{"product_id":"givin-it-their-all-isbn-9780345482884","title":"Givin' It Their All","description":"OUT OF THE BACKSTREETS\u003cbr\u003eINTO THE SPOTLIGHT\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere's just no stopping these funky five from Florida. One of the hottest music groups around, the Backstreet Boys (BSB) launched themselves to superstardom in an amazingly short time, topping the charts and winning awards all over the world. Everyone's heard the smooth harmonies and jamming beats of these all-American heartthrobs, but do you really know what makes them tick?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGIVIN' IT THEIR ALL is the ultimate source for finding out the real scoop about BSB. Learn the secret details of each and every Backstreet Boy--Kevin, the group's unofficial leader; A.J., the talker; Howie D., the peacemaker; Nick, the youngest boy in the pack; and B-Rok, the joker. Hear of the group's  magical beginnings and discover how the boys first conquered the world overseas, then returned to the States to burn up the charts on their home turf. Plus, get the 411 on their love lives, future plans, slamming style,  and the unique ways the dedicated fans are keeping the Backstreet Pride alive. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn unauthorized biography\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIncludes a Bonus BSB Resource Guide with info on how to find, access, and buy cool BSB stuff!Sherri Rifkin, formerly an editor at Random House, Inc., in New York City, is the coauthor, with Andrea Valeria, of Illuminated Choices: The Essential Guide for Making Astrologically Informed Decisions, which will be published by Harmony Books in 1999. Currently, Ms. Rifkin is a freelance writer and consultant for various Web sites.PROLOGUE: Meet the Boys!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe fans have been waiting outside the hall for hours, maybe even since \u003cbr\u003ethe night before. They are with their best friends, and perhaps with a \u003cbr\u003eparent or older sibling who has come along to make sure everything goes \u003cbr\u003eokay. They have been anticipating this night for weeks. Maybe they already \u003cbr\u003estood in line outside this very hall for tickets weeks before. Maybe they \u003cbr\u003edialed the telephone number for the ticket agency over and over again \u003cbr\u003euntil they finally got through. Maybe they won the tickets in a local \u003cbr\u003eradio station contest. No matter how they got the tickets, the fact is \u003cbr\u003ethat they _have_ these precious pieces of paper in their hands, \u003cbr\u003eand they are not letting them go until they must hand them to the \u003cbr\u003eticket-taker, who will finally allow them into the hall.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt last the gates open and the girls--thousands of them--are allowed \u003cbr\u003ein. The crowd surges forward once the buzz moves back to the farther \u003cbr\u003ereaches of the line that the time has come for these dedicated fans to be \u003cbr\u003elet in at last. After all, haven't they been waiting forever? It seems \u003cbr\u003ethat way.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTheir tickets are ripped in half, and the fans race into the hall, \u003cbr\u003ecardboard signs, teddy bears, roses, and chaperones in tow. The wide-open \u003cbr\u003espace that was empty and silent just moments before now fills with \u003cbr\u003ethousands of people within minutes. The fans settle themselves in the best \u003cbr\u003espot they can find, which with some luck has a decent view of the stage. \u003cbr\u003eThe stage is set fairly high up, so even though thousands of people will \u003cbr\u003ebe standing at the same level, they should be able to see well enough. But \u003cbr\u003eeven though they have now staked out their positions, they must wait some \u003cbr\u003emore. It seems like an eternity.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe noise in the hall increases as the thousands of people pour in. \u003cbr\u003eSoon chanting begins: \"Back-street Boys. Back-street Boys.\" It starts \u003cbr\u003esoftly, swells, reaches an ear-shattering, floor-stomping pitch, and then \u003cbr\u003esubsides again. It starts again a few minutes later, washing over the \u003cbr\u003ecrowd in waves. Some people are singing snippets of songs. Others are \u003cbr\u003eclimbing up on their friends' shoulders to get a better view of the stage \u003cbr\u003eand find out what is going on, but the only thing they see is roadies \u003cbr\u003ewalking back and forth across the stage, moving equipment around, \u003cbr\u003eseemingly meaninglessly. When will they leave the stage so the show can \u003cbr\u003ebegin?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFinally the lights go down and the screaming starts. The fans don't \u003cbr\u003eeven realize how loud they are; because they are so happy and excited, the \u003cbr\u003escreams and yells of delight just come out of their mouths spontaneously. \u003cbr\u003eThe chanting begins again, only much louder than before. It continues \u003cbr\u003enonstop for several minutes, people stamping their feet to keep the beat. \u003cbr\u003eThey wave their signs high in the air and hold up sparklers and lighters, \u003cbr\u003etrying to will the Boys onto the stage. Spotlights start to pan over the \u003cbr\u003ecrowd, momentarily lighting up the thousands of hands waving in the air, \u003cbr\u003ealternating between bathing them in bright white light and plunging them \u003cbr\u003einto darkness.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe spotlights go out and a momentary hush falls over the crowd as the \u003cbr\u003etiniest bit of music is heard. Ten, maybe twenty seconds of the song \u003cbr\u003e\"Everybody (Backstreet's Back),\" and then silence. A pause. More screaming.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt last a man's deep voice is heard over the loudspeaker--a thunderous \u003cbr\u003enoise, even louder than the chanting. \"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! \u003cbr\u003eWelcome to [whatever hall, stadium, forum, or center]! We have a very \u003cbr\u003especial show for you tonight!\" Suddenly two huge screens above the stage \u003cbr\u003elight up, flashing larger-than-life baby and childhood pictures of the \u003cbr\u003eBoys as the announcer says the following: \"And now we present A.J. ... \u003cbr\u003eKevin ... B-Rok ... Howie D. ... and Nick! Ladies and gentlemen ...the \u003cbr\u003eBackstreet Boys!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eScreams of joy fill the hall. It's deafening. It rocks the house. It \u003cbr\u003efeels as if the concrete is moving beneath their feet. Darkness again.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThen the voice returns with a countdown: \"Ten, nine, eight, seven, \u003cbr\u003esix, five, four, three, two ... one!\" The stage lights up and suddenly \u003cbr\u003ethere they are--the Backstreet Boys--striking poses, wearing various red, \u003cbr\u003ewhite, and blue nylon racing outfits. They move around the stage, waving \u003cbr\u003ehello to their joyous fans, the smiles on the Boys' faces matching those \u003cbr\u003eof their audience. They sing a snippet of the childhood favorite \"If \u003cbr\u003eYou're Happy And You Know It,\" and the fans scream back in response. Then \u003cbr\u003ethe Boys start doing a short introductory rap. The audience goes wild.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe band starts almost out of nowhere, and the Boys launch into their \u003cbr\u003efirst song, appropriately \"Let's Have A Party,\" with Nick singing lead. \u003cbr\u003eThis show--and the hundreds of others that the Backstreet Boys have \u003cbr\u003eperformed in their more than three-year career--is nothing less than a \u003cbr\u003efabulous party. They are onstage for more than an hour, singing, \u003cbr\u003eharmonizing, dancing, smiling, waving, serenading,_ connecting_--and \u003cbr\u003ethe fans couldn't love them more for it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNo matter what country they are in, no matter how many consecutive \u003cbr\u003edays they have been on the road and away from their homes and families, no \u003cbr\u003ematter how many times they have sung \"Boys Will Be Boys\" or \"As Long As \u003cbr\u003eYou Love Me\" over and over again, no matter how many times they have heard \u003cbr\u003ethe delighted screams of their adoring fans, the Boys always give it their \u003cbr\u003eall. And never, ever anything less.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt's no mystery, really, that the Backstreet Boys are a huge national and \u003cbr\u003einternational megagroup, adored equally by fans in Singapore and San \u003cbr\u003eFrancisco, in New Zealand and New York. The Backstreet Boys have a great \u003cbr\u003esound; beautiful, sweet, smooth-as-silk harmonies; slamming dance moves; \u003cbr\u003ecatchy songs, both slow and fast; handsome faces; positive outlooks; and, \u003cbr\u003enot the least of it, a genuine appreciation for their fans. It's a \u003cbr\u003elovefest between fans all over the world and these regular, down-to-earth \u003cbr\u003eguys home-grown in Florida and Kentucky. Who can resist this charming \u003cbr\u003efivesome when they answer that they will stay together and sing for their \u003cbr\u003efans \"As Long As You Love Me\"?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor many American fans, it seems as if the Backstreet Boys came out of \u003cbr\u003enowhere when they started burning up the charts in the summer of 1997. But \u003cbr\u003ethe Boys first came together in 1993 and became a major international \u003cbr\u003esensation in as many as thirty-five countries starting in 1995 before \u003cbr\u003ereturning to the United States to conquer their home turf. Theirs is a \u003cbr\u003eCinderella story of sorts, especially since the Boys first got their start \u003cbr\u003enot far from (and maybe partially because of?) the Magic Kingdom itself.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIronically, the Boys have a self-admitted reputation as being the \u003cbr\u003eworld's most popular group no one has ever heard of. But mention the song \u003cbr\u003e\"Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)\" and people of all ages will start \u003cbr\u003esinging this smash single--\"na, na, na, na, na's\" and all.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this book you will get up close and personal with each of these \u003cbr\u003efive funky guys: A.J. McLean, Nick Carter, Brian \"B-Rok\" Littrell, Kevin \u003cbr\u003e\"Kev\" Richardson, and Howie \"Howie D.\" Dorough. You will get the inside \u003cbr\u003escoop on everything from their loves to their dislikes, their individual \u003cbr\u003etalents, their childhoods, their secrets, their dreams, and their hopes \u003cbr\u003efor the future. You will find out how the Boys first came together and \u003cbr\u003ewhy, where their interest in music came from, how they followed their \u003cbr\u003edreams without looking back, and how they made it to the top of the \u003cbr\u003enational and international music scene (beautiful voices, talent, and \u003cbr\u003esmokin' good looks never hurt!). We'll follow the Boys' rise to \u003cbr\u003einternational stardom (it took a lot of hard work and many nights sleeping \u003cbr\u003eon cold tour buses) and tell how and why the group conquered foreign lands \u003cbr\u003ebefore they returned to the good ol' U.S. of A.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFollow the Boys on their adventures all over the world. Meet some of \u003cbr\u003ethe most dedicated BSB fans (a few of whom have written personal accounts \u003cbr\u003ein this book just for you). Find out to what lengths some daring fans will \u003cbr\u003ego to get a face-to-face with their favorite Boys. Get an exclusive look \u003cbr\u003eat what it is like backstage before the show. Check out the chapter about \u003cbr\u003ethe Boys' original sense of style, both as a group and individually. Get \u003cbr\u003ethe scoop on each of the guys' love life sitches: whether or not they are \u003cbr\u003ecurrently involved, what they would do on a dream date, who is the most \u003cbr\u003eromantic of the five, and who has had a touch of not-so-great luck in love \u003cbr\u003e(you might be surprised).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile I didn't actually meet the Boys or inter-view them for this \u003cbr\u003ebook, I did do lots of research on the Boys from several U.S. and \u003cbr\u003einternational sources--including fan magazines, Web sites, and \u003cbr\u003enewspapers--to give you, the dedicated BSB fan, the best all-out scoop I \u003cbr\u003ecould. It's all about helping you keep the Backstreet pride alive.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNow, on with the show! \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCHAPTER 1: Coming Together\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFlashback to early 1993. The place is Orlando, Florida. No one knows who \u003cbr\u003ethe Backstreet Boys are (can you imagine such a time?), because they \u003cbr\u003ehaven't all met one another and the group does not yet exist. At this \u003cbr\u003epoint, the five future members--A.J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter, \u003cbr\u003eKevin Richardson, and Brian Littrell--are only cosmically connected in one \u003cbr\u003eway or another. Though they are aware of their own personal dreams, hopes, \u003cbr\u003eand desires, they don't yet know that soon they will be members of what \u003cbr\u003ewill become, in just a couple of years, one of the hottest music groups in \u003cbr\u003ethe world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMagical Beginnings\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn a way, you could think of Disney World and its environs as the \u003cbr\u003ebirthplace of the Backstreet Boys. The Magic Kingdom certainly worked its \u003cbr\u003eown brand of magic on the lives of five boys, all of whom shared the dream \u003cbr\u003eof singing, dancing, and performing for others--thousands of others. \u003cbr\u003eDisney World was like a magnet, drawing the boys together in one place and \u003cbr\u003echanging their lives forever.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo how'd they all get there?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA.J., Howie, and Nick were the first to meet one another. The three of \u003cbr\u003ethem all lived in the Orlando, Florida, area at the time. A.J. and Howie \u003cbr\u003ecoincidentally (or fatefully, depending on how you look at it) shared the \u003cbr\u003esame vocal coach. The voice coach introduced them, probably because these \u003cbr\u003etwo boys were about the same age, had similar sounds, and liked the same \u003cbr\u003ekind of music.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe three guys were also individually making the rounds of local \u003cbr\u003eauditions at places such as Universal and MGM Studios, so they would often \u003cbr\u003erun into one another there. They started to talk and pass the time \u003cbr\u003etogether while waiting their turn to be called. It was then that these \u003cbr\u003ethree realized that they had a lot in common--namely, music. They shared \u003cbr\u003esimilar tastes in the artists and style of music they liked to listen to \u003cbr\u003eand sing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo one day while they were hanging out, they decided to try singing \u003cbr\u003esomething together. They harmonized to a song by the Temptations. They \u003cbr\u003ereally liked the way their voices sounded together and thought, \"Hey, why \u003cbr\u003enot form an a cappella singing group?\" (_A cappella_ means \u003cbr\u003e\"without instrumental accompaniment.\")\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKevin Richardson had recently made his way south to work in Disney World. \u003cbr\u003eIn 1991 he was living at home in Lexington, Kentucky, dreaming about \u003cbr\u003egetting into big-time entertainment. Growing up, he had loved all kinds of \u003cbr\u003emusic and had sung in church choirs. After graduating from high school, he \u003cbr\u003ehad moved on to doing some singing with a local Top 40 cover band, but \u003cbr\u003ethat wasn't satisfying him, so he started making plans for something \u003cbr\u003ebigger and better. Luckily, Kevin didn't have to stray too far from home \u003cbr\u003eto check out showbiz. Because a lot of television and movie work was \u003cbr\u003estarting to become available in Orlando, Florida, at that time, Kevin \u003cbr\u003edidn't have to relocate to New York City or Los Angeles to try making a go \u003cbr\u003eof his dream.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe packed up his bags and headed to Orlando to see what kind of work \u003cbr\u003ehe could find there. The first gig he got was as a tour guide at Disney \u003cbr\u003eWorld. It was a beginning, that's for sure. What also made him happy was \u003cbr\u003ethat the job allowed him some time to practice his singing and do some \u003cbr\u003esongwriting. He then landed parts at Disney as a Teenage Mutant Ninja \u003cbr\u003eTurtle and Alad-din (a character who had a lot of magic on his side).\u003cbr\u003e Not too long after Kevin got settled, a friend of his heard him \u003cbr\u003esinging and thought he had a great voice. The friend asked Kevin if he \u003cbr\u003ewanted to try singing with some other guys he knew who had formed an a \u003cbr\u003ecappella group. Guess which group that was? Yup--A.J., Howie, and Nick's \u003cbr\u003egroup. The trio met Kevin and dug the way his voice blended with their \u003cbr\u003esound, so they asked him to join up.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThen came a big opportunity. The guys saw an advertisement in the \u003cbr\u003elocal newspaper looking for those who were interested in forming a boy \u003cbr\u003eband. The ad was placed by Louis J. Pearlman, who was not only the cousin \u003cbr\u003eof Art Garfunkel (one half of Simon and Garfunkel, a famous singing duo \u003cbr\u003efrom the '60s and '70s) but also was starting a record company.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBefore deciding to get into the music biz, Lou Pearlman had been the \u003cbr\u003eowner of a very profitable company in Orlando called Airship International \u003cbr\u003eLtd., which provided the blimps that flew ads for big corporations like \u003cbr\u003eBudweiser and McDonald's high over sports stadiums and other outdoor \u003cbr\u003eevents. But in the 1970s Louis had been a musician in his own right: He \u003cbr\u003eplayed guitar in a band in New York that actually was the opener for \u003cbr\u003ewell-known artists of the time, such as Barry White and Gloria Gaynor. So \u003cbr\u003eby the early 1990s he was ready to return to the music world, but this \u003cbr\u003etime to help other young artists get their start.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLouis Pearlman hired two talent agents in Florida, Scott Hoekstra and \u003cbr\u003eJeanne Tanzy, to hold auditions for performers interested in forming a \u003cbr\u003e\"boy band.\" The talent agents put an ad in the local papers and set up \u003cbr\u003eauditions for fifty hopeful candidates, four of which were none other than \u003cbr\u003eA.J. McLean, Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, and Kevin Richardson.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe four guys nailed the audition, but all thought they needed a fifth \u003cbr\u003eto round out their sound. Kevin had the good idea of calling his cousin \u003cbr\u003eBrian Littrell back home in Kentucky and convincing him to come down to \u003cbr\u003eaudition as well. Kevin and Brian had grown up together and were very \u003cbr\u003eclose, especially because they shared a musical bond. When they were \u003cbr\u003eyounger, both sang in choirs at local churches. They also had grown up \u003cbr\u003eentertaining their large extended family by singing doo-wop, barbershop \u003cbr\u003equartet music, and their favorite contemporary songs. As Brian got older, \u003cbr\u003ehe especially started to like the smooth sounds of R\u0026amp;B, counting Luther \u003cbr\u003eVandross as one of his influences.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe story goes that Brian was in history class when he heard his name \u003cbr\u003ebeing announced on the school loudspeaker. At first he was worried that it \u003cbr\u003ewas bad news, but when he left class, got on the phone, and heard his \u003cbr\u003ecousin Kevin's excited voice telling him to come down to Florida \u003cbr\u003eimmediately, Brian knew fate was at work somehow. Fully aware of the \u003cbr\u003eonce-in-a-lifetime opportunity his cousin described to him, Brian got his \u003cbr\u003eact together very quickly and hightailed it to Orlando by plane the very \u003cbr\u003enext day to audition in the hopes of becoming the fifth member. The combo \u003cbr\u003eof their five voices worked like--you guessed it--magic. A group was born.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOnce the five guys joined up, they needed a name--something catchy, \u003cbr\u003eyet something that told where they came from. In Orlando there was a flea \u003cbr\u003emarket called the Backstreet Market, which was the center of a lot of \u003cbr\u003eactivity. When the market was not set up, the space was a big, empty \u003cbr\u003eparking lot, so the kids in the area appropriated it as their local \u003cbr\u003ehangout. They would drive up in their cars, socialize, and listen to \u003cbr\u003emusic. So the group adopted the name \"Backstreet.\" They added on \"Boys\" \u003cbr\u003ebecause, as Kevin once explained in a radio interview overseas, \"No matter \u003cbr\u003ehow old we get, we'll always be Boys. And back in the U.S., when you say \u003cbr\u003ewe're 'Boys,' that means that you are friends.\" So the name \"Backstreet \u003cbr\u003eBoys\" was created! Unfortunately, the actual market no longer exists, \u003cbr\u003ebecause a new building has been built on the lot. But its memory will live \u003cbr\u003eon in the name the Boys chose for themselves.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGetting Down to Work\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe newly formed Backstreet Boys were enthusiastic from the start. They \u003cbr\u003ewere thrilled to be working together and knew they had a good thing going, \u003cbr\u003eso they dedicated themselves to making big things happen for the five of \u003cbr\u003ethem. They knew this was their chance, so they pulled together as a team, \u003cbr\u003eand soon began feeling like a family. They learned to rely on their \u003cbr\u003einstincts, their experience in entertainment, and their talents. But first \u003cbr\u003ethey needed to get used to working with one another and get their act down.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThey began by rehearsing at Louis Pearlman's warehouse in Kissimmee, \u003cbr\u003esinging covers of hits by contemporary artists, such as Boyz II Men's \u003cbr\u003e\"It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday\" and Shai's \"If I Ever Fall In \u003cbr\u003eLove\" (which BSB still sings live to this day), as well as tunes by \u003cbr\u003eveteran artists such as Smokey Robinson. To practice, get more comfortable \u003cbr\u003eperforming live, and start making new fans, the Boys spent a lot of time \u003cbr\u003edoing gigs at high schools, theme parks like Sea World, and talent shows \u003cbr\u003ein the Orlando, Florida, area.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThey also auditioned wherever they needed to--restaurants, boardrooms, \u003cbr\u003eoffice lobbies--in front of everyone from the press to high-flying record \u003cbr\u003eexecs at major music labels looking to sign the next hot thing. Those \u003cbr\u003epeople who saw them in the early days were ready to compare the Boys to \u003cbr\u003eone of their successful predecessors, New Kids on the Block. However, it \u003cbr\u003ewas clear that these Boys had a special quality to them and a natural \u003cbr\u003etalent that could possibly make them even bigger stars than NKOTB, which \u003cbr\u003ewas popular in the 1980s.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs the Boys got used to each other and learned their individual strong \u003cbr\u003epoints, they started to add in their unique brand of funk and original BSB \u003cbr\u003eflavor. They knew they did amazing harmonies together but wanted to add \u003cbr\u003etheir own personalities and style to the mix. And since all five Boys knew \u003cbr\u003ehow to move to the groove, they added some slick dance routines to their \u003cbr\u003eact, and BSB was on their way.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSoon the Boys were ready to record their very first single. It was a \u003cbr\u003etrack called \"Tell Me That I'm Dreaming,\" which was a song that Lou \u003cbr\u003ePearlman himself had composed. BSB recorded this single for Pearlman's \u003cbr\u003eindependent record label, called Trans Continental. Pearlman then made \u003cbr\u003ehundreds of copies of the song on cassette so they could hand them out not \u003cbr\u003eonly to fans at the Boys' early appearances and shows but also to \u003cbr\u003erecord-business people to get the word out about the new Boys.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt was clear that Lou really believed in the Boys from the very \u003cbr\u003ebeginning and had only the highest of hopes for them. In a 1993 article \u003cbr\u003eabout him in the Orlando Sentinel, Lou said he was already thinking about \u003cbr\u003ethe day when BSB would come back home to be the headlining performers at \u003cbr\u003ethe Orlando Arena. In the liner notes of the Boys' U.S.-released \u003cbr\u003eself-titled CD that came out four years after they first got together, \u003cbr\u003eA.J. thanks Lou, a.k.a. \"Big Poppa,\" and calls him \"our brother, father, \u003cbr\u003efriend, and the list goes on.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn July 1993 Pearlman asked the music management team of Donna and \u003cbr\u003eJohnny Wright, of Wright Stuff Management, to come on board to work with \u003cbr\u003ethe Boys. Pearlman approached Donna and her husband, Johnny, because they \u003cbr\u003ehad been the management team behind the whopping success of New Kids on \u003cbr\u003ethe Block (Johnny was their tour manager).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile Pearlman was high on the Wrights, at first the husband-wife team \u003cbr\u003ewasn't sure if they wanted to take on another boy band--even though they \u003cbr\u003ehad done so well with NKOTB and clearly knew the market for this genre of \u003cbr\u003emusic. The Wrights were finally convinced to work with BSB by first seeing \u003cbr\u003ea videotape of the Boys performing at Grad Nite at Sea World in May '93 \u003cbr\u003eand then hearing them sing a cappella live at a local restaurant. After \u003cbr\u003ehearing their harmonies, Donna Wright saw that these five guys had some \u003cbr\u003emajor talent and that the group would have wide appeal outside of their \u003cbr\u003ehometown. It also helped that most of the Boys already had some experience \u003cbr\u003eworking professionally in the entertainment business. She told the Los \u003cbr\u003eAngeles Times, \"When I first heard the Backstreet Boys, I got the chills \u003cbr\u003eso strong that the hairs stood up straight on the back of my neck.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRight out of the gate, the Wrights started working their connections \u003cbr\u003eto get BSB some major attention and performing experience. The Wrights \u003cbr\u003earranged for the Backstreet Boys to open for After 7 and Young MC at a \u003cbr\u003econcert in Portland, Oregon, at the Civic Arena. In the fall of 1993 BSB \u003cbr\u003ethen did a national tour of high schools, ending with stops at schools in \u003cbr\u003ecentral Florida in October. BSB also began forming a solid fan base by \u003cbr\u003eperforming at junior high and high schools and other small venues, like \u003cbr\u003etheme parks and summer festivals, where the audiences were mostly kids. \u003cbr\u003eDoing these smaller gigs also gave the Boys time to polish and perfect \u003cbr\u003etheir act by getting live feedback from their audiences.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBecause the Boys promoted clean living, no drugs, and other positive \u003cbr\u003emessages and came from fairly religious upbringings, other kids \u003cbr\u003eimmediately related to the Boys and their music. What also helped win over \u003cbr\u003enew fans was that from the start, BSB always made it a priority to meet \u003cbr\u003eand be accessible to as many people in their audience as they could, which \u003cbr\u003eis something they continue to do to this day, even after becoming a huge \u003cbr\u003esuccess. In the early days, getting up close and personal with the people \u003cbr\u003ewho cheered them on and supported them helped BSB lay a solid groundwork \u003cbr\u003efor the future.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile all of this was totally exciting for the BSB crew, by no means \u003cbr\u003ewas this time in their lives all fun and games. Performing as a new group \u003cbr\u003efor audiences who had never heard them was a nerve-wracking experience for \u003cbr\u003ethe fivesome. They were passionate about proving that they were not just \u003cbr\u003eanother group of handsome faces with one kind of sound--or worse, a fake \u003cbr\u003esound. Since they could naturally sing and harmonize beautifully together, \u003cbr\u003ethey wanted to set themselves apart from the music acts that came before \u003cbr\u003ethem, including the New Kids on the Block. They were determined to get out \u003cbr\u003efrom under that shadow and create their own sound and look--and they \u003cbr\u003eworked to make that happen.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOnce the Boys got more experience under their belts, the Wrights then \u003cbr\u003estarted setting up bigger gigs for the group: opening for major, solid \u003cbr\u003eacts that drew audiences of all ages, such as Richard Marx, Kenny G, REO \u003cbr\u003eSpeedwagon, and the Village People. BSB also started performing at music \u003cbr\u003efestivals in different parts of the United States to expand the group's \u003cbr\u003eexposure. The plan worked like a charm. Soon the Boys were opening for \u003cbr\u003emajor acts who were performing locally, such as Brandy, Jon Secada, and En \u003cbr\u003eVogue.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Big Break\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSince they were doing an awesome job at their live performances, the Boys, \u003cbr\u003eLou Pearlman, and the Wrights thought that BSB was ready to go after a \u003cbr\u003erecording deal with a major label. Luckily, Donna had some strong \u003cbr\u003econnections in the music biz from her days of working with NKOTB. For a \u003cbr\u003ewhile she had been urging her friend David McPherson, who was then a \u003cbr\u003etalent scout at Mercury Records in New York, to listen to the new group \u003cbr\u003eshe was working with. So one day while the Boys were up onstage performing \u003cbr\u003ein a concert in Cleveland, she called McPherson on her cellular phone, \u003cbr\u003eheld it up high, and let the Boys' sweet voices--and the fans' \u003cbr\u003eenthusiastic cheers and screams--speak for themselves. As it turns out, \u003cbr\u003eMcPherson wasn't home, but his answering machine recorded the wild \u003cbr\u003ereaction of the crowd. When he heard the message, he was so intrigued that \u003cbr\u003ehe decided to meet the Boys at their next stop. After seeing what all the \u003cbr\u003ehype was about firsthand, McPherson immediately saw that the Backstreet \u003cbr\u003eBoys had what it took to be a big sensation. So the Boys signed a \u003cbr\u003erecording contract with Mercury Records in 1993.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSoon after, McPherson left Mercury to become an A\u0026amp;R director at Jive \u003cbr\u003eRecords, an R\u0026amp;B label. Probably since the time for BSB's unique brand of \u003cbr\u003epop music wasn't yet right (see Chapter 3 for some background info), \u003cbr\u003eMercury dropped BSB without ever doing anything with them. So McPherson, \u003cbr\u003eknowing what kind of potential the five guys from Florida had goin' on, \u003cbr\u003esigned the band to Jive Records. The Boys were pumped about going with \u003cbr\u003eJive, since R. Kelly, who is one of the Boys' idols, was also signed to \u003cbr\u003eJive. And it didn't take long for the Backstreet Boys and Jive Records to \u003cbr\u003ebecome a winning combo.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the very beginning, Dave jumped in to work with the Boys. His \u003cbr\u003efirst order of business: help them refine their act, sign up some of the \u003cbr\u003ebest music producers in the industry to work with them, and get them into \u003cbr\u003ethe studio to start recording ASAP.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile each of the Boys had natural talent and basic performing skills, \u003cbr\u003eMcPherson saw that they still needed to polish up their singing and \u003cbr\u003edancing abilities so that they would be in top form to record and tour. \u003cbr\u003eThe Boys were more than ready for the challenge, and they were able to \u003cbr\u003etake advantage of all kinds of valuable resources that were now available \u003cbr\u003eto them through working with a major record label. So the Boys started \u003cbr\u003ecollaborating with professional vocal coaches, stylists, choreographers, \u003cbr\u003eproducers, and musi-cians who could help bring them to the next level.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe sound BSB was going for was an original mix of R\u0026amp;B, hip-hop, \u003cbr\u003eblues, gospel, and pop. Vocal harmony needed to be a big part of whatever \u003cbr\u003ethey did. To get inspiration, they looked to a wide variety of artists. \u003cbr\u003eFirst they studied the music they had listened to while they were growing \u003cbr\u003eup, such as Manhattan Transfer, the Temptations, the Four Tops, and the \u003cbr\u003eStylistics. The more contemporary sounds they really loved and wanted to \u003cbr\u003edraw from were Boyz II Men, Jodeci, Shai, New Edition, Jon Secada, Bobby \u003cbr\u003eBrown, Steve Perry from Journey, and Color Me Badd.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt last, in 1995, they were ready to roll--into the studio to record \u003cbr\u003etheir first single for Jive. The Boys got on a plane to go to Stockholm, \u003cbr\u003eSweden, to work with Denniz PoP of Ace of Base fame. Denniz produced the \u003cbr\u003egroup's first single, \"We've Got It Goin' On,\" which the Backstreet Boys \u003cbr\u003erecorded in his studio, called Cheiron Studios.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith the release of this single, the Backstreet Boys would soon learn \u003cbr\u003ethat they really did have it goin' on.","brand":"Ballantine Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46304173785317,"sku":"NP9780345482884","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780345482884.jpg?v=1767728178","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/givin-it-their-all-isbn-9780345482884","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}