BACKSTREET BOYS: Mom's the Word - BOP June 00
These five dedicated and loving sons reveal the sweetest and most wonderful things they've ever done for
their mommies
There are a gazillion things to love about the month of May: warm weather, beautiful flowers, the approaching end of the school
year and, of course, that special Sunday when you show a certain amazing someone how much you love her -- Mother's Day.
It happens to be one of the Backstreet Boys' favorite holidays, too! These perfect (and perfectly-pitched) sons, Brian, Nick,
A.J., Howie and Kevin, may spend most of their time traveling the world, belting out hits like "Show Me The Meaning of Being
Lonely" and "Larger Than Life" from their 1999 CD, Millennium, but they always make sure to send an extra-special
loving message to their moms on Mother's Day.
For the youngest of the Backstreet bunch, 20-year-old Nick Carter, being close to his family, especially to his mom, Jane, is his
No. 1 priority. "Because I am away from home so much with the Backstreet Boys, I treasure the times I am at home even
more," the blond-haired, blue-eyed babe has sighed. "When my mother is at home, she does all the cooking and I like that the
best." To show his appreciation, Nick has always done special things for her on Mother's Day. "Once I made my mom a poem
book," the sentimental fella tells BOP. "I wrote a good poem for it."
"she was crying"
When considerate A.J. McLean describes all of the thoughtful things he's done for his mom, Denise, over the years, he'll tell
you that his loving gestures stretch all the way back to when he was just a tiny tyke. This brown-eyed songster holds on tightly
to one of his favorite, personal mom memories. "It was on a Mother's Day when I was very little," the 22-year-old sweetie has
recounted. "I was doing a talent show and I dedicated a song to my mom. It was the song that Bette Midler sang from the film
Beaches called 'Wind Beneath My Wings.' I sang it for her. It's a very emotional song -- she was crying and stuff." With
a start like that, it's no surprise that A.J. has been so successful in his musical career, especially in the love song
department!
Groupmate Brian Littrell, the 25-year-old honey with a heart of gold, has always loved singing to and about his mom, Jackie,
and made sure to let the world know by writing a song for her on the Millennium album called "The Perfect Fan". "It's
kind of back to where I came from, back to the reality of love," B-Rok glows about the special motherly subject of his
song.
"an unbelievable experience"
But this caring son also loves to show his mom how much he cares about her by seeing her as often has his hectic shedule will
allow. Recently, when Mother's Day rolled around, blue-eyed Bri was in Los Angeles, California, but decided to change his
plans, spur of the moment, and pop home on a red-eye flight to surprise his mom in Kentucky. "I called my brother and I was
like, 'Can you pick me up at 6 a.m. tomorrrow morning?'" grins the babely balladeer. "I flew in and I'm like, 'Hi, Mom. Happy
Mother's Day!' That's one of my best ones because that was something I've always wanted to do, but I've always been
busy."
Generosity and kindness must run in the family because Bri's cousin Kevin Richardson is just as thoughtful when it comes to his
own mom, Ann. Kev's green eyes light up with pride has he recalls one of his favorite and most memorable times with his mom.
"One Mother's Day, I brought her on tour with us," beams the 28-year-old tunester. "She thought it was incredible because she
had only seen videos and heard about it. But to go and see us perform in front of thousands of people, that was just an
unbelievable experience for her." With a heartfelt sigh, he adds, "She'd never seen that before and especially because it was her
son -- I think she really enjoyed that."
Huggable Howie Dorough also adores his mom, Paula, and raves about how meaningful their mother-son relationship is. "My
mom has been the one that's, like, always taken me everywhere, like since I was a little kid," smiles the 26-year-old with the
soulful brown eyes. "She was always the mental and physical support kind of a person."
To show his mom how much she means to him, Howie always make sure to give her something very special every Mother's
Day -- usually reflecting her love of elephant paraphernalia. "Recently, I got her an elephant water-fountain for the back yard,
this big ceramic elephant," Howie reveals. "And when we were in Austria, I bought her one of these elephant crystal bracelets."
With a wink he proclaims, "She liked it."
And it's not just on Mother's Day that these fine fellas are as sweet as apple pie. The Backstreet Boys love to do wonderful
things for their moms all year 'round. And whether it's buying her a one-of-a-kind gift, showering her with love and affection or
simply spending quality time with her, each of these gracious guys will proudly admit that mom will forever be the No. 1 woman
in his life.