My Backstreet Boys Page

Do you ever wonder where major pop-song phenomenons come from? Would you guess Kentucky? Probably not, but that's where Kevin Richardson and his cousin, Brian Littrell, are from. Kevin and Brian are two members of the superstar band BACKSTREET BOYS.

Things began for Kevin and Brian when they were young. They sang in state and regional church choirs and got involved in the local entertainment scene. They often harmonized the songs of Boyz II Men, Shai and Jodeci, their early influences. By the time Kevin and Brian entered high school, they realized they had major talent with their singing.

On the cultural opposite side of the world, down in Orlando, Florida, the other three members of the BACKSTREET BOYS were getting their start. A.J. McLean, Howie Dorough, and Nick Carter saw each other during acting auditions all the time. They were individual performers with experience in musical theater, commercials, television and film, and as they waited for their auditions for new projects, they started to harmonize. They'd sing an old temptations hit, or something they'd just heard on the radio ­ it didn't matter what artist or what song ­ the boys could sing it. After a while, the a cappella singing became more than a way to pass the time.

Then it came time for the boys to meet. Kevin Richardson, from Kentucky, became fed up with the Top 40 cover band he was in, so he packed up his things and moved to Orlando. A week later, he had a job working as a tour guide for Disney World. He spent the rest of his time working on his singing and songwriting. Kevin heard about those three ‘guys that harmonize all the time' from a friend at work, and soon after, he was introduced to A.J., Howie, and Nick. Immediately, they decided to team up. They just needed one more member to complete the cast. Kevin made a call to his cousin in Kentucky and the next day, Brian got on a plane and headed to Florida. The group was complete. They named themselves after the Orlando landmark, the Backstreet Market. The BACKSTREET BOYS were on their way.

Since they began, they've gone multi-platinum in sixteen countries. They've sold over ten million records. They've scored four top-ten singles. They have a number one hit "Quit Playin Games (With My Heart.)" They won a countless number of awards, including the 1996 MTV Europe Viewers Choice Award, in a category that included Oasis, Spice Girls, and Jamiroquai.

Backstreet Boys is the eponymous debut from the band that has already found elite success around the world. The release contains all the hits from the BSB's self-titled European record, as well as some new songs that the boys recorded with PM Dawn and Robert "Mutt " Lange. Now that they've conquered the world, the BACKSTREET BOYS are beginning to conquer America.