Back in the 90s, N'Sync wasn't the only boyband to steal the hearts of teen girls everywhere. In fact, a little boyband by the name of The Backstreet Boys actually came first. The band was the brainchild of Lou Pearlman, who placed an ad in an Orlando newspaper in 1992 looking for singers to form the ultimate boyband.
After auditioning hundreds, Nick Carter, Brian Littrell, Kevin Richardson, AJ McLean, and Howie Dorough were selected and thus became The Backstreet Boys in April 1992. The band has been making music together for decades now and isn't planning on stopping any time soon. These are the members of the Backstreet Boys then and now.
10 Nick Carter: Then
Nick Carter is the youngest member of the Backstreet Boys, joining the group when he was just 13 years old. Known as the babyface, Nick used his good looks and his even better voice to become a heartthrob of the group.
Nick Carter grew up with the Backstreet Boys and even went on to release three of his own solo albums when the Backstreet Boys were not making music or touring. He's most known for having the signature "boyband bob" hairstyle of the '90s.
9 Brian Littrell: Then
Brian Littrell has a voice that has made a huge impact on the Backstreet Boys and made them who they are. He grew up singing in church, as he was very religious being brought up in Lexington, Kentucky.
Brian actually got involved with the Backstreet Boys all thanks to his cousin, Kevin Richardson, who is one of Brian's bandmates. When the band was looking for a fifth member to join them, Kevin knew he could call his cousin Brian, and Brian took the next flight to join the group.
8 Howie Dorough: Then
Howie Dorough grew up in Orlando, Florida, and is no stranger to performing. He was raised with music, constantly singing and performing throughout his childhood, which really drove him to want to kick off his music career. Howie, along with his fellow bandmates AJ McLean and Nick Carter were the founding trio of the boyband.
The three found that they were able to harmonize really well together, and that's what blossomed the beginning of the Backstreet Boys before Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson joined them.
7 AJ McLean: Then
AJ McLean was known as being the "bad boy" of the Backstreet Boys, and he was also the one to kick things off for the band. AJ was the first member of the group to audition for Lou Pearlman, and his audition went off without a hitch.
As a result, Lou knew that he wanted AJ to be a part of the group. In addition to the Backstreet Boys, AJ also dabbled a little bit in the solo world when the band was on a break. Surprisingly, for his solo sound, he released country music instead of pop or rock.
6 Kevin Richardson - Then
Kevin Richardson is the oldest member of the group, and also a cousin of his bandmate Brian Littrell. Kevin was the fourth member to join the group, and thanks to him, brought on Brian as well.
Kevin also grew up with music in his life and even moved to Orlando to pursue his dreams of performing. He got a job at Walt Disney World where he played characters like Aladdin and Prince Eric. At night he would concentrate more on his music until the Backstreet Boys came calling.
5 Nick Carter: Now
Nick Carter has been through a lot since the beginning of the Backstreet Boys. He's suffered from both drug and alcohol abuse and struggled for years to get sober, which he finally has. Nick Carter also had a lot of trouble with his younger brother, Aaron Carter, before his untimely passing.
Aaron has had his own fair share of trouble, however, Nick had to take out a restraining order on Aaron as he threatened to kill Nick's pregnant wife. Nick is now happily married to his wife Lauren, and the two have a son and daughter together.
4 Brian Littrell: Now
Since joining the Backstreet Boys, Brian Littrell has gone through a lot. He's suffered from a lot of health issues, specifically with his heart, and even had to have surgery. Brian got married to his wife Leighanne Littrell in 2000 and the couple welcomed their son, Baylee, two years later in 2002.
Apparently, Baylee gets his talents from his father, as he's trying to make his own impact in the music world just like Brian. Baylee, along with a lot of help and support from his father, has released his own country music album.
3 Howie Dorough: Now
When the Backstreet Boys took some time off, Howie worked on some of his own solo music. He also dabbled in a little bit of acting and started his own real estate business. In 2000 Howie met Leigh Anne, who was an executive producer for Warner Brothers. The two dated for six years before
Howie ultimately proposed in 2006, and the two got married the following year in 2007. The couple also has two sons together, and fans can always see Howie posting about them on social media.
2 AJ McLean: Now
AJ McLean went through a lot in his life outside of the Backstreet Boys. For years he struggled with addiction to both drugs and alcohol, and it wasn't until Kevin staged an intervention that he figured out that something was wrong.
Over the years, AJ was in and out of rehab three times, even having to postpone tours and shows so he could go to rehab. Although he is sober now, he claims to still struggle with addiction today, however, his wife and two daughters help him get through it.
Seemingly as a result of AJ's difficulties, he's the lowest net worth BSB member today.
1 Kevin Richardson: Now
Although Kevin had been through a lot with the rest of his bandmates in the Backstreet Boys, he decided that he wanted to walk away from it all. On June 23, 2006, the band announced that Kevin had left the band in order to pursue other interests.
There was no bad blood, and the band even said that the door was always open for him to return whenever he wanted. A few years later, in April 2012, Kevin decided that he wanted to come back to the band and officially rejoined them in April 2012. He's also married with two sons.