BELOW IS PART OF THE RISE TO THE TOP ARTICLE!UPDATED:3/27/01
Kevin also adores children. He pays extra-special attention to his youngest fans; he will always give them an autograph or pose for pictures with them.
Why is one of Kev's nicknames "TRAIN"? One reason is because when he was a linebacker for his high-school football team in Lexington, he was really good at running over people like a train! A.J. said that they call Kevin "Train" because sometimes he goes on "automatic pilot" and just plows b-ball. Either way, it alludes to Kevin's being strong in mind, body, and spirit.(look for the rest of kevy kev's article on the next update, check the homepage to see the next update!)
FROM BACKSTREET BOYS RISE TO THE TOP!
KEVIN THANGS!
KEVIN confesses that he wishes he had AJ's, voice, which he thinks ahs a cool, raspy, soul-funk quality to it. He also admires his cousin Brian's voice because he thinks it has a smoothness to it, like KENNY LOGGIN's voice.
KEVIN has a weakness for peanut butter. He likes peanut butter on just about anything! Though his favorite combo is pretty traditional: PB&J on some RITZ crackers. "I could eat those babies all day!" says Kev.
Besides Kevin's serious side, he also can be a bit of a softy. This tall, strong guy wouldn't mind a hug every day. Kev also admits that he cries when he watches sad movies. His grandpa is also sentimental, which is where Kevin thinks he gets his soft side from. Since Kevin really misses his family when he is away on tour, he takes an evelope full of snapshots of them wherever he goes. And when the BSB's CD went gold, he bawled like a little baby!
ANONYMOUS DONATION:UPDATED:MARCH 16, 2001!
BEFORE hitting the road with HOWIE, NICK, BRIAN AND AJ for the BLACK&BLUE tour, Kevin Richardson was driving his BMW down SUNSET BOULEVARD in Hollywood with a couple of friends and pulled into EL POLLO LOCO, a fast-food resturant. Normally, the backstreet Boy creates fun meals at fast-food places-he'll order two plain hamburgers with ketchup, mustard and pickles, plus a fish sandwich with not tarter sauce. "I take the fish pattie and one of the hamburgers off the bun, and I put them in the other hamburger. I call it surf and turf." But this time, his take-out was a flamebroiled chicken meal. After ordering some food to go, Kevin spotted a homeless man asleep in a wheelchair. Kevin tapped the man on the shoulder, ahnded over his bag of food, got in his car and drove away without saying a word.
Environment
While the Backstreet Boys were in the Northwest earlier this week (pre-Earthquake), Kevin stopped to tell reporters about the issue that is most important to him right now the environment. "I feel like there are ties between the health of our Earth and the health of our people," Kevin said. In concert, the group shows clips of endangered species during a number called "The Answer to Our Life." Back in October, Kevins hometown in Kentucky fell victim to a large spill caused by coal mining. The issue has always been close to this Backstreet Boys heart, so he plans to continue to do more and more for environmental causes. His next plan is to tackle industrial pollution by filming public service announcements with the real-life Erin Brockovich. You go, Kev!
FROM J-14 JANUARY 2001 ISSUE! UPDATED FEB 22,2001
FANS AND CRITICS SPECULATED THAT BSB WOULD NEVER BE THE SAME AFTER TWO OF ITS MEMEBERS MARRIED. THE TRUTH IS, SIX MONTHS AFTER KEVIN RICHARDSON TIED THE KNOT WITH KRISTIN WILLITS, THE GROUP IS VERY DIFFERENT-BUT NOT ONLY DUE TO THE MARITAL STATUS OF KEVIN AND HIS COUSIN BRIAN.
FROM BOYS TO MEN!
"Everyone is throwing us in the boy band category," says Kevin. "Now every record company is coming out with a group like us. I think the only way to separate yourself is to make your own music."
While the guys set out to create a different sound this time around, they were careful not to alienate their fans. "It's a departure from some of the older stuff," explains kevin. "But I think it has a lot of versatility. We have the ballads, the R&B flavor, the pop flavor and we have a little bit of a Flamenco vibe. We are experimenting and exploring and I think our fans going to like it."
Whike most of the change was intentional, the Latin vibe you hear on "The call" was not planned as way of crashing in on the recent success Latin music. "Initially on the demo, that song never had any sort of Latin vibe," says Kevin. "That's just something that the producers threw in there after we recorded the vocals. When we heard the mix, we thought, 'Okay, they threw a little Flamenco guitar in there.' It's fun experimanting."
Kev sure has a lot of fun trying out new sounds in the studio, but his days of experimanting with the ladies are over. "Yeah, the good times are over," the mewlywed laughs. "I'm locked down now, got the old ball and chain!" Of course, he was just kidding. There's no denying that he's happier now than ever. "It was the right time for me," he tell us. "I hope the fans can understand that we need to have a life as well. I want to be a father and a good husband."
FANS GIVE THEIR BLESSING
Most fan have accepted Kevin and Brian's decisions. "We got a lot of positive feedback when we were on tour," he says. "When our engagements were announced, fans in the audience held up signs, 'Congratulations kevin, Congratulations Brian.'We did have a couple of signs that read, "Marry me instead,' but overall, it's been really positive feedback. They are happy for us."
How could you help but be happy for Kevin? He's such a good guy. It seems to come naturally for the singer who prides himself on being a good role model. "I try to do things in life to make my family proud of me-my mom and my brothers. I try to live my life in a positive way. It's nice to have little kids looking up to you."
BACKSTREET BOYS HELPS CLEANUP HIS BACKYARD
BSB'S KEVIN RICHARDSON doesn't like what he sees in his own backyard of Kentucky, and he's fighting back! Kevin has formed JUST WITHIN REACH: An Earth Foundation to raise awarness of environmental issues, beginning in his home state, with plans to expand globally. The organization's abbreviation "JWR" is taken from the initials of his late father, Jerald Wayne Richardson, who died of cancer in 1991. "I fel like our environment ties in to a lot of problems we have with our health today," KEVIN says. Find out much more about JWR on the BSB's official website, www.backstreetboys.com.
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HE MAY NOT NE THE FLASHIEST DANCER, and he may not get the biggest parts to sing. But kevin Richardson is the one who really keeps the rest of the boys on track. He approaches each task he's given with a real "take charge" attitude. At 28, Kevin is the oldest member of the group. He's sort of like the band's big brother. "These guys are like family," Kevin told TEEN MAGAZINE. "We've been together for 8 years, and we've gone through a lot together. It sounds kind of corny, but we fight like brothers and we love each other like brothers."
Kevin grew up on a ten acre farm in Harrisburg, Kentucky, where his family raised their own cows and pigs. Kevins mom, Ann, told Rolling Stone that her son caught the performance bug early at a camp run by his father. "he began to do little skits and sing when the camp had its show-time nights, and the girls would start hollering." That was a good predictor of Kev's future!
Kevin also loved singing in his church's choir. And when he graduated from high school, he played keyboards and sang in a band called Paradise. One day, Kevin's father suggested that he check out the entertainment scene in ORLANDO. Kevin took Dad's adive and got a job as a tour guide. That's where he hooked up with AJ, NICK, and HOWIE.
But then, tragedy struck. Kevin was living in ORLANDO when his dad was diagnosed with colon cancer. When Kev found out that his father was sick, he moved back home to Kentucky. Sadly, Mr. Richardson soon passed away. Kevin stuck close to home for almost a year before returning to Orlando. When he did rejoin the BACKSTREET BOYS, it was with a new outlook. "I want to live my life in a way that would make him [dad] proud. I think he'd be pleased that I worked at the band. As long as I do what makes me happy, without sacrificing my morals, and follow what I was brought up to believe, he'll be proud."
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