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What is it about Backstreet Boys Nicholas Gene Carter that drives girls
around the world crazy?
It could be his too blue eyes or is lop-sided grin or the amazing voice
that can send shivers up your spine. Or, it could be the way such a
talented guy combines all these qualities without being conceited. In
many ways Nick, or Nicky as him family persists on calling him no matter
how old he gets, is a fun-loving, talented guy who just happens to be
famous.
Nick Carter was born in Jamestown, New York to Jane and Robert Carter.
When Nick was four, the Carter family began to grow, first was sister
Bobby Jean (or as her family calls her, B.J.) and later with Leslie and
then finally, fraternal twins, Aaron and Angel. The oldest Carter kid
was a natural ham from the time he could, a quality his family
attributed to the fact that he was born in the same hospital that famous
actress/Comedienne Lucille ball. Dressed only in diapers, he'd amuse his
family and costumers at his dad's Yankee's Rebel Lounge by 'bustin' a
move.' His spunky personality and love of attention kept him mom and dad
busy!
By the time his family relocated to Tampa Bay area in Florida, Nick was
in 4th grade and had started to channel his excess energy into singing,
dancing and even a little bit of acting! One of his first roles was the
lead of Phantom of the Opera. Before long his singing was winning him
plenty of notice and cool jobs like his two-year stint singing during
the Tampa Bay Buccaneeres' half-time show. Nick's vocal styles also won
him the new Original Amateur hour in 1992- pretty cool for a kid barely
in high school!
By age 15, Nick had done a couple of commercials and was looking to
commit to a larger project. That's why he happened upon AJ McLean and
Howie Dorough at the Nickelodeon studios one day. They were auditioning
for roles in a new cable TV series. None of the guys got the parts
(although Nick turned down a project offered to him by Walt Disney), but
this trio realized they'd found something special in each other.
Eventually, Nick, Howie, and AJ, were joined by cousins Kevin Richardson
and Brian Littrell and the Backstreet Boys were formed.
Brian remembers his first impression of the little blonde haired singer
who was destined to become his best friend in the group. "The main thing
I remembered about Nick when I very first met him is how small he was"
recalls Brian "He was so energetic and full of life. I was like 'Wow". I
was totally bowled over, and then I heard his voice. Man, it was just so
big for this little guy."
This little guy with the big voice soon proved to be the biggest
practical joker among the guys. In fact Nick's pranks have become
legendary.
Who gave BSB's manager Donna gum that tasted like fish? Nick.
Who stole all of AJ's clothes one night from his hotel room? Nick.
Who was the one to start a cake fight a posh (Fancy) party? Nick!
"I'm definitely the prankster of the group," says the blonde one with a
smirk. "I like to do anything I can think of to these guys."
While the other guys have really good sense of humors regarding Nick's
'little' jokes, occasionally they have been known to take their revenge.
"Once, we threw him out of the dressing room in his underwear in front
of a whole bunch of girls," recalls Brian. "He got really mad, but it
was really funny!"
Despite all the kidding around, Nick's very serious about his commitment
to Backstreet Boys. "I think everyone has a dream that they want to full
fill in life and I think this is out dream," he says quite seriously.
"We wanted to make it happen and that's what we did. And we enjoy every
minute of it like it's out last."
By the looks of their success abroad and the plans for dominating their
home, the US, you can bet the end won't be anytime soon! Nick, like the
rest of his band mates, is always working to improve his skills as a
singer, dancer and musician. Almost four years ago, Nick started lessons
on playing the drum, now he's good enough to play on stage. It's
something he'd like to do more of.
Nick's taste in music is probably most varied of all the Backstreet
Boys. He's a huge fan of alt rockers Nirvana but also loves the soaring
pipes of Steve Perry, frontman for the 80s era hitmakers journey. "My
range is front old rock to alternative rock," he says. "I love R&B, too,
because that's what we sing and then pop and all that stuff."
Over the past two years, Backstreet Boys have romped to the record sales
charts of Canada, Germany, Great Britain, and many more countries.
However, their world wide success, and the attention that comes with it,
hasn't changed Nick one bit. In fact he's till slightly embarrassed to
be compared with heavy hitters like Boyz II Men, a group that all the
Backstreet Boys would love to harmonize with them someday. "The biggest
surprise for me is to actually walk into the store and see your single
sitting on the shelf," he says candidly. "You can't believe it's you
sitting beside all these other famous artists"
As the youngest member of BSB, Nick tends to get the lion's share of
attention from young females. Yet, he's not all conceited about the
extra eyes on him. It's flattering he says, but right now, he's just not
ready for a girl-friend. "I know a lot of girls who are just friends-
the way I prefer it," he says. "I don't really wan to fall in love yet.
I prefer to wait a little bit... We really don't have that much time for
girl-friends."
What kinda' girl rocks Nick's world?
Well, he'd admits that brunettes have often caught his eye, although
hair color is attractive if the person has a fun personality and is
really nice. Nick doesn't have any problem with dating or hanging out
with a fan of the Backstreet Boys as long as they treat him like a
normal human being. This merry prankster that people with a good sense
of humor are a must and a shared interest in music is always helpful.
"To be honest, I've never really fallen in love. I've never felt this
strong sensation," he admits. With the tight schedule he and the rest of
the guys have been on in the past few years, it's not like that he'll
find out what falling in love is like very soon. "personally, I love
girls, but the fact is that we're always on the road," he says "It's
hard actually staying down with one girl and go away. It's kind of hard
to do that to someone"
Nick's popularity with makes the other Backstreet Boys quite protective
of their youngest member. "He's the one who gets tugged on the most,"
says best bud Brian "If me and him are getting out of the bus at the
same time, they'd probably go for him. That's why we try to get off the
bus with him-- we push him out first so we can walk on past!"
With concerts, photo shoot and mob scenes as part of his daily life,
Nick doesn't have as much time for any of his hobbies anymore. He tries
to keep active though. While waiting backstage for an interview or as
he's cruising to another tour date on the Backstreet Boys tour bus, he
likes to draw cartoons of himself and the other group members as super
heros. You'll rarely see Nick without a pencil in hand.
Whenever he's home, Nick likes to indulge in all sorts of water sports.
His favorite way of relaxing is to take the family motor for a cruise on
the turquoise waters of the Florida Keys. "A lot of the time I go out on
the boat alone. Being on my own, with just the silence of the sea, is
such an escape from the constant screaming of fans on a Backstreet Boys
Tour," he says. "It's something I need to do-- just get away from it
all. To me, the Florida Keys are paradise on Earth."
Nick is also a certified scuba diver. He enjoys fishing, water-skiing
and basically anything that has to do with water. Although he protests
that he not ready for a serious, heavy romantic relationship yet, he'd
admits that sharing his love of the Keys with that special someone would
be very nice. "If I had to do something romantic I would take her to the
beach when the sun is going down" he says about his fantasy date. "The
sky would be full of stars, and apart from the sound of the sea, it
would be a very quiet and intimate moment."
Despite all the commotion surrounding him, Nick maintains that he's just
a normal guy. While he's enjoying his experiences as a Backstreet Boy,
his family, friends in the group play a large part in keeping his head
on straight. "I'm a really peaceful person. I don't believe in being
mean to anyone," he says "That's something I get from my family"
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