for 102.7 KIIS FM, Los Angeles, that he had to change his name since the name "Johnny Suede" is pretty much copywritten and AJ would have to pay some big money to use it. He didn't want to deal with that, so he decided to change the name. I read in my issue of Rolling Stone Daily that the Boys and the Rolling Stones were the only musical acts to be in "Forbes" top ten richest entertainers of the year. In Entertainment Weekly Ashton Kutcher from That 70's Show said his guily pleasure is the Backstreet Boys. He said they're his favorite group, his favorite member is Howie, and he knows them all by name. DJ Tarzan Dan of 92.5 KISS, Toronto, told Kevin, who called in, that the Boys were name Playboy's R&B and Pop Group of the Year. Kevin said something like, "My mom's gonna love that." Continental Airlines had put "Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely" and "I Need You Tonight" on it's March playlist for passengers to listen to during their flight. MTV has a show called "Video Feuds" and Backstreet Boys are up against 'N Sync. So, support the Boys and vote for them HERE.

March 4th: I'll start with the best news first. Thanks to MTV.com, you get pick which song off the Millennium album will be the next single. The choices are "Don't Want You Back", "The One", and "It's Gotta Be You". Go to MTV.com and CHOSE YOUR SONG. Then tune in to Total Request Live on March 10th to see which song gets made into a video. Here's some weird news. A guy got suspended from his Christian school in San Antonio, TX, for going to a Backstreet Boys concert because the staff feels that the Boys play "inappropriate" music and have "inappropriate" dance moves. One or two other students also got suspended with him after admitting they went to their concert also. Wow, that's something I never thought you could get suspended for. More Backstreet Boys fans got scammed by somebody who was auctioning off "all access backstage passes". It was reported that around 7 or 8 people paid around $1500 for those "fake" backstage passes. Power 92, Emondton, Canada, reported that the Boys will be touring Canada this summer, but no dates or ticket sales were reported. On March 8th, watch MTV's Diary where Korn's Jon Davis will tell his true feelings about the Boys. I'm watching it anyway because I love Korn.

March 3rd: Sorry about not updating yesterday. I was in Lake Havasu City, AZ, for the day. It felt like summer over there. California has been getting some pretty cold weather these past couple weeks, so the warm weather of Lake Havasu was a nice change. I spent my day on the beach. Moving on.... The Boys might possibly have a song called "Will You Still Love Me (On Mars)" on the Mission To Mars soundtrack. More info about that will be at the official site for the movie in a few days. The Backstreet Boys have had a great tour (which ends in a couple weeks). They were given keys to the city of Minneapolis and an official "Backstreet Boys Day" was declared in Houston. When Carlos Santana was asked who he thought should've won a Grammy, but didn't, this is what he said: "I think that the Backstreet Boys should've taken home an award, they are a great group of guys, and I think it's great what they do." How cool is that?? The orange loop Howie wore to the Grammys is to help promote awareness of lupus. Howie wore it in honor of his sister, Caroline, who died of lupus almost two years ago. The orange loops will be made available to the public when the national campaign get going (hopefully that's soon), and all you have to do is call your local Chapter and ask for one. To find out where your nearest Chapter is, go to: www.lupus.org/infor/help.html. Please help in spreading awareness of the disease lupus. Guess who else bought a new house?? Nick and his parents, Robert and Jane, bought an new 10,000 square foot house on 100 acres in Santa Ynez Valley for $3.3 million to add to the they have one in Palos Verde Pennisula that they bought last fall. This house has a small lake, swimming pool, tennis court, barn, and guest apartment. And I thought AJ's house cost a lot.

March 1st: Pre-registration for the PPV webcast concert began yesterday, so you can pre-register at www.mcy.com/webcast/bsb. On Sir Elton John's new website eltonjohn.com there is a letter explaining about the Boys singing background vocals for his song "Friends Never Say Goodbye", not "Someday Out Of The Blue" as previously reported, from his El Durado album. Tommy Smith, BSB Band keyboardist, wants the fans suggestions in helping AJ pick a new name for his alter-ego "Johnny Suede". AJ wants to keep the "Johnny" part, so just the last name needs to be changed. Tell your suggestions to Tommy by signing his guestbook at www.bsbband.com, then Tommy will take all the suggestions and give them to AJ, so he can decide which one he likes best.