Kevin's Stats

There's no denying that every Backstreet Boy has played an important part in shaping their stellar career, but Kevin Richardson has definitely been a huge factor in their success! This serious guy, who'd rather practice than party, has always been the one to convince some of his more fun-loving bandmates to get to work. Sure, age has something to do with it--after all, being the oldest does command some respect--but honestly, Kevin has always been a very disciplined and motivated individual. "I'm a real perfectionist," he admits. "I want to go places and I want things to be done right."

Kevin has a tendency to be kind of quiet. He's a man of few words, but when he does speak he's usually got something pretty cool to say. "I'm a shy guy. Sometimes I think too much about what I'm going to say to somebody or what they're going to think," he explains. So don't mistake Kevin's quiet ways for being aloof--he's just got a lot of things on his mind!

Like his BSB brothers-in-arms, Kevin is thrilled about how far they've come. But this songwriter and budding producer has plenty planned for the future. Expect to see Kevin become even more involved with the development of Backstreet's sound! His cool song "Back To Your Heart" is scheduled to be released on Millennium! There's pretty much nothing he can't do.

From sweet little Kentucky boy to model-handsome music star, Kevin Richardson has really grown up fine!

From the time he was a child, Kevin Scott Richardson always showed an incredible aptitude for music. While other kids were running around and playing with their toys, Kevin was intent on learing how to play the piano. It's a talent that runs in his family. "I've played since I was nine years old," Kevin recalls. "I taught myself and I play by ear. My grandfather, my grandmother and all their brothers and sisters learned to play piano by ear. My whole family sings and stuff." It's no surprise that Kevin is the master musician that he is today!

Born on October 3, 1972 in Harrisburg, Kentucky, Kevin had a childhood right out of a storybook. He lived on a 10-acre farm until he was nine, when his family moved to a summer camp that his father Gerald managed. It was a perfect way to meet lots of other kids. "I was fortunate to grow up there. I had tons of friends because every summer the camp was full of kids," he reminisces with a smile.

There, living in a modern-day log cabin, Kevin was able to do cool stuff like ride horses and play sports. He looks back on those childhood years as some of the happiest days of his life. "I loved school, played little league football, rode horses, and dirt bikes and sang into a hairbrush in front of my bedroom mirror," he says.

Kevin never abandoned his love of music, not for a minute. After all, being part of a musical family, which included younger cousin Brian Littrell, singing in church choir or around the Christmas tree was part of growing up. "Me and my mom--who is Brian's father's sister--I sang duets with her in church," he says. As a freshman in high school, Kevin received the greatest gift ever--his first set of keyboards. From then on, Kevin practiced constantly. He eventually got so good that he was able to perform solo gigs at local Lexington eateries and weddings. Can you imagine being personally serenaded by Kevin? He also honed his chops by performing in theatrical productions of musicals like Bye Bye Birdie. But that's not all! Kevin was also a popular ballroom dance instructor at a local studio!

Like any dedicated performer, Kevin eventually started looking for his big break. After high school, he moved down to Orlando, Florida in hopes of making a splash in its vibrant entertainment scene. He found a job pretty quickly. Kevin was chosen above a lot of other dark-haired, charismatic guys for the role of Aladdin at Walt Disney World. Though working in the theme park was fun, Kevin knew it was just a matter of time before he would move on to bigger and better things.

That lucky twist of fate came sooner than he'd imagined when a friend told him about an audition for a new vocal group called Backstreet Boys. Excited about the opportunity to sing his heart out fullll-time, Kevin jumped at the chance. It's a decision he's never regretted! "It's been a great experience. We've learned so much and we're learning every day," Kevin says. Of all the guys, Kevin has always had the most interest in the technical, behind-the-scenes stuff like producing. "I've learned so much as far as production in the studio. I mean, I was just soaking all that in like a sponge."

Kevin's femal admirers have always known that he was gorgeous and it didn't take long for the fashion industry to take notice,too. With his impressive height and green-eyed good looks, he's a natural model. Last year, he even got a chance to live the model's life for a day when Kevin walked the runway for a Versace fashion show. Although his poised, supermodel strut attracted a lot of favorable attention, he's not about to switch careers. Kevin's completely content to stay in the music world.

What about the big guy's love life? Well, he's single right now--it would be hard not to be with BSB's hectic schedule! Kevin, however, doesn't rule out falling in love on the road--even with a member of Backstreet Boys' audience. "I wouldn't say no to [dating] a fan. You never know who you're going to meet," he says.

With very little free time, Kevin doesn't get much of a chance to do the things he loves, like water skiing and swimming. However, he's willing to put aside his personal life for the good of BSB. "Backstreet Boys is our life now. I have a new respect for Madonna and Prince because it's a lot of work," he explains. "Right now, we're pretty much eating, sleeping, and living it." Kevin wouldn't change it for the world!

Say What??

"I don't mind being considered a teen idol at all. It's an honor."

"For me, mentally towards the end [of '98], it was really getting to me. I had lower back pain, I had thrown my knees out. When we did the MTV Awards, I had thrown a muscle in my leg. It was hard, but we made it. We've been touring five years, but this was the longest period of dates back-to-back."

"When you're a singer on stage, of course you can see the reaction of the people, and that's the greatest feeling of all. That's what we're here for. It's a natural high. When you see someone singing your song, it's pretty wild. It can almost make you want to cry."

"Before a show we normally do a vocal warm-up to get the chords ready, and stretch out a little bit. Then we all join hands with our production [crew], the management and our band and we say a little prayer and give thanks for the opportunity to perform and just ask that the show goes well. And then we hit the stage. That's how we do it."

"Brian is three years younger than me. When we were kids, I sometimes tortured him."

"Every chance I get I try to see my family."

"I don't want to be out on the road all my life. Family is very important to me and eventually I'd like to have one of my own."

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