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all started on October 3, 1971. The oldest Backstreet Boy, Kevin was born.
Soon would come Howie, Brian, AJ, and Nick. In June of 1992 a talent
agency was seeking male teen singers to audition in Orlando. By August of
1992 AJ had met Howie at an audition. Nick Carter had also auditioned that
day in Orlando. About a year later at 2 p.m. Brian Littrell got
called away from his American History class to answer an urgent phone
call. Little did he know that it was his cousin Kevin calling him to ask
him if he wanted to audition for a pop group. Brian auditioned over the
phone and the next day he flew into Orlando at 6 a.m.
On May 8, 1993, the boys performed their first concert in Sea World, Orlando. There was a crowd of more than 3,000 fans. The audience went wild. In February 1994 - executives from Zomba/Jive Records catch the Boys performing in Cleveland. After the show they signed up for their first record deal. In June 1994 - the Boys were already overseas in Sweden recording "We've Got It Going On" and two additional songs. In August 1995 - "We've Got It Going On" was released in the U.S. and it is a hit single on MTV. To their disappointment it only climbed to number 69 on the Billboard Charts.
In October 1995 - the song became a hit in Europe and Germany. They earn their first gold disc. Winter 1996 - the Boys continue in Europe and Germany. Support for the group reached a frenzied level. 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. Summer 1996 - the Boys begin touring n Canada. October 1996 - the Boys do a worldwide tour of South East Asia and Australia.
January 1997 - the Boys take time out to be with their families. They prepare for a 37-city tour of Europe. June 1997 - "Quit Playing Games With My Heart" is released in the U.S. and quickly climbs to #2 on the charts. December 1997 - the Boys embark on their 60-city, 20 country tour that would last over a year. March 1998 - the Boys headline a tornado relief concert in Orlando raising $250,000 for local victims. May 1998 - Brian undergoes surgery to correct a congenital heart disorder. Within weeks he is back on tour.
July 1998 - News of a legal battle with the Boys and their management occur. September 1998 - Tragedy strikes in the Dorough family. Howie's sister Caroline loses her battle with a disease called Lupus. She was 37. December 1998 - The Backstreet Boys' self-titled U.S. album is one of the biggest selling albums in 1998 with over 8 million albums sold. 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 on radio stations in the U.S. The "Got Milk" is also released in the U.S.
May 1999 - the Boys released Millennium, which set records its first week out. June 1999 - the Boys travel to Belgium to being touring. A month after Millennium is released it has a solid spot at #1 on the Billboard charts. August 14, 1999 - the Boys sell out their 39-city worldwide tour in less than a day. September 1999 - the single "Larger Than Life" hits the radio. N'sync also joins Jive Records to become the Boys competitors and label mates. November 1999 - Kevin Richardson is named People magazine's Sexiest Pop Star.
December 1999 - AJ introduces his alter-ego Johnny No-Name to the fans. He also prepares for a January mini-tour to raise money for VH1's Save the Music Foundation. January 2000 - the Boys appear on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine which draws much attention. The Boys also are nominated for five Grammy Awards for Record, Album, Pop Album, Song, and Pop Song of the Year. The Boys also would be performing at the Grammy's. Burger King announces a promotion with the Boys for their fall 2000 tour. February 2000 - Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell confirm engagements to their fiancés. The Boys also come home empty-handed from the Grammy's. But, they had an amazing performance that was recognized with Elton John. April 2000 - the Boys spend 10 days in the Bahamas writing songs for their next album. June 2000 - Kevin marries longtime girlfriend Kristin Wilits. Howie raises over $100,000 at his first Lupus 2000 charity benefit that many stars attended.
August 2000 - the first series of Burger King Backstreet Boy collectibles hit Burger King's across the U.S. September 2000 - Brian marries Leighanne at a ceremony in Atlanta. October 2000 - Pre-orders for the new album top 5 million over the past weeks. November 2000 - the Boys release "Black and Blue". For promotion they travel around the world in the BSB airplane in 100 hours. Around the world total, the album sells over 5 million copies in its first week. December 2000 - "Black and Blue" is certified 8x platinum by the RIAA.
January 2001 - the Boys announce a new world tour for the "Black and Blue" album. They also pick up a Grammy nomination for "Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely. February 2001 - the Boys continue to tour. July 2001 - AJ McLean enters rehab due to his battle with depression and drinking. The tour is postponed until September. September 2001 - The terrorist attacks on September 11th cause the Boys to postpone their tour due to security concerns. One of their carpenters on tour with them Daniel Lee, was in one of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center. October 2001 - The Boys release The Hits Chapter 1, a CD filled with greatest hits. Unfortunately, the CD doesn't do so well and it debuts atop the Billboard Charts. The Boys also perform at the United We Stand concert in Washington DC to raise money for the victims of September 11th.
January 2002 - The Boys receive a Grammy nomination for the performance of Shape of My Heart. Nick Carter makes headlines on news stations throughout the country due to his arrest on January 2nd. He was charged with resisting a law enforcement officer after he refused to leave a Pop City, a nightclub in Tampa. February 2002 - The Boys plan to work in the studio for the next few months. Nick agreed to enter a pretrial intervention program that allowed him to avoid jail time and any criminal record. March 2002 - Nick intends to release a solo album sometime this year. MTV covers AJ's engagement to Sarah Martin an upcoming singer. |
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