THE BACKSTREETBOYS: Forming The Backstreet Band

The Backstreet Boys started out as an idea from Orlando businessman and entrepreneur, Lou Pearlman who had an interest in the music business. After seeing the huge success of New Kids, a group of five boys taken from the streets of Boston to form a band, Pearlman knew he could achieve the same feat here in Orlando. Advertisements for 'male teen singers that move well between 16-19' were soon appearing at local high schools, drama schools in the Sentinel and the Florida Blue Sheet.

With hundreds of applications, auditions for the band were soon underway. The Backstreet Boys, as we know them today, were not the first group that was selected. Originally the first five were AJ McLean, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter, Charles Edwards and Sam Licata. Artistic differences lead to a breakup with Charles and Sam in 1993, leaving The Backstreet Boys 2 short. This short-lived group's first job was performing at the Fashion Square Mall.

In desperation to re-form the The Backstreet Boys, auditions were immediately restarted. Through mutual friends, Kentucky native, Kevin Richardson, who was working for Disney at the time, was recruited into the band. Pearlman tried to stay with his original plan of having a group of Orlando teens, but after several unsuccessful weeks of scouring Orlando for a fifth member, Kevin called Brian Littrell, his cousin in Kentucky, to come to Orlando for an audition. He was immediately taken into the group, that contrived it's name from the Backstreet Market, a teen hangout off of International Drive.

The current members of the Backstreet Boys had their first big concert at SeaWorld Grad Night, just 2 weeks after Brian joined the group. For exposure the group continued working at local malls, Pleasure Island, area nightclubs and restaurants. Within 6 months of forming, they were considered to be one of Florida's hottest acts.

The 1995, release of their single "We've Got It going On" was an instant hit in England and throughout Europe. By the end of 1996, the group had won multiple awards in Europe and Canada, achieved fame throughout Asia and Australia and sold nearly 10 million CDs worldwide. They returned to Orlando to work on new tracks for their U.S. album, BACKSTREET BOYS, which took the US by storm, and brought along a string of live TV appearances. But this fame was nothing compared to what their Millennium album brought, a record breaking 1,133,505 in sales, setting a record for the most albums sold in one week, ever!

AJ
Alexander James McLean
Born January 9, 1978
West Palm Beach, Florida

Local Schools - Denn John Middle, Osceola High School

First job as a model at the age of 7 at a local Boca Raton shopping mall, after that he began acting at local civic theaters. Moved to Kissimmee at the age of 12 - receiving several breaks with parts on Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel.

Howie
Howard Dwaine Dorough
Born August 22, 1973
Orlando, Florida

Local schools - Fern Creek Elementary, Winter Park Junior High, Edgewater High School
Attended UCF & Valencia Community College
First time on the stage was at the age of 6, when his older sister brought him to a community theatre where she was rehearsing for a production of The Wizard of Oz with the hopes of him getting a part as on of the munchkins. Ended up with a singing part, and four years later appeared in a different production of The Wizard of Oz, this time playing the tin man.

Nick
Nickolas Gene Carter
Born January 28, 1980
Jamestown, NY
Local Schools - Miles Elementary, Orange Grove & Young Junior Highs, Private tutors for high school

His family moved to Tampa when Nick was 4 years old. He was offered a job with the Mickey Mouse Club at the same as the Backstreet Boys. (He made the right choice, since the Mickey Mouse Club disbanded a couple of months later.) Nick is the youngest member of the group, having auditioned when he was only 12 years old. His first stage performance was in a small production of Phantom of the Opera at the age of 7. By 10 he was singing in front of 55,000 at pre-match and half-time shows for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Kevin
Kevin Scott Richardson
Born October 3, 1972
Lexington, KY

At the age of 18, Kevin moved to Florida in 1990 working first as a tour guide at Walt Disney, then moving into the entertainment section working as one of the Ninja Turtles as well as Aladdin in the street parades. Kevin also worked at local dinner theaters and as a model before joining the Backstreet Boys.

Brian
Brian Thomas Littrell
Born February 20, 1975
Lexington, KY
Living in Kentucky when he received word from his cousin Kevin that he needed to fly to Orlando as soon as possible to audition for the fifth member of The Backstreet Boys.

Source: Article at orlando.com