 They've dominated the charts throughout the world,
have gone multi-platinum in 16 countries and sold over 8 million records
worldwide. They've scored 4 Top Ten singles, including the number one sensation
"Quit Playin' Games (With My Heart)." They've also racked up numerous awards,
including the 1996 MTV Europe Viewers Choice Award, beating out Oasis, Spice
Girls and Jamiroquai. They are the Backstreet Boys (BSB) and they may well be
the biggest pop group you've never heard of... until right now. Backstreet Boys'
incredible saga began four years ago in Orlando, Florida. It was there that high
school students A.J. McLean, Howie Dorough and junior high student Nick Carter
began to run into each other at local acting auditions. 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 Litterell,
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. The hard work began to pay off and
within six months of forming, BSB had become one of Florida's hottest live acts.
With all that stage experience and an indie single "Tell Me That I'm Dreaming"
under their belts, BSB started writing the next chapter. Their manager Donna
Wright was friends with David McPherson of Jive Records. After pleading with him
to hear the band, she called him during one of BSB's dates, help up her cell
phone and let him hear the pandemonium the group generated. "We got signed right
after that," smiles Brian. 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.
Their next single, "I'll Never Break Your Heart" 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 32 shows sold out in under 20 minutes as the
intensity moved closer to the US. "It was some kind of year," laughs Kevin, and
it only laid the groundwork for the next part of the BSB story. The homecoming.
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