Feb 9, 2002

Breakfast in the Rainforest with Kevin Richardson

Aaron Carter reveals he'll be collaborating on an album with his big brother, Backstreet Boy Nick Carter.

"We should be recording together soon," says 14-year-old Aaron, who performs three songs with Nick on his Feb. 16 pay-per-view special "Aaron Carter's Valentine Party."

"It was great. My brother and I sang together on the previous tour (when he opened for the Backstreet Boys), but we'd never done an actual special." Adds the pubescent recording star of their joint TV offering, "It has a lot of cool interaction stuff ... interviews and skits with my brother. He did a good job."

Right now, Aaron is concentrating on the 25-city U.S. tour he began last week in support of his latest Jive album "Oh Aaron," which has already been certified platinum. He says he'll be on the road for about a month and a half, then gear up to head overseas.

If you miss him here this time around, don't worry. "We're coming back to the States and will probably be out here on tour the rest of the summer."

Feb 8, 2002

Nick Carter will lace up the spikes with actor Steven Baldwin and former lead singer of Chicago, Peter Cetera, to participate in the 14th Annual Joe DiMaggio Legends Game. The event takes place on Saturday, February 9, 2002 (7:00 p.m.) at Fort Lauderdale Stadium and proceeds benefit the Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital Foundation.

Carter, Baldwin and Cetera will join such greats as Brooks Robinson and Andre Dawson in raising money for programs and services for children and their families. Many of the dollars raised through ticket sales will be earmarked for use at the Visitors Clubhouse, a home away from home where families can stay at no charge while their children are receiving treatment at the hospital.

Nick Carter will also perform the National Anthem.

Fort Lauderdale Stadium is located at 5301 NW 12th Avenue, just west of I-95 off Commercial Boulevard. Reserved seats are $5, bleacher seats are $3, and there is no charge for kids under 12 to sit in the bleachers.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call (954) 9870-2020 ext. 3100.

Washington, D.C. - February 1, 2002 - Howie D. will be making a special appearance at Hot 99.5's Rock & Sports Experience on Saturday, February 16th, 2002, to promote lupus awareness. The Rock & Sports Experience, which is being held at the D.C. Covention Center, attracts over 20,000 people, and will also include players from the Washington Wizards and Redskins, as well as a host of other bands.

Howie's appearance is part of his effort to spread lupus awareness, and is being done in conjunction with Buzz Marketing Group. The Dorough Lupus Foundation (DLF) and Buzz Marketing Group (Buzz MG) have partnered together to help spread lupus awareness among young people, to raise funds for lupus research and to aid those living with lupus.

The Dorough Lupus Foundation and Buzz MG will co-host a booth at this event, where attendees will be able to purchase DLF merchandise and find out more about lupus. Howie will also host a meet and greet from noon until 1pm.

For more information on the Rock & Sport Experience, visit www.rockandsportsexperience.com. For more information on the Dorough Lupus Foundation, please visit www.doroughlupusfoundation.org. For more information on Buzz Marketing Group, visit www.buzzmg.com.

Feb 2, 2002

TAMPA -- Millions of teenage girls can breathe a collective sigh of relief.

Heartthrob Nicholas Gene "Nick" Carter, the smash singer of the all-male pop group Backstreet Boys, won't become a convicted criminal.

Carter agreed to enter a pretrial intervention program that will allow him to avoid jail and any criminal record for getting into a spat with a Tampa police officer at a nightclub last month.

"He is a first-time offender, and we treated him just like anyone else," Assistant State Attorney Pam Bondi said Friday.

Police handcuffed Carter, 22, on Jan. 2, saying he refused to stop arguing with a woman and leave Pop City, a video arcade and nightclub on Channelside Drive in downtown Tampa.

As the club was closing about 3 a.m., police ordered Carter 10 times to leave but he wouldn't, authorities said. Police did not say what Carter and the unidentified woman were arguing about.

Carter only calmed down when an officer handcuffed him and put him in the back of a police car, police said.

At the time, Carter, who grew up in Ruskin and often hangs out at Pop City, said he had "done nothing wrong."

"I truly believe my celebrity motivated the officer to arrest me," he said in a statement released soon after his arrest.

Police, however, said they didn't know who Carter was. The same police officers approved the pretrial intervention deal, Bondi said.

Carter was charged with resisting or opposing a law enforcement officer without violence, a misdemeanor. If convicted, the internationally known sex symbol could have faced a year in jail and probation.

But rather than go to trial and risk a criminal record, Carter agreed to enter a pretrial intervention program, which is similar to probation. He will pay a fine, perform community service and serve a period of probation.

Bondi didn't know Friday how long it would take for Carter to complete the program. She also didn't know the size of the fine or the number of hours of community service Carter will complete.

The State Attorney's Office often offers first-time offenders the chance to keep their records clean by completing pretrial programs. If Carter finishes the program, prosecutors will drop the charges.

"He made a stupid decision that night," Bondi said.

When we think of Valentine's Day we think of hearts, romance and giving to those we love. So what could be a better way to celebrate this Valentine's Day than by giving to the charity that is closest to Nick Carter's heart and, in return, you could be holding close to your heart a beautiful We're Standing Strong tee shirt autographed by the heartrob himself, Nick Carter!

Nick's charity, Nick Carter's Oceans Campaign, was gracious enough to get Nick to sign one of our black & blue WSS shirts just a few weeks ago. We decided it would make the perfect Valentine's Day gift for any BSB fan, so on Saturday, February 2, we will begin auctioning off the Nick signed shirt on ebay.

All proceeds from this special auction will benefit NCOC. Make this Valentine's Day special with a gift from your heart to Nick's!

Please visit our website for more information about the auction or email us if you have any questions!

If this auction isn't your cup of tea, you can still show your support for the boys by joining We're Standing Strong. It only takes $1 to get your name added to the We're Standing Strong declaration

January 30, 2002

 TheBackstreetBoys.com is pleased to give you the opportunity to join the Backstreet Boys Digital Music Network. What is the Backstreet Boys DMN you ask? It's a really cool free software plug-in to popular media players like Musicmatch, RealAudio, WinAmp, Windows Media Player, etc. Once you get DMN you can receive messages directly from TheBackstreetBoys.com and your other favorite artists, receive info on new releases, concerts and events, interact with other Backstreet Boys fans, discover new music and win great prizes like a portable MP3 player or a DVD player! How cool is that? What are you waiting for, head over to the TheBackstreetBoys.com DMN info page for more details and to download it now!

What is the thebackstreetboys.com DMN?

A free software plug-in to popular media players. (Musicmatch, RealAudio, WinAmp, Windows Media Player, etc.)

Receive messages directly from your favorite bands
Receive info on new releases, concerts, and events
Interact with other fans
Discover new music
Win great prizes like a portable MP3 player or a DVD player

Take the Tour to learn more about the thebackstreetboys.com Digital Music Network.

Go to TheBackstreetBoys.com DMN info page for more details and to download it now!

January 30, 2002

MAYOR MARTIN O'MALLEY of BALTIMORE, MARYLAND Proclaims March 2, 2002 BACKSTREET BOYS DAY In Conjunction With the BSB FAN CONVENTION

Fans worldwide are invited to join us at the first-time ever BSB FAN CONVENTION which will be held March 2-3, 2002 at the BWI Marriott Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland. This event is a charity fundraiser to raise money and awareness for the Backstreet Boys charity organizations (DLF, JWR, NCOC, JNN, & HCC). Vicki & Jim Hanna will be joining us to speak on behalf of JWR. The convention is "solely" being sponsored "BY THE FANS - FOR THE FANS".

There will be guest speakers, information/charity booths, contests, raffles, an auction, a fan rally & lots more. But, the highlight at the convention will be the presentation of the Fan Appreciation Awards to each of the Backstreet Boys. (We doubt that BSB will be able to attend, but we have sent invitations to their moms). Fans from around the world have donated to purchase these "beautiful" crystal globes and they have even voted on the inscription that will be engraved on them. Just a small "love" gesture to give back something to the Backstreet Boys who have given their fans so much!

For those fans (U.S. & International) who will not be able to make it to the convention, you can still be with us "in spirit" by sending a (1) page letter/poem (a picture of yourself, too if you like) which will be posted at the convention and then afterwards forwarded to the Backstreet Boys.

For more information about the convention please contact:

Janet (Chairman) at: kahluacrm7@aol.com
Charlene (Assistant Coordinator) singlemom4bsb@yahoo.com
Website at: http://geocities.com/astarforbsb

January 30, 2002

The list of celebrities who will be part of the NBA All-Star Jam Session - coming to the Convention Center Feb. 7 to 10 - is firming up.

At 8:30 p.m. Feb. 8, a game of six-on-six basketball will draw Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys, Chris Kirkpatrick of 'N Sync, Christina Milian, P. Diddy, Redman, Method Man, Lil' Bow Wow and Donald Faison. (The game will be shown at 1 p.m. Feb. 9 on MTV.)

At 2:30 p.m. Feb. 9, Brian McKnight, Tom Cavanagh, Morris Chestnut, Gervase Peterson and Ethan Zohn will play in a basketball shoot-out. This will be followed by a celebrity slam-dunk contest including Jamie Foxx, Taye Diggs, Ashton Kutcher, Faison, Anthony Anderson, Ice Cube, Kenny Lofton, Danny Masterson and Matthew Lillard. Judges will be Don Cheadle, Frankie Muniz, Carson Daly, Michael Imperioli, Hilary Duff and Beverley Mitchell. The scheduled host is Chi McBride.

At 2 p.m. Feb. 10, celebs will play "Half-Court Hustle," a game of technique. Among those scheduled to play are Muniz, Lil' Bow Wow, Diggs, Carter, Faison, Ice Cube, Cavanagh, Sam Jones 3d, Tyson Beckford, Kutcher, Leon, Lillard and Gabrielle Union.

 January 21, 2002

Hollywood Squares to Feature Brian & Leighanne, AJ

Brian & Leighanne

For the week of February 4-8, Squares invites viewers to "feel the love" with Be My Valentine Week, featuring celebrity couples and a Valentine's Day party atmosphere guaranteed to warm even the coldest heart. Backstreet Boy Brian Litrell is joined in his square by his bride, Leighanne. Meanwhile, Jerry Stiller ("The King of Queens") and wife Anne Meara pair up, as do Michael Badalucco ("The Practice") and wife Brenda Heyob; John Ritter and wife Amy Yasbeck; Jeffrey Tambor and wife Kasia Ostlun, and Melissa Joan Hart ("Sabrina The Teenage Witch") and sweetheart Bryan Kirkwood. TV spouses ("That 70s Show") Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith share their square, while Squares regular Brad Garrett plays the field each day with a list of rotating square-mates that includes Charo, Susan Anton, Maureen McCormick ("The Brady Bunch"), Carol Channing and Bill Brochtrup ("NYPD Blue").

AJ

For the final week of the College Tournament (February 18-22), Center Square Whoopi Goldberg and Squares regular Brad Garrett are joined by an entirely new team of celebrities, including Backstreet Boy A.J. McLean, superstar Diana Ross, equally superstar (in her own mind) Miss Piggy, model Tyson Beckford, Cedric "The Entertainer" ("The Steve Harvey Show"), the always electric Carmen Electra and frequent Squares celebrity guest Kathy Griffin.

January 16, 2002

Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson showed-off his athletic skills yesterday by running the Olympic Torch Relay in Los Angeles.

The singer, who became the 142nd torchbearer of this year's relay, carried the flame to promote his Just Within Reach environmental foundation.

According to MTV, Richardson joined the relay for three blocks around downtown Los Angeles.

The Olympic Torch Relay began on November 19 last year, when the torch was lit in Olympia, Greece. It will finish its journey at the Winter Games in Salt Lake City next month.

Richardson's Just Within Reach Foundation was launched a year ago to provide environmental education and promoted personal responsibility to the planet.

 January 13, 2002

HAVANA: Backstreet Boys Kevin Richardson and Howie Dorough thrilled their Cuban fans when they were spotted incognito at a downtown Havana hotel, local press reported on Saturday.

The members of the US boy band were staying at the Hotel Nacional, where Dorough had arrived on Thursday and Richardson on Friday. They were travelling with an entourage of 10 producers and agents.

The two singers left on Saturday for Cayo Largo, an island off Cuba's south-central coast, and were expected to return to the United States on Sunday, the Cuban news agency Prensa Latina reported.

The Backstreet Boys are widely popular among young Cubans, and their hits like I Want It That Way and Quit Playing Games (With My Heart) are played daily on local radio stations and in Havana nightclubs.

Since the start of the year, a flood of US nationals have visited the Caribbean island in an unprecedented wave of tourists.

Former world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson caused a stir on January 1 when he hurled Christmas decorations at reporters who discovered him spending a New Year's vacation in the Cuban capital.

The New York-based US-Cuba Trade and Economic Council estimates that some 160,000 Americans visited the island in 2001 with or without Washington's permission, twice as many tourists as in 2000.

January 11, 2002

Although two of the Backstreet Boys have gotten into some adult-oriented trouble of late, in August, fans can catch the group projected in a much more child-like light.

The pop quintet will be rendered as animated manimals (part man, part animal) in an hour-long special broadcast of the PBS children's cartoon "Arthur," in which all the characters are drawn with some amalgam of human and animal characteristics. Brian Littrell and Howie Dorough are depicted as rabbits, while Kevin Richardson, Nick Carter and A.J. McLean resemble bear-like creatures.

The episode, tentatively titled "It's Only Rock and Roll," will premiere in selected markets during the stations' August pledge drives (check local listings) and is scheduled for a nationwide broadcast a few weeks later, according to a show spokesperson.

In the episode, a Backstreet Boys concert is scheduled in Arthur and the gang's hometown of Elwood City, much to the delight of Muffy, who's lovesick for Carter. Francine, however, doesn't share her friend's love for the Boys and forms a rival band called U Stink (hmmm ... remind you of anyone?). Dilemma ensues when U Stink begin to blow up, and the episode comes to a climax with a duet between the two bands.

During the concert scenes, the cartooned group will perform two new songs written by the show's creators, and their own material will be peppered throughout the episode, the spokesperson said. The special episode will also feature behind-the-scenes footage of the Boys tracking their vocal parts in a recording session yet to take place.

"It's Only Rock and Roll" will also be available on home video and as a book in September.

BSB aren't the first musical guests to visit Elwood City; the series, whose theme song is performed by Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, has boasted guest appearances from classical cellist Yo-Yo Ma, jazz saxophonist Joshua Redman and folk-pop singer Art Garfunkel.

The "Arthur" series, in its sixth season, is based on the books of Marc Brown and flaunts a weekly viewership of more than 11.5 million.

January 10, 2002

This time he didn't get booed.

Backstreet bad boy Nick Carter performed the national anthem before Sunday night's nationally televised Bucs-Eagles game at Raymond James Stadium.

Carter received a rousing round of applause for his performance, unlike the greeting his band got at the Ice Palace after it sang at the 1999 NHL All-Star Game.

Fresh off his arrest outside Channelside's Pop City nightclub, Carter belted out the tune and then stuck around to watch the Bucs lose 17-13.

Carter was arrested Wednesday for resisting arrest without violence following an argument outside the nightclub. The misdemeanor charge will require Carter to appear in court March 4.

The former Ruskin resident is a longtime Bucs fan.

Long before his band sold millions of records, he used to perform as a solo act at games at the old Tampa Stadium.

During the band's tour to support their multiplatinum album ``Millennium'' a few years ago, Carter appeared on stage at the Ice Palace sporting a No. 87 jersey of former Tampa Bay wide receiver Bert Emanuel.

Carter openly gushed at the sight of Bucs defensive tackle Warren Sapp when the two played in a celebrity basketball game last year at the University of South Florida's Sun Dome. He also has boldly predicted - on more than one occasion - a Bucs Super Bowl appearance.

Carter isn't a stranger to Raymond James Stadium. The Backstreet Boys sang the national anthem before last year's Super Bowl between Baltimore and the New York Giants.

The pop group watched the game from a luxury suite.

Carter cheered for former Bucs quarterback Trent Dilfer and held up a handmade sign with Dilfer's No. 8 scribbled on it, flashing it to the crowd anytime Dilfer did something good.

As for his seats for Sunday's game, Carter reportedly watched from the Glazers' suite.

Maybe they told him who the Bucs' coach will be next season.

January 10, 2002

NEW YORK (AP) - Backstreet Boy Nick Carter said he was simply ``in the wrong place at the wrong time'' when he was arrested at a Tampa, Fla., nightclub.

``I ain't a bad person. I've never been in trouble my whole life,'' said Carter, at 21, the youngest of the five-member pop group. ``I was basically in tears almost.''

In a phone interview with MTV News during the ``Total Request Live'' video countdown show, Carter said Tuesday that he was arrested after a fight at the club that got blown out of proportion, which he said he wasn't involved in.

Officers said in an arrest affidavit that Carter was arguing with a woman at the Pop City nightclub on Jan. 2, and when they asked him to leave, he continued arguing. He was arrested on a misdemeanor count of resisting/opposing a law enforcement officer without violence.

``I can't get too into it, but basically I can tell you I did not do anything wrong and I know that for a fact,'' Carter said.

``If I disrespected a cop in any way, I, you know, apologize.''

``TRL'' host Carson Daly congratulated him on the arrest.

``You're in the Backstreet Boys. This inevitably will be a great thing for your career,'' Daly said. ``I've been busted in strip clubs. We're men. That's what we do.''

January 9, 2002

Attention all Backstreet Boys fans! MARC BROWN STUDIOS, WGBH Boston, and CINAR Corporation have begun production on a new television special, ARTHUR's ``It's Only Rock and Roll'' (working title), that will star none other than the Backstreet Boys-Kevin, AJ, Howie D., Brian, and Nick-as animated versions of themselves.

ARTHUR's ``It's Only Rock and Roll'' will premiere August 2002 as an hour-long PBS special. Premiering during PBS pledge, the special will include behind-the-scenes production footage, giving viewers an inside look at how the program was made. ``It's Only Rock and Roll'' will also be given a national airdate on PBS after August pledge.

A Backstreet Boys concert tour stop in Elwood City is the backdrop for this musical ARTHUR special. For Muffy, their imminent arrival brings to fruition her crush on Backstreet Boy heartthrob Nick Carter. In response to Muffy's infatuation with Nick and his group, Francine creates an ``anti-cute, anti-commercial'' band called U Stink. But things start to fall apart for Francine-including her friendship with her bandmates and Muffy-when her band becomes a huge success. Through a Hard Day's Night-esque chain of events, the special culminates in U Stink and Backstreet Boys onstage performing an impromptu duet.

ARTHUR has always had a rich musical tradition. In addition to the series' catchy reggae theme song, performed by Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, past guest stars Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Redman, and Art Garfunkel have each contributed their own signature musical styles to the series. The music on ARTHUR reaches beyond the broadcast with three CDs (distributed by Rounder Records), featuring music from the series and ``Arthur's Perfect Christmas.'' ARTHUR's ``It's Only Rock and Roll'' will continue this tradition while folding pop music, through Backstreet Boys, into the mix.

``We were thrilled when Backstreet Boys accepted my invitation to team up for a back-to-school ARTHUR special,'' said Arthur creator Marc Brown. ``I've been a big fan of their music from the start and it's a huge treat to be working on this project together which has been nothing but fun!''

ARTHUR's ``It's Only Rock and Roll'' (working title) is a joint production of MARC BROWN STUDIOS, WGBH Boston, and CINAR Corporation. Funding for the special is provided by public television viewers. ARTHUR's ``It's Only Rock and Roll'' is closed-captioned for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers by The Caption Center at WGBH Boston and described for blind and visually impaired audiences by Descriptive Video Service® (DVS®) at WGBH. ARTHUR's ``It's Only Rock and Roll'' will also be available on home video from Sony, and a book by the same name will be published by Little, Brown and Company.

ARTHUR is based on the best-selling books by Marc Brown. There are now over 52 million Arthur books in print. Currently in its sixth season, ARTHUR remains the most watched children's television program among kids two-to-eleven years old, with more than 11-1/2 million weekly viewers. ARTHUR has won numerous awards, including the George Foster Peabody Award and four Daytime Emmys-three in the Outstanding Children's Animated Program category. ARTHUR is produced for PBS by WGBH Boston and CINAR Corporation. The award-winning ARTHUR Web site is pbskids.org/arthur.

MARC BROWN STUDIOS is dedicated to the success of children and families through education and entertainment. They are currently in production for an ARTHUR feature animated film to be released in 2003. Visit www.arthurworldwide.com.

WGBH Boston is America's preeminent public broadcasting producer. More than one-third of PBS's prime-time lineup and companion Web content is produced by WGBH, and the Boston station is the source of many public radio favorites. WGBH also is a pioneer in educational multimedia and in access technologies for people with disabilities. For more information visit www.wgbh.org .

CINAR Corporation is an integrated entertainment and education company involved in the development, production, post-production, and worldwide distribution of non-violent, quality programming and educational products for children and families. CINAR's Web site is www.cinar.com