The Backstreet Boys: where are they now?

In 1993, the world was blessed with the formation of the devilishly handsome, hip-thrusting, coordinated-outfit-wearing, and constantly gyrating boy band: the Backstreet Boys (BSB).

The New Kids on the Block had dominated the boy band world for most of the late 80s, but a new breed of young male singers were beginning to emerge just as Joey, Jonathan, Jordan, Danny, and Donnie were on their way out the door.

Search the quintet on the interweb and you’ll discover many Angelfire sites made in the golden era of boy bands. According to a super reliable-looking fan website, the Backstreet Boys were formed in the early 90s through a casting call by Lou Pearlman, who was eventually discredited and is now serving 25 years in jail for conspiracy and money laundering.

In 1993, the band had their first major performance at SeaWorld in Orlando. Thus began years of obsession for the majority of North American teen girls and I was in the thick of it. Maybe it was A.J.’s perfectly-shaped goatee or the way Brian longingly reached out while singing perfect harmonies that had millions of young girls and boys consumed.

Now, as an adult, I have taken the time to examine where these talented gentlemen are 20 years later:

Nick Carter
The youngest member of the group has had a rocky go of things since the peak of his popularity. He has dabbled in acting, making appearances on incredibly creditable and respected shows such as 8 Simple Rules. Carter also fulfilled a child star stereotype when he entered rehab in 2005 after being charged with a DUI. It wasn’t until the sad attempt at a reality show, House of Carters, that his semi-popularity rose again, mostly due to the pure dysfunction within his family.

Brian Littrell
Sorry ladies and gentlemen, but Littrell has since settled down and, according to the paparazzi pictures that I poured over, is living an idyllic life with his model wife, Leighanne Wallace, and son Baylee. Brian also tapped into the Christian music scene and was a hit, although I’m not too sure how he had time to record an album while brainstorming ways to misspell the name “Bailey” before the birth of his son.

Kevin Richardson
The oldest and most understated member of the Backstreet Boys deserted the group in 2006 because he had bigger and better things to do. He came crawling back in 2011 after, I can only assume, he realized that there were little opportunities for someone whose only experience was working at Disney World as Aladdin and singing in a boy band. He then joined the tour shared between BSB and New Kids on the Block.

Howie Dorough
This ballet-dancing heartthrob ventured into the business world when he started a management company, 3 Street Management. He married girlfriend Leigh Boniello and had one child named James. Besides a solo attempt and some impressive humanitarian efforts, Dorough has been up to nothing else really worth mentioning. Shocker…

A.J. McLean
I saved the best for last, obviously. This badass has been incredibly active on his Instagram, which I follow religiously. If you filter out his Instagram presence, however, his career has fizzled. An attempted solo tour and a few stints in rehab prove that McLean is just a former boy band member trying to ride on his early millennium popularity.

Despite all this, the boy band is still desperately trying to hold onto their fading success through ventures such as Backstreet Boys Cruise, a painful performance on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon in December, 2012, and a new album and world tour on their official 20th anniversary: April 20, 2013.

The best part? A documentary film on the band will be released in 2014 and we can only hope that it will have the same professionalism and substance as House of Carters.