Kevin Richardson grew up the youngest of three brothers in Lexington, Kentucky. Ironically, in the Backstreet Boys, it gets to be the big brother. "I never had a lil brother," he told USA Today, "but now I've got four." Still, Kevin had a wonderful childhood, a perfect backdrop for his role as a child music prodigy.
Kevin comes from along line of musicians. "My grandfather was in abarbershop quartet, and everyone in my family plays music by ear," he admitted in the Los Angeles Times. And Kevin's mother (Brian's father's sister) sings in her church, which, like Brian, his how Kevin's family saw a lof of talent in the young Kevin, and always pushed him toward a career in performance. Kevin's father, Jerald, especially encouraged his son to follow his dreams.
Unlike his Backstreet brothers, Kevin didn't do a lot of performing in his younger years there isn't a long list of auditions for TV shows and other stuff on his resume. But he did do a couple of high school productions, such as Bye Bye Birdie and Barefoot In The Park. Although he'd been playing piano since he was nine, it was the experiences on the stage that really helped make up his mind to become a performer. Still, he stuck around Lexington after high school trying to find his way; he even worked as a ball room dance instructor for a while.
Kevin finally decided to take off to follow his dreams. With his family's support and encouragement, he wound up in Orlando, Florida. Kevin worked at Disney World and pulled the occasional deejay stint at clubs for a bit, but then tragedy entered his life. Kevin's father, his main source of encouragement and his hero, was diagnosed with cancer. Kevin shelved his dreams of stardom to see his family though the illness and his father's inevitable death.
While Kevin stuck around for a while to help his family pick up the pieces, his mom made sure he didnt' get off track and pushed him to return to Orlando, which he ultimately did. Kevin stepped into the role of Aladdin at Disney World, which is what he was doing when he read the ad for a singing group on that fateful day. Kevin has not forgotten how hard his fathre's death has been on his mother, and although he hated being so far away from her while he was on tour in europe, both mother and son knew it was for the best. His rise to fame has not only fulfilled his dreams but proved a plessing for his family the devoted son just recently paid off his mother's mortgage.
"I definitely have newfound respect for the artists like Michael [Jackson] and Prince and all those other artists that not only have been successful but have been on top for a long time," Kevin told USA Today. "It's so much harder than any of us had expected." As much as he enjoys fame, however, the serious, sensitive guy, who his badmates named "The Train" because of his relentless determination, is saddened that he doesn't always know who he can trust his family and Backstreet brothers aside, of course. "There's a definite fear deep down in all of us of why someone's talking to you," he explained to Teen People. "Is it because you're Kevin or Brian, or is it because you're in a group called the Backstreet Boys? And not just in dating, but in friendships and business, too."
Surprisingly, Kevin is the only one of the Boys who's ever been engaged. It was a long time ago, and it didn't work out, but someday he'd like to be married and be a dad. But right now settling down is not in the cards. He even hesitates dating anyone because he fears that if he finds someone really special, he'll have to be away from her, and that's not how he wants it to be.
Kevins is usually responsible for keeping the group grounded, like a good older brother should be. The rest of the guys love him dearly, but they also respect his decisions and usually don't cross with him. In the beginning, there was a little trouble between Nick and Kevin, because Kevin was so much older and Nick was such a practical joker but all that's been resolved now. Kevin's taught Nick to be more serious; and Nick's taught Kevin to enjoy a good joke!
"I wish people would realize that we have the goods and that we're legit," Kevin told Rolling Stone. "We're talented, and we're not some flash in the pan. We've been together for [seven] years." And if Kevin has anything to say about it, the guys will continue their success, earning the respect in the industry that they truly deserve.