The
Backstreet Boys began in 1993 in Orlando, Florida. It was there that high school
students AJ McLean, Howie Dorough and junior high student Nick Carter started
running into each other at local acting auditions. The three quickly became
friends and formed a singing group inspired in part by Boys II Men and Color Me
Badd. The trio then decided to expand, by two. They met Kevin Richardson through
a mutual friend. After scouring Orlando for a fifth member, Kevin thought of his
cousin Brian Littrell, who was in Kentucky. A phone call was made, Brian
relocated and The Backstreet Boys were ready to write the first chapter of their
story.
At first, the group did some of their favorite cover tunes, which they still
do today. Brian says, "We still do Shai's 'If I Ever Fall In Love'," but
eventuall they began to find their own distinctive sound. Stressing their strong
harmonies and a blend of pop and R&B, the quintet started trying to get a
record deal. "We'd go to local labels and sing acapella in their foyers,"
recalls Howie. "We'd sing anywhere, for anybody."
The hard work began to pay off and within six months of forming, BSB had
become one of Florida's hottest live acts. They played everything from a high
school gym, Grad Night at Sea World, to an opening slot for Brandy. With all
that stage experience and an independent single "Tell Me That I'm Dreaming", BSB
started to write the next chapter. Their manager Donna Wright was friends with
Davin McPherson of Jive Records. After pleading with him to hear the band, she
called him during one of the BSB's live shows, held up her cell phone and let
him hear the pandemonium the group generated. "We got signed right right after
that," says Brian.
In 1995, BSB began to lay down tracks and released "We've Got It Goin On."
The song took off in England and throughout Europe, where BSB's brand of
R&B-Pop were just gaining a foothold. "Over there they had a bunch of what
they called 'boy groups,' so we had a ready made market," explains Brian, "but
since we were Americans, we were a fresh new sound for Europe. We had more of an
edge, and unlike those other boy groups, we were more than just a bunch of
pretty guys. We could sing." In a short period of time, "I'll Never Break Your
Heart" began to climb the charts. Its success laid the foundation for what was
to come.
In 1995, BSB won a Smash Hits Award in London for Best New Tour Act and
performed the gold single "I'll Never Break Your Heart" on Top of the Pops. 1996
kicked off with BSB being voted #1 International Group by TV viewers in Germany.
Theire next single, "Get Down (You're The One For Me)" went gold in Germany and
hit #1 in Austria. By February, the up tempo jam had entered into video and
radio rotation in Montreal. BSB's sold out shows, with hordes of screaming fans,
soon became legendary across Europe and Canada. If BSB could accomplish all that
with only two singles, just imagine the reaction when BSB's self-titled debut
album was released in April of 1996. That summer BSB embarked on a sold out 57
date headlining European tour and earned the 1996 MTV Europe Viewer's Choice
Award. Then it was off to Canada, where their CD has gone six times platinum and
hit the #1 spot on the charts. BSB's 32 shows sold out in under 20 minutes as
intensity moved closer to the U.S. "It was some kind of year," laughs Kevin, and
it only laid the groundwork for the next part of the BSB story. The homecoming.
Now back home in Orlando, they spent the early part of 1997 in the studio;
crafting new vibrant songs, sharpening up their vocals, taking a more active
role in the creative process and eagerly looking foward to bring their
infectious sound to a home grown audience. "We've always wanted to bring it back
home," asserts Nick. "But we wanted to make sure we brought it back strong."
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