Group Bio

Group Bio

In 1992, 20 year old, Kevin Richardson was pursuing his dream of a singing career in his hometown Lexington, Kentucky. He sang at churches, weddings, and with local pop groups, singing cover songs of Top 40 hits. Then Kevin decided to move to Orlando, FL on a whim to see if he could be one step closer to fulfilling his dream. Within a week of moving in to Orlando, Kevin got a job at Walt Disney World and a tour guide. Kevin also appeared in parades and events as Aladdin and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.

One day, Kevin and a co-worker were on a break, talking about what they wanted to do with the rest of their lives. Kevin said that he wanted to get hooked up with a singing group again. His friend heard him sing and suggested that he meet these three guys who harmonize all the time.

The three harmonizers were high school students, AJ McLean and Howie Dorough, and junior high school student Nick Carter. AJ, Howie, and Nick met saw each other at many different auditions and performances. Everytime a song would come on when they were waiting to audition, the three would sing along and harmonize. They became friends and formed a group in style of their favorite groups Boyz II Men and Color Me Badd. When Kevin first heard Aj, Howie, and Nick singing a cappella ans saw their dance floor moves, he knew he had found a new home. AJ, Howie, and Nick enthusiastically welcomed Kevin. But they needed one more voice to complete the sound of the group. After seeing the boys perform at many different talent shows, Lou Pearlman helped the boys hold auditions and tracked down leads all over Orlando. But they still didn't find the voice to complement their sound. Kevin thought of his cousin back in Lexington, Kentucky. It was early in the morning on a school day, Kevin just couldn't wait so he called his cousin Brian Littrell. Kevin called Brian's school and had him taken out of class. Kevin excitedly told Brian about the group that he had just joined and told Brian to come and check it out. Brian took a plane to Orlando the very next day.

So the five guys got together and harmonized. Nick had another offer to be on Disney's The Mickey Mouse Club, but after the first night of harmonizing,Nick decided to go with the Boys. Their voices blended great together. Now they needed a name. Brian thought of Backstreet, from the flea market in Orlando where kids hung out. Then they all wanted it to end with Boys, kind of like the Beach Boys. So they put it together and decided they wanted to name the group Backstreet Boys.

After Lou heard all of the guys singing together, He knew they would be big. So he brought them to Donna Wright and Johnny Wright of Wright Stuff Management. Johnny and Donna had already managed many groups. They managed The New Kids On The Block at their highest point of popularity. So Donna and Johnny began to managed the Backstreet Boys.

Johnny wasn't sure if the boys were going to be big or not. But after he heard them sing, he was sure they'd make it. So Johnny and Donnna began setting gigs for the group at High school gyms and theme parks. Soon the boys were becoming a phenomenon and they were performing all over Orlando, from high school gyms to opening shows for Brandy at theme parks. Then they were offered gigs all over FL and out of state.

They auditioned for about 5 or 6 different labels and the one that chose them didn't even show up. Then the guys were performing at a middle school. They went running in the gym wearing their own close and just looked like a bunch of kids off the street. At the gig in Cleveland, Ohio, Donna called David McPherson of Jive Records and held up the phone so he could hear them and the excitement of the crowd. The Backstreet Boys got signed right after that.

In 1995, The Backstreet Boys released their first single, We've Got It Goin' On, in the US and Europe. But they became disappointed at the results. It didn't seem the US was interested in the boys much. The US was still in the grunge music. But in Europe, they were stiring up. They weren't just a boy group in Europe, they were Americans, and they would be a fresh new sound for Europe and they could actually sing. Then Johnny remembered that the New Kids On The Block weren't big in US until their second album, but they were huge in Europe. So he Knew BSB would be gold and platinum all across the Atlantic.