Who are the Backstreet Boys?
The Backstreet Boys are a five-piece vocal harmony group (boy band, if you must) that was formed in Orlando, Florida on April 20, 1993.
They have sold more than 130 million records around the world. As the top-selling boy band of all time, The Jackson 5 comes in second with 100 million albums sold, New Kids on the Block with 80 million sold, The Osmonds with 77 million and the Bay City Rollers with 70 million.
Need more Backstreet Boys facts?
Meet the Boys
Nick Carter
The baby of the group, Nick has been the most prolific BSB with three solo albums, movies, and more under his belt. He currently lives in Las Vegas and is married to Lauren and has three kids – a son, Odin and two daughters, Saoirse and Pearl.
Kevin Richardson
Often known as the “big brother” of the group, Kevin grew up in Kentucky and has dabbled in acting, including Broadway and films. He is married to his long-time love, Kristin, and has two sons – Mason and Max.
AJ McLean
Born in 1978 in West Palm Beach, Florida, AJ was the very first “OG” Backstreet Boy, as he says. While fluttering with side projects / solo ventures, AJ is married to Rochelle with two little girls, Ava James and Lyric Dean.
Howie Dorough
Howie almost didn’t make it to the Backstreet Boys audition because he got lost, then they thought his name was Tony Donetti. Howie is married to Leigh, and they have two sons – James and Holden.
Brian Littrell
The final BSB to join the group, Brian has had a successful solo career as a Christian artist. He and his wife Leighanne live in the Atlanta area and have a son, Baylee, who has launched a solo career as a country singer.
The Beginning
AJ, Howie, and Nick all knew each other from the acting circuit in Orlando all while Kevin worked at Walt Disney World. The four answered a newspaper advertisement to form a boy band by the late Lou Pearlman. The four were picked by Lou, but Kevin called his cousin Brian, who was sitting in history call, on April 20, 1993. Brian flew to Orlando the next day and the rest is history.
BACKSTREET CAME FIRST
Yes, absolutely. While the Backstreet Boys were busy touring and releasing music in Europe, Lou Pearlman helped form ‘N Sync behind the Backstreet Boys’ back. The Backstreet Boys said in their documentary that anything they passed on, Lou and Johnny Wright would give ‘N Sync the opportunity. That happened with the 1998 Disney Special that put ‘N Sync on the map in the U.S. The Backstreet Boys were offered the special, but with Brian Littrell having open-heart surgery after the 1998 Grad Nite concerts at Walt Disney World and before their U.S. tour, they passed on it. Brian’s health was more important.
‘Show ‘Em What You’re Made Of’
If you are a new fan, the first thing you should do before even reading this page is to watch their documentary, “Show ‘Em What You’re Made Of,” which came out in 2015. It was shot over the span of two years, including footage of the band traveling to each of their hometowns, recording for the first time with Kevin in eight years and living in London for a few weeks.
It also has a lot of old footage and the guys discuss their start in the business and along with the visits to their hometowns, you learn more about where each guy came from.
Along with recording their new album recording and writing for their new album, and the upcoming world tour, the documentary goes into detail about something most Backstreet Boys fans have noticed the past few years – Brian’s voice. He suffers from vocal cord dysphonia and dystonia, which is a neurological problem.
Did You Say Backstreet Boys’ Cruise?
The Backstreet Boys went on their first cruise in 2010 and have followed suit in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016 and their sixth cruise took place in May 2018. The boys partner with a company called Rose Tours who handles cruises for fellow boy banders, New Kids on the Block.
On the cruises you get to mingle with other fans and the boys themselves. There are game shows and other events such as karaoke, beach parties and the big highlight, the deck parties where there is usually a theme each night.
Some of the cruise themes the Backstreet Boys have used in the past are We’ve Got It Goin’ Con, Fast Times at Backstreet High, Millennium Night, Neon Night, Prom Night, 50 Shades of Grey, Casino Royale, ABC (Anything But Clothes), Halloween, Spynkter (80’s) and Bachelorette night.
The ‘DNA’ Era
In May 2018, the Backstreet Boys released their first new single (besides the Florida Georgia Line collaboration) since 2014. This was the beginning of the DNA era – an era that would take them from Las Vegas and put them back on the top of the Billboard charts. It would also give them their biggest tour to date since the “Into the Millennium” and “Black & Blue” tours.
“DNA” debuted on top of the Billboard charts after it’s released in January 2019 and continued to be one of the best-selling albums of the year with the likes of the Jonas Brothers’ first new album in years, Taylor Swift, BTS, and Billie Ellish.