news archives

February 28, 2003 - Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith report that the Backstreet Boys will have a new album out despite numerous stories of fighting between band members and their handlers, and despite the $75 million lawsuit filed in November by Backstreet Boys Inc. and Backstreet Productions against Zomba Recording Corp. "They haven't broken up. All five are in touch," insists the band's management. And, "They plan to resume writing and recording in March with the goal of a summer release for the CD. They also are talking about touring. Right now Nick is finishing up some solo tour dates." Read more.

February 27, 2003 - The Chicago Sun-Times reports Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter, as well as Chicago's own VI3, will head to the White Star Lounge for their post-concert bash Friday.

February 26, 2003 - Fan writes "Howard Stern, who was one of the many celebs at the Clive Davis party on Saturday, said on his radio show this morning that the Backstreet Boys seemed more "together" than *NSYNC did. He said he saw for himself Justin Timberlake trying to distance himself from the other guys at the party. Howard added that Lance Bass told him he wanted to be on the show."

February 26, 2003 - Jeannette Walls of MSNBC awarded *NSYNC star Justin Timberlake for Bad Attitude of the Evening backstage at the Grammy Awards on Sunday. After being pushed and prodded backstage, he was overheard grumbling under his breath, "I hate this sh**." Meanwhile, Backstreet Boys star Kevin Richardson asked one of the clothing-challenged dancers at Pink's pre-Grammy party if her chest was real. "Want to feel for yourself?" she cooed. He declined, but did a thorough visual check. Read more.

February 26, 2003 - Newsday caught up with Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys and his brother Aaron Carter. Nick was asked which bandmate he's closest to, and he responded, "It changes, but at the moment I hang out with Howie a lot." Aaron was asked what he'd be if he wasn't a performer. "Nick would be a nerd," Aaron said. "I'd be a football or basketball player." Read more.

February 26, 2003 - elgato writes "MuchMusic caught up with AJ McLean at the 'Daredevil' movie premiere. AJ told the network, "We’ve been writing non-stop as individuals for like the past year. So we’re comin’ together with a real wide range of, ya know, sounds from like rock to pop to hip hop to contemporary to whatever. It’s gonna be a real wide-ranged record." When asked about Backstreet Boys splitting, AJ replied "We’re a family. And we’re a group. And we’ve made a conscious promise to each other that we’re gonna be together forever." The interviewer asked if they wanted to regain their crown. AJ said, "Uhm, I don’t even think we’re looking at it that way anymore....‘Cause we’re doin’ it for our fans…and for ourselves. So, we’re kinda sayin’ we don’t really care what the media thinks of it anymore." Read on for a full transcript. You can also watch a video of this interview by joining BackstreetDirt.

February 25, 2003 - Backstreet Boys star Kevin Richardson, Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters, Usher, TLC, Chuck D, Robbie Williams, Diana Ross, and Norah Jones attended the EMI post Grammy party in New York on Sunday (February 23). Check out pictures from RexFeatures, BigPictures, and LFI.

February 25, 2003 - elgato writes "Nick Carter's Now or Never Tour recently hit New Jersey last Thursday. The Backstreet Boys star, along with opening acts Justincase, 3LW, and Vi3, performed a smooth-sailing and rockin' show at a popular club called the Hunka Bunka Ballroom. Check out pictures from the concert here."

February 23, 2003 - Emm2 writes "The Brian Littrell Healthy Hearts Club for Kids Fundraiser is in full swing! They have even added some bonuses for the Grandy Prize winners: 1) A Phone Call from Brian Littrell, and 2) A Tour of Kentucky with Brian's mom Jackie. Many other items will be raffled off, including autographed Backstreet Boys memorabilia. For more information, click here. Their goal is to have all 50 states represented in this fundraiser, and are lacking only the following states: Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming."

February 23, 2003 - Backstreet Boys star Kevin Richardson, Godsmack, Usher and Faith Evans were on hand at Pink's pre-Grammy party at Show Nightclub on Friday (February 21) in New York City. Check out photos from Getty Images and WireImage.com.

February 23, 2003 - tiffnut writes "A Nick Carter fan meet him thru MTV'S 'Fanatic'. Her name is Paty, and was really excited to meet him. She was so excited to meet him that she almost begin to cry. She asked the Backstreet Boys star if he would come to Mexico (where she is from) and got him a little cute gift. After the interview he had a show and he said he was going to sing for her. Read on for the full transcript.

February 23, 2003 - tiffnut writes "A Nick Carter fan went to one of his first shows. She said it was amazing, and insane, but alot of fun. She said he had alot of energy, and people were not allowed cameras. Only disposable were allowed. The fans were mean, and insane, and he threw some towels into the crowd. She said she had a great time. Read on for the full review.

February 23, 2003 - tiffnut writes "A Nick Carter fan went to see the Backstreet Boys star live. She had a great time. She calls Nick one of the best performers, and she will never ever froget that night. She said she could almost touch him, and got water on her from him about three times. On of is songs 'Who Needs the World' his voice cracked and he said, "I got a frog in my throat, it tastes like chicken." Read on for the full review.

February 22, 2003 - The first date of Nick Carter's solo tour in support of his debut album, 'Now Or Never', was postponed due to the blizzard that blanketed much of the East Coast with snow on Monday (February 17). "I hope the weather hasn't affected anyone too badly," the Backstreet Boys star told Launch.com. "I'm really excited about getting on the road to perform for my fans." Check out the singer's revised tour schedule here.

February 22, 2003 - Backstreet Boys star AJ McLean opened up about his cheating on fiance Sarah Martin that led to the postponement of their Valentine's Day wedding. He tells Us Weekly, "I chose to go out and have sex with someone else, with no meaning, just to validate myself. That's how insane I am. That's how insane all addicts are." And now he badly wants to get it right. "I love this woman unconditionally," says Mclean. "But I need to work on being on a better man. It has nothing to do with her. I need to work on me. This is God giving me my last chance to get it straight." Read more.

February 22, 2003 - elgato writes "On February 16th, a handful of celebrities played in the annual Phoenix Suns Celebrity Shoot Out in Phoenix, Arizona. Players in this charity basketball game included Brian Littrell of the Backstreet Boys, Lil' Bow Wow, members of O-Town, Usher, and more. Check out pictures of them at the game here."

February 22, 2003 - elgato writes "Kentucky TV Station WKYT recently did a sit-down interview with Brian Littrell. Interviewer Dave Baker says, "It's been more than a year since the Backstreet Boys have been on stage and Brian's life has changed plenty. He and his wife, Leighanne, are the proud parents of a 12 week old son, Baylee. Thier living the life of quiet and everyday parents far away from the bright lights and big cities." Read more.

February 20, 2003 - Groovevolt.com's Ms Blabba Mouth reports on rumors that Jennifer Lopez may be hiding her pregnancy, while Jive Records seems to have made the decision to stop promoting Nick Carter's debut solo effort 'Now or Never'. A source said of the Backstreet Boys star, "I think his career is going no where by no fault of his own." Read more.

February 20, 2003 - Ed Condran of The Record caught up with Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter who says he isn't paying attention to how *NSYNC star Justin Timberlake's solo debut 'Justified' is doing compared to his debut effort, 'Now or Never'. "I'm not paying attention to what Justin has done," said Carter. "I wish him well, but I'm doing my own thing. We made two different albums. There's room for everybody. He's doing his thing. I'm doing mine." Read more.

February 20, 2003 - WENN has a photo of Backstreet Boys star AJ McLean out and about in Los Angeles on Valentine's Day (February 14). Check it out here.

February 20, 2003 - elgato writes "The New York Post reviewed the latest run of 'Chicago' on Broadway finding that the biggest surprise is from Kevin Richardson, who replaces the "all-too-bland and colorless Billy Zane as the sleazy Chicago lawyer, Billy Flynn." The Post reports, "Richardson, a member of the pop group Backstreet Boys (five albums, 71 million sold worldwide), might seem a classic case of shamelessly opportunistic casting. Wrong! He's the best of them all - from Jerry Orbach in the original 1975 version to James Naughton in the encore revival." 'Chicago' is throwing a triple punch. The Broadway musical is currently Broadway's hottest show. The movie, starring Richard Gere and Catherine Zeta-Jones, landed 13 Oscar nominations. The soundtrack, featuring Mya and Anastacia, has been one of the top 10 albums in the U.S. for weeks. Read the full article here."

February 20, 2003 - Kevin Richardson spoke candidly with Access Hollywood about the rift that the Backstreet Boys endured when bandmate Nick Carter delayed their album plans by launching his debut solo album 'Now or Never'. "We had a meeting and set up a schedule. And then we had another meeting and he kind of sprung it on us and we were surprised," Kevin said. Did it get back enough for the other four to continue on without Carter? "Initially, there were some feelings of that but time heals things," Kevin said. "It's either the five of us or it's none of us." Read more and watch a video clip here.

February 20, 2003 - MuchMusic caught up with AJ McLean at the premiere of 'Daredevil' in Los Angeles where he revealed the Backstreet Boys will be back in the recording studio soon. "We're going back into the studio either next month or the month after," said McLean. "We're a family. We've made a conscious promise that we're going to be together forever." As for the status of his relationship with Sarah Martin, AJ says, "We actually postponed the wedding because there's so much crazy stuff going on. But it's going to be great. She's a wonderful woman and I'm really looking forward to it." And AJ adds that he's still sticking to staying sober. He says, "I'm still going to meetings and plugging in. Sober living is much better than partying."

February 18, 2003 - Britney Spears and Kevin Richardson of the Backstreet Boys were on MTV's 2003 TRL Awards on Monday (February 17) at MTV Studios in Times Square, New York City. Check out pictures from efgforum.com, WireImage.com, and Getty Images.

February 18, 2003 - elgato writes "Frackluve at NicksAngel.com attended a show for Tony, a former member of Backstreet Boys' band, on Valentine's Day. Tony's music ranges from R&B, R&B ballads, and rap/hip-hop. He invited Nick Carter to make a guest appearance at his Tampa, Florida showcase. Frackluve says, "Nick introduced Tony. He looked good. Although, when he first showed up, he had on a jersey and you could see his all the arm tattoos. I liked that better than the jean jacket. Anyway, Tony and Cuba rocked it. As expected, Nick couldn't sat off the stage and he did start jamming with Tony and crew - before beatboxing (That's a new one on me. I never knew he could do that!) LOL, man he is crazy! As we all know he was in rare form last night." Though heavily influenced by rock, hip hop isn't new to Nick. He raps on several songs on his solo album, including 'Payback', 'Is It Saturday Yet?', 'I Stand for You', and 'Wanna Shout'. Check out a flyer for the gig here."

February 18, 2003 - Backstreet Boys star Kevin Richardson was a guest on MTV's Total Request Live on Monday for their TRL Awards, where the group picked up the TRL Sneak Attack Award for their surprise appearance on a previous show. Kevin said he's most proud that the group will soon have been together for 10 years, and cited a negative story when asked about whether a fan has ever done anything to surprise him. Richardson spoke of an incident in Germany were Backstreet Boys fans caused $500,000 worth of damage when they appeared on 'Viva'. Read on for a transcript.

February 18, 2003 - elgato writes "BSBsweetpea21 from the Mature Fan Club attended the Phoenix Suns Celebrity Basketball Game to watch Backstreet Boys star Brian Littrell play. She says, "Brian Littrell is THE most adorable man alive. I'm so glad he came to Phoenix for the celebrity basketball game today." Read more.

February 18, 2003 - MissE119 writes "The Backstreet Boys' fan website, DLS, is reporting that Nick Carter's show Monday in Pittston, PA has been postponed due to bad weather. There is no information yet on what the new date for the show is."

February 18, 2003 - Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter was on hand at Z95.7's Night With Ole St. Nick at The Beaumont Club in Kansas City. Check out photos from Z957.net.

February 16, 2003 - tiffnut writes "On Wednesda, February 12th at 'The Factory' in West Hollywood, California, Backstreet Boys star AJ McLean attended the 'Playboy and Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce Valentine's Party'. CelebrityPhoto.com has provided three photos of AJ, who had two young women on each arm, neither of them girlfriend Sarah Martin, at the Valentine's party. You can view all three photos here."

February 16, 2003 - The National Enquirer spoke with Backstreet Boys star AJ McLean and girlfriend Sarah Martin to get the scoop on their postponed marriage. "We are very much in love and are excited about the next stage of our relationship," AJ said. "We both agreed to postpone the wedding and focus on our personal growth - myself on my career and my sobriety and Sarah on her singing career." Sarah added, "We want to make [a marriage] last forever. We don't want to have a big fancy Hollywood media wedding and then end up divorced two weeks later."

February 16, 2003 - dum_BLONDE writes "Joel Madden of the pop-punk band Good Charlotte was recently interviewed on Seattle's KISS 106.1 and made a few negative comments about Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter. When asked if there was ever a time where he hoped a picture wasn't taken of him and another celebrity together, Joel replied, "Oh yeah, Nick Carter, that's right!" Next he went on to remember a time he had met Nick saying, "Yeah yeah, that was a traumatic experience, he's so awful, god awful. Especially that solo thing he did. He needs to be burned alive!" This is not the first time Joel has dissed Nick Carter; not too long ago he took a few stabs at the blonde singer an episode of TRL."

February 16, 2003 - tiffnut writes "In an interview with website Upcoming Artists, Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter's former guitarist, Daniel B. Marshall, talks about his experiences on working with Nick on his 'Now or Never' promo tour. Read more."

February 16, 2003 - tiffnut writes "A Backsreet Boys fan met Kevin Richarson at one of his shows of 'Chicago'. She goes on to say that she was so proud of him and he did a great job. Then going to Virgin Megastore and seeing Backstreet Boys CDs lined up everywhere. Read on for a full review of her chance of seeing Kevin Richardson.

February 16, 2003 - Associated Press reports O-Town announced an agreement Friday with Donzi Marine to have the band's name on a 38-foot Donzi Factory II class boat for the 2003 American Power Boat Association offshore season. "We can't wait for the season to start so that we can" beat Nick Carter, said Trevor Penick. Read more.

February 16, 2003 - elgato writes "Earlier this week, Nick Carter called into Grand Rapids, Michigan radio station WSNX for an interview. He talked about how fun it was doing sold out gigs in Japan. The song 'I Got You' will be the next single in the U.S. Nick said of the song, "That's like probably one of my favorite songs on the record." He is also was glad to be playing smaller venues than the Backstreet Boys because he can "can play with the crowds emotions... jump em' up... hold em' there you know. Then bring it back down. Let em' smooth sail for a little bit. Then come back up with some more songs.. It's really up and down. It's such a high energy show." Nick said he's not sure if the tour will come to Europe. If it doesn't, he said that he guarantees the Backstreet Boys as a group will hit Europe. He finished up saying, "You know in probably late March we are going to start recording a record. We are going to have it done probably around May or June and it might be a whole new ball game." Check out the full transcript at here."

February 14, 2003 - Heidi Mark, actress and ex-wife of Motley Crue frontman Vince Neil, did a 20 questions with Metal-Sludge.com. Asked which rock star deserves a smack in the mouth and why, she passed over former Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth and said, "Ok, let see, rock star now? You know what, all those bitchy....the ones who complain about their fame, you know what, go to the fu**in' karaoke bar. That's insane if you don't want your fame. Like the Backstreet Boys are so downtrodden. Every interview, and I do not own a Backstreet Boys CD, but it seems like every friggin' thing you read about 'em, is it's just 'so hard. Life's so hard.' You know? Where it's like, in comparison wise, those little *NSYNC kids, they're like happy! Having a great time." Read more.

February 14, 2003 - elgato writes "Backstreet Boys star Brian Littrell, Lil' Bow Wow, Usher, members of O-Town, members of 112, Gabrielle Union, Larenz Tate, Frankie Muniz, Dean Cain, Coolio, Simon Rex, Vivica Fox, and more are all playing in the Phoenix Suns Celebrity Game. The event takes place February 16th at America West Arena and is presented by Phoenix's 104.7 KISS-FM. Get more info on the basketball game here."

February 12, 2003 - Ricky Martin and Mya were two stars who stopped by the Ambassador Theatre to catch up with 'Chicago' and Backstreet Boys star Kevin Richardson. Check out photos of the visit at Broadway.com and Getty Images.

February 12, 2003 - elgato writes "Emedia.com's Yushaimi Yahaya reviewed Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter's album 'Now or Never.' Yahaya said, "The first song, 'Help Me', got me a bit dumbfounded. Had I erred by putting Bon Jovi on instead of the former Backstreet Boys stalwart? Or was it Bryan Adams? Nope. I had the right CD. I joke not. He does sound like Bon Jovi or Bryan Adams almost throughout the album, his ‘new' raspy and crispy voice obviously fooling me. Maybe, just maybe, he has reached puberty. But whatever hormonal change he has gone true, Nick has jolted many with this album." Yahaya was surprised at how impressed the industry is with the album saying, "This is a happy pop-rock album that has proved sceptics wrong. Nobody thought MTV would give him a chance, but we all know that the songs from this album are riding high." Check out the full review here."

February 12, 2003 - Brian Littrell of the Backstreet Boys attended Evander Holyfield's benefit dinner at the boxer's Fayette County estate in Atlanta before last Sunday's NBA All-Star game. Check out a picture from AJCcom.

February 12, 2003 - Anonymous writes "On his website, Adam Duritz from the rock band Counting Crows talked about *NSYNC, the Backstreet Boys and the New Kids on The Block, giving props to all three groups. Included in his comments is the following passage which could apply to all music, not just these vocal groups: "Without a truly open mind, you can never really understand music. I know the rest of you are going to stick up your noses at this, but I bet a lot of you have never even heard a Backstreet Boys album in its' entirety. Give 'em a chance. The singles don't really tell the whole story. They've always been more of an album band. I'm constantly surprised by how narrow all your musical tastes are and that the music you like is so different from the music we like." Read more."

February 12, 2003 - citrus_kitten writes "Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter appeared on ABC's '8 Simple Rules For Dating My Teenage Daughter' yesterday night. For a complete video and lots of screen captures, check out the Nick The Man Read YahooGroup."

February 11, 2003 - The Las Vegas Sun caught up with Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst at a celeb packed party at Light (Bellagio) on Saturday, that included ex Spice Girl Geri Halliwell and a water drinking AJ McLean of the Backstreet Boys. Writer Timothy McDarrah caught up with Durst in the bathroom as Britney Spears' 'I'm a Slave 4 U' started to blast through the speakers. Fred moaned, "Honestly? I feel like saying, 'Fu** you Britney' for what happened." Read more.

February 11, 2003 - The New York Post reports Backstreet Boys star Kevin Richardson was spotted at Times Square Grill celebrating his joining the 'Chicago' cast.

February 11, 2003 - Brooke Burke, Backstreet Boys star AJ McLean, O-Town star Ashley Angel, Ben Affleck and fiance Jennifer Lopez, Drowning Pool, and the Calling were at the 'Daredevil' premiere on Sunday (February 9) at Mann Village Theater in Westwood, California. Check out photos from the event at StarFile, GlobePhotos, LFI, and WireImage.com (page1 / page2).

February 10, 2003 - elgato writes "Sarah Martin, fiance of Backstreet Boys star AJ McLean, wrote to her Yahoo group LovingSarah talking about her new record deal and the interview she and AJ did with Us Weekly. She says, "We did the interview for Us magazine on Thursday and it will hit the stands next week sometime. The photos were great fun." She goes on to say, "But please be prepared for the honest truth of what's been going on in the article. We both made a conscious decision to be as real as possible... and thats what you'll get. Please know that I am happy and excited about the endeavours that I will be entering into this year." Read on for the full message.

February 10, 2003 - Our previous poll asking what your favorite single of 2002 had 36.3% of you vote for Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter's debut solo single 'Help Me', which edged out Mariah Carey's 'Through The Rain' (27.7%) and Christina Aguilera's 'Dirrty' (23.87%). For the complete results, click here.

February 8, 2003 - Broadway.com caught up with Backstreet Boys star Kevin Richardson on his new role in 'Chicago', and taking a break from the boyband to pursue the stage career. "We all kind of took a break," Kevin said. "Brian had a baby; AJ and his fiancée are planning a wedding. It's been nice chilling." Suggesting the boy band might hook back up in the Spring, Kevin said cautiously, "We're supposed to hit the studio. We'll see what happens. [Laughs] You never know with the five of us!" Check out the entire interview here.

February 7, 2003 - Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter's Top Ten Albums are listed over at amazon.de. Check them out here.

February 6, 2003 - Backstreet Boys star Kevin Richardson attended the Kids' Night On Broadway press conference on Tuesday (February 4) at Madame Tussaud's in New York City. Check out pictures from GettyImages and GlobePhotos.

February 6, 2003 - elgato writes "The first artists scheduled to make appearances at the first ever MTV TRL Awards are Backstreet Boys star Kevin Richardson and Eve. The TRL Awards show will be a special 90-minute episode on Monday, February 17 at 4:00 p.m. The awards will be doled out fast and furious in categories that commemorate the finest moments in TRL history, like 'TRL's First Lady Award' and 'The Wet Your Pants Award.' Read more."

February 6, 2003 - The National Enquirer reports Sarah Martin called of a planned Valentine's Day wedding to Backstreet Boys star AJ McLean after she learned the recovering alcoholic was cheating on her with a girl he met at Alcoholics Anonymous. "Sarah began to suspect something less than a month before the wedding," a close pal revealed. "She did some snooping, checked his phone bills and found that AJ had been seeing 'this AA chick' for the past four months!" AJ burst into tears and begged for forgiveness when Sarah confronted him on his cheating, but "Sarah was so angry she called off the wedding," said the insider. "She took the engagement ring off, threw AJ out of their Malibu house and demanded that a statement go out announcing the wedding was canceled." Eventually, AJ's groveling to Sarah got her to agree to see him again, but she still refused to reschedule the wedding. Sarah wants AJ to prove himself over again and take their time before committing to marriage.

February 6, 2003 - BSBfanatic935 writes "According to the Backstreet Boys mature fan club, 'Close To Brian's Heart' is the fundraiser in honor of Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell (who celebrates his 28th birthday on February 20th). The proceeds will go to Brian's chairty 'Healthy Hearts for Kids Club.' For more info, click here."

February 6, 2003 - BSBfanatic935 writes "Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter will be appearing on MTV2's 'Breaking The Law', along with Eminem and Ozzy Osbourne. The show airs Tuesday, February 11th at 1 pm EST."

February 6, 2003 - shiningstar180 writes "Backstreet Boys star Kevin Richardson was on the Caroline Rhea Show on Monday (February 3) wearing a black suit and a white shirt. If you haven't had the chance to see it, here is the complete script from his appearance on this talk show." Read more.

February 6, 2003 - dum_BLONDE writes "The 'Australian BSB Fans' website currently has over 40 screen captures from Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter's recent appearance on the TV show, '8 Simple Rules For Dating My Teenage Daughter.' Nick played Ben, Bridget Henessy's (Kaley Cuoco) sensitive, college-bound drum instructor. The 2nd installment of his appearance airs Feb. 10 on Canada's CTV, and Feb. 11 on ABC in the U.S., at 8pm. Check out the video captures here."

February 4, 2003 - Kevin Richardson was on the Caroline Rhea show on Monday to promote his role in 'Chicago', as well as future plans for the Backstreet Boys. Later they had Kevin go out in the audience and try to guess songs that girls were humming -- though none of them really actually hummed. Kevin missed an *NSYNC song but got a Backstreet Boys tune. Check out more comments from his appearance at LiveDaily.com.

February 4, 2003 - elgato writes "Backstreet Boys star Kevin Richardson stopped by the New York's Z100 Morning Show today to talk about 'Chicago.' He said that he rehearsed for two and a half weeks and saw the movie version, where he mouthed the lines as Richard Gere said them. Kevin likes all the responsibility that comes along with the part. If things go well, he gets all the credit, but if he sucks, he said "It's my ass on the line." Playing a lawyer comes easy to Kevin because he's dealt with a lot of slick, lying lawyers in his time as a Backstreet Boy. Brian, AJ, Howie, and Nick will check out the show this month. And once Kevin's run ends on March 9, the guys will hop back into the studio to record. Join the Yahoo group Backstreet Dirt to listen to a 10 minute audio file of the interview here."

February 3, 2003 - While participating in this year's Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, a celebrity/pro golf tournament, AJ McLean gave The Desert Sun some insight as to what's going on with the new Backstreet Boys album. AJ said, "It’s going to go in a lot of different directions. We don’t even know what the concept is going to be. We really haven’t talked about it. But once we do, I’m sure we’ll come up with something that will top the last two albums." Millenium went platinum in over 45 countries, was nominated for 6 Grammys, and has sold over 30 million copies. AJ also revealed that golfing has helped him get over his alcohol addiction. He's currently writing for the BSB album, for other artists, and for his solo album. Check out the full article here.

February 3, 2003 - WCBS is offering fans a few clips on Backstreet Boys star Kevin Richardson in 'Chicago'. The clip also has Kevin talking about how he obtained his role in the play as well as his feelings about opening night. You can view the clip here.

February 3, 2003 - The Backstreet Boys fan website DLS has Nick Carter's set list for his current tour in Japan. The list includes songs his solo album as well as Backstreet Boys songs. You can view his entire set list here.

February 3, 2003 - NicksMuffinGirl on the Backstreet Boys forum at LiveDaily.com was on hand for the 44th Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, an annual event where celebrities are teamed up with pros to raise money for charity by playing in a golf tournament. AJ McLean participated in the event. She writes, "OMG! It was soooo much fun today! Besides the heat and the long walks, I had an amazing time. I watched AJ play golf for like 5.5 hours... I just want to make it clear that AJ isnt the best at golf! LOL.. He is good, but not that good. It's all good though! He he." Read more.

February 3, 2003 - According to Melissa from the Real World, Howie from the Backstreet Boys was at a club talking to Mike from Real World Back to New York. "Speaking of hot sh**, as in for young teenage girls, Howie from the Backstreet Boys was there talking to The Miz," she said. "I wasn't quite sure if it was in fact Howie (in my head, I apologized for calling him The Housewife back when he was ironing his hair), but soon enough I would know. Anyway, Mike reached down in his purse to pay his way and his homeboy's way and sometimes his cousin's way, and mine of course, and then I looked up and next thing you know he's introducing me to Howie. I shook his hand, grabbed my $5, said I had social paranoia and must get thee to the bar and godspeed. It wasn't that serious, but I had to bounce. Two RW people and a Backstreet boy, what am I? The Surreal Life?" Read more.

February 3, 2003 - Rush & Molloy of the New York Daily News got in a shot below the belt today. They write, "Thanks to the National Marine Manufacturers' Association for letting us know that Backstreet Boy Nick Carter, 23, has joined their campaign to promote wearing life jackets. After his recent solo album sank without a trace, we think he's the perfect choice."

February 1, 2003 - BSBfanatic935 writes "Backstreet Boys star Kevin Richardson has been getting a lot of attention and press lately due to his role in the hit broadway play 'Chicago'. But of course he loves to give back. February 4th is 'Kids Night' on Broadway and Kevin will be hosting the event. The tickets went on sale in October but there is also a 'Kids Night' party on February 4th at at Madame Tussaud's on 42nd Street in Times Square. For more info visit the 'Kids Night on Broadway' official site here."

February 1, 2003 - BSBfanatic935 writes "Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter and his pop star brother, Aaron Carter, will be featured in a safety video about life jackets. "We're into helping to save lives," said Nick Carter. Nick and Aaron filmed their opening part in Key West during the APBA Offshore World Powerboat Championships (which Nick's team won). "It's only a cameo performance, a short session with the boys talking to each other," but it gets the safety story across to teenagers," said Jim Zons who is co-producing the video with Bob Black for the PFDMA. For more info click here."

February 1, 2003 - Backstreet Boys star Kevin Richardson is all worked up about mining in the Appalachian mountains — an environmental travesty, in his book. "Dude, I'm telling you, if the public could see what was going on, there would be an uprising," he tells Justin Glanville of the Associated Press. "It looks like a war zone. I mean, the entire tops of mountains — gone. Generations and generations of families that have lived there forced out." Read more.

Click here for January news headlines and links