Alright! The Backstreet Boys are back—all of them, Kevin Richardson included—and took the stage Nov. 23 in Los Angeles for the last performance of their Unbreakable tour. Richardson stepped on stage to join his fellow Backstreet Boys for “Shape of My Heart” and the crowd went wild. Carter, Howie, Brian and A.J. recently expressed their desire for Kevin to return to the Backstreet Boys lineup (he was absence from the group's performance during the TRL finale earlier in the month) but weren't holding their breath. Don't miss your chance to see all five of the Backstreet Boys back together, try http://www.stubhub.com/backstreet-boys-tickets for Backstreet Boys tickets.



The Backstreet Boys experienced mass popularity overseas before exploding in the States along with other boy bands and pop stars like *NSYNC and Britney Spears during the early years of the new millennium. The core of the group, comprised of cousins Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell, sang in local festivals and church choirs in their native Lexington, KY. Future group members Howie Dorough and A.J. McLean, Orlando, FL natives, met New York transplant Nick Carter while auditioning for local commercials and television spots and began singing as a trio. At this point Richardson had recently moved to Orlando and met the trio and the quartet formed a group named after an Orlando flea market; Littrell was soon brought into the fold to make the Backstreet Boys a quintet.

The Backstreet Boys soon secured management with Donna and Johnny Wright (who managed New Kids on the Block during their 1980s heyday) with the help of future mogul Lou Pearlman and eventually signed with Jive Records in 1994. Their 1995 self-titled debut was a smash overseas thanks to hits like “We've Got It Goin' On” and “I'll Never Break Your Heart,” but the record wasn't released stateside until 1997. “Quit Playin' Games (With My Heart)” and “As Long As You Love Me” remained on the U.S. charts throughout the late ‘90s, and hits continued in the form of “Everybody (Backstreet's Back),” “All I Have to Give” and “I'll Never Break Your Heart.” While Backstreet Boys eventually sold over 13 million copies, the band suffered internal issues when Littrell underwent surgery to correct a congenital heart problem in 1998 and the guys became entangled in a lawsuit with Pearlman over royalties (he remained their manager but the rest of the team did not.)

Millennium was released in 1999 and debuted at number one on the charts. No official singles from the Backstreet Boys' sophomore album were released in the States, but “Larger Than Life,” “I Want It That Way,” “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely” and “The One” found a home on the radio and then the charts nonetheless. After releasing a holiday effort, the Backstreet Boys released Black & Blue in 2000 and went on tour to support the album before announcing plans to take an indefinite hiatus. After taking time to pursue solo efforts, the Backstreet Boys rejoined in 2004 and released Never Gone in 2005, followed by Unbreakable in 2007 (the album featured a four-piece band as Richardson departed the group in 2006.) Now that all five Backstreet Boys are reunited, you can't miss your chance to see them live. Get your Backstreet Boys tickets today!