Saturday, September 30, 2000
New Photo
Photo from: BackstreetBoys.com
Here is an exclusive look at a new Backstreet Boys photo! The single, "Shape of my Heart" can be heard on your local radio station so be sure to request it often.
Buy The Album
Source: Rochester Tribune
Backstreet Boy fans are counting the days to release of the group's next album, Black and Blue, slated to hit stores near the end of November. Some careful scourers of napster, the search engine which allows listeners to download music for free, have noticed "Black and Blue" has been available for a few weeks now. It's no surprise: Madonna, Metallica, and Stevie Nicks have been among the many artists who have seen supposedly unreleased material surface on the popular file-swapper. But beware Backstreet fans, for napster files are only as reliable as the people who provide them. Listeners of the song first get a dose of the ukulele, a definitively un-Backstreet instrument, then some singing far inferior to Brian Littrell half a week into strep throat, and finally a screaming voice, of a woman or a man trying to sound like one (Nick Carter?). Not quite. Even teenage girls aren't that easily fooled: this isn't Howie, AJ, Kevin, Brian, or Nick, but a couple of guys who we can only imagine had fun pretending they were. This song is called "Skankmobile," and it's been turning up on Napster for the past month under every artist imaginable: 98 degrees, Tom Petty, NSync, Barbra Streisand, and now the Backstreet Boys.
A lesson for all you Backstreet fans: buy the album.
Backstreet Boys to Sweden in November
Source: Aftonbladet
Translating: Katarina (Editor of LTL: BSB)
Backstreet Boys are on their way to Sweden.
They are gonna be on the 2000 MTV Europe Music Awards held in The Globe, Stockholm, Sweden on November 16.
- They are most likely to come to the award show. MTV are very interested, says Kathrin Persson on Zomba. The visit are perefect for the world's biggest boyband - at least in PR point of view. Four days after the MTV Awards the group release their new album "Black & Blue".
McIntyre comments on boy bands
Source: Infobeat
(Launch) - Former New Kids On The Block member Joey McIntyre made a stop last Friday at Planet Hollywood in New York to promote his film "The Fantasticks," which opened the same day in select cities. The former boy-band member commented on the way boy bands are perceived today. "It's a different experience, different people and a different society," said McIntyre. "I think the Backstreet Boys made a great album, and 'N Sync are talented. They're good kids and are just making good music."
Album Preview from J-14 Magazine
Source: J-14 Magazine (October 2000)
BSB NEW ALBUM PREVIEW: What their music means to them.
It's A Little Bit Country!...
Right before their new release, J-14 gives you a special sneak peek at what the Backstreet Boys' third album [4th in Canada and Europe] has to offer!
Pop Stardom isn't something you choose -- it chooses you. Who better to know this than the Backstreet Boys, the band that saw 1999 as its crowning year, then watched from the sidelines as that other boy band overshadowed them the following year. So with their third [or fourth] album, set to be released in November, the Boys have something to prove -- that they still have what it takes to strike back.
But until the day the new CD hits record store racks, the band's record label, Jive, is enforcing a company-wide code of silence surrounding the much-anticipated release. Luckily, J-14 tracked down top music industry insiders to dig up and deliver what the fab five have in store for you! Hint: It'll be a little bit of pop, R&B, hip-hop, rock -- and even a little bit country!
If the musical mix sounds like a difficult act to pull off, it is. But the guys, having spent the last four months working hard to make this album sing, are confident this third effort will rock. "Hopefully, we've got a lot of great stuff that we're going to surprise everybody with," Howie reveals. Perhaps, the biggest surprise of all: the band's desire to get back to the basics of what they're about -- just five fast friends harmonizing and making beautiful music together. But it wasn't all work and no play! These guys managed to squeeze insome much needed fun time.
What's In Store...
Spending 12 sun-drenched days in the Bahamas brainstorming and writing music -- away from distractions, the media, and even girlfriends, fiances and wives! -- was the prescription for success. "It was a bonding thing for us because, besides touring, we haven't really done anything fun with just us five without our management, without our press people. There were no producers or anybody around us telling us what to do," A.J. recently said.
As a result, "We got some significant stuff done down there," BriantellsJ-14. "We've spent some of the best years of our lives together, so now all those experiences cancome out through the next album." "We had so many ideas," adds A.J. excitedly. "As soon as Howie finished writing a song, Nick was there writing a song, and when Nick was done, I was writing a song. It was a constang process of writing music." Not only did the Boys let the lyrics flow, they let loose and jammed on instruments as well! Don't be surprised to hear Nick bang on drums and Kevin play the piano on several songs.
"We got about eight songs done that we wrote and produced ourselves. I think every song we did should be on the album," A.J. says proudly. But in the end, Brian tells us that "probably three or four of those songs will go on the album." To round out the rest of the album, the boys once again turned to super-songwriters Diane Warren and Max Martin.
The Time Is Right...
Though the band's been away for quite some time, "the anticipation for the new album is huge on the radio and for our listeners," says Los Angeles DJ Ellen K, who hosts the syndicated radio show Future Tracks. "Through the entire Eminem, Britney and 'N Sync cravings this year, there has always been a very significant thirst for the Backstreet Boys."
And to celebrate their long-awaited return, BSB plans to blast back with a worldwide media blitz. Currently, the band is in talks with MTV to produce a behind-the-scenes special, appear on TRL and film a "Making the Video" episode. They will also make the talk show circuit, sitting down to chat with Rosie O'Donnell, David Letterman and Jay Leno. Capping off the hoopla is a concert tour sponsored by Burger King.
Having unleashed the teen pop parade three years ago with "Backstreet Boys," all eyes are on them to see what they'll come up with next. "We'll definitely check it out and listen to it, and enjoy it like everyone else," says Starr Andreeff, the vice president of Smash Music, the management company of boy band No Authority. But given how well 'N Sync's current album has done (selling a record-breaking 2.4 million albums the first week), comparisonsare sure to follow. "Everyone anticipates that this will be a huge record," Rolling Stone's music expert Anthony DeCurtis tells J-14. "But almost anything they do short of topping what 'N Sync did will somehow be seen as a letdown." "Everyone has their own thing," Starr points out, "and there's room for everybody."
Giving Fans What They Want!...
"The most important thing for them is to make music that connects with their audience," says Billboard's director of charts Geoff Mayfield. At the same time, "an artist has to move forward and continually find new ways to express themselves," adds Eletra's Dane Venabel -- but cautions, "they shouldn't get too far away from the reason that people love them."
Of course, the band will still give us their signature R&B-infused pop tunes. But they're also taking chances by trying new things. "This is a great opportunity for us to kind of, in a way, re-establish our individuality as the Backstreet Boys," A.J. says, "and I think that really comes into play as we become more involved as writiers and producers, because nobody can copy something that's only you." Nick says that BSB is evolving and recreating the way Madonna does with every album. "That's how you stay on top," he points out. "Our jobs as entertainers and as recording artists is to make music for everyone out there to enjoy." We can't wait for what lies ahead!
Meanwhile, The Wedding...
It's not all work for the boys. On June 17, standing before a sea of 180 close friends and family, Kevin gently held the hand of his longtime girlfriend Kristin Willits, looked into her eyes and said, "I do." "It was a wonderful, simple ceremony," Kevin's brother Tim Richardson tells J-14, "especially because it was completely undistrubed by paparazzi." What made the occasion even more special waas the fact that Tim, who is a priest, conducted the ceremony while brother Jerald Jr. served as best man. Of course, Kevin's bandmate buddies Brian, A.J., Howie and Nick watched proudly from the sidelines as Kevintook center stage that eventful day.
After seven years of longdistance dating, Kevin finally popped the question to Kristin, a dancer and aspiring actress he met while the two worked at Orlando's Disney MGM Studio theme park. And he did it the old-fashioned way: He asked Kristin's dad for permission to marry her last December, then proposed to her a few days later. While the couple could have gotten married anywhere in the world, Kevin chose to return to his hometown of Lexington, Kentucky, where the ceremony took place in a local cathedral.
While revelers in Lexington celebrated the wedding, many BSB fans mourned the loss of a heartthrob, causing many to wonder whether the wedding of Kevin and the engagement of cousin Brian to girlfriend Leighanne Wallace would damen the appeal of the Boys. "I don't necessarily think it's going to be adisaster that he's settling down," says Rolling Stone's Anthony DeCurtis. "What gets a little overlooked in all of this is the music. If they make a really good record, people will still buy their albums."
Kevin at Madonna Release Party #3
"Kevin Richardson and Gwen Stefani joined funky forces, fashion-wise, at the (Madonna) Music listening party."
Backstreet Boys to release new album
(Launch) - The Backstreet Boys' upcoming album "Black and Blue" is due out on Nov. 21. The first single from the album, "Shape of My Heart," will be released Oct. 3. Burger King will be the exclusive sponsor of a Backstreet Boys' upcoming concert tour expected to be announced as early as January 2001. The Backstreet Boys worked with Swedish producer Max Martin on their new album which is expected to feature 12 new tracks.
Source: Infobeat
New Backstreet Boys Record
BACKSTREET BOYS' NEW ALBUM 'BLACK & BLUE' set for worldwide release the week of november 20;
FIRST SINGLE and video for "SHAPE OF MY HEART" Due out in late october
It's official. Backstreet Boys have titled their new album BLACK & BLUE, and it will be issued worldwide the week of November 20, with a U.S. release date set for Tuesday, November 21 on Jive. The album will be jump-started in late October with the single "Shape of My Heart," for which NICK CARTER, HOWIE DOROUGH, BRIAN LITTRELL, A.J. McLEAN and KEVIN RICHARDSON are shooting a video in the coming weeks with director Matthew Rolston.
BLACK & BLUE is the follow-up to BACKSTREET BOYS' MILLENNIUM album which has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. Millennium is already certified 12 times platinum in the U.S. and has spent more than 69 weeks on Billboard's "Top 200 albums" chart. In addition, the album has earned gold and platinum awards in 45 countries. And since the release of MILLENNIUM, the BACKSTREET BOYS have set precedents with a sold-out 42-city European trek and two sold-out U.S. tours including stops in such venues as the 70,000-seat Atlanta Dome. Stay tuned for news of a BACKSTREET BOYS world tour in early 2001.
Backstreet Boys have settled on "Black & Blue" as the title of their
forthcoming album, which is due in U.S. stores on Nov. 21. The album's
first single and video, "Shape of My Heart," will be released in late
October.
"Black & Blue" (Jive) is the follow-up to the Backstreets' 1999 release
"Millennium," which has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide,
according to the group's publicist, with more than 12 million copies soldin
the U.S. The promotional groundwork for the new album's release began last
month when participating Burger King restaurants in the U.S. and Canada
began selling three exclusive Backstreet Boys CDs and a video. The
group also appears in Burger King commercials.
Backstreet Boys plan to open a world tour in early 2001. In support of
"Millennium," the Backstreets' completed two sold-out North American
treks, as well as a sold-out 42-city European tour.
Source: BackstreetBoys.com
Source: Livedaily
Backstreet Boys Back In 'Black' In November"
The Backstreet Boys will release their third studio album, "Black & Blue," Nov. 21 in North America and a day earlier internationally on Jive. First single "Shape Of My Heart" is set to hit radio next week, and will be augmented with a video directed by Matthew Rolston (Madonna, Jewel). A world tour is slated to begin in early 2001.
"Black & Blue" is the follow-up to the group's 1999 "Millennium" album, which peaked at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 and is at No. 70 on the chart this week. The set has spawned four top-30 Hot 100 singles, including the No. 6 hits "Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely" and "I Want It That Way."
Last month, the Backstreet Boys' online alter egos, the Cyber Crusaders, debuted in 22 online cartoons created by pioneering Marvel Comics artist Stan Lee's Stan Lee Media. Comic books featuring the same characters debuted earlier this year.
Source: Billboard
Backstreet Boys Prep For Video Shoot
Speaking with MTV News this week in Los Angeles at the record release party for Madonna's latest, "Music," Backstreet's Kevin Richardson said that the group will meet up with director Matthew Rolston next week to shoot a video for the first single from the Boys' upcoming "Black And Blue" album. As we previously reported, that single will be "Shape Of My Heart," which hits radio stations across the country on October 3.
Richardson also dished (albeit vaguely) on the sound of the new album, telling MTV News, "We feel it's a growth. We feel it's a fresh sound. We're proud of it. We're excited."
Kevin also mentioned that after prepping the video for the Backstreet Boys' single "The One," he's ready to return to the director's chair. "I have lots of ambitions to direct," Richardson said. "We actually have our own [record] label now, and we have an artist, and I'm possibly going to direct her video." [RealVideo]
The artist in question is Krystal, a singer from Indiana who is the first signing to the Backstreet Boys' still-unnamed record label. Krystal's debut album should surface early next year, and she is expected to join the Boys when they launch their tour in support of "Black And Blue" in 2001.
As for the Boys, their "Black And Blue" album hits stores on November 21.
-- MTV News staff report
Another picture of Kevin at Madonna's 'Music' release party.
On Madonna's new album: "I love it. It's funky," Richardson said. "It makes me shake my booty." He said he admired Madonna's chameleon-like persona and fearlessness. "She's not afraid to take chances, to make changes," he said. "She's affected by what's going on in the world around her."
Backstreet's Black and Blue, All Right!
Given the commercial triumph of the Backstreet Boys'
Millennium, the pop world was thrown into a quandary with
the news that the group’s third album, in stores on November 21, was going to be
called Black and Blue. Had the rapidly aging quintet entered a period of
spiritual depression that would see them covering songs by Hank Williams and the Smiths? Were the Backstreet Boys
going to launch a new jackbooted S&M direction? Would
their next tour see them performing in a Gothic haze of
dry ice with the lights turned off?
Probably not. After all, we're talking about the
Backstreet Boys, and Max Martin, purveyor of quality
bubblegum like "I Want It That Way," wrote much of the
album. Fans can already get a preview of the album on a CD
available through the Burger King fast-food chain that
includes new song "It's True" along with live cuts.
If you like your Backstreet Boys without the Whopper,
"Shape of my Heart," the first single from Black and
Blue, is due to hit radio stations on October 3.
Speaking to MTV earlier in the year, Backstreet Boy A.J.
McLean said that the new album would see the group
branching out into the country, rock, and hip-hop genres,
and threatened that Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson would
be showing off their mad skills on drums and piano. Just
stay away from Badfinger covers, guys.
A similar scare was caused when it was announced that
Britney Spears was going to be covering the Stones raunch
'n' roll classic "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." Far
from seeing Spears reviving Southern boogie, her version
turned out to be the same old pile of poo-poo.
Kevin Richardson, a member of the Backstreet Boys, and wife Kristin Willits arrive at the Catch One disco in Los Angeles on September 19, 2000 for a party to launch Madonna's new album titled " Music" September 19, 2000. REUTERS/Fred Prouser
Backstreet Boys To Get "Black And Blue" On New LP
As the group continues to put the finishing touches on its eagerly awaited new album, the Backstreet Boys have settled on a title and release date for the effort, as well as its first single.
Sources tell MTV News that the Boys will deliver "Black And Blue," their third studio album, to stores on November 21. Fans will get a taste of the new LP on October 3 when the first single, "Shape Of My Heart," hits radio.
The group gave fans their first glimpse of what awaits on the album last month with "It's True," a new track included on a series of CDs made available through Burger King. That song turned up on a series of three CDs released by the fast-food chain that also included live Backstreet material.
While the rest of the new album remains under wraps, Backstreet Boy A.J. McLean has said that fans can expect to see various influences, from rock and R&B to hip-hop and country.
The disc will also find the Boys once again teaming with pop mastermind Max Martin, who produced the group's first two albums, as well as tracks for 'NSYNC and Britney Spears.
-- MTV News staff report
Backstreet Boys to open hotel
American boy band the BACKSTREET BOYS are planning to open their own hotel.
The group are looking to develop property in the American city of Huntsville, Alabama. According to press reports, band member Kevin Richardson visited the city on Monday (September 11) and met up with city council officials and real estate developers.
The hotel would be the latest in a line of extra-curricular Backstreet Boys projects, which include comic book 'The Backstreet Project', created by Marvel Comics artist Stan Lee.
The move would see the group follow in the footsteps of U2, who own The Clarence in Dublin, and plans in Liverpool to open a themed Beatles hotel on the site of the original Cavern Club on Matthew Street.
Brian Littrell stood on stage shortly after his heart operation
Backstreet Boys track heads to 2000 Olympics
(AllStar) - The summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia will feature The Backstreet Boys not as athletes but as background music. Remixed instrumental versions of many of today's hottest pop tracks will be used as background music for the televised events. A definitive music roster has yet to surface, but tracks by Santana, Goo Goo Dolls, Christina Aguilera, 98 Degrees, Will Smith, among others will be used. The 2000 Olympic Games will be held Sept. 15 to Oct. 1 in Sydney and will be televised on NBC.
Diary Of A Backstreet Bride
VIDEO: Go to Entertaiment Tonight Online @ www.etonline.com to watch:
No, it is not a "vicious" rumor! Thousands of teenage divas will be in mourning this week -- as the news is out that the talented BRIAN LITTRELL married LEIGHANNE WALLACE this past Labor Day weekend.
After the stunning church ceremony, the couple danced the night away at the reception, which took place on the entire fourth floor of the Four Seasons Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. Brian even sang a song he wrote for his new blushing bride (would you expect anything less?). Leighanne said she was a little concerned that the night could turn into karaoke central -- with all THE BACKSTREET BOYS being in attendance -- so she and Brian planned ahead, and instructed the "big band" to start playing a different tune if things got out of hand!
Speaking of hands -- Brian also apparently designed his own wedding band to match Leighanne's 3 karat canary diamond engagement ring. The creative hunk said he really wanted to have a big ring so that when he grabbed the mic -- everyone could see it! The end result? A gorgeous thick band with caviar beading and canary and white diamonds.
Backstreet Boy to perform for lupus charity
(Launch) - The Backstreet Boys' Howie Dorough will perform later this month in Puerto Rico and Argentina to benefit the fight against lupus. The shows will take place on Sept. 13 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and two days later in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Proceeds will go to the Caroline Dorough-Cochran Lupus Foundation - named after Dorough's sister who succumbed to the disease in 1998. "Hopefully a cure will be found and no other family will have to endure such a tragic loss as our family has endured," said Dorough. In June, Dorough performed at the Lupus 2000 benefit concert in Orlando that raised more than $100,000.
New wife of Brian
He got hitched to actress Leighanne Wallace in Atlanta, leaving only three single Backstreet Boys.
The couple met while shooting the band's 1997 video As Long As You Love Me when Leighanne was employed as an extra.
Brian's four bandmates - Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, A J McLean and cousin Kevin Richardson - were among 300 people at the church wedding.
Backstreeter Brian Marries!
by Marcus Errico
Hurry up, girls. There are now only three eligible Backstreet Boys left.
The number of BSB bachelors was reduced Saturday when Brian Littrell tied the knot with actress Leighanne Wallace in the bride's hometown of Atlanta.
All four of Littrell's bandmates--Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, A.J. McLean and cousin Kevin Richardson (accompanied by new wife Kristin Willits)--were among the 300 in attendance at the candlelit ceremony at Peachtree Christian Church, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The 30-year-old bride was wrapped in a white satin Vera Wang number, while Littrell, 25, and his groomsmen wore charcoal gray tuxes complete with top hats (seriously).
A reception (in true rock 'n' roll backstage fashion, wristbands were required for admittance) followed at the local Four Seasons, with the wedding party taking up the entire fourth floor. A swing band provided the evening's soundtrack.
No immediate word on honeymoon plans.
Littrell met Wallace while shooting the band's 1997 video "As Long As You Love Me," in which she was an extra. She's also appeared in such TV series as Silk Stockings and One Life to Live. They were engaged last Christmas and recently bought a house in suburban Atlanta.
Littrell is the second Backstreeter to forgo bachelorhood this summer. Richardson got hitched in June to longtime steady, Willits, a dancer.
What's Up Backstreet Bride?
They're going to the chapel and they're gonna get married.
You may want to know even more before your good, long cry exactly where
and when the blessed event between Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell and his
betrothed will take place.
Sorry. To quote the Boys, you may "Want It That Way" but that's "All I
Have To Give" to you.
We've been sworn to secrecy about the exact locale of the September
wedding by The Backstreet Bride herself, who doesn't wish to share the
nitty-gritty on her impending nuptials.
Who can blame her?
Since falling for her pop star honey, actress Leighanne Wallace has seen
her beloved Chihuahuas kidnapped, gotten swarmed by giggling groupies during
a visit to Kmart, and has seen the price of a midsize wedding ka-ching to
nearly half-a-million dollars.
"We don't want to spend a boatload of money- we could've bought a house
for what you spend for one night," Wallace said over the phone from Los
Angeles, where the Boys have polishing up their latest CD. "But as soon as
they find out it's one of the Backstreet Boys, the price rushes up!" Some
clueless guests also think they can invite Aunt Martha and all the young 'uns
to the festivities.
"That's been a big, huge thing to deal with," Wallace said. "We sent out
200 invitations. We had to put on the RSVP 'invited guests only,' but we
still get them back with six names on them."
The happy couple also have had to use aliases throughout the wedding
process to thwart the tabloids, settled on an indoor reception for fear of
buzzing helicopters, and were forced to evaluate the reception hall not for
charm or size, but for security and escape routes.
"You think you'd look at how pretty the celings are, but we were looking
at how many doors there were and which ones we could get out of."
Which is not to say that Wallace has an regrets about tying the knot with
Littrell.
"He's honest; he's good; he's funny; he's everything I've ever wanted,"
she cooed. "And of course, he's beautiful."
He's also smart, proposing in an impromptu picnic in 32-degree weather at
Wallace's mother's house last Christmas in Georgia.
"It was a total surprise," Wallace said. "He was taking me outside and I
thought he bought me a car. It was, like, 32 degrees and he had a picnic laid
out...It only lasted about 10 minutes. We had to get back inside."
Ten minutes was enough time for Wallace to say yes through chattering
teeth and for Littrell to slip some more ice on her finger- a 3-carat canary
yello diamond surrounded by another carat's worth of white, trillion-cut
diamonds.
Wallace and Littrell met when she appeared as an extra on the set of the
Boys' video for "As Long As You Love Me." The blond actress has small parts
on films (Wild America, My Fellow Americans) and the lead in a small film, Oli
ve Juice, shot in and around Orlando that does not yet have a release date,
Wallace said.
The couple's post-marriage home base will be the Atlanta area, where
Wallace grew up, and where the couple recetnly purchased a 46-acre spread,
according to the Atlanta Constitution. No, they won't be settling in Orlando
because- brace yourselves- Wallace said they're selling their home in the
Windermere area.
There will be seven bridesmaids and a flower girl, wearing champagne gold
dresses, and six groomsmen and one ring bearer, wearing tuxes by the Italian
designer Brioni, who also suited up the groom. Vera Wang has made "the dress".
None of the Boys will sing or be in the wedding; Wallace said she just
wants them to have fun.
What about wedding gifts? Have the couple gotten anything cool from
celebrities- has Elton John, like, sent some fab salt shakers?
"Actually, he did just send us these two Versace vases. They're
beautiful," Wallace said.
Fans have also been busy unloading their allowances at Dillard's, Macy's,
Pottery Barn and other stores where the lovebirds have registered.
But are fans really OK with Wallace stealing their man? Weren't they
going to marry him?
"Out of all the mail I get, 98 percent is encouraging congratulations and
uplifting positive e-mails, and the other 2 percent are 'I hate you! Die!' "
Except when they're swarming the couple, such as an incident in May when
giggling girls surround then during a quick visit to a suburban Kmart.
"You feel like an animal in the zoo. Everybody's gawking at you, pointing
and freaking out and crying. And it's not so much the girls anymore- it's the
mothers...Most of the girls are shy, but the mothers march right up to you."
Then, in July, the couple's Chihuahuas, Tyk Thomas and Litty Leigh, were
dognapped. Although police recovered the dogs unharmed a few days later, the
event shook the couple.
"It was just a horrible, horrible feeling. Needless to say, they have not
been out of our sight."
So does that mean we can expect the pups in the wedding party?
"We thought about it," Wallace said, "but our pastor looked down on that."
Drat. The would've looked so cute in those little Brioni tuxes.
Security tight for Backstreet wedding
Published in The Orlando Sentinel on September 03,
2000
We hear the Backstreet Boys convened in the Atlanta
area this weekend for the wedding of Brian Littrell
and Leighanne Wallace.
The couple were so concerned about preteen security
breaches and paparazzi party-poopers that they had
everyone anywhere near the half-million dollar event
sign confidentiality agreements. So details will have
to wait.
Wallace -- who is from the Atlanta area, where the
couple has bought a 46-acre spread -- told the
Sentinel earlier that she was planning a wedding for
200. The 31-year-old proud owner of a 3-carat
engagement ring didn`t ask the boys to sing because
she wanted them to relax and have a good time.
Look for exclusive video of the career-savvy actress`s
Vera Wang wedding dress on Entertainment Tonight.
Best wishes to them both.
For those of you keeping count, that`s two Backstreet
Boys down and three to go.
Backstreet Boy takes a Marietta bride
Richard L. Eldredge - Staff
Sunday, September 3, 2000
Backstreet Boy Brian Thomas Littrell used a side street door as he made his debut as a married man Saturday night. The member of the world's biggest selling boy band married Marietta native and actress Leighanne Reena Wallace during a 6 p.m. candlelit ceremony at Peachtree Christian Church Church in Midtown.
And the couple, who already have a house together in North Fulton, somehow managed to marry away from the screaming mobs of young fans who usually accompany Backstreet Boys' public appearances.
White and black stretch limousines deposited about 300 formally attired guests in front of the church just prior to the wedding while six Atlanta Police officers monitored the area.
Inside, the bride walked down the aisle in a Vera Wang-designed, white satin tight-bodiced gown which flowed outward from the waist. The groom and his groomsmen wore charcoal gray tuxedoes and top hats during the traditional 35-minute ceremony. Littrell removed his hat during his vows.
The ceremony featured a fairytale-themed poem written by Tracy Hext, the bride's sister. All four of Littrell's bandmates, Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, A.J. McLean and Littrell's cousin Kevin Richardson along with his new wife Kristin Willits attended the service.
After the ceremony, Littrell and Wallace stepped into a vintage black-and-white Rolls Royce with "Just Married" scripted on the back.
Littrell, 25, met Wallace, 30, in Los Angeles in 1997 when the Backstreet Boys were shooting a video for the song "As Long As You Love Me, " in which Wallace appeared.
"Leighanne wanted a gorgeous, fairytale wedding and she got one," said Christy Clark, a friend of Wallace from Atlanta, after the service. "She was absolutely stunning."
The celebrity-filled wedding party was escoreted by a police motorcade escort to the reception at the Four Seasons Hotel.
The couple rented the entire fourth floor of the hotel on 14th Street for the occasion. Guests wore beige Velcro wristbands and showed identification to gain entrance to the gathering. When attendees stepped off the hotel elevator onto the floor, they were greeted with a large sign resting on an easel that read: "No Photographs. No autographs."
The J Michael Davis Sound Flights big band played swing music as guests paused to admire a white gazebo adorned with starlight bulbs, the showcase for the couple's cake. Delicate white flowers decorated the chairs and tables set up for the 350 guests.
Backstreet Boys fans have been in overdrive in chat rooms on the band's various Internet website sincet he couple got engaged Christmas night 1999 at her family's home in Marietta.
Originally from Lexington, Ky., Littrell has recently relocated to Atlanta. The couple held Friday's rehearsal dinner was held at their 46-acre spread in North Fulton.
"There's no place like Atlanta. I'm glad to be back," Wallace said recently. "Brian and I want to make a life and a home here. "People here are really great, although when we go out sometimes I'll tell him 'Baby, put on some sunglasses.' He's got really great eyes and they always give him away when we're out somewhere."
Wallace's mom and stepdad, Shirley and Jack Tolbert, live in a modest neighborhood in Marietta, full of Georgia pines and ferns. The family lives in a corner two-story house on a circle of 1960s and 1970s vintage dwellings. Neighbors say the home has seen its share of activity in recent months, with visitors arriving in Mercedes and BMW automobiles.
Friday night, Jack Tolbert was somewhat philosophical: "You know these young kids get so much attention. I guess too much of anything is a bad thing."
The Backstreet Boys' latest album, "Millennium" has sold more than 12 million copies in the U.S. and their 1999-2000 tour sold-out arenas across the country. The newlyweds won't have much downtime. Littrell's band recently finished work on their third as-yet-untitled album due out Nov. 21. The act will also be busy shooting a video and organizing its next tour.
Wallace has had small roles in the film "Wild America," the TV series "Silk Stalkings" and "One Life to Live" and the music video "Here's a Quarter" by fellow Georgian Travis Tritt. She recently finished filming "Olive Juice," an independent romantic comedy in which Littrell has a cameo
While the wedding was perhaps the city's best kept secret this weekend, the looming Littrell-Wallace union was a main topic of conversation backstage Saturday afternoon at the "YM Fashion & Music Explosion" event at the Mall of Georgia in Buford. Backstreet Boys creator Lou Pearlman's latest budding boy band and the stars of the ABC reality series "Making the Band, " O-Town were the star attraction at the outdoor concert.
"We're staying at the same hotel as the wedding party!" said O-Town member Ashley Parker Angel.
O-Town publicist Stephanie Jones used to work for the Backstreet Boys when the act was signed with the Pearlman-owned TransContinental Companies.
"I've known them for years and I was thrilled when I found out about it this morning," Jones said. "The O-Town guys wanted to know if they could crash the reception and we told them they couldn't. I think that would have attracted just a little attention." Translation: about 1,200 shrieking girls were trailing O-Town around the mall's outdoor pavilion Saturday afternoon.
Staff writers Shane Harrison, Patricia Guthrie and Gracie Bonds Staples contributed to this article.
Backstreet Boy Gets Married
The Associated Press
A T L A N T A, Sept. 3
One of the members of the Backstreet Boys got married Saturday.
Band member Brian Littrell married Leighanne Wallace at Peachtree Christian Church in Midtown at 6 p.m.
White and black stretch limousines brought about 300 people to the ceremony.
The couple, who bought a house earlier this year in an Atlanta suburb, was able to get married without the usual mob of young fans that follow the band.
Littrell and Wallace met in Los Angeles in 1997 when she appeared in the Backstreet Boys video As Long As You Love Me.
Wallace grew up in Marietta. Her mother and stepfather, Shirley and Jack Tolbert, still live there.
Here are Max Martin´s new studio
Last week the news chocked the whole music world, the fact that the Cheiron Studio was splitting up.
The story about the swedish hit factory, who had written and produced songs for Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears and many more artists, was over.
When the news was official rumours started to spin.
Together with Tom Talomaa, the Cheiron Studios owner, Max is moving in at Cosmos Studios on Södermalm in Stockholm.
Source: MTV
With the title and release date of the next Backstreet Boys offering confirmed, a flurry of tidbits about the album are beginning to trickle out, including plans for its first video.
Backstreet Boys'
Kevin Richardson
RealVideo
Kevin at Madonna Release Party #2
Photo from: MTV
Click for bigger picture
Source: VH1
Thursday, September 21, 2000
Kevin at Madonna Release Party
Photo from: Yahoo!
Click for bigger picture
Wednesday, September 20, 2000
Source: MTV
Friday, September 15, 2000
Source: Infobeat
Sunday, September 10, 2000
Pressured to comeback
Source: Aftonbladet
Translation: Katarina (editor of LTL: BSB)
Two years ago Brian Littrell went trough a complicated heart operation, eight weeks after he was back on stage.
- I didn´t get any option to decide myself if I had the strength.
- The first two weeks medical people always stood in constant preparedness.
Brian Littrell, 25, was born with a heart disease, that he describes "like a hole in the heart".
Complicated operation
In a personal interview for MTV he tells about his disease and about the fact that he never got a chance to recover from the long and complicated operation that was on May 8 1998.
- Normaly that kind of operations is only going to take like 45 minutes. But when I was operated the doctors find another hole in my heart - so the operation took 2½ hours, he says to MTV.
Only two months after he stood on stage. Which was way to soon. According to MTV he was forced due to overwork to rest two times during the US-tour who was in the summer of 1998.
Constant preparedness
- The first two weeks medical people always stood in constant preparedness just because I didn´t know if I was going to make it, he says.
According to Brian and bandmember and cousin Kevin Richardson, 28 it was former manager Louis Pearlman who had to many demands on the group.
- In most cases he would just put the schedule infront of us. It was very frustrated, they said.
It´s not the first time Brian Littrell has healthproblems. To MTV he also tells about the time when he was five years old and hurted his knee and got a lifethreatening blood infection.
That Backstreet Boys gives individual interviews is extremely unusual. The show who aires on MTV on Monday, has earlier only been aired in the USA.
Source: Infobeat
Thursday, September 7, 2000
Source: Entertaiment Tonight Online
Source: Infobeat
Tuesday, September 5, 2000
Source: The Sun Online
BACKSTREET Boy Brian Littrell has secretly married - breaking the hearts of thousands of girls.
Monday, September 4, 2000
Source: E! Online
Sep 3, 2000, 10:30 PM PT
Source: The Orlando Sentinel
Source: The Orlando Sentinel
Sunday, September 3, 2000
Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution
Source: The Associated Press
Friday, September 1, 2000
Source: Aftonbladet
Translating by Katarina (Editor of LTL: BSB)
Now it´s done.
In this building new chart number ones are gonna be made - at Cosmos Studios on Söder in Stockholm
Click for bigger picture
One of the worlds hottest songwriter is moving.
Max Martin is renting at Cosmos Studios on Söder in Stockholm
Were was Cheirons main figure Max Martin gonna go?
Here are the answer.
- Yes, it has been decided for a while. They are moving here very soon, confirms Kent Gillström, producer and owner of Cosmos Studios.
He is still very secretive about the whole thing and refers to a press realese who is going to be sent out very soon.
Romours also says that Max Martin has written a 3 year contract with Cosmos.
- That is not true, the contract is due for now, says Gillström.
- It´s not anything peculiar with that. He is just a ordinary guy.
- I don´t know. It´s remain to be seen if the phones are gonna start ringing.