Is this where we make the “Backstreet’s back” quip?
Let’s not. It’s way overused, not to mention possibly inaccurate. Nick Carter says the Backstreet Boys never went away — even if you didn’t notice. For 17 years the group has toiled to stay alive. They’ve sold more than 100 million albums. They’ve been golden boys and guilty pleasures. They lost a member and continued as a foursome. Their latest album, This Is Us, came out in 2009. The Backstreet Boys are back (fine) on a world tour, stopping at Ruth Eckerd Hall on Memorial Day.
Carter, the teen idol who grew up in Apollo Beach and Ruskin, is now 30. He has navigated addiction, screamy reality TV and industry scandal, but says he’s in a good place. He called from home in Nashville to talk about the tour and his favorite Tampa memories (RIP, stadium Bennigan’s). And if Justin Bieber loyalists don’t appreciate his music, he’s content to count their moms as fans.
Do you still keep a house in Tampa Bay?
I don’t, but when I get some time, I’m going to go look again in Tierra Verde. That’s one of my favorite places.
What was it like growing up here?
My experience there was amazing. I have so many friends there. Tampa’s my home. I’m a huge, die-hard Buccaneer fan. On my Twitter, I have the Bucs flag as my picture. I’m kind of a fanatic. I’m a little crazy, you know? Read full article.
|