Sherri Rifkin - Givin It Their All: The Backstreet Boys Rise to the Top

This is an independent biographical work and is not authorized by the Backstreet Boys.

A Ballantine Book
Published by The Ballantine Publishing Group
Copyright 1998 by Sherri Rifkin
Astrological Profiles copyright 1998 by Andrea Valeria

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by The Ballantine Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto.

http://www.randomhouse.com

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 98-96117

eISBN: 978-0-307-77568-9

v3.1

Contents

A big thanks to the members of my own posse, who were instrumental in making this recording session possible:

My A&R directors, JAG.C and Robbie-Rob, for their ongoing support from the West Coast office; DJ Jon G., for providing the audio portion; my favorite Flavor, Vanilla, for harmonizing with me and keeping me cheerful through the creative process; my producer, Mattie S., for providing the video portion in exchange for some raw fish and random dinner companions; my BB homegirls, LMH and ERZ (who is also my master mixer), for continuing the circle; my Canadian correspondent, Jessica H., for writing some of the lyrics; sistas Rachel C. and Sarah C., my London correspondents, for their fantastic words, and their cool cuz, Alby, for hooking us up; my mystical advisor, Andrea V., for translating the message from the skies; my favorite rock critic, Bob M., for adding his salient observations; my agent, Anne E., for making sure everything is kosher; and the crew at Ballantine who edited, mixed, mastered, engineered, and manufactured this track quickly to meet market demands.

Special props go to the original Hester Street Boy, Rif Daddy, for just about everything else.

The fans have been waiting outside the hall for hours, maybe even since the night before. They are with their best friends, and perhaps with a parent or older sibling who has come along to make sure everything goes okay. They have been anticipating this night for weeks. Maybe they already stood in line outside this very hall for tickets weeks before. Maybe they dialed the telephone number for the ticket agency over and over again until they finally got through. Maybe they won the tickets in a local radio station contest. No matter how they got the tickets, the fact is that they have these precious pieces of paper in their hands, and they are not letting them go until they must hand them to the ticket-taker, who will finally allow them into the hall.

At last the gates open and the girlsthousands of themare allowed in. The crowd surges forward once the buzz moves back to the farther reaches of the line that the time has come for these dedicated fans to be let in at last. After all, havent they been waiting forever? It seems that way.

Their tickets are ripped in half, and the fans race into the hall, cardboard signs, teddy bears, roses, and chaperones in tow. The wide-open space that was empty and silent just moments before now fills with thousands of people within minutes. The fans settle themselves in the best spot they can find, which with some luck has a decent view of the stage. The stage is set fairly high up, so even though thousands of people will be standing at the same level, they should be able to see well enough. But even though they have now staked out their positions, they must wait some more. It seems like an eternity.

The noise in the hall increases as the thousands of people pour in. Soon chanting begins: Back-street Boys. Back-street Boys. It starts softly, swells, reaches an ear-shattering, floor-stomping pitch, and then subsides again. It starts again a few minutes later, washing over the crowd in waves. Some people are singing snippets of songs. Others are climbing up on their friends shoulders to get a better view of the stage and find out what is going on, but the only thing they see is roadies walking back and forth across the stage, moving equipment around, seemingly meaninglessly. When will they leave the stage so the show can begin?

Finally the lights go down and the screaming starts. The fans dont even realize how loud they are; because they are so happy and excited, the screams and yells of delight just come out of their mouths spontaneously. The chanting begins again, only much louder than before. It continues nonstop for several minutes, people stamping their feet to keep the beat. They wave their signs high in the air and hold up sparklers and lighters, trying to will the Boys onto the stage. Spotlights start to pan over the crowd, momentarily lighting up the thousands of hands waving in the air, alternating between bathing them in bright white light and plunging them into darkness.

The spotlights go out and a momentary hush falls over the crowd as the tiniest bit of music is heard. Ten, maybe twenty seconds of the song Everybody (Backstreets Back), and then silence. A pause. More screaming.

At last a mans deep voice is heard over the loudspeakera thunderous noise, even louder than the chanting. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to [whatever hall, stadium, forum, or center]! We have a very special show for you tonight! Suddenly two huge screens above the stage light up, flashing larger-than-life baby and childhood pictures of the Boys as the announcer says the following: And now we present A.J. Kevin B-Rok Howie D. and Nick! Ladies and gentlemen the Backstreet Boys!

Screams of joy fill the hall. Its deafening. It rocks the house. It feels as if the concrete is moving beneath their feet. Darkness again.

Then the voice returns with a countdown: Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two one! The stage lights up and suddenly there they arethe Backstreet Boysstriking poses, wearing various red, white, and blue nylon racing outfits. They move around the stage, waving hello to their joyous fans, the smiles on the Boys faces matching those of their audienee. They sing a snippet of the childhood favorite If Youre Happy And You Know It, and the fans scream back in response. Then the Boys start doing a short introductory rap. The audience goes wild.

The band starts almost out of nowhere, and the Boys launch into their first song, appropriately Lets Have A Party, with Nick singing lead. This showand the hundreds of others that the Backstreet Boys have performed in their more than three-year careeris nothing less than a fabulous party. They are onstage for more than an hour, singing, harmonizing, dancing, smiling, waving, serenading, connectingand the fans couldnt love them more for it.

No matter what country they are in, no matter how many consecutive days they have been on the road and away from their homes and families, no matter how many times they have sung Boys Will Be Boys or As Long As You Love Me over and over again, no matter how many times they have heard the delighted screams of their adoring fans, the Boys always give it their all. And never, ever anything less.