Oct.
3, 1971:
Kevin Scott Richardson born in Lexington, KY
Aug.
22, 1973:
Howard Dwaine Dorough born in Orlando, FL
Feb.
20, 1975:
Brian Thomas Littrell born in Lexington, KY
Jan.
9, 1978:
Alexander James McLean born West Palm Beach, FL
Jan.
28, 1980:
Nicholas Gene Carter born Jamestown, NY
Summer
1989:
Lou Pearlman, a failed rocker and successful aviation tycoon, starts dreaming
about forming the next teen pop sensations.
June
1992:
The following ad appears in the Orlando Sentinel: "Teen male vocalists:
Producer seeks male teen singers that move well between 16-19 years of age.
Wanted for New Kids-type singing/dance group. Send photo or bio' of any kind
to…."
August
1992:
14-year-old A.J. McLean and 19-year-old Tony Donetti (a.k.a. Howie Dorough)
audition for the group and are asked to join, although it would be a few months
before Donetti actually found out about it; they lost his telephone number and
couldn't locate a Tony Donetti in the telephone book.
October
1992:
Twelve-year-old Nick Carter auditions for the group in spite of his tender age.
Howie D. turns up for what he believes to be an audition with another group and
is greeted with "Hey Donetti! Where have you been? We've been loking for
you everywhere!" Two other members, Sam Licata and Charles Edwards,
temporarily round out the group.
March
1993:
Sam Licata leaves the group for personal reasons. Charles Edwards leaves because
of difficulties with his voice. Kevin Richardson, an actor, model, singer and
dancer, auditions and joins the group, settling in immediately. The search is
now on for the fifth and final Backstreet Boy.
April
19, 1993:
At 2 p.m., 18-year-old Brian Littrell is called away from his American History
class to answer an urgent phone call. His cousin Kevin asks him to audition for
the pop group. At 9 p.m., Brian auditions over the phone. He finds himself on a
flight to Orlando at 6 a.m. the next day.
May
8, 1993:
The Boys perform their first big concert at Sea World, Orlando to a crowd of
more than 3,000 teenagers. Much to the amazement of the group, the audience went
wild.
Summer
1993:
The Boys continue to pergform in a variety of venues from shopping malls to a
high-profile gala AIDS charity hosted by Whitney Houston in Fort Lauderdale.
Fall
1993: With
a change in management, the Boys tour schools across the States, building a fan
base while trying to negotiate a recording deal. They nearly sign with Mercury
Records, but the deal falls through at the last minute.
February
1994:
Executives from Zomba/Jive catch the Boys performing in Cleveland. They sign the
Boys to their first record deal, but it would be a year before they recorded
their first single.
June
1994:
The Boys fly to Sweden to record "We've Got it Going On" and two
additional songs with musician Denniz PoP.
August
1995:
"We've Got it Going On" is released as a single in the U.S.A. MTV and
the press are disinterested. It only climbed to number 69 on the Billboard
charts, resulting in the cancellation of all plans for a promotional tour to
plug the new single.
October
1995:
"We've Got it Going On" 8s released in Europe and climbs to the top
ten in Germany, earning them their first gold disc.
November-December
1995:
The Boys begin touring the U.K. with the Smash Hits Roadshow, winning over
audiences and critics. But the single still doesn't make the top 40 chart.
Winter
1996:
The Boys continue to tour Europe (especially Germany). Support for the group
reaches a frenzied level in Germany.
Spring
1996:
"Get Down" hits number 14 on the U.K. charts, earning them a spot on
the English music show Top of the Pops. The Boys return to Orlando to record
their first album.
Summer
1996:
With a new3 album in the can, they immediately begin touring the Far East and
Canada.
August
1996:
"We've Got it Going On" is re-released in the U.K. and makes it to
number 3 on the charts.
September
1996:
the album is an immediate hit in over a dozen countries, earning them their
first platinum album (500,000 CDs sold) in Germany. The album peaks at number 12
in the U.K.
October
1996:
The Boys do a worldwind tour of South East Asia and Australia.
November
1996:
they perform a tour of 14 cities in mid-sized arenas and theaters in the U.K.
and Europe. The British leg of the tour is a success and the re-released
"I'll Never Break Your Heart" single climbs to number 8 in the U.K.
Despite
heavy competition, the Boys win a phone-in poll for the Best Group category at
the MTV Europe Awards.
January
1997:
The Boys take time out to record and be wit their families. They prepare for a
37-city tour of Europe.
February
1997:
The Boys begin their Euro-Tour. "Quit Playing Games (With my Heart)"
climbs to a disappointing number 15 on the U.K. charts.
March
1997:
"Anywhere for You" climbs to number 4 on the U.K. charts.
April
1997:
They turn their attention to America. After selling more than 8.5 million CDs,
the Boys begin work on a new album for release in the U.S. The album would
combine the best material from their debut CD along with some of their newer
songs.
June
1997:
"Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" is released in the U.S. and
quickly climbs to number 2 on the charts.
August
1997:
The Boys release their first U.S. album Backstreet Boys. The album would go on
to sell nearly nine million copies in the U.S.A. and become the number 3 album
of the year.
Everybody
(Backstreets Back) is released to the rest of the world and quickly begins a
steady climb up the charts everywhere.
December
1997:
The Boys embark on their 60-city, 20-country tour that will last nearly a year.
March
1998:
The Boys headline a tornado relief concert in Orlando, raising $250,000 for
local victims of the nation's deadliest tornado disaster in 13 years.
May
1998:
Brian undergoes surgery to correct a congenital heart disorder. Within weeks, he
is back on tour with the Boys.
July
1998:
News of a legal battle between the Boys, their management and Lou Pearlman
surfaces in the media. The Boys wanted more control over the group's corporate
entity and a more equitable stake in it. German TV reports that a breakup is
inevitable.
August
1998:
British tabloids pick up the story and soon it's front-page news all over
Europe. "They've had their 15 minutes of fame, earned their bundle, and now
want to move on to solo careers in singing, songwriting and general
famous-too-young-for-their own-good celebrityhood." TV and radio stations
receive tens of thousands of calls from panicked fans asking whether or not the
rumor is true. Jive issues a statement from the Boys declaring the rumor to be
100% false, but they persist.
Songwriter/producer
Denniz PoP dies August 30. PoP helped to evolve the Boy's sound and was
responsible for many other artists, including the Ace of Base, 5ive and Robyn.
September
1998:
Tragedgy strikes the Dorough family. Howie's sister Caroline Cochran loses her
battle with a disease called Lupus. She was only 37.
October
1998:
The Boys receive the keys to the city from the mayor of Orlando in honor of the
tornado relief concert the group headlined in March.
The
Boys settle their lawsuit with Lou Pearlman. Details of the settlement are not
disclosed. They also break with longtime managers Donna and Johny Wright,
insisting that the split is amicable. A European tour, scheduled to start in
December, is postponed until the following May, giving the Boys time to work out
their new corporate identity and spend more time recording their next album.
November
1998:
The Boys team up with VH1 and Tony Bennett to help further the goals of
"VH1 Save the Music," a national campaign designed to restore music
education to America's public schools.
Nick's
mom Jane releases "The Heart and Soul of Nick Carter," a tell-all book
about the teen idol.
December
1998:
The Backstreet Boys' self-titled U.S. debut album joins Celine Dion's Lets Talk
About Love as 1998's biggest-selling album, with over eight million copies sold.
A
stagehand filed a $3 million lawsuit against the group, contending he was
injuredby a 50-pound cannon that fell on his head.
January
1999:
The Boys sign on with management company The Firm, whose stable of artists
include Korn, Limp Bizkit and Ice Cube among others.
The
Boys get their first Grammy nod with a nomination for Best New Artist of 1998.
February
1999:
The Record Industry Association of America (RIAA) certifies the self-titled U.S.
debut album as "Diamond" (over ten million copies sold),
The
Boys announce the release date for their third (second in the U.S.) album,
Millenium.
March
1999:
Brian returns home to direct 45 local choral students who will sing background
vocals for a song on the next album.
April
1999:
"I Want It That Way" is released to radio and is immediately picked up
by 165 stations. The Boys encourage teens to build strong bones with a Milk
Mustache ad.
May
1999:
The Boys release Millenium, which sets the record for first week sales in the
U.S. at 1.1 million copies.
June
1999:
The Boys travel to Belgium to begin a mega-tour. One month after its release,
Millenium - quite amazingly - still has a solid hold on the #1 spot on the
Billboard album charts.
August
14, 1999:
The Boys sell out their 39-city fall tour in less than a day.
September
1999:
"Larger Than Life" is released to radio. 'N Sync joins Jive Records to
become BSB labelmates.
October
1999:
The Backstreet Boys declare their Jive contract null and void.
November
1999:
Kevin is named People magazine's Sexiest Pop Star.
In
one of the largest record deals ever, the Boys strike a new partnership
agreement with Jive Records valued at about $60 million.
The
Boys win the Best Group title at the MTV Europe Awards.
December
1999:
AJ introduces his alter ego Johnny No-Name and prepares for a January concert in
support of VH1's Save the Music campaign.
The
Boys dominate the 1999 Billboard Music Awards, winning in four categories
(Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Albums Artist of the Year, Albums Artist
Duo/Group of the Year).
The
Boys announce a spring tour for 2000 and ask the online auction site eBay to
remove over 700 ticket auctions. In one completed auction, four tickets to the
Indianapolis Conseco Fieldhouse show were sold for $4,550.
The
Boys sue Pearlman again, accusing him of repeatedly violating the California
Talent Agencies Act by functioning as both the group's manager and its
unlicensed talent agent.
January
2000:
The Boys appear on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine - without their pants -
answering the age-old question, "Boxers or briefs?"
The
Boys and their producers are nominated for five Grammy Awards including Record,
Album, Pop Album, Song and Pop Song of the year.
Burger
King announces an exclusive promotion with BSB and title sponsorship of the
group's fall 2000 tour.
February
2000:
The Boys team up with Stan Lee to create a new comic book and Web-based series
called The Backstreet Project.
Kevin
Richardson and Brian Littrell confirm engagements to their fiancees.
Although
they come up empty-handed at the Grammy Awards, they impress the world with a
fabulous performance with Elton John. March 2000: A private school in
Texas suspends four students for attending a Backstreet Boys concert. The
suspensions were issued because the students broke a school rule barring
"`involvement with inappropriate music". Campus police officers in a
Toronto University play Backstreet Boys and ACDC on large speakers late into the
night to try and break the morale of students occupying the president's office
to protest the use of child laboutr in sweatshops around the world. April
2000: The Boys spend 10 days in the Bahamas writing songs for the next
album. May 2000: Nick auctions his couch off for a local charity. The
Kentucky cousins rub elbows with the elite at various Kentucky Derby events. June
2000: Kevin marries longtime girlfriend Kristin Willits. Howie D. raises
over $100,000 at his Lupus 2000 charity benefit. July 2000: Two tiny
blond Chihuahuas belonging to Brian and fiancée, Leighanne Wallace, are
snatched from the couple's home near Atlanta by two trespassing teenage girls.
The dogs are returned a couple of days later nervous and hungry, but otherwise
fine. August 2000: The first in a series of collectible CDs and BSB
figurines appear in Burger King outlets across North America. September 2000:
Brian marries Leighanne in a candlelit ceremony in midtown Atlanta. The Boys
announce that the name of the new album will be "Black & Blue". October
2000: Pre-orders for the new album top 5 million units leading to
speculation about first week's sales records. November 2000: The Boys
release "Black & Blue". To promote it, they travel around the
world visiting all of the continents except for Antartica in 100 hours. It sells
over 1.6 million copies in the USA in it's first week and debuts at the top of
the Billboard charts. Around the world, the album sells over 5 million copies in
its first week. Some consider the sales figues to be dissapointing because they
were not able to break N'Syncs record of 2.4 million copies sold in the first
week. December 2000: B&B is certified 8 x platinum by the RIAA. January
2001: The Boys announce a world tour that could break the record held by the
Rolling Stones as the world's #1 live band. The boys pick up a grammy nomination
for Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely. February 2001: The Boys continue
their tour of America and Canada.