Backstreet Boys nab Walk of Fame star on 20th anniversary
Posted April 23, 2013 7:34 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Backstreet Boys are back.
The five-member boy band was honored with the 2,495th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday to mark their 20th anniversary.
Band members A.J. McLean, Brian Littrell, Howie Dorough, Kevin Richardson and Nick Carter were on hand to unveil the star, which is next to another popular boy band, Boyz II Men.
The Backstreet Boys were formed in Orlando, Fla., in1993 and have sold more than 130 million albums worldwide. They had seven consecutive albums reach the top 10 of the Billboard Top 200.
The five singers were visibly emotional as they thanked their family and fans for their support over the years.
“What an honor it is. What a beautiful way,” said Richardson, holding back tears. “What a beautiful day. What another beautiful way to celebrate 20 years together.”
Although the star ceremony was recognizing the band’s 20 year history, many were looking forward to their next venture.
“First and foremost, I want to thank all of you, the fans, for personally allowing me to fulfill a dream that I never thought was possible, for 20 amazing years and 20, 30, more to come,” said McLean.
At the 1999 Billboard Music Awards, they were named artist of the year, album artist of the year, album artist duo/group of the year and album of the year for Millennium.
Their 2000 Black & Blue sold more than 1.6 million copies during its first week and the subsequent tour grossed more than $100 million.
Richardson left the band in 2006 to pursue an acting career. In his absence, the Backstreet Boys continued as a quartet and released two albums, Unbreakable and This Is Us, both debuting in the top 10 on the Billboard 200.
Richardson permanently returned to the band in 2012 and sang on its Christmas single, It’s Christmas Time Again.
And just in case you were unsure, Carter reminded the crowd of one very important thing: “Backstreet is back …. and we aren’t going anywhere!”
The Backstreet Boys are launching a new album later in 2013 and will embark on a world tour in May.
