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It's almost impossible to keep your eyes off adorable Howie. D when
Backstreet Boys are on stage. This cutie has all the moves, plus an
outstanding falsetto voice which will leave you speechless. For Howie,
performing with the Backstreet Boys is totally second nature!
This Orlando, Florida-native has been performing for most of his life.
The last of five close-knit siblings, Howie credits his sister Pollyanna
with showing him the way to the spotlight. "She got me started when I
was seven and she was eleven 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 his life. He went on and appeared in famous
local-productions such as The Sound of Music, Showboat, Camelot, and
more. But musical theater isn't the extend of Howie's experience. As an
actor he starred in the pilot of a Nickelodeon series called Welcome
Freshman and had roles in movies Parenthood and Cop and a Half. As a
teen he also appeared in a commercial from 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 which he shared in common with fellow Backstreet 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 with my family," he says proudly.
"We're one of those tight families," on each circle around the globe of
a Backstreet Boys tour, Howie has crammed his luggage full of little
gifts for his whole family. He writes postcards to them on the tour bus
and video tapes everything that happens to him to share with him mom,
dad, and siblings when he finally returns home.
In Backstreet Boys, Howie has broadened the group's fan base by
suggesting 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 really something I wanted to incorporate"
Naturally, Howie has a lot of respect for other bilingual performers
like Jon Secada. Jon is one Howie's all time favorite singers and he'd
love 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 Boys II Men.
Howie's other role in the group is to be the peacemaker. "Howie's Mr.
Mediator," says AJ of his older friend. "Like brothers [The group
members] may argue but really the cool part is that as soon as we walk
off that bus it's just like walking into character. We always make-up.
There's never 24-hour 'I hate you' kinda' thing. And Howie's like 'C'mon
guys lets be serious. Let's be focused.'"
What other secrets can the other boys tell us about the guy that 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
stuff because everything has to be folded just right. Backstage before a
show, he insists on drinking his ritual cup of hot tea with lots lemon
and honey. When it comes to food, all the 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 much into health-- he
tries to eat right and never goes to bed without doing his stomach
crunchies. Howie also sometimes snores! "It's because he sleeps with him
mouth open," opines Nick "I stuck a piece of kit-kat in him mouth once,
and he tried to take a bite out of it in his sleep!"
It's no deep, dark secret that Howie's really into girls. Like the rest
of the group, he doesn't have a lot 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 what's on the inside, like her
personality rather than her appearance. "I always look for someone who
is very supportive of what I do because it's something 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 the sidelines
and cheer him on! He's interested in girls who want a career for
themselves, who have their own dreams. "I like someone who is looking at
things in a positive way," he says "Someone who knows what she want out
of life and how to go about getting it."
Like the rest of the group, Howie is extremely excited about bringing
Backstreet Boys home to America. "I just think it's a long waiting
home-coming," 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."
It's about time that the girls in the U.S. get a chance to better taste
the sweetness of the guy they call Howie.D!
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