Fans express devotion to Backstreet Boys in many ways

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: Mar 01, 2000 Source: Houston Chronicle Submitted By: Ivy C Feb. 28, 2000, 9:28PM Fans express devotion to Backstreet Boys in many ways By MELISSA FLETCHER STOELTJE Copyright 2000 Houston Chronicle Katie Schindler, 13, her mom, Luane Schindler, and her sister, Lynde Nunes, 16, thought they had the perfect spot scoped out. A full six hours before the Backstreet Boys concert at theCompaq Center was scheduled to start, the three perched on a darkened stairwell next to a line of humming tour buses. The fleet was said to contain the precious cargo they drove all the way from Columbus to see. "See there?" said Katie, pointing to a striped object hanging inside one of the bus windows. "That's A.J.'s hat! He's famous for his hats!" Welcome to Backstreet Boys mania. "Their voices sound like angels, like voices from heaven," said Mera Afifi, 21, stationed outside the center before the show. "They're the reason why I smile. It doesn't hurt that they're cute." The five-boy band -- A.J. McLean, cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson, Howie Dorough and Nick Carter -- performed the first of two sold-out concerts Monday night. Fans -- most of them hyper-excited girls wearing BSB buttons and fake tattoos -- started lining up outside by midafternoon. (The Houston Independent School District helpfully held an in-service day Monday.) They were hoping to get picked for a "fan press conference" -- a question-and-answer session with the Boys themselves. About 45 concertgoers got to spend 40 minutes with the annointed ones, after first agreeing to some ground rules -- no autographs, no hugs, no kisses, no gift-giving. Question: "If you could put something in a time capsule, what would it be?" Brian: "I'd put every CD we ever made, and then just very sentimental things -- a wallet with family photos, fan photos." Swoon! Question: What would you be if you weren't singers? Nick, a college basketball player; Brian, a teacher; Kevin, still in music; Howie, an actor; A.J., a Broadway actor. Question: Did you expect to be so famous? Brian: "I never thought in a million years I'd be where I am today. ... God has blessed me many, many ways." Question: Are the Spice Girls your girlfriends? Answer: No. Question: What will your third album be like? Kevin: "We're planning to take a trip together, just to see what comes out as far as our own writing and producing. We're going to try to keep making good pop music." Question: Nick, why did you cut your hair? Nick: "I don't know. It was just something I wanted to do. I've had my hair the same length since I was 10." And so on. Before the conference, many fans spoke of a personal connection they feel with their idols, one that goes far beyond a mere appreciation of their vocal harmonies. "My father died the same way his father died," said Philys Johnson, 15, of group member Kevin Richardson. "To see him be strong, to make it through, has really had a great impact on my life." "I have a heart problem, just like Brian," said Jessica Guerrero, 20, of songster Littrell. "It's not exactly the same kind, but it helps me connect with him." The fans knew the various tragedies that have befallen the noys -- Kevin's father, Brian's heart surgery, Howie's sister's ordeal with lupus -- struggles that only further inflamed their youthful worship. Not all the fans were young. Sharon Merchant, a 63-year-old grandma with spiky silver hair, showed up for the fan conference with a denim jacket bearing the logos of rock bands Aerosmith, the Rolling Stones and Bon Jovi. "I'm a hard-rocker, but I'm in sort of a lull," Merchant said, explaining her BSB fan-dom. "They're tight, their harmonies are great, there's just a maturity about them that other boy bands don't have. They really proved themselves at the Grammys." Her family has nothing but approval for her BSB fetish, she said. "My granddaughters, who are 15 and 19, think I'm absolutely the coolest," said Merchant. All the young fans clustered outside mentioned the fact to Brian, as well Kevin, recently became engaged -- a development that didn't dissuade their loyalty. "We should be happy for them," said Lisa Nally, 16, who attended the concert with her mom, Melissa, who shelled out more than $100 for two tickets. "I've been on chat boards where fans are saying, `We should jump to 'N Sync,' but that's not a true fan." Comment on this item. Recent Comments Submitted by: temnotak Submitted by: kipetok Submitted by: Ann Elisabeth Submitted by: Paulo Submitted by: Carol Clark Comment on this item. Next Item: Stan Lee's Youth Portal to Go Live Tuesday Night, Feb 29 Prev Item: Happy fans get a close view of Boys