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Once a Backstreet Boy, always a Backstreet Boy. Nick Carter -- touring in support of his pop-rock solo debut, Now Or Never -- proved his BSB membership remains intact on Wednesday night during a sold-out show at Kool Haus in front of hundreds of screaming, mostly young, female fans.

Occasionally, Carter even strapped on an electric guitar, but it seemed more like a prop than anything else, and such horrible rock songs as Girls In The USA, or saccharine ballads like Who Needs The World and Heart Without A Home didn't further his credibility.

Meanwhile, with the Backstreet Boys filing a $75 million lawsuit against their label for holding up the release of their fourth album last year -- opting to produce and record Carter's solo album instead -- clearly all is not well in the BSB camp.

Friday, February 28, 2003 - The youngest member of the Backstreet Boys has recorded his first album away from teen pop's now-old-timers. On "Now or Never," Nick Carter trades the slick harmonies and epic production of BSB songs for a more '80s pop-rock direction.

It's an agreeable if predictably lightweight style. "Help Me" promotes the singer-songwriter feel. Guitar, bass and drums furnish the bulk of the instrumentation, and Carter's vocals are brought to the front. "Do I Have to Cry for You?" a glossy, ornate ballad, prolongs his musical soul-searching.

"It took that form because I'm a drummer, and I play guitar, also," Carter, 23, explained. "My main goal was to take pop songs and add live instruments to them, get that kind of feel going. I was very influenced by bands from the past like Journey and Tears for Fears. They were considered pop bands back in their day."

"This tour is cool. I don't have any hotel rooms, I'm just staying on my bus. We're all traveling around, playing gigs in little clubs. I feel like I'm giving back to the fans, something a little closer and intimate. It's a whole different vibe."

"If people dug it, I'll keep going. But I'm not going to do something that doesn't fit my description, something I ain't good at like I used to do when I was younger. I'm a freak for music, for live performing. I might dedicate more of my time to that. Who knows? As long as it's still fun and exciting, I'll do it."

"If anybody disagrees with what I'm doing, come check out the show and then make your judgment. At the end of the day, I've been doing this long enough to have come to a decision. If I'm not happy doing what I'm doing, and if I'm not doing something that's real, then I'm not going to do it at all," he said. "Of course, it's scary. As a solo artist, I take on a lot of responsibility that I didn't realize until I actually got into it. But it's cool. I'm an adventurous person, and I love challenges."

During the next few weeks, biologists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will use part of the money to start installing a series of bird stakes -- basically vertical pipes topped by four-by-four-inch wooden blocks -- in waters off Marathon.

''It's basically natural fertilizer,'' said Cheva Heck, spokeswoman for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, which is supervising the project. ``Just the same way you would fertilize your garden, its nutrients will speed the growth of the sea grass.''

The bird stakes off Marathon will be the first in a series of such temporary structures that are scheduled to be erected up and down the Keys in the coming years, said Sean Meehan, a field scientist for NOAA's Damage Assessment Center. NOAA has tested stakes in some places for a few years now.

He took the offshore world by storm in much the same way he has conquered the music scene. Nick Carter announced his plans for an offshore team back at the Miami International Boat Show and nothing has been the same for Super Vee competition this year. As Carter told HotBoat, "I am a maniac when it come this boat-racing stuff!" Although he can't be in the boat, Nick Carter is a vital part of the impeccable team he has assembled. Carter told HotBoat, "We strive to find the right people, and we take care of our people. We're all about winning. I hate to lose."

As the season progressed, Nick made it his business to accommodate the ever-increasing number of fans and media at every stop. In an impressive showing, the Key West team of veteran throttleman Lee Murray and driver Steve Oropeza took the 40-foot Fountain to the winner's circle seven times and captured the 2002 National title. "I am very happy that I have an incredible team," Nick said. "They have worked very hard and put all this together."

Following the team win on Wednesday (Nov 20), an elated Nick told HotBoat, "I'm very happy with the way the engines were running. Mercury has really supported us." Carter continued, "We had some competition early in the race, and we stood strong. The motors stood strong, the boat held up. You have to stand strong. You can't take that away from us."

Standing on the sea wall Saturday (Nov 23), Nick watched his team and cheered, "Stay strong, baby, stay strong." Their stunning performance, paired with Wednesday's victory, landed Nick Carter Racing a World Championship title. Surrounded by family, friends, and fans, Nick Carter said, "I like the energy, I like the vibe, I like the people, and I like the competition. This is why I wanted to get involved in the sport. This is the first of many things to come in the racing world. We can pioneer something here. Now we are bringing the entertainment aspect to boat racing. What a way to celebrate the concert tonight."

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.

During the obligatory "unplugged" section of the 75-minute show, the youngest, blondest of the Backstreet Boys sang a medley of his band's biggest hits, including "I Want It That Way." But to judge by the smorgasbord of musical styles that Carter and his five-piece band tried out during the show, it's unclear exactly which way the 22-year-old singer wants it.

Does he want to be the new Richard Marx, as in swoony piano ballads such as "Do I Have to Cry for You?" Or perhaps Carter envisions himself as the second coming of Def Leppard, as the big-beat pop-rock of such Mutt Lange clones as "Girls in the U.S.A." imply?

It's hard to tell, since Carter also played several Backstreet-breezy pop tunes, a frantic cover of the Cars' new-wave chestnut "Just What I Needed" and a snippet of Guns N' Roses' "Paradise City." He even flirted with a featherweight rap metal tune.

The show lacked a cohesive attitude, with Carter seemingly at war with his own impulses. And his already whiny voice sounded painfully hoarse. But he clearly was right at home alone on a smaller stage, sans fancy dance moves or special effects.

The anthemic pop and goopy balladry of his Now or Never, the first solo album from any Backstreeter, has the DNA of Journey and Bon Jovi. And Sunday night, at the second of two sold-out Theatre of Living Arts shows (he also played there Friday), Carter flung himself across the stage, played guitar as if he still had early-'90s grunge under his fingernails, and sang his heart out like an upstart rock-and-roller hoping to hit big.

If only other upstarts had the privileges of membership in one of music's biggest boy-band franchises. Such as the roomful of young females squealing with delight at your every romantic observation, no matter how trite ("Every time I come around, something's always got you down"), and greeting your solo hit - the B-Boys-esque "Help Me" - as though it were as good a song or as big a smash as Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me a River."

During his energetic 90-minute set, Carter recalled earlier also-ran pinup popsters such as Corey Hart: rough on the outside with a faux-hawk coif, suggestive gyrations, and big rocking odes such as "Girls in the U.S.A." for the ladies, yet soft and chewy on the inside with an acoustic mini-set of Backstreet tearjerkers including "Shape of My Heart." He doesn't have the skill to make the girls forget his main gig, but without his boys and their synchronized arena slickness, Carter was at least adequate. And for this crowd, adequate worked just fine.

John Ritter will host TV LAND's first-ever awards show, recognizing the best and brightest stars, shows, and stories from television's rich history. TV LAND, together with some of the most beloved celebrities of modern and classic TV, will honor the legends, the innovators, and the unsung heroes of television's past. You are invited to join the fun and excitement the famous Hollywood Palladium on Sunday, March 2 (airing Weds. March 12) as the stars arrive for the TV LAND AWARDS. Martin Mull will be hosting the star arrival festivities along with Kathy Najimi (Suddenly Susan, King of the Hill, etc...) and Keisha Knight-Pullum (The Cosby Show) and more stars to be announced! The complete list can be found here.

He wears a black commando sweater (100 percent wool no doubt, very itchy). He has a biker wallet with a chain dangling from his big leather belt. He flails around on stage, throwing his mike stand and splashing the front rows with his water bottle. And what's this? The cutest of the Backstreet bunch slings a guitar - for a couple of songs at least.

Carter also wears his influences on his commando sweater sleeve, which he took off after "My Confession," an apparent Bryan Adams homage. Then there's the "Pour Some Sugar on Me"/Def Leppard feel to "Girls in the USA," the sold-out show's opening number. And the Bon Jovi-like ballad, "Heart Without a Home (I'll Be Yours)"; to be fair, its Jersey sound shines through more on the album version.

Carter's solo debut from last fall, "Now or Never" (Jive), is what brought 1,500 people - the majority of which looked to be the future of Long Island womankind - to the Vanderbilt Saturday night. The girls got more than just one Carter, though. Little blond bro Aaron, at first hidden in a parka, introduced the night's headliner, "Give it up for my big brother." (Aaron was later spotted in the WBLI/106.1 FM skybox, causing a mad dash for autographs and photos.)

But big brother managed to keep most of the eyes on him. Carter, 23, dipped back into the Backstreet Boys' catalog a few times, most notably on "Shape of My Heart," from 2000's "Black & Blue" (Jive). This "Heart" took shape during the night's special acoustic segment, with all the musicians sitting around on chairs, a la "MTV Unplugged."

Carter also sneaked in some covers, including the Cars' "Just What I Needed" (Ric Ocasek call your lawyer!) and a roaring techno version of the Isley Brothers' "Shout" that mutated into Tears for Fears' song of the same name. For the latter tune at least, he sounded as tough as had been advertised, even for a guy who uttered early on, "Plainview! Yo! Yo!"

Warming the stage for Carter was the Charlotte, N.C., five-piece Justincase, which played rootsy feel-good Hooters-esque rock (hey, at least it wasn't emo). At Justincase's core are the teenage Tosco siblings - Justin (of course), Nick and Hannah. The group played an earnest set from its self-titled Maverick debut, and even covered Tommy Tutone's old power-pop gem "867-5309/Jenny." It was the sound of a beer commercial from an underage band.

The night's openers, a Windy City trio named Vi3, had the stage presence of a Beastie Boys for the pubescent set - without any good rhymes. It was their first national tour, one of the boys said between the three (!) songs they performed. But everyone knew that from looking at the group's new, blindingly white sneaks.

Valdosta is like basically on the Georgia / Florida line. It's where I'm from and I live. The theme park where it's going to be at, Wild Adventures, isn't exactly IN Valdosta, but right below it between Valdosta and the Florida line. It's right off of I-75.

Now, about the theme park. They have reserved seating. They also have general admission. Reserved seats, they only have 1,000 reserved seats. It's in a outdoor, little theatre and the reserved seats have shelter over them. When Aaron was here in September, they added extra seats, so they may for this if there's such a high demand for them. Now, it cost around $29 to get into the theme park, that includes the general admission to the concert, but it does NOT include reserved seats. Reserved seats there go on sale one month before the show, so since the concert is April 5th, the tickets will go on sale March 5th. They sale out FAST, since there's only 1,000 seats. Now normally, reserved seats are around $15 - $20. For Aaron they were $20. I've never known them to go post $25 I think. So I'm sure they will be in that price range.

Now if you choose General Admission, you can bring your own lawn chair and sit it outside of the reserved seats area, but I'm pretty sure it's going to be packed. When Aaron was here and Alabama (big country group), it was packed. For Alabama, they stopped letting people inside of the park, so get there early, cause god I have a feeling this is gonna be pretty big. But, general admission is still good if you don't get a chance to get a reserved seat.

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.

According to 'the Staircase' Nick should reschedule to show some time in the future, so all fans please hold on to your tickets, I guess the tickets will be honored for the new date. Rumor has it that Nick couldn't make it to the Jersey airport Sunday night. More updates on this to come.

"Justified" is much funkier than anything N' Sync has produced, and Timberlake won acclaim for breaking ground. It's a different story for Carter. "Now or Never" isn't a considerable departure from the Backstreet sound. The rhythms are stronger; new beats punch up the mood behind Carter's capable voice, and the lyrics are a bit steamier.

Still, Carter said, "My album definitely has a different feel to it. I want to bring a new flavor. But I had to stay within perspective. You can't just go from totally hot to totally cold. It's going to shock people. I had to slowly build into it. I have to grow into what I'm doing. It takes time."

"Most fans don't know that I've played in bar bands as a drummer during Backstreet breaks," Carter said. "But this tour is obviously going to be different from that. I'll be up front. It's been a while since we [the Backstreet Boys] played in clubs. But I'm looking forward to it. It's always good to see the faces in the crowd."

"That comes over time," Carter said. "I think some of the people who you think aren't credible at the beginning of their career sometimes surprise people. Take Madonna, for instance. I'm just trying to find myself. I realize that in time I will gain credibility. Patience is a virtue."

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."

(My honest opinion, is that O-town just dosent grow up, always doin everything everyone else is doing. Ima laugh soooo hard when NCR kicks their ass. Trevor get off the clouds! For one thing, Im glad they took Nicks challenge, but I cant wait to see their asses creamed! Just my opinion)

Nick Carter, an original member of the Backstreet Boys, ventured into the sport in 2002 and won both a national and world championship in the Super Vee class. He recently sold his boat, but is negotiating with Donzi to become involved with a Factory II class boat in 2003.

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.

In part one, Nick talks about the signifigance of the album title (sighs), how the album came together, and how it's helped him find himself. In part two, starting his career so early, his love of rock music, the various producers on the album, and people having pre-conceptions about working with him. In part three, more about the producers and trying new things, the ups and downs of being famous, and what makes him happy.

This is your chance to make history. Cast your vote for the first-ever TRL Awards show and let democracy rule! Then be sure to tune in on Monday, February 17 at 4:00 p.m. to see if your favorites walk home with the big prize. The Backstreet Boys are up for 3 awards which are:

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.

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."

Over at Amazon.de, they have a list of Nicks Top 10 Ablums along with a small picture of him, the list is in German. Some of Nicks top 10 albums include Escape from Journey, Reckless by Bryan Adams and Nevermind by Nirvana. The complete list is below and can also be found over at Amazon.de.

"We're into helping to save lives," said Nick Carter, 22, who made a name for himself with the Backstreet Boys. He and his kid brother, Aaron, 14, took some time in Key West during the recent APBA Offshore World Powerboat Championships (in which Nick's Super Vee Class boat won the World's) to appear in the video being produced by the Personal Flotation Device Manufacturers Association (PFDMA) under a grant from the United States Coast Guard.

"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. "The kids are obviously used to working in front of a camera and working fast. They did it in only two takes," veteran cameraman Zons said.

The project will focus on high risk boating segments such as anglers, children, canoers & kayakers, and other small boat operators," said Bernice McArdle, NMMA associate director of affiliates and project manager for the grant initiative. "This is where most drownings still occur and industry has the highest opportunity to impact behavior."

According to nickolas-carter.com, representatives at Zomba have said the tour was never official but, unofficially, it has not been cancelled, merely postponed. As for the single, 'I Got You' will be released at a date when Nick is free to promote it.

Looking for a way to show Nick how much you care about him on his special day? You can show your support by supporting his Oceans Campaign by purchasing an Adopt-A-Dolphin kit. Profits raised from this fundraiser help Nick's cause in two ways. First, a donation is made directrly to his foundation. Second, it provides an amount to Healthy Planet Products, the company that hosts the dolphins' adoption. Their profit goes right back into research and education for our favorite sea creature! For more info, and to make your purchase, go to: http://www.maturefanclub.com

Episode 17 - Title: "Drummer Boy Part I" Synopsis: Bridget defies the rules of the house after Paul forbids her from going out on a date with Ben (Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter) -- her college-age drum instructor. Meanwhile, Kerry is mad at Cate when her ex-boyfriend confesses that he thinks her mother is pretty. Airdate: 2/4/2003. Tape Date: 1/17/2003. Writers: Bill Daly. Director: James Widdoes. Guest Stars: Nick Carter as Ben Hatcher and Brian Sites as Jason. Nielsen Rating: TBA.

On page 182, the "What?!?" page, there's a pic of Nick and Aaron with a bottle of water in their hand and their arms around each other. Aaron has a speech bubble that reads "Mmm, I could really go for some cheese fries." and Nick's thought bubble says "What can I have his metabolism? Why?!" The caption reads "Weight Watchers: Aaron and Nick Carter

"From day one, it's been one memory after another. When we launched, no teen magazine really understood celebrities. Nobody gave them a forum to share their personal stories, so we got to know so many of them so well. Our first cover girl, Jennifer Love Hewitt, appeared at our New York and LA launch parties, and in LA, we showed the world the Backstreet Boys -- and nobody cared about them. Jennifer stood there and said, 'They're my favorite band,' and people said, 'Who was she talking about, again?' Amazing.

"Before 'Candy' hit it big, I went to Minneapolis to do an online chat with Mandy Moore backstage from the Backstreet Boys show she was opening. Afterwards, her publicist and I drove her back to her hotel, and we all hung out in front waiting for her road manager and dancers to come downstairs so we could hit the town (minus underage Mandy, of course). A bunch of frat-ish boys were having a loud party in a second-floor room and started yelling really lewd things at Mandy - they didn't know who she was, just that she was hot. Just when most other 14-year-olds would run and hide from these jerks, she looked dead at them and yelled out, 'Statutory!' She rules."

"O-Town came into the office a while back, and I found myself talking with Ashley Angel about boy band members who'd come into the TEEN PEOPLE office. I mentioned Nick Carter was recently here, and for some reason, I then decided to launch into an imitation of my impression of what Nick was like to Ashley. I went into this 'gangsta' imitation of Nick, swinging my arms around and saying, 'Yo, yo, I'm just trying to keep it real.' I looked like a complete dork, and Ashley looked at me like I was crazy - he definitely did not get the joke. In the picture I subsequently took with Ashley, he has this total 'get me out of here' look! Moral of the story: Never try to imitate a boy band member for another boy band member, unless you yourself are actually in a boy band!"

The audience for that music certainly seems to be diminishing, although the numbers are impressive: The Backstreet Boys album Black & Blue (2000) sold 5 million copies less than its predecessor, Millennium (1999), and the group is embroiled in a $75 million

"I'm sure a lot of people are going to be like, 'Oh, he came from the Backstreet Boys and he has this image. What is he trying to do?' '' Carter concedes. "They don't realize I got into this business at such a young age, but even from the beginning I was into rock. Of course my views and stuff are going to change -- that's because I grew up.''

"I know for a fact that, when we come back to make another 'N Sync record, everybody's going to have these other ideas,'' Timberlake says. "The challenge is going to be trying to get a certain kind of focus on a certain kind of sound. I think we'll rise to the

Adrian Ryan of the Stranger checked back in after revealing in her last column that Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter was dating Seattle Storm b-baller Sue Bird. Ryan writes, "Well, that, and I've been lying low lately--on the 'D.L.' if ya num sayin'. That retold tale I innocently re-retold about Nick Carter dating Seattle Stormer Sue Bird has for SOME unfathomable reason transformed into a tempest in a teapot in a hornets' nest stuffed with tempest-tossed, teetotalling hornets. Or something. Check out this cheerful communiqué: 'Adrian, Yes, Sue is a friend of Nick's and I sugest [sic] that you drop the subject....' Egads! A cyber-threat?" Read more.

HOW SHE GOT THE PART After three auditions, the Tampa native read for a room of ''really, really scary executives in suits'' who shocked her by hiring her on the spot. ''That never happens,'' says Snow, ''so of course, I was crying like a baby.''

FIRST JOB The budding actress had ''the worst job even though it was the best job'' -- a role on Guiding Light. ''I commuted back and forth to New York every week, which was crazy...but I got to know the [flight attendants] so well. I could walk on the plane and be like, 'Hey, Bob!'''

I guess this means Germany and Spain are off also, though the whole thing is so rumour-fuelled at the moment that it's difficult to get any clear info. Nick's official site is of no help, either -- it's still saying he's going to the Mtv Asia Awards next week.

Gay New York guide Next magazine caught up with Backstreet Boys star Kevin Richardson, where he addressed the band's popularity in the gay community. "I've always been totally aware of our gay fans," he explains. "They're in every audience all the time. I'm totally comfortable with it. We meet all kinds of fans all the time-in our hotels, coming in and out from shows, shaking hands and taking pictures..." Kevin added, "I've been performing for a long time and I have lots of gay friends. It's never been an issue." Read more.

Doc, a DJ for WNOU 93.1 in Indianapolis, recently reviewed Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter's 'Now or Never'. Doc states, "if a friend gives you a copy of this album, I would question their friendship." Doc goes on to say, "Never before have I heard such a feeble attempt at making a record. Not only are the lyrics pathetic, but his vocal quality is horrid. I am not anti-Backstreet Boys, or anything like that. As a matter of fact, I am a huge fan of pop music, but calling this 'music' is a stretch." Read more.

Spain seems to be the only country getting both DIHTCFY and I Got You as singles, instead of one or the other. Spain seems to be the only country in which an actual commercial DIHTCFY single (i.e. one you can buy in a store) has been released. In the US, it only went to radio. Uou can order a copy of the single at this Spanish site here.

Harold Baker "Hollywood" Littrell Sr., 82, of Lexington, husband of Ena Begley Littrell, died Tuesday, January 14, 2003 at his residence. Born in Fayette County, he was a son of the late Rayburn Baker and Myrtle Grayson Littrell. He was retired from IBM after 23 years of service, and a devoted UK sports fan. He was a member of the Baptist faith, a Kentucky Colonel, and a past member of the Barber Shop Chorus. Survivors other than his wife include a daughter, Ann Richardson, Lexington; a son, Harold B. and Jackie Littrell, Jr., Lexington; a stepson, Rufus and Sherri Baker, TX; five grandsons, Jerald, Timothy and Tracy, Kevin and Kristin, Harold III and Tracy, Brian and Leighanne; and two great-grandsons, Will and Baylee. He was preceded in death by four brothers, Robert, Henry, Clarence and Jim Littrell, and a sister, Elizabeth Marlin. Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Friday at Kerr Brothers Funeral Home-Main St. by the Rev. Jim McGee. Mr. Littrells sons and grandsons will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Buddy Littrell, Bobby Routt, Bill Grayson, Billy Routt and Calvin Grayson. Visitation will be from 5 to 9 p.m. today. Burial will be in Hillcrest Memorial Park.

According to a report by the Associated Press, the Backstreet Boys are suing their record label, Jive, and it's parent company, Zomba for $75 million. BSB filed the suit on Monday (November 25), which states that the boys want to be released from their 1994 contract with Zomba, as well as get the massive pay out. Also stated in the suit are the reasons for their decision to sue, which is a breach of contract, trademark infringement and unfair competition.

The BSB argue that the Zomba did a trademark infringement when they used the BSB (trademark) logo to promote Nick Carter’s solo Now Or Never album. They also claim that Zomba sent thousands of BSB fans on their mailing list emails about the release of Nicks' solo album, which is also an infringement when the label only have the right to use the BSB logo when promoting the band's releases and not any solo work.

Problems started to arise when the BSB made changes to their 1994 contract with Zomba in November 1999. Basically, the group made a deal that would see them receive advance payments of future royalties and in return they would give Zomba two extra albums by certain dates — a deal which was agreed to by both sides. The date for the albums to be delivered was April 30, 2002.

The guys delivered the album Black & Blue in November 2000 and after recording and touring it they tried to start working on the next album. However, they claim that Zomba made it impossible to do so by refusing to participate in helping to choose tracks or producers and ignoring any of the Boys' creative ideas. Carter's solo album only added fuel to the fire. Nick had to work on his album, meaning he could not take part in the BSB.

Commenting on this messy affair, BSB had the following to say in a statement: "We will protect our group from anybody or anything that tries to break us apart. We are disappointed that our longtime label Jive Records has attempted to irresponsibly exploit our group."

Backstreet Boy cutie/Justin Timberlake rival Nick Carter will be spending the latter part of the winter on his very first tour sans Kevin, A.J., Brian and Howie. Nickie will sweep through most major American cities and will make one lone Canadian stop in (you guessed it) Toronto.

Backstreet devotees will get a chance to see Carter in the relatively intimate setting of the Kool Haus on February 26. Tickets go on sale this Friday (January 17) at 10 a.m. through all Ticketmaster outlets, Rotate This and Sonic Temple. Tix are going for a mere $25 -- again, probably much less than you’d pay to see Nick play with the boys of Backstreet. We encourage all Carter fans to purchase their tickets at Rotate This.

Carter is touring in support of his debut solo album, the recently released Now Or Never. The album has already caused its fair share of controversy and not just because it forced Carter to go head to head with *NSYNC’s Justin Timberlake, who also released his debut solo album, Justified, this fall. The album prompted the rest of the Backstreet Boys to launch a law suit against their label, Zomba, for focusing on Carter’s solo album rather than supporting the career of the full band. BSB are seeking release from their contract, plus $75 million. Zoinks!

If Nick Carter is a little too mellow for your tastes, a classic metal double-bill, featuring Scorpions and Whitesnake (together at last!) will be swinging through T.O. on March 15. The veteran long-hairs will be joined by the equally experienced Dokken for what is promised to be a four-hour metal marathon. Tickets for the show, which’ll take place at the Air Canada Centre, also go on sale this Friday (January 17) at Ticketmaster.

Citing "scheduling conflicts" as the main reason, Nick has decided to cancel his appearances at the 2003 MTV Asia Awards and the regional press junket and showcase at Hard Rock Cafe. From the official press statement, the cancellation was due to a change in tour schedule for Nick and his band, making the six-day Singapore trip impossible.

"I wish I could be in two places at once. I've been waiting to see my fans in Asia for so long and I'm working out a plan to get over there as soon as this tour is finished. My biggest regret is that I won't be able to make it to the MTV Asia Awards," said Nick in the press statement.

Zomba Asia Pacific Director, Ryan Wright also commented: "Nick's sold-out concert tour, beginning four days after the awards, had to be moved forward for various immutable reasons. Although there will be many disappointed fans next week, Nick had to fulfill his commitment to this tour." -- LM

Backstreet Boy Nick Carter, whose Jive solo debut "Now or Never" was released last fall, will be hitting the road in February for his first solo performance outing. Beginning Feb. 17 in Pittston, Pa., Carter and his band will play 17 North American dates through a March 9 engagement in San Francisco.

The mostly theater and ballroom-sized venues will be a change of pace from the Backstreet Boys' usual arena tours for Carter, who has reassured fans that the Backstreet Boys are not over -- the group is working on a new album, to which he will be contributing. Carter has also recently tested his acting chops in the NBC show "American Dreams," as the frontman of the show's fictional band, Jay & the Americans.

"Now or Never" debuted at No. 17 on The Billboard 200 in November and has sold 202,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan. First single "Help Me" grazed Billboard's Top 40 Mainstream chart at No. 36 prior to the album's release.

Justin Timberlake's solo debut (1.7 million) was the exception to the rule exemplified by O-Town's nonstarting sophomore effort (197,000). In one bizarre turn, the Backstreet Boys recently sued Jive for putting out a Nick Carter solo album because it delayed the group's next release. Yes, kids, technically, Carter is suing his own label for letting him make the disastrous Now or Never (197,000).

This is the project in which we want to join every fan in the world to celebrate the first decade of Backstreet Boys. The main aim of this event is to show the Boys that we're still with them, show them our support and tell them that we will always love them and have their backs. This events’ relevance is the fact that A BACKSTREET DECADE COMES ALONG ONLY ONCE IN A LIFETIME!!!!! And we want everyone who supports the to Boys take part in it, no matter age, religion, sex, race, nationality, ANYTHING, because we all belong to the Backstreet Nation.

The plan is this: for everyone to email TRL asking to reserve the April 20th 2003 show for the BSB fans, those of you living in the States who can make it to NYC to cheer on the celebrations can show up outside the TRL studios but those of us living outside the States will hopefully send in contributions via video or maybe even call in. It is essential that this is well organized, and the more fans who actually show up, the BETTER!! We want to make them know that we support them, no matter what.

We must stress to TRL that the Boys be invited, so they can see what we have for them, it would be thousand times better if we all got to go, but economical crisis are shaking most of our countries, so there is almost no possibility. Cash could be raised by the sale of scrapbooks and other fan-made articles or whatever we come up with, so foreign fans would be able to travel to U.S.A and take part in this amazing event. The Boys, if this is pulled off, wont be told the real reason for their presence on TRL. We want it to be a surprise.

As we (those who had the idea) do not live in the United States, we are looking for committed fans who would make this plan run within the US in regards to getting MTVs co-operation and maybe getting some of you to do the necessary PR if the need arises. Our current situations will not permit us to take a front line in the implementation so it is important for us to have responsible and dedicated people prepared to give this their best shot.

Those living in the U.S.A, who are committed and know for sure that they will assist us with all their capabilities, please contact us so we can organize the whole plan to give our Backstreet Boys this huge surprise. This is a show of love to them, and just another way to say “THANK YOU BACKSTREET” for everything they’re given us, shared with us and helped us through..

Please think this through seriously before mailing either of us because this idea was originally launched early this year but did not go through because it lacked serious participation from those who subscribed to it. We are not forcing anyone to join us but if you do join then we will expect you to be committed to us all the way. Plus the possibility of exploring other Music channels like VH1 or Much Music who are more “Backstreet Friendly” is also possible just so that we’ll have options and not all our eggs in one basket.

Two Massachusetts men who visited Las Vegas last year passed themselves off as members of New Kids on the Block and the Backstreet Boys to obtain Nevada driver's licenses and credit cards in the pop stars' names, according to a federal indictment unsealed this week.

Viskovic is accused of obtaining a driver's license in the name of Daniel William Wood, another member of the group, as well as a driver's license and American Express credit card in the name of Kevin Scott Richardson, a singer for the Backstreet Boys.

Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter says that the intimate setting of his upcoming solo shows will allow for him to interact with his fans. "I wanna be dirty," Nick said. "I wanna be sweaty. I wanna be closer to fans. I wanna be so close to where I could like just touch them, you know what I'm sayin'? And you know, it's just instruments and a P.A. in a little club with a bunch of people who want to hear you, and if they like the music I'm going to give them one hell of a show." Read more.

Launch.yahoo.com reports that Maverick Records sibling trio Justincase will join Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter on the road in February. Brothers Justin Tosco and Nick Tosco and sister Hannah Tosco will be opening the shows February 17-25. "Nick's got, like, a two-part tour. The first part is a bunch of East Coast dates, and the next is a bunch of Midwest dates, and we're doing all of the East Coast dates during, like, the second week in February," Justin said. "We're really psyched about that--it should be great!" Read more.

The all-new series "Exposed" reveals the world beyond the typical celebrity interview. Just the off the cuff commentaries and unprecedented access to stars that only MuchMusic can provide. Get real reactions and revealing insights from today's musicians, including Avril Lavigne, Sum 41, Nick Carter, Shaggy and more!

Hold on to your heartstrings - Nick Carter is hitting the road by himself. The Backstreet Boy has remained true to his expressed desire of playing smaller venues and will be serenading theatre-sized stages on his tour. Carter's debut solo venture launches February 17 and continues into March.

With the release of Carter's solo debut album, Now Or Never, last fall and his subsequent tour, Backstreet fans are left pondering their beloved band's fate. Never fear - this is only a temporary break in the Boys' career. Backstreet are said to be working on a new album, with Carter included in the mix.

Carter will kick things off with a date at the Staircase in Pittston, Pennsylvania. The 17-date theater tour in support of his solo debut, Now or Never, is currently scheduled to run through a March 9 date at the Fillmore in San Francisco, according to his spokesperson.

The solo stint comes on the heels of a $75 million lawsuit Backstreet Boys filed in November against their label, Zomba Recording Corporation (see "Backstreet Boys Sue For $75 Million, Release From Contract"), in which the group sought release from its 1994 contract. BSB claimed they received little support from their label, Jive, in choosing songs for the album and that Jive was more focused on Carter's album. Nick Carter tour dates, according to his spokesperson:

i hope i can end all of this sue bird gossip. i grew up with sue. I've met nick, i met him this morning at sue's house. i don't know what your idea of "dating" is, but they are much more then casually dating and the sex seems to be anything but casual, but go ahead and say you want to. However, stop being so rude to sue none of you know her and why can't u just be happy for them. Nick is going to the uconn game on Saturday in conn. its going to be on CBS. If u don't believe me just watch the game. Its at 2pm, i am sure they will get interviewed so this gossip can end.

Kidzworld and Jive Records want to hook up five lucky winners with Nick Carter, Now or Never swag, The Wild Thornberrys soundtrack and other Wild Thornberrys prizes. All you have to do is answer 3 questions relating Nick.Five lucky fans will get a chance to win:

We all now know that Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter will be appearing on the ABC comedy '8 Simple Rules for Dating my Teenage Daughter', but as what character? Entertainment Weekly has released the info that he will be playing the part of Bridget's music teacher in 2 upcoming episodes, airing this winter.

At Number Three is Metallica's self-titled album from 1991 at more than 13 million. Number Four belongs to the Backstreet Boys' 1999 Millennium, topping 13 million units; while Number Five is the 1992 soundtrack from Whitney Houston's film, The Bodyguard, with 11.7 million in sales.

The remaining top five on the list come in at around the 11 and 10 million sales mark. At Number Six is 1999's Supernatural by Santana and the Number Seven spot is held by Creed's 1999 second album, Human Clay. Number Eight belongs to +NSYNC's 2000 second album, No Strings Attached. Number Nine is claimed by Dion">Celine Dion's 1996 set Falling Into You. Rounding out the list at Number 10 is Britney Spears's 1999 album debut, ...Baby One More Time.

The Backstreet Boys will be featured in the February 2003 issue of Teen People magazine. The issue recaps some of the moments the magazine has had with Backstreet since when they first got started to present day. The photos in the issue include of the guys in bathrobes, AJ McLean in wardrobe near an Orlando lake, a group photo of the boys where the caption consists of Howie Dorough saying, "We've achieved stuff that you wuold imagine the Beatles doing," and a solo picture of Nick Carter. You can see the scans here

amy4bsb from the Backstreet Boys forum at LiveDaily.com says she received an e-mail from the Brian Littrell street team saying that a new Backstreet Boys single will come out around May and the album will drop on Tuesday, July 8th, 2003. Read more.

I think that is still a rumor at this stage. I think it would be a crazy record because within my family we have so many different influences. So for the moment, I would say that there are no immediate plans for this ’Carter Album’ to happen.

My question is, i am one of many adult fans, so how in relation do you think older fans relate to you or react towards yourself and the rest of the backstreet boys? do you think we are more laid back, or do you think we are crazier than your younger teenage fans?

I think that in general my fans are a lot more crazy in Europe than in the United States. They have been supportive of my career since I started with the Backstreet Boys over 7 years ago and I hope that they remain as loyal tome in my solo career!

MTV's John Norris and Gideon Yago both helped 'Extra' look in on the year in music. John Norris says, "The big question was which boy band member going solo was going to win the sweepstakes?" Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter gave it a shot. So did +NSYNC’s Justin Timberlake. Norris says, "There is no denying that Justin Timberlake’s got the star quality."

Boston, Chicago, Pontiac and Milwaukee are the city's listed so far for Nick Tour. Tickets are on-sale NOW for the Boston show like the others are. You can't get tickets for the Boston show through Ticketmaster though, you need to go through this site: Next Ticketing or the direct link for the Nick show at: Buy It Now. You can get tickets to all the other shows at Ticketmaster.

Websites that were contacted by DLS and happily agreed to support the cause are Backstreet.net, AllBackstreet.net and NickCarter.2ya.com. We encourage everyone to continue to spread the word in hopes of getting Backstreet Boys fans everywhere to add their name to the petition. The goal is 10 000 signatures.

The annual KIIS-FM Jingle Ball concert treated pop fans to some of 2002's bigger hit-makers on Thursday at the Arrowhead Pond. Yet the assortment of divas, crooners and sassy teens amounted to little more than a few trinkets (and a lump of coal or two) wrapped up in a giant, flashy package topped with cascades of glittery fake snow.

Still, fans at the sold-out show squealed with delight throughout the four-plus hours, which featured brief sets by Mariah Carey, Australian disco dolly Kylie Minogue, R&B trio Destiny's Child, Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys, Justin Timberlake of 'N Sync, "SK8TR" girl Avril Lavigne, Ozzy offspring Kelly Osbourne, DJ-with-a-band Paul Oakenfold and token rock group the Goo Goo Dolls.

All offered brief performances on a brightly decorated revolving stage dominated by a Times Square-like cluster of giant video screens, an electronic ticker and a half-dozen or so smaller, ornament-shaped monitors that ceaselessly played loud radio-station promos, videos by the featured artists, DJ shtick and sponsor advertising.

This setup made the actual-size artists seem somewhat ... er, smaller than life, if you will. Probably the only act to live up to its videos was Minogue, whose show-closing presentation recalled '80s-era Madonna with the pumping hit "Can't Get You Out of My Head" and bunches of campy, "Rocky Horror"-esque dancer shtick, including bare-chested men in stockings, high heels and flirty can-can skirts.

Troubled songbird Carey couldn't compete with that, and she didn't even try. After whipping up the crowd by entering from the back of the arena, she spent barely 10 minutes on stage, singing her new ballad "Through the Rain" and a Phil Spector-esque holiday song (the evening's sole seasonal offering) gamely but with little of her vaunted power and range.

At least the Goo Goo Dolls had genuine heartland, sensitive-rebel appeal. But most artists proved more charismatic in two-dimensional form, whether it was the this-is-the-live-remix hits regurgitation of Destiny's Child or Lavigne's Alanis-lite fusion of glossy folk-pop and gritty punk-metal. Although "Complicated" and other tunes from Lavigne's debut album, "Let Go," demonstrated the promising Canadian's real facility for tapping the alienation, frustration and neediness of youth, she will have to log more stage time to achieve the oomph and spark of the song's video.

Osbourne (a last-minute substitution for the apparently so-over "American Idol" stars Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini) seized the moment with more verve. In gothic ballerina garb, she proved Daddy's little provocateur, asking the crowd to make gender-specific gestures during a song about masturbation. But while the title track from her punk-pop debut album, "Shut Up," had a goofy rebelliousness, she was hardly the Ricky Nelson of "The Osbournes" and would be much better off taking after her mum.

Both had live bands, and Timberlake brought out a gaggle of dancers to execute steps that were so lame he had no trouble doing them even with a broken foot. His hip-hop-flavored "Cry Me a River" and other songs may have been sanctioned by production wizards the Neptunes, whose Pharrell Williams made a guest appearance with Timberlake, but the 'N Syncer was content to plunder history with the Jacksons-esque hit "Like I Love You."

ARTISTdirect.com would like to take this opportunity to extend our thanks to our avid online community of Music Fans, Visitors, Subscribers, and Customers, who have supported us throughout 2002. We look forward to sharing another great year of Music, Information, and Community in 2003!

"KISS 106.1 in Seattle did a phone interview with Kelly Osbourne who is hosting the station's Jingle Bell Bash on Saturday, which Nick Carter is performing at. She called the Backstreet Boys star an asshole and an idiot. This has infuriated fans at the Backstreet Boys forum at LiveDaily.com."

Okay, I want to tell you guys the true story of what happened because no one is hearing the truth about this. Okay, I listened to the interview yesterday morning on KISS since I live in Seattle and not to be on kelly's side about this, but he was the one that said something rude about her to her drummer. It started with her rollingstone interview and she said something about him that wasn't really nice but it wasn't that mean either. She also said that people that they take her to seriously and that she had never met him. And last night at Jingle Ball he was kinda the one that got himself into this mess, that is why she thinks he's an asshole and an idiot to say something rude about her to her own drummer. I have to admit, if I said something bad about someone I definitly would say it to someone she was close to. So people shouldn't be dissing kelly for something that Nick had to do with too, it wasn't just her doing.

Backstreet Boys have made a record with their album "Millennium". It is mentioned in the Guinnes World Records 2003 book as "Biggest Selling Album By A Boy Band". Millennium achieved record-breaking sales of 13 million by March 2001. Congratulations!

Okay, there's has been rumors if Nick is dating Angi taylor or Sue Bird. Well, as we know of so far, Angi and Nick are NOT together anymore. But... there is a possibility that Sue and Nick might be on the verge of being a 'couple'. Here is something that has been floating around and so far no one has said it was a false statement.

Seattle WNBA player Sue Bird (also known as Nick Carter's love interest). told a friend that "her and Nick aren't 'dating' persay and that they're both seeing other people." When asked if Nick was a good kisser, Sue said, "I can't tell you that, it's personal and Nick invited her to hang out with him and his family after Christmas for a couple days and she said 'so we'll see what happens, were just taking it slow'." Sue said she and Nick hang out mostly at her house in New York. Sue will be in Seattle this weekend for something WNBA-related. Nick will also be in Seattle this weekend for KISS 106.1's Jingle Bell Bash on the 21st. here's the link

How does one get out of a boy band, particularly a very popular one? You don’t. The Beatles simply disbanded. All of the brothers Gibbs are still with the Bee Gees. Some take the tragic way out like Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys. Some do manage a graceful exit to successful solo careers. Think of Robbie Williams of Take That and Ronan Keating of Boyzone as recent examples. So how will you do it if you were a member of N’Sync or Backstreet Boys? There are no pat answers. The best thing to do is make a solo record and then pray with all your might.

Justified by Justin Timberlake: The singing idol from N’Sync is now 21 and making his solo bid with an album titled Justified, doubtless with hopes of leaving his boy band days behind and of living down his reputation as Britney Spears’ ex-boyfriend. Given the number and quality of the album released these days though, the last one you would be likely to pay attention to would be Justin Timberlake’s. It was not easy but I finally got myself into one of those "Sige na nga, pakinggan na rin" moods and put Justified in the machine. And surprises of surprises – it is a brilliant album.

Timberlake is no great shakes as a singer and his vocals here are just a bit better than average. But his musicallity is something else. Justin puts on the mantle of blue-eyed R&B as he breezes across 14 well-written, excellently produced tracks. The guy can write songs. He collaborated on every cut and though, they are admitted risky given his boy band image, the funky arrangements are sexy and reek of maturity. The later tunes falter a bit in that they leave him sounding too much like Michael Jackson. They are also filled with very commercial hooks.

(Oh No) What You Got, Take It from Here, Like I Love You and Cry Me a River emerge as the best. They are also the most risky and fans might find them devoid of any trace of ‘N’Sync but they put Timberlake in the right direction. That means this guy is going to a lot of places and all of them on his own. Bye, bye ‘N Sync.

Although he seemed like the least musical of the Backstreet Boys, it is easy to see why Nick Carter is getting the first crack at solo stardom. He is the youngest among the members of the group. He also has the kind of blonde, blue-eyed good looks that sell albums no matter how they sound. There was also some trepidation to listening to this one but after immensely enjoying Timberlake’s first solo outing, it was but an easy step to loading Nick Carter’s. If you know how Justin’s turned out, it follows that you should also know how Carter’s fares.

While Justin funks, Carter rocks. While Justin takes a lot of risks with his superb album, Nick does not stray far from the Backstreet Boys fold. The best cuts in Now or Never are the strongly-charged Miss America and Girls in the USA. The single choices however are the bouncy Help Me and the sweet ballad Do I Have to Cry for You. Not bad and quite well made, really, aside from being the most radio-friendly tunes in the album. They make it very obvious though that Carter is playing up to the fans of the Backstreet Boys who have been without a new album for nearly two years. His songs are expected to fill that need, but it might be better for somebody who wants to make it as a solo act to take a cue from Timberlake who went off and did what he wanted.

The other songs included, some of which Carter co-wrote, are My Confession I Stand for You, I Got You, Is It Saturday Yet, Blow Your Mind, I Just Wanna Take you Home, Heart Without a Home, Who Needs the World, Scandalicious and End of Forever. Every CD copy of Now or Never comes with a free VCD containing interviews, footage from the European tour, the Help Me music video, photos and other bonuses.

Baby Gil of The Philippine Star reviewed both +NSYNC star Justin Timberlake's debut solo effort 'Justified' and Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter's 'Now or Never'. On Timberlake, Gil commented, "Timberlake is no great shakes as a singer and his vocals here are just a bit better than average. But his musicallity is something else. Justin puts on the mantle of blue-eyed R&B as he breezes across 14 well-written, excellently produced tracks." As for Carter, he says the tracks "make it very obvious though that Carter is playing up to the fans of the Backstreet Boys who have been without a new album for nearly two years. His songs are expected to fill that need, but it might be better for somebody who wants to make it as a solo act to take a cue from Timberlake who went off and did what he wanted."

elgato writes "SueBirdFan2001 from the DLS Dirty Box says she got to talk to WNBA player Sue Bird (also known as Nick Carter's love interest). Sue told her fan that "her and Nick aren't 'dating' (you know when she said it she made those little quotes with her hands) and that they're both seeing other people." Also, Sue and the Backstreet Boys star went to see 'The Ring' together. When asked if Nick was a good kisser, Sue said, "I can't tell you that, it's personal." Then she told the fan that "Nick invited her to hang out with him and his family after Christmas for a couple days and she said 'so we'll see what happens, were just taking it slow'." Sue said she and Nick hang out mostly at her house in New York. Sue will be in Seattle this weekend for something WNBA-related. Nick will also be in Seattle this weekend for KIIS FM Jingle Ball on the 21st. Read on for more.

ok, last week my dad got invited to a party at club exit because he works for espn magazine(not a writer or anything cool, just works in business office)I got to meet a bunch of stars like the guys from sopranos derek jeter who is really tall, roger clemens and someone who i'm a big fan of sue bird(if u couldn't tell by my name) i got to talk to her for like at least 30 minutes. she told me face to face that her and nick aren't 'dating'(you know when she said it made those little quotes with her hands) and that they're both seeing other people. She did say that they've gone out to dinner a couple of times and went to see the ring together(which she said she loved) she also said the dinners and movie were just her and nick. I was like i can't believe someone hasn't seen u two together. She said that all of their dates have been in NY and she lives like 30 minutes outside the city, so that is where they hang out(in her hometown where no one will care)...

i asked her about angi and shesaid 'oh the dj, yeah like i said were both seeing other people werenot exclusive' i asked her if nick was a good kisser and she got like this look on her face like she was shocked i asked and smiled and said 'i can't tell u that its personal'.However keep your eyes open because she did say that nick invited her to hang out with him and his family after christmas fora couple days and she said 'sowell see what happens, were just taking it slow' Also anothertidbit is that she told meshe was going to seattle for something wnba related this weekend...notice that nick is doing a show there this weekend keep your eyes open people. She was very nice, and looked pretty,isn't this the type of girl u want for nick,not an obnoxous willa ford type. feel free to email me because i'll answer any question u want.

oh wait i can answer one question everyone was arguing about(so iread) sue said nick invited her to the partyafter the album release but she had to do a thing for nike the next morning and had to be there at 7am so she didn't think itwould be a good idea to go. She is also very aware that nick tries to get some whereever he goes,she said 'but he knows i'm not like that,i need to get to knowsomeone before i go there'

I got to the Hard Rock at around 11 am (yes I waited 8 hrs in line) but it was all worth it baby. I was like the 8th person in line and I knew I was gonna be front row (it was room standing only) so u know I had to be there early. I was hoping to see a glance of Nick, I said to myself "hey maybe he'll stop around, say hi" eck nothing happened. We were sitting right in front of one of the doors man it was soooo annoying, they kept on opening and closing the doors and brining equipment in, I dunno how many times I had to move the door was next to the stage so we could hear Nick's souncheck. One of those times somebody left the door open and we well just snuck in lol, we were so close so close, but we didn't want to risk our chances of being in the concert so we got out of there. The leaving the door open thing didn't happen once but many times hehehe, we were trying to hold the door open so we could hear something.

Anyways so they opened the doors at 7pm and we just ran! I got to be in the front! Man half of the acts sucked, it was mostly rock and then we got this bsb/nsync wannabe boyband, they couldn't sing for s+ but they kept on pulling their shirts off and grinding so everybody screamed. To tell u the truth it was a waste of time!!!. Angie Martinez was awesome, she rocked the house, but it took her about 40 min to come out! we were all sitting there falling asleep, at one point I did fell asleep hanging from the bar lmao. pple were taking too long to get the stage ready. Then we had to wait some more for Nick, man he kept on teasing us, they were doing a little bit of a sound check and he kept on saying "Check Check" on the mic and talking to the band. At that point we were all chanting "we want Nick,we want nick" that was exciting. So this little girl introduced him, and there comes nick. Ok pple I almost peed on my pants just because i have never ever ever seen nick that close ok, he was like 3 feet away I could touch him! lol. I was standing there with my mouth half open, he just looked so damn good! he was wearing black pants with a black shirt, his hair's kind of long and he had it down (not spiked up)

I don't remember which song it was, but they had this inflatable (sp?) santa claus and snow man right on the stage, and I kid u know that man kicked the crap out of those poor thing lmao, he was so hilarious, he kept on head banging and jumping and falling on the floor. I was like calm down dude, you're gonna pull a muscle or something. At one point somebody threw a thong on stage, first he laughed his ass off, then he grabbed it and put on his head WTF?. Then he said it was hot and asked if we wanted to get wet, ofcouse we said yes, he grabbed a bottle of water and pour all over us, omg I got wet by nick (my teeny moment), he kept on coming to my side and at one point I could see his eyes!!!!! they were so blue lol that was awesome. I dunno he kept on looking at me too +faint+

When he was about to sing "DIHTCFY" he said the sweetes thing I have ever heard, I don't remember much but he said "Is there anybody out there that has a bf or gf, and u know sometimes us guys screw up and say things we don't mean, but we still love you no matter what, sometimes we pay for those mistakes by crying, so tonight I'm gonna cry for you, do u want me to cry for you?" awww maaaannnn I just wanted to hugh him.

This is one of the things he said I just loved hehehe, right after he kicked the crap out of the poor things. "I told y'all to bring protection tonight cause I'm gonna rock your world" ok being the nasty minded that I am, I thought of something else, but let's leave it at that Anyways this is getting long, he just rocked, it was out of this world and we wanted more dang it!!! ok that's it. phew

Ed Condran of the Philadelphia Inquirer spoke with Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter and asked about comparisons to his *NSYNC counterpart Justin Timberlake. "Honestly, we lead two different lives when it comes to music," he said. "I don't even look at anyone outside of myself when I'm making music. Our albums are different. I wish him luck. As long as he's creating good music for the people out there, that's great." Read interview here

Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter was amongst the stars offering People magazine their New Year's resolutions. Nick offered, "To stop partying as much. It is game time. Touring is what it is all about, getting out there and showing people what I've got." Read more.

The treatment has been evenhanded so far, as magazines have been equally gaga over Justin and Nick. And why shouldn't they be? Nick, with that baby-face innocence and blonde messy hair, is still, even at 22, a dream come true. And then there's Justin, who, when not wearing his hair in an Afro, is worthy of being named the Godiva of eye candy.

Television is on the same path, giving both young artists ample airtime. The music channels are rotating their guest spots between Nick and Justin on all primetime shows. A "news update" of Nick is followed by a "news update" of Justin. With TV, the promotion of the entire body hasn't been lost to both our protagonists, who have altered their images accordingly.

The "Nicky" days have been retired for Carter as he grows into a man of much desire. The sports jerseys, a staple of his younger image, have been replaced with a James Dean leather jacket complemented by dirty jeans and fresh-from-the-floor T-shirts.

Justin has changed his image less drastically. He still has that trendy pop/hip-hop look and has added the Michael Jackson glove effect, in the form of X-game half gloves. He tries to add street cred to his image by wearing some "bling-bling" and sporting cornrows from time to time.

Radio airplay is a different story. Station managers continue to think familiarity is all listeners care about. No one in charge of radio has any balls. (Does one have to check the "I'm a pussy" box on their application to get hired in radio these days?)

Nick has changed his sound -- it's rock n roll reminiscent of early '80s power ballads with drum solos and screaming guitar riffs. Since radio stations are the last to love a different sound by an established act, the radio battle clearly goes to Justin.

Looking at these three media outlets, it would seem like a tie. But radio airplay determines, in part, the Billboards, and chart longevity is the biggest factor in an artist's staying power. So, sadly, Justin will probably make it bigger as a solo artist.

DLS reports that on December 19th, a war is expected to take place between Nick Carter / Backstreet Boys fans and Justin Timberlake / *NSYNC fans as both Carter and Timberlake will be performing at KIIS FM's Jingle Jam concert in Los Angeles, CA. It is a well known fact that most Backstreet Boys fans hate *NSYNC fans and vice versa. At a recent event where Nick performed, several *NSYNC fans decided to show up just to 'boo' Carter but ended up paying the price. Carter's fans quickly came to his defense by pouring drinks that they had purchased all over the girls."

Nick Carter's bassist Alicia Crawford has left his band. This is not terribly surprising as she had already mentioned on her website (which has since disappeared) that she wasn't comfortable in the "pop" spotlight. Read her explanation at the Backstreet Boys forum at LiveDaily.com here.

Nickybear from the Backstreet Boys Forum at LiveDaily.com attended Monday's Billboard Music Awards and says, "Nick was sitting right in front of us, he left after Puddle of Mudd though. He was sitting sideways, not in the seats facing forward but the sideways seats, and when Justin came on he didn't applaud, he just looked, and he didn't applaud after either for him. Ha ha, that was funny. Whereas for Puddle of Mudd he was applauding like crazy. Everyone was going up to him for an autograph and a pic, and a couple even sat on his lap, he never said no, he is without a doubt THE SWEETEST MAN IN MUSIC! And omg he was hansome, loved his outfit as well. JC was sitting 2 seats from Nick with his arm around his girlfriend [Tara Reid], and Nick left after Puddle of Mudd, and probably flew away, who knows, we couldn't find him, and several people said he had checked into the penthouse though. Also, on the red carpet Nick walked right over to everyone and signed autographs and talked. Read more.

Before going on stage for the Billboard Music Awards, Nick Carter was backstage talking to Fox TV. Nick talked about the old Backstreet Boys band and how they're still friends. The interviewer asked him what award he and Shannon are presenting, but Nick didn't know. Later, she told him that it was the 'Artist of the Year' award. She asked who's his favorite, and Nick said "Avril Lavigne, I love the way she performs." He also said that he and Moby are good friends. Leah Remini, in the Fox studio at the time, asked Nick if he watches her show 'The King of Queens,' and Nick said "of course." She said, "Yeah right." Nick said, "No, of course I do." Leah responded, "You better." Then they all laughed."

On December 5th, Nick Carter performed in Houston, Texas at the Jingle Jam concert. His set included 'Girls in the USA', 'Is it Saturday Yet', 'Miss America', 'Do I Have to Cry For You', 'I Stand for You' and 'Help me.' The surprising part was when Jacob Underwood of O-Town came out to play the guitar for 'Help Me'.

Tucked inconspicuously among a row of tiny stalls along Baghdad's popular Arasat concourse is Ghost Music Shop. Here, the soundtrack of the once and future enemy is stacked three metres high, compact discs of everyone from Elton John to Britney Spears to Backstreet Boys.

Considering the Iraqi regime's reputation for unrelenting cultural control, Ghost is among a small but growing number of retailers presenting a remarkably broad range of Western pop culture. Even rappers Tupac, Dr. Dre and Eminem are front-racked on these shelves.

Topping the hit list of the Iraqi thought police is Boney M. The 1970s pop group may be a faded memory for most, but in Iraq they are Number 1 with a bullet among forbidden sounds. The knock against Boney M is twofold; not only have they performed in Israel, a long-time enemy of Iraq, the group is best-known for its hit "Rivers of Babylon," the timeless tale of Jewish exile which saw tribes of Israel land between the Tigris and the Euphrates — the heart of modern-day Iraq.

The continuing economic sanctions against Iraq have affected its cultural life in myriad ways. For the Iraqi National Orchestra, even the task of replacing violin strings is a sometimes insurmountable challenge. The Iraqi film industry has all but imploded, unable to develop what it shoots; by default, however, live theatre is flourishing.

"This is what everyone does in Iraq. Because of the sanctions, we can't import legally," he explains. "So I get one copy of a disc either from Syria or Jordan — or if it's a really special artist, I will have it sent to me by friends in America. And then we just make copies. We also photograph the covers and reprint them beautifully."

It's now time for Fromage 2002. For those of you who don't know, it's an annual show on MuchMusic where Ed the Sock rips on the cheesiest videos of the year. This year's show airs December 28th at 7pm ET. Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter is nominated once for 'Help Me' in the Cheeziest Solo Project Video category. +NSYNC's 'Girlfriend' remix with Nelly is nominated for Cheeziest Collaboration video. Justin Timberlake's 'Like I Love You' is nominated twice for Cheeziest Solo Project Video and Cheeziest Video of the Year, while 'Cry Me a River' is up for Cheeziest Solo Project Video. Britney Spears has three videos nominated in the Cheeziest Britney Video category. Other nominees include videos by Eminem, Enrique Iglesias, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Nelly, Beyonce, and Kelly Osbourne.

Jim Farber of the New York Daily News profiled the holiday season's album stinkers which have included Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter's debut solo effort 'Now or Never', which has nosedived to #121 on Billboard selling a fraction compared to his +NSYNC rival Justin Timberlake. Also included is O-Town's 'O2', which fell to #103 in only its third week, 3LW's 'A Girl Can Mack' languishing at #179, and Shaggy, who had the second biggest selling album of 2000, but has dropped to #105 after only five weeks with his latest effort, which has failed to get interest from mainstream radio.

Nick Carter has confirmed a solo performance at the Second Mtv Asia Awards, set to air on January 24, 2003 in Singapore. Nick Carter will join a powerful lineup of Asian and international artists (to be announced later) who will host, present, and perform at the second MTV Asia Awards. To read more, click here.

Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter tells Launch.com that despite the turmoil the group is in following the release of his solo debut 'Now or Never', he's looking forward to returning to the boy band, but wants some changes this time around. "I'll be honest with you, you know, we're gonna have to definitely change some things around," he says. "I want to do another album, but we're gonna have to evaluate that situation, and that's what we're gonna do. Of course, the times have changed from that, that whole pop era. Hopefully this is what I can do, is bring a new vibe to the band, you know?" Read more.

You all know Nick Carter as the youngest, blondest member of the hit boy band, the Backsteet Boys, but recently Nick has made the decision to strike out on his own in search of a solo career. His younger brother, Aaron Carter, has already made it huge as a solo singer, but does Nick have what it takes to rise above Aaron and the other super-star wannabes to have a successful single career? He's going to give it his best shot, but with singers like Aaron and Justin Timberlake hot on his heels, Nick may have his work cut out for him!

On October 22, Nick released his first solo album, Now or Never. This album gave Nick the chance to shy away from the highly-produced pop songs that he performs with the rest of the Backstreet Boys and branch out into music with a more rock-oriented edge. On the album, Nick is backed by drums and bass, but there are very few other instruments and no technical altering of the sound whatsoever, allowing Nick's vocals to really shine. Songs like "My Confession" and "Help Me" give us a real glimpse into the type of performer and person Nick really is. There is no question that Nick's album is good, and it might have been a runaway success if not for the stiff competition he was up against -- some of it coming from his own family!

In the same month that Nick released his solo debut, 'N Sync member Justin Timberlake also released his first solo album, Justified. Justin's album couldn't have been more different from Nick's soundwise, but as far as the public was concerned, the two solo albums from the two boy band members were similar enough, putting them head-to-head in competition with one another. While Nick chose to keep his album simple, Justin chose to put out an album that was heavily produced and featured a lot of famous guest vocalists. Justin's album features songs with P.Diddy and The Neptunes, but Nick believed that it's really all about keeping it real. "I don't think you need to collaborate," said Nick. "The Backstreet Boys didn't really ever do any collaborations on their albums. For me, personally, I could love to. But I think just for the first one it would be cool just to show who I am -- let everybody see what I'm about."

Nick was eager to let his fans see the kind of person that he really is, since some bad publicity early last year arrested and charged with a misdemeanour count of resisting or opposing a law enforcement officer without violence outside the Pop City Nightclub in Tampa, Florida. Nick insisted that the arrest was all a big misunderstanding and that he was very upset over the incident. Luckily, the charges against Nick were dropped and his record wiped clean, but some fans weren't able to forget about the incident. Nick's solo album gave his fans a chance to get re-acquainted with the real Nick and the incident is now ancient history.

Nick's album is a glimpse into his personality, so naturally he wanted the album to do well. The competition from Justin Timberlake was fierce, however, the 'N Syncer wasn't Nick's biggest competition -- that title went to his little brother, Aaron. Having already released three successful solo albums, the debut of Aaron's fourth album, Another Earthquake, came only weeks before Nick released Now or Never. Since Aaron was already an established performer, his large fan based raced out to snatch up copies of his album, undoubtedly hurting the sales of his brother's disc. Aaron's album featured a collaboration with the Baha Men on "Summertime," the album's first single. The upbeat, danceable tune made many people snatch up the disc, giving Aaron another hit. Even though fans were rushing to buy Aaron's and Justin's CDs, Nick hasn't done too badly in the sales department either! Audiences were receptive to his heartfelt songs and wasted no time grabbing his album. Still, we can't help but wonder how well the disc would have done if Aaron and Justin had released their albums at a different time.

If you're worried that Nick's new solo career will prevent him from working with the Backstreet Boys -- don't be! Currently, Nick is back in the studio with the rest of the group working on the follow-up to their 2000 album Black and Blue. Nick is busy with the group, but he still plans to go on a solo tour to promote Now or Never. Support Nick and his awesome solo debut by checking out his concert when he comes to a town near you! Nick is sure to be a gigantic star, whether he's on his own or with the Backstreet Boys, so don't miss your chance to catch him live and in person!

Is Nick Carter a Boy or his own man? The Backstreet Boys have filed a $75 million lawsuit against their record company, Zomba, alleging that the label was so concerned with promoting Carter, center, as a solo artist that it delayed the release of the group's new album, thus depriving the Boys of a $5 million they would be owed had they completed it by April 30, 2002. The lawsuit claims that the label's attention to Carter made it unavailable to apporve song selections, causing the group to miss it's delivery date. This is surely a case of divided loyalties since Carter is part of the suit. "We are committed to the Backstreet Boys," read a statement from the group, "and we will protect our group from anybody or anything that tries to break us apart." Even if that anybody is one of them.

The group's Nick Carter--whose new solo album, Now Or Never, is said to be responsible for the turmoil--tells LAUNCH that he expects the quintet to break some new ground when it reconvenes in the studio: "I'll be honest with you, you know, we're gonna have to definitely change some things around," he says. "I want to do another album, but we're gonna have to evaluate that situation, and that's what we're gonna do. Of course, the times have changed from that, that whole pop era. Hopefully this is what I can do, is bring a new vibe to the band, you know? And when I do go back and do another album, I can put my input in and be, like, 'Yo, let's try something like this now,' you know what I'm saying?"

On November 25, the Backstreet Boys filed a $75 million suit against Zomba Recording Corporation, the parent company of Jive Records, in U.S. District Court. The suit claims that the label opted not to release a new group album last spring in order to concentrate on Carter's solo album. Carter is named along with his groupmates as a plaintiff in the suit.

After dancing and singing their heart out at February 2001 concert performance in Denver, A.J. of the Backstreet Boys needed to rest and unwind. So, what does every red-blooded American do after performing a sold-out show in a Denver arena? Obviously, bowling! And that's just what A.J. did. We're not sure what happened inside the bowling alley, but we can imagine. Lots of strikes and spares. Lots of strikes and spares. He must have caroused with some of the locals on that fateful night in Denver, Colorado, because somebody got him to sign a bowling pin. They understood what a great cause this was, and donated it to us. The pin was singed on 2/20/01.

BSBKITTIE from the Backstreet Boys forum at LiveDaily supposedly has what Nick Carter requested backstage for 102.7 KIIS-FM's Jingle Ball. It consists of "4 clean towels, one box of kleenex with aloe vera, 1 bar of ivory soap," and "room temprature to be set at 70 degrees 30 minutes before the concert." Check it out here.

This week, Nick Carter's 'Do I Have To Cry For You?' debuted at #1 on 'The Hit List', YTV's Top 30 music video countdown. It is only the third video to debut at #1 in the history of the television show; the only other two videos to do this were Ace of Bass's 'The Sign' and the Backstreet Boys' 'Shape of My Heart.' Meanwhile, 'Help Me,' Nick's other video on the countdown, dropped from #4 to #6. The entire list can be found here.

Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter performed a 40-minute concert for students of Wilmot High School, which won a contest by donating more than 10 tons of food for the needy. "I'm a small-town kind of guy," Carter told the Associated Press. He sang eight songs during the concert Wednesday for some 1,000 students and staff. Read more.

According to VTeens.org, "Jordan Keller is currently the man in charge of "representing" the Backstreet Boys. As reported on November 28th during a press conference, Keller reassured the media and fans that Kevin Richardson, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, AJ McLean, and Nick Carter are not parting ways. The guys are currently shopping for a new label and are in the process of making album release plans, in addition to scheduling future tour dates." Get more info here.

According to BackstreetNews Group at Yahoo, Marnie from the Dixie Chicks was asked by Entertainment Weekly if she ever listens to pop music. She said "My closet CD that I don't admit that I really listen to is Celine Dion. My husband's sister passed away in a car accident, and she was a huge Celine Dion fan. 'It's All Coming Back to Me Now' was her favorite song, so that's kind of my guilty pleasure. We just drove down to San Antonio to see Emily give birth, and we listened to the Backstreet Boys the whole way down there."

After our last Backstreet boys tour I had to make a choice: either do something different, or quit music. I was doing the same thing for ten years and I was burned out. For a while I thought to just stop for a few years and then make a solo record. But I knew that it would never happen then.

It's become an emotional record where I completely expose my soul. Nothing fake. 'Help Me' is about a period in my life when I felt lost in this world. It wasn't until later on that I realized that I was depressed., and that I could use some help. Trust me I've seen some very bad things the past few years.

Luckily no. I saw how someone's personality got screwed up by drugs and I had enough sense to not touch it. You don't know how happy I was when AJ went to a rehab center. He's a good friend. And to see him just slip further away every day was horrible. Others who took advantage of us and did drugs, I just turned away from them.

Yeah sure. We started out as kids who didn't know anything and we've become mature over the years. I think we know each other through and through by now, and most importantly we respect each other. The good as well as the bad side's. Kevin and Brian are married now, AJ is about to get married. They don't want to be away from home for months. Since I don't have a wife, I decided to make a solo record (laughs)

I hope not. (laughs) Actually I don't have time for girls. I'm afraid that I'll chose the wrong girl. I never know if a girl is really interested in me because I'm famous or because she likes me. I've been through enough painful things during the years. I don't want to get hurt again.

According to Backstreet.net on December 18th, 4:30 PM, there will be a sitdown interview on MTV with all 5 members of the Backstreet Boys. All five members of the group have a sitdown with MTV News reporter John Norris as they talk about their lawsuit against their record label, their next album -- and if it's their last, their Summer tour, and they will personally address the rumors of a breakup.

It seems like the Backstreet Boys could lend their voices to characters in an upcoming Scooby-Doo movie. The producers are not denying this rumor, but they want to keep the info a surprise for now, so we'll keep you posted if there is any official statement about it. The details of the movie are still not final, but their goal is to release it around March 15, 2003, and the title is "Nights of the Living Doo II", and it would air as a Cartoon Network Special.

The soundtrack for the "kids table," safely set to the side of the adults, with a nice mix of traditional and new artists performing holiday songs. This one's got everything from Gene Autry, Burl Ives and Johnny Mathis to the Backstreet Boys, Jump 5 and No Secrets doing a fun ditty titled "Go Girlfriend (Have a Merry Christmas).