Welcome to the musical tale of two cities... cities which could no longer contain the soulful, harmonizing hip-hop talents of five of their most gifted sons. Ladies and gentlemen, Backstreet Boys are about to define 1997.

City number one, Lexington, Kentucky, home of cousins Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell. From musical families, Kevin and Brian were heavily involved in state and regional church choirs as well as the local entertainment scene. During family visits they harmonized classic doowop hits, traditional Barber Shop Quartet tunes and the contemporary hits of their biggest influences, Boyz II Men, Shai, and Jodeci. By the time they reached their teens, the boys knew they had something going on.

City number two, Orlando, Florida. A.J. McLean, Howie Dorough and Nick Carter saw each other at auditions all the time. They were solo performers with solid credentials in musical theater, commercials, television and film, and as they sat around waiting to audition for new projects, they'd find themselves harmonizing an old Temptations hit, or somebody they'd just heard on the radio. After awhile, the a cappella singing took on a life of its own.

Back in Lexington, disillusioned by his work with a local Top 40 cover band, Kevin decided to go down to Orlando on a whim. He left for Florida that very day, had a job as a tour guide in Disney World the following week, and devoted the bulk of his time to becoming a professional singer-songwriter.

    50 Backstreet Facts
    1 Backstreet Boys received their very first Triple Platinum award thanks to their loyal fans in Canada- especially in the lovely city of Montreal.
    2 Backstreet Boys won the 1996 Select Award from MTV Europe, beating out such tough competition as Spice Girls, Oasis, Jamiroquai, and Boyzone.
    3 The Backstreet Boys are named after Orlando, Florida's open-air shopper's paradise, the Backstreet Market.
    4 Nick and Brian usually share a hotel room when they are on the road.
    5 A.J. still doesn't have his drivers license! He' been touring so much he hasn't had time to go and take the written test again.
    6 Kevin takes an envelope filled with pictures of his family when he goes on the road.
    7 In March, A.J. sprained his ankle when he was caught in a crush of fans at Musique Plus, Montreal's own version of MTV. He managed to perform that night and later allowed a Montreal radio station to auction off the cast for charity.
    8 Whenever they are in a foreign city, Howie and Kevin like to try the local food, while Nick, Brian and A.J. search out the closest McDonalds'.
    9 According to an informal poll of the Boys, Brian keeps his room the messiest, while Howie is Mr. Neat.
    10 Who's the most likely to loose his luggage on a trip to Europe? Backstreet Boys' survey saysHowie, who has on many occasions, arrived at his destination with only the clothes on his back.
    11 Nick is most definitely the prankster of the group. "I like to do anything I can think of to those guys," he says with a mischievous grin.
    12 What's the most evil prank Nicky has ever pulled? He thinks it was the time he gave their manager Donna Wright gum which tasted like fish.
    13 The two Backstreet Boys who are most likely to get into a friendly argument are Kevin and Nick.
    14 Howie is most likely to find a peaceful solution for the argument. "He's Mr. Mediator," says A.J.
    15 The biggest flirt award goes to A.J.! "I like girls, I'm not gonna say I don't," he says. But, he also says he's the most likely to serenade a special someone with a song.
    16 The guys all say that Brian is the most shy of the group.
    17 Everyone also thinks that Brian is the Backstreet Boy most likely to get married first.
    18 Part of the Backstreet Boys debut album was recorded at Platinum Post studios in Altamonte, Florida.
    19 The Boys unanimously agree that they'd love to harmonize with Boys II Men.
    20 Howie has been known to set up double dates for himself and his sister Pollyanna
    21 Brian is the Backstreet Boy most likely to go to church on Sunday.
    22 A.J. admits that he spends a large portion of his life at home on the phone.
    23 Howie loves to go out clubbing.
    24 Nick likes to draw comic book characters.
    25 Shhh! Don't tell a soul, but when Howie doesn't want to be recognized, he wears a baseball cap!
    26 A.J. claims that he still gets nervous before starting every new song in concert.
    27 Howie never goes to bed without doing his push ups and stomach crunches.
    28 On their current tour, Kevin plays keyboards, Nick plays drums, and A.J. is thumping on the bass guitar.
    29 A.J. is rarely seen without his sunglasses.
    30 Nick is a licensed scuba diver and loves driving his family's boat on the gulf of Mexico.
    31 Howie runs around video taping everything and everybody when they are on tour.
    32 Backstreet Boys have been banned from three hotels in Europe because their fans have gotten so out of control.
    33 A.J. carries a travel diary with him on tour, although he rarely writes in it.
    34 Nicks favorite cars are Cameros and Stingrays.
    35 Kevin's secret nicknames are Boo and Pumpkin.
    36 When he's home, Brian sleeps in his king sized waterbed which he bought for $50.
    37 Howie admits that he's something of a perfectionist.
    38 In his pre-Backstreet Boys days, Kevin worked at Disney MGM Studios playing Aladdin.
    39 When you hear someone hitting those amazing high notes in a Backstreet Boys song, that's Howie.
    40 Their debut album Backstreet Boys, was released in Europe on May 5, 1996.
    41 A.J. admits that he's the biggest worry-wart of the group.
    42 Nick started playing the drums when he was 14.
    43 Halloween is Nick's favorite holiday.
    44 Kevin hates people who are arrogant.
    45 A.J. collects hats.
    46 Last Fall, Nick's dad had to put a fence around the family's house to keep Backstreet Boys' fans from taking clumps of grass or picking flowers as souvenirs.
    47 Kevin would love to star in a movie one day.
    48 Half-Irish, half-Puerto Rican Howie doesn't speak Spanish at home, he learned it in school.
    49 Brian's worst habit is biting his nails.
    50 Nick says that he would definitely date a fan.
    source: Backstreet Boys Forever, Teen Machine