• Name: Backstreet Boys
• 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 10 in nearly every country on the continent.





• Backstreet Boys formed: 1993 in Orlando, Florida
• Members: Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, A.J. McLean, Kevin Richardson
• Trivia Fact: The name Backstreet Boys comes from the Backstreet Flea Market in Orlando, Florida.
• Backstreet Boys Formation: In the summer of 1992 producer Lou Pearlman advertised in an Orlando, Florida newspaper for male singers for a New Kids On the Block style group. A.J. McLean and Tony Donetti (aka Howie Dorough) were the first to successfully audition. Nick Carter was hired at the young age of 12, and the final pieces were Kevin Richardson and his cousin Brian Littrell who joined in 1993 replacing two other young men who were initially hired.
• Early Years: The Backstreet Boys' first major concert was performed at Orlando's Sea World in May 1993 before a crowd of very receptive teenagers. By the fall the group began touring around the country and caught the attention of Zomba record executives in Cleveland, Ohio. Signed to a recording contract with Zomba subsidiary Jive Records, the group released their first single "We've Got It Going On" in the summer of 1995 to disappointing sales.
• European Success: Although their first single flopped in the U.S., the Backstreet Boys gained their first taste of true success when "We've Got It Going On" reached the top 10 in Germany in the fall of 1995. The group's management decided to focus on the European and Asian market instead of the U.S. When the first album Backstreet Boys was released in the fall of 1996 it reached the top 10 in over a dozen countries.
• Worldwide Stardom: The Backstreet Boys decided to concentrate on American success in 1997. "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" began climbing the charts and reached #2 in the summer. The group were on their way to U.S. stardom. The first album was finally released in the U.S. in August with the new single "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" added. The new single was a massive hit around the world.
  
  The Backstreet Boys spent most of 1998 touring and settling widely publicized legal disputes with their managers. Finally, in May 1999, the next album Millenium is released setting a new record for the most copies sold in one week - 1.1 million. "I Want It That Way" and "Larger Than Life" were massive radio hits from the album.
  
  The next album, Black and Blue, released in the fall of 2000, sold 1.6 million copies in the first week but failed to break the new first week record set by fellow boy band *NSYNC. The Backstreet Boys set off on a world tour for 2001, but dates were postponed due to member A.J. McLean battling alcohol and depression issues. Terrorist attacks in the U.S. in September, 2001 caused the group to cancel overseas tour plans. A greatest hits release in October caused widespread speculation about the future of the group.
  
  In the years following release of Black and Blue the group retreated from the spotlight to work on individual issues and projects. Many in the pop music world were surprised when the Backstreet Boys announced in early 2005 that new music was at last on its way. The first single "Incomplete" generated strong interest at radio and the new album Never Gone was released in June. The disc was certified platinum but proved to be far less successful than the band's past releases.

I'm an old rock and roll buff. I love Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty.
- Quote from Backstreet Boy Nick Carter