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Backstreet Boys Biography
Review The Artist (66)
Source: http://www.answers.com/topic/the-backstreet-boys
The Backstreet Boys were, in many ways, a contradictory band. Comprised entirely of white middle-class Americans, the group sang a hybrid of new jack balladry, hip-hop, R&B, and dance club pop that originally found its greatest success in Canada and Europe, with their 1996 debut album charting in the Top Ten in nearly every country on the Continent. Ironically, success in their native land did not follow until nearly two years later, when teen pop enjoyed a commercial explosion in America. Along with such artists as *NSYNC and Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys rose to the forefront of popular music during the turn of the 21st century, with albums like Backstreet's Back, Millennium, and Black & Blue enjoying worldwide success.
The core of the Backstreet Boys was comprised of cousins Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell, both of whom hailed from Lexington, KY. The two began singing in local church choirs and festivals while they were children, performing doo wop and R&B songs in the style of Boyz II Men. Two of the group's other members, Howie Dorough and A.J. McLean, were natives of Orlando, FL, who met each other -- as well as transplanted New Yorker Nick Carter -- through auditions for local commercials, theater, and television. At one audition, the three discovered that they shared an affection for classic soul and could harmonize well together. Inspired, they formed a vocal trio. Shortly thereafter, Richardson moved to Orlando, where he became a tour guide at Disney World and concentrated on music at night. Eventually, he met Dorough, Carter, and McLean through a co-worker, and the four decided to form a group, naming themselves after an Orlando flea market. Littrell was later invited to join, thus turning the group into a quintet.
With the help of Louis J. Pearlman (who would later rise to mogul status on the strength of his teen pop acts), the Backstreet Boys secured management from Donna and Johnny Wright, the latter of whom had managed New Kids on the Block during the 1980s. The Wrights put the group out on the road and enlisted several A&R reps to attend the performances, which eventually resulted in a contract with Jive Records in 1994. Jive set the Backstreet Boys up with producers Veit Renn and Tim Allen, who helped shape the group's eponymous album. Released throughout Europe in late 1995, the record enjoyed considerable success, spending several weeks in the Top Ten in most Continental countries where it charted. In the U.K., the Backstreet Boys were named Best Newcomers of 1995 at the Smash Hits Awards thanks to their international hit single "We've Got It Goin' On." After scoring another European hit with "I'll Never Break Your Heart," the group released its album in Canada. Despite the Backstreet Boys' popularity in Europe and Canada, "We've Got It Goin' On" stalled in the lower reaches of the U.S. charts in 1995.
Combining their international singles with new tracks (which also formed the centerpiece of that year's European-only album Backstreet's Back), the American version of Backstreet Boys finally jump-started the group's success at home. "Quit Playin' Games (With My Heart)" and "As Long as You Love Me" proved to be popular singles, with the former track climbing to platinum status. The album continued to spin off hits well into 1999, with "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)," "I'll Never Break Your Heart," and "All I Have to Give" all landing on the charts. Both the former and the latter were platinum Top Five hits, and the album eventually sold an astounding 14 million copies in America alone.
In the meantime, the group saw its share of turmoil as Littrell underwent surgery in early 1998 to correct a congenital heart defect. Additionally, the Boys became embroiled in lawsuits against Pearlman and the rest of their management over royalties. When the dust settled, Pearlman remained the group's manager -- though the rest of the team was fired -- and the Boys began work on their follow-up album. Millennium was released in the summer of 1999 and debuted at number one, with first-week sales topping one million copies. Buoyed by songs like "I Want It That Way," "Larger Than Life," "Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely," and "The One", Millennium shattered a number of records, including the highest amount of shipments in one year and the most copies sold during an album's inaugural week. The group released its Christmas Album before the end of the year, by which time Millennium was well on its way to sales of 12 million copies in the U.S. On an international level, the album eventually sold more than 40 million units.
Once again, the group struck immediately after its previous album stopped producing hits, issuing Black & Blue in fall 2000. More Top 40 singles followed, including "The Call" and "Shape of My Heart", and Black & Blue followed its predecessor by selling over one million copies during its first week. A popular tour supported the album, but after seven years of nonstop touring and recording, the band agreed it was time for a break. Brian Littrell became a father while Kevin Richardson tried his hand at Broadway and took a starring role in the musical Chicago. Nick Carter released his solo album Now or Never in 2002, Howie Dorough did charity work for the Dorough Lupus Foundation in honor of the sister he had lost to the disease, and A.J. McLean made headlines with his stint in rehab.
In 2004, the Backstreet Boys re-formed and began work on a new album. The result, Never Gone, was released in June 2005 to platinum sales, followed by Unbreakable in 2007. The latter was the first album not to feature all five original members, as -----------Kevin Richardson had quietly exited the group in 2006----------. It was also the group's first album not to go platinum, a fact that seemingly cemented the end of the Backstreet Boys' heyday. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide-the laytest part
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Thanks to panzer999044@yahoo.com for submitting the biography. |
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Review about Backstreet Boys
do this in remembrance of me | Reviewer: jen beal | 10/7/09
drowning is one of the most awesome songs by the bsb and it breaks your heart listening to it in spite of your loneliness & homesick. i recommend this song for anyone trying to get out of a relationship and start a new life.
brian littrell | Reviewer: himesh | 9/21/09
briam littrel is a great singer .......we all students in india love him......... he has a grest voice...........love him......
BACKSTREET BOYS are my loved band.their songs are great....in my school all the boys love as long as you love me and i'm inconsolable song..ever best song.......we love you BACKSTREET BOYS.....voice from india..........love you brian littrel
its true imeant it from d bottom of my heart yeah,its true w/o u i would fall apart | Reviewer: blue12 | 9/1/09
oh my god!!! omg!!!! i really like this band, and also d westlife nick is stilling handsome
i really love this band,and pls. kevin come back again because i really love your voice and you are my favorite than howie
i love bsb,hey i love ur song get down,everybody,anywhere for you,no one else,and the shape of my heart!!!!!!
love bsb moren then my life | Reviewer: brajesh | 8/15/09
i am a big fans of back street's boy's i have their all kind of photo with me i like nick aj mopst there new album this is us rock and their new album straight through my heart is nice song when i was 4 i heard their quit playing game with my heart song by i like incomplete song very much i love bsb
hiiiiiiii | Reviewer: big fan | 8/11/09
i also love backstreet boys actually they are my favourite band.i am crazy about the song incomplete which is the last song of them. i am kind of sorry that they dont exist as a band anymore but they will exist in my hart as the best band that i ever ever ever heard in my life i love you backstreet boys
I'll never break your heart, I'll never make you cry, I'd rather die then live without you, I'll give you all of me, honey that's no lie... | Reviewer: Joy | 8/7/09
I'm a really big fan of the BSB although I'm only 13. "I'll never break your heart" inspired me so much, so deep. After my friend heard this song, she said BSB made her really want to have a boyfriend! I love you guys so much! AND KEVIN YOU BETTER COME BACK!! IT'S NOT THE SAME WITHOUT YOU, THOUGH THEY'RE STILL SO AWESOMELY AMAZING!
-BSB FOREVA, KEVIN ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOVE U 4 EVER BSB'S...!!! | Reviewer: sasini | 7/29/09
I'm a great fan of u from the day I first heard of u'r "I'll never break U'r heart"song...It means a long long ago!!!Now I'm 20 years old and I was grown up with u'r beautiful, heart warming songs!!!!!!I love u from my bottom of heart forever!!!!there r many , many fans from Sri Lanka..who r always appriciate u and who alwaya crazy about U!!!!!lov u..lov u!!!!And I'm in a grate heart break that Kev left the grioup!!!WEmiss u KEVIN!!!!!come back!!!!
LOVE U BSB'S!!!!!!cannot wait 4 u'r next album!!!!
back back Backstreet boys | Reviewer: ice | 7/20/09
i am one of the fans of the bsb from Myanmar. i started listening Street boys' songs when i was 5 years old. even though i know the group have a break and stop producing albums, i am looking forward for them to reuniting again and want to request them to make one more album not only for me but also for all the forever fans..
Alicja Adamiec Story | Reviewer: Alicja Adamiec | 6/1/09
Hey rock i'ts Alicja i am bigtest fan long time. i never met you guys before. your song touched me inside mine heart. you rock mine world. i never met nick carter before. nick carter is mine favrite backstreetboy in mine heart. i love him like a friend. please ask nick to write me letter back to me. i am waiting long time. we love you guys alot and nick carter too. keep up good work brend now cd. PS. ask nick carter to call me. somedays. with love Alicja
Mad on bsb | Reviewer: Josf | 5/5/09
Its kind of shame but the first song i heard of bsb was show me the meaning but i didnt knew it was by them but i became mad about the song then i came to know that it was by bsb and i am still listning to them after all these years i m not gonna stop.
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Review the Artist Backstreet Boys
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