THE BACKSTREET BOYS HAVE IT ALL: FAME, FORTUNE AND FLOCKS OF FAWNING FEMALE FANS WHO'VE BROUGHT MORE THAN FIVE MILLION COPIES OF THEIR MILLENNIUM ALBUM. AMAZINGLY, THEIR MEGAHIT SONGS I WANT IT THAT WAY and ALL I HAVE TO GIVE ARE FILLED WITH LOVE THOUGH THE SINGING GROUP'S YOUNG LIVES HAVE BEEN TOUCHED BY TRAGEDY. THE FIVE BOYS, BASED IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA,. HAVE FACED THEIR ORDEALS LIKE MEN, SURVIVING BROKEN HOMES, THE UNTIMELY DEATH OF LOVED ONES AND DEADLY DISEASE. HERE ARE THEIR SECRET HEARTACHES.:
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HOWIE DOROUGH: Lost his sister to Lupus
Howie Dorough will never forget how fans came to his emotional rescue after his beloved sister Caroline died of lupus last September.
"The outpouring of emotion and sympathy was overwhelming" says half-Puerto-Rican, half- Irish Howie, 26.
"Caroline was only 37 when she lost her battle with lupus, which affects the immune system, often striking down young people like my sister in their prime."
Howie has honored his sister by setting up a foundation in her memory.
"All funds," he says "will be used to find a cure so no other family will have to suffer a loss such as ours."
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Brian Littrell: Brave battle against heart disease
Brian Littrell has been fighting for his life since he was 5, when docs strapped him to a bed and pounded on his chest in a desperate bid to break up a staph infection that caused his heart to stop beating for 30 seconds!
Last May, the 24-year-old underwent grueling open-heart surgery after doctors discovered that a congenital hole in his heart had enlarged dangerously. "I wasn't supposed to live long-but I did," says Brian, who took off eight weeks to recover from the operation.
"I look at that as a miracle, but the sad thing is that I scheduled the surgery around my work. It was important because my career was moving on."
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Nick Carter: School dropout makes good
Hunky Nick Carter has paid a hefty proce for fame-he dropped out of school and sacrificed his childhood.
The 19-year-old "cute" boy got the showbiz itch after his dad cut down a tree and Nick used it as a stage.
"I'd stand on the stump, look out at the grass and pretend the blades were people," , he says. "My mom caught me one day and decided I should expand, so that's when i got voice lessons." Because of the Leonardo Di Caprio-look-alike's experiences, the Backstreet Boys avidly encourage their fans to stay in school. "I missed out on a lot of stuff," he says "At times i wish i could relive that time and just do normal childhood things."
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Kevin Richardson: Lost dad to deadly cancer
Talented Kevin Richardson was extremely close to his parents, Jerald and Ann-and was devastated when his dad died of colon cancer in 1991, a year before Kevin joined the group. Known as "the serious one", Kevin, 27, grew up performing at a kids' summer camp his parents ran near Lexington, Ky. "He used to do little skits and sing when the camp had its showtime nights," recalls mom Ann. "All the girls would start hollering." Dad Jerald died before he had the opportunity to share in his son's amazing success.
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A.J. McLean: Estranged from his father
A.J. McLean was just 4 years old when his computer technician dad Robert walked out on him and his mom Denise, a publicist for the band. But now that he's rich and famous, A.J. is being bombarded by calls from his dad. A.J. was shocked to find out that his dad's house is a shrine filled with Backstreet merchandise. "He's remarried and his wife is pushing him down my throat," says the 21-year-old A.J., the group's "bad boy" with his spiky hair, goatee. multiple body piercings and 10 tattoos. " He calls me every day and drives me nuts. He says he's sorry, but i still blame him for a lot of things."
