Howie's Stats

Backstreet Boys' adorable Howie D. is the perfect guy in so many ways! He's got a body to die for and liquid near-black eyes that a girl can willingly drown in. He tops it all off with the sweetest personality. This is one Boy who's never at a loss for words and can easily charm the shyest fan! He's a smart one, too. Since Backstreet Boys began selling millions of CDs around the world, Howie's invested his money wisely into Florida condominiums and has even created his own real estate management company with the members of his family.

But for Backstreet Boys fans, it's the music and the performances that count most and Howie delivers the goods! It's his high falsetto voice that punctuates all of Backstreet Boys' most gorgeous songs. Without him, the group's harmonies would definitely loose their soaring appeal. On stage, too, Howie's on fire! He sings like a dream, fulfilling all of their loyal fans' expectations in performance after performance. He's also one of the group's best dancers. It's no wonder that Howie D. is the favorite guy of so many BSB fans!

Howard Dwaine Dorough is an Orlando, Florida boy through and through. He was born in the Sunshine State on August 22. 1973 to Hoke and Paula Dorough, the last of five extremely close-knit siblings--Pollyanna, Angela, Caroline, and John.

Howie was a born performer. Coddled and cuddled by his one older brother and three older sisters, he grew up extremely confident--in a sweet sort of way. A Dorough family legend is that they knew Howie was born to be a star the day he jumped up on his grandma's bed with a little plastic guitar and started belting out the words to the old tune "Baby Face."

Howie got his real introduction to the entertainment world from his sister Pollyanna, an aspiring actress, just a few years later. "She got me started when I was seven and she was 11-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 that moment on, Howie knew what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. He went on to appear in local productions of famous musicals like The Sound Of Music, Showboat, Camelot and more. But musical theater isn't the extent of Howie's experience. As an actor, he starred in the pilot of a Nickelodeon series called Welcome Freshman and had roles in the movies Parenthood and Cop and a Half. He also appeared in a commercial for Walt Disney World when he was a teenager.

But music has 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 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 the rest of the Backstreet Boys famous all over the world.

These days, Backstreet Boys and his family are the two most important things in Howie's life. "I'm pretty close to my family," he says proudly. "We're one of those tight families." Backstreet Boys fans around the world provided the whole Dorough clan with lots of comfort last year when Howie's sister Caroline passed away after a long battle with lupus. The flowers, sympathy cards and donations from fans made to a foundation Howie set up in her honor to fight this little-publicized disease helped ease the family's sorrow. For his part, Howie says that he will always remember his fans' kindness and generosity during that difficult time in his life.

Within Backstreet Boys, Howie's the one who often settles disagreements. "Howie's Mr Mediator," says A.J. of his older friend. "Like brothers, [the group members] may argue but we always make up. There's never any 24-hour 'I hate you' kind of thing. Howie's like, 'C'mon guys, let's be serious. Let's be focused.'" Brian teasingly calls Howie "Mr. Quiet" because whenever a disagreement breaks out, Howie tends to keep silent until he hears all sides of the story. Only after everyone expresses their opinion will Howie weigh in with his view on things.

What other secrets can the other Backstreet Boys tell us about the guy they've nicknamed "Latin Lover" and "Sweet D"? Well, all the Boys agree that Howie's definitely the neatest of the group--it takes him forever to pack his suitcase because everything has to be folded just right. He gets really annoyed when an airline loses his luggage--something that seems to happen more to Howie than to any of the other guys in the group.

Backstage before a show, Howie insists on drinking his cup of hot tea with lots of lemon and honey. He says that it helps loosen up his vocal cords and prepare them for the workout ahead. When it comes to food, all the Boys agree that Howie and Kevin are the most adventurous--they've tried everything from sushi in Japan to sauerbraten in Germany. Howie is also very much into his health--he tries to eat right and never goes to bed without doing his stomach crunches.

Howie also sometimes snores! "It's because he sleeps with his mouth open," opines Nick. "I stuck a bit of Kit-Kat in his mouth once, and he tried to take a bite out of it in his sleep!" Another Howie secret is that he's scared of bugs--especially big hairy spiders!

It's no deep, dark secret that Howie is 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 admiring 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 a girl's personality than her appearence. "I always look for someone who is very supportive of what I do because it's something that I've waited so long for," he says. He also like 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 on the sidelines and cheer him on! He's interested in girls who have dreams of their own. "I like someone who is always looking at things in a postive way," he says. "Someone who knows what she wants in life and how to go about getting it."

Just like the adorable guy they call Sweet D!

Say What??

"[After a show] it's hard to just wind down and go to bed. Me and A.J., sometimes Kevin, we'll call each other and say, 'Hey, you want to go to a club?' We like going out and having normal social lives."

"I have a big heart and I talk to anybody and everybody."

"It was like fate. I auditioned and this woman who was holding the audition asked if I knew anyone named A.J. and I said yes because A.J. and I had done some acting together."

"I don't stress out over things because I know in the end, everything will work out for the best. It always does."

"I don't think there's anything corny about romance. I think it's beautiful. I love girls and I love showing them affection."

"When I know I really like a girl, I immediately introduce her to my family, and I start looking forward to meeting her family. I think families are so important. I don't think it's ever too early to get to know everyone."

"It's a natural high, looking out at the audience. We've played arenas like that, when the lights are out, you can't see the back wall at all. The, the lights come up and you're like, 'Wow, there's that many [people].'"

"Music will be a part of our lives for as long as we live, I'm sure. Maybe within the next five years we might want to break off and take a break and maybe do some individual projects."

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