Backstreet Boys Wherever there’s a boy band, you can also count on finding lots of female fans – not to mention a Svengali manager – not far behind. In the case of the Backstreet Boys, the latter was Lou Pearlman, a Florida-based entrepreneur who saw huge cash potential in forming a group to fill the market niche vacated by the New Kids on the Block in the late 80s. Pearlman held auditions in 1992 and 1993, where he found twelve-year-old Nick Carter, nineteen-year-old Howie Dorough, fourteen-year-old Alexander James McLean (A.J.), and twenty-one-year-old Kevin Richardson. By April 1993, Richardson’s cousin, Brian Littrell, had also joined the group, and the fab five made their debut performance at Orlando’s SeaWorld. Gigs at local school assemblies and shopping malls followed, and management was then turned over to Johnny Wright, who had worked with the New Kids on the Block and Janet Jackson. By February 1994, the Backstreet Boys were spotted by independent label Jive Records, and recorded their first single, “We've Got It Goin' On.” The single did well in Europe, and by late 1996, the band had released their self-titled debut in Europe and Canada. The album, which went on to sell over 13 million copies, was not released until 1997.
With their infectious hits and clean-cut looks, the Backstreet Boys would go on to dominate the pop charts for much of the late 90s. However, personal problems plagued the band, including Littrell’s health problems with a congenital heart defect that required him to undergo surgery; as well as lawsuits concerning the band’s royalties, which they battled out in court against their management. The Boy’s follow-up album, Millennium, was released in summer 1999, debuting at number one and selling over one million copies in its first week alone. One year later, they released Black & Blue. By this time, the band had begun feeling the effects of years of non-stop touring, and decided to take a break to pursue separate endeavors. While Kevin Richardson starred in Chicago on Broadway, Littrell was trying on a role of a different kind, as that of a new father. Nick Carter struck out on a solo career, releasing Now or Never in 2002, and Howie Dorough turned his focus to charity, raising funds for Dorough Lupus Foundation. Meanwhile, A.J. McLean struggled with substance abuse, which he spoke about on the Oprah Winfrey Show in December 2003. In 2005, the band regrouped and released Never Gone. By this time, much of their core fan demographic had grown up and turned their attention to new sounds. Still, the standard set by The Backstreet Boys had been established, influencing the sounds and styles of bands such as ‘N SYNC, 98 Degrees, LFO, and O-Town. According to the 2001 Guinness Book of World Records, the Backstreet Boys are the biggest boy band in history, and have broken record sales with 17 million copies of their album Millennium.
Since the release of their last album in 2005, Brian Littrell has been topping Billboard’s Christian Charts as a solo artist, while Nick Carter has enjoyed the most publicity from his personal pursuits – including dating socialite, Paris Hilton, and starring in his own celeb-reality show with brother, Aaron Carter, called House of Carters. YUDDY |
