(J-14, January 11, 1999)
It's hard to believe that a little over a year ago, no one in this country knew The Backstreet Boys from the local high school choirboys. Now everyone is screaming out the names Nick, Howie, Brian, AJ, and Kevin--The Fab Five who make up the Florida-based band--and they can't even go to the mall without having fans faint and drool at the sight of them!
These guys aren't spending their time skipping from party to party with Hollywood starlets on their arms--no way! AJ is seriously dating Amanda Latona, another Floridian singer (her group is Innosense), and the other guys are quick to deny any romantic rumors!
How they do spend their rare free time is far more admirable than hitting the party scene: The Boys are such great guys that they took time out from their concert tour to headline a special benefit U.S. Open tennis tournament in August. Hosted by Bill Cosby, The Boys performed at Arthur Ashe Kids' Day, which raised money for the health, education, and welfare of children.
And even though touring is demanding, The boys firmly deny the lies spread about their desire to split: "We want our fans to know that we are absolutely not splitting up, these rumors are 100% false," The Boys said in an official statement. We're glad to hear the guys are in for the long haul!
1. Howie is such a sweetie that he will hold up the tour bus so he can sign "just one more" autograph for his fans!
2. There is always a medic and oxygen backstage to attend to Bryan whenever he gets short of breath due to his heart problems.
3. AJ ios not only on the receiving end of crushes these days; he has a secret affection for Jennifer Love Hewitt!
4. Before joining The Backstreet Boys, Kevin was playing Aladdin and one of the Ninja Turtles at Disney World! Can you believe it?
5. When The Boys first started gaining popularity, some fans mistook Nick for Leonardo DiCaprio!
6. At a Canadian show, 50 fans were injured when they rushed the concert stage to get a few feet closer to The Boys!
The New Album
Their first album was so successful that even long after its release, the songs are still everywhere: "Quit Playing Games (With my Heart)" is constantly on the radio, and the video for "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" is all over TV. But it won't be too long before tons of new BB tunes hit the airwaves: the group wrapped up their North American tour and headed right into the recording studio to work on a new album before returning to Europe for yet another tour. For the first time, the boys are picking up instruments and writing their own songs for their next album, which will show off more BB talents than ever! The songs should reflect all the changes in the boys' lives since hitting stardom--maybe a fan encounter or two will make it into their new lyrics! For the latest info, check ou The Boys on their official website: www.backstreetboys.com!
Sure, they have an MTV Video Music Awards, but we wanted to hand out our own personal prizes to celebrate the best qualities of each of these supercool studs! See if you agree with our thoughts on what makes these guys so special! First of all, the Best Dancer Award goes to...(drumroll, please) HOWIE! Those groovy moves started with classical training, believe it or not--those spins and kicks are a result of his serious studies in ballet. Next, the Sweet 'N' Shy Guy Award goes to KEVIN! He's quiet and reserved, but Kevin insists he's a softie, the ultimate date for a tearjerker flick! The Greatest Voice Award goes to BRYAN, who followed his parents into the world of sining when he was only five years old! Lucky for us, those years in the church choir trained him well! While Bryan excels at siging, others in the band have to keep everyone in tune to the latest fashions, and that's where the recipient of our next award comes in handy. The Truly Trendy Award goins out to A.J., who is always ready to try the latest look in hair colors, piercings, and tattoos. He's planning to add another tattoo to his collection of body art--a panta, to match all the pandas his fans throw to him on stage!!! Finally, the Rockin' Romeo Award goes to NICK, the Leo look-alike who croons out the tunes in the most soulful voice of the group. The Boys are all winners in our book!