Howie Dorough

Howard Dwaine Dorough (born August 22, 1973)[1] is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is a member and co-founder of American music group Backstreet Boys.

Howie Dorough
Dorough at a NKOTBSB show in Newcastle Arena, 2012
Born	Howard Dwaine Dorough (1973-08-22) August 22, 1973 Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Nationality	American
Other names	Howard D. Dorough Howard Dorough Howie Dorough "Latin Lover" "Howie D" "Sweet D"
Alma mater	Valencia College
Occupation	Singer songwriter actor
Years active	1990–present
Spouse(s)	Leigh Boniello ( m. 2007)
Children	2
Musical career
Genres	R&B, pop rock, dance
Instruments	Vocals guitar bass guitar
Labels	Jive RCA K-BAHN
Associated acts	Backstreet Boys NKOTBSB
Website	howied.net

Early life

Howard Dwaine Dorough was born August 22, 1973 in Orlando, Florida,[1] where he met his friend and bandmate A.J. McLean through a mutual vocal coach.[2] His mother Paula Flores-Dorough is Puerto Rican, and his father, Hoke Dwaine Dorough (1938–2008),[3] was Irish American. He is the youngest of five siblings, including a sister, Caroline, who died from Lupus in 1998.[4]

Career

Early career

Dorough's love and passion for entertainment started when he was three years old, begun by jumping on his grandparents' bed, singing "Babyface" with his little guitar. He started performing around age six or seven, thanks to his sister, singing during mass in the church choir and having his first role in the musical adaptation of The Wizard of Oz as a singer and actor.[5] Throughout elementary school, his mother enrolled him in children's community theaters and performed in many community theater productions of top musicals, among them "Sound Of Music", "Showboat" and "Camelot"[6] and got him in singing/voice and acting lessons by putting him in a performing arts academy where he also took dance lessons in classical ballet, tap, and jazz. He even was in an all-boy ballet troupe. He did Little League once before switching to the arts. During school, Dorough also did some singing and acting in the choir, talent shows, and school productions, as well as a school TV show called "Macho & Camacho". He got discovered by an agent when he was 14 and also managed to land roles in movies, such as Parenthood starring comedian Steve Martin at 15 and Cop And A Half starring Burt Reynolds, Nickelodeon TV production pilot "Welcome Freshman" and star in a commercial for Disney World under the stage name, Tony Donetti.[7] He didn't particularly like this, but his agent believed it would help him to get discovered. Although he enjoyed it his entire life, like his bandmates AJ and Nick, he too was a victim of bullying as a child for his lack of Spanish language, his falsetto vocal range when he was 12 and his weight.[8][9][10][11]

One day, he was asked by his choir teacher to perform the National Anthem at his high school basketball game and he agreed but when he stood up to sing, his mind went blank! Howie forgot the words! Despite the extreme embarrassment, he got right back on his horse and began performing again when he sang 'Unchained Melody' at his school talent show, and got a standing ovation when he hit the high note. Girls had tears in their eyes and boys looked on in envy. Dorough was note-perfect and, this time, he was word perfect too. His national anthem mess was forgotten as the screams filled the auditorium and everyone jumped to their feet.[12] He also auditioned for a Latin boy band Menudo, but he did not make it.[13] He was also involved in a peer counseling group called Friends, where he talked to other kids about living "a clean life, having fun, going to school, avoiding drugs."[14][15] When he's not working in the spotlight, he works as a tour guide in Universal Orlando[16] and worked with his sister at Zarro's Bread Basket one summer in New York when he was 14.[17]

He was selected 'Most Talented' and graduated from Edgewater High School in 1991 the Top 10 of his class.[18] After high school, Dorough auditioned for Backstreet Boys under his stage name, but they lost his contact info; however, after six months, they were able to track him down, thanks to AJ.[7][19] He got a scholarship, and attended University of Central Florida and Valencia College with an Associate of Arts Degree with *NSYNC member, Chris.[20]

Backstreet Boys

Main article: Backstreet Boys

Dorough, along with AJ McLean, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson, started the Backstreet Boys in 1993. They were then booked to perform at many venues such as high schools and shopping malls and eventually managed to sign a contract with Jive Records in 1994. They slowly became popular in European countries, starting with Germany, and embarked on a tour in support of their debut album. The album slowly climbed up to the top ten slots in most countries and was on its way to selling more than 8 million copies.

As their second album, Backstreet's Back was being released in Europe, they released their first album in the United States which was a compilation of both their international debut and Backstreet's Back. The album climbed to No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and eventually sold over 14 million copies. Meanwhile, Backstreet's Back became an even bigger success than their debut album, opening at the number one spot in many countries.

Dorough is most known for his infamous fart, which was recorded and used as a part of the beat for the song "The Call" from the Backstreet Boys fourth album, Black And Blue.[Billboard 1]

They started recording Millennium in 1998 and released it in May 1999. It became one of the biggest selling albums of all time taking the number one place in many countries. Their first single from Millennium's follow up album, Black & Blue, Shape Of My Heart was released to radio on October 3. Black and Blue recorded first-week sales of 1.59 million copies in the US, making the Backstreet Boys the first artists to back to back million-plus sales of albums.

After releasing their greatest hits album they went on hiatus and regrouped in 2003. They released their next album, Never Gone in 2005. While it was negatively reviewed by critics it enjoyed a lot of commercial success. They released their next album, Unbreakable in 2007 and the follow-up This Is Us, in 2009. Their eighth album In a World Like This was released on July 30, 2013. Their ninth album DNA was released on January 25, 2019, with a new headlining tour to follow in May of the same year. All in all, they have become one of the biggest selling artists of all time with record sales exceeding 135 million worldwide.

Solo projects

Dorough worked as a producer for singer/songwriter George Nozuka and Katelyn Tarver as part of his management partnership with former 3deep member CJ Huyer, called HC Entertainment formed in 2004. Since 2010 he's also managing a Canadian band Neverest, who was under Dorough's company, 3 Street Management.

Around 2006 Howie started work on his first solo album. The album would include Spanish/Latin songs as well as American. But he eventually changed his mind on the style of the album. Noting that his Spanish was not the best and did not want to be something he is not. Around 2010/2011, he started to work on the album that was more pop/r&b style. Dorough's first solo album Back to Me was eventually released November 15, 2011. The album featured many songs that Howie co-wrote himself. The first single of the album "100", a dance track was released in the summer of 2011 and received moderate success and airplay primarily in Canada.[21] Also in November 2011, Dorough joined Britney Spears for her Femme Fatale Tour in South America.[22]

In 2015, while Howie had not announced that he was working on a second solo album some producers have mentioned working with Howie on a new album that is said to be released the same year. On May 9, 2019, he announced on Twitter and Instagram that his new solo album, "Which One Am I" will be released on July 12, 2019.[23][24]

TV and film appearances

While in the Backstreet Boys, Howie has done some acting over the years. Appearing in Roswell, ABC's television series Sabrina, the Teenage Witch in the episode "The Big Head" as an egotistic rock star named Strum, and voiced Santa Claus on the Nickelodeon preschool animated series Dora the Explorer in the Christmas episode "A Present for Santa". Even did a skit on Saturday Night Live on May 15, 1999. In September 2002, Howie and the rest of The Backstreet Boys made special guest appearances on the children's cartoon Arthur. In 2013, Dorough made his motion picture debut by appearing in the comedy This Is the End along with the rest of the Backstreet Boys.

Other ventures

Dorough also founded a company called Sweet D, Inc. with his older brother John.[25] The company specializes in real estate development and has built numerous condominiums, hotels, and waterfront properties.[26] He's also founded and held the positions of CEO, chairman, and director in several other companies, most notably Dorough Lupus Foundation and Howiedoit Productions, Inc.[27][28]

Early in 2020, Dorough starred in a musical loosely based on his life called “Howie D: Back in the Day” at The Rose Theater in Omaha, Nebraska.[29] In the show, Dorough’s sister, Pollyanna, was played by Natalie Hanson and his Mother was played by Christina Maria.

Personal life

In 1998, Dorough's sister, Caroline Dorough-Cochran, died of lupus. After her death, Dorough established the Dorough Lupus Foundation (DLF) in her honor to help raise money for lupus research. Howie did many charity events for the foundation including concerts, auctions, and some annual cruises. The foundation helps raise awareness about the disease, provides financial support for those who cannot afford treatment, and raises money for research.[30]

On December 6, 2000, Dorough met Leigh Anne Boniello, a film executive producer for Warner Brothers, who was working as the webmaster for the official Backstreet Boys website at the time.[31] Howie and Leigh dated for six years and in 2006 he proposed to her in front of her family on New Year's. Howie has said he was more nervous to propose in front of her family than to perform in front of thousands of fans.[32] A year later, on December 8, 2007, they tied the knot in a traditional Catholic ceremony at St. James Cathedral, where he was baptized and sang choir at in Orlando, Florida.[33][34] They have two sons together.[35][36]

According to the band's YouTube page, he has Scandinavian, African, Iberian, Native American, Central and South American, Scottish, Welsh, Balkan and Middle Eastern ancestry.[37][38]

Discography

See also: Backstreet Boys discography

Albums

Title	Year	Peak positions
		JPN [39]
Back to Me	Released: November 9, 2011 (Japan) Released: November 15, 2011 (United States) Label: avex trax (JP), RCA (US) Formats: CD, digital download	56
Live from Toronto	Released: March 13, 2012 Format: Digital download	JPN [39]
Which One Am I	Released: July 12, 2019 Label: Formats: Digital Download, CD

Singles

Year	Single	Album
2011	100	Back to Me
	Lie to Me
2012	Going Going Gone
2019	No Hablo Español	Which One Am I
	The Me I'm Meant to Be
	Monsters In My Head

Collaborations

• "Every Minute, Every Hour" (co-writer) (2gether)
• "Show Me What You Got" (Howie Dorough featuring BoA)
• "I'll Be There" (Howie Dorough featuring Sarah Geronimo)
• "It Still Matters ~愛は眠らない(Ai wa Nemuranai)~" (The Gospellers featuring Howie Dorough)
• "I Like It" (co-writer) (So Real, Mandy Moore)
• "If I Say" (Howie Dorough featuring U)
• "Worth Fighting For" (Howie Dorough featuring U)
• "New Tomorrow" (featuring Howie D) (A Friend in London feat Howie Dorough)

Filmography

TV series & Movies
Year	Film	Role	Notes
1989	Parenthood
1990	Welcome Freshmen
1998	Sabrina the Teenage Witch	Himself	Episode: "Battle of the Bands"
1998–1999	Saturday Night Live	Himself and Musical guest	"Julianne Moore/Backstreet Boys" (Season 23: episode 16) "Sarah Michelle Gellar/Backstreet Boys" (Season 24: episode 19)
2002	Sabrina the Teenage Witch	Strum	Season 7 episode 2 "The Big Head"
2002	Arthur	Himself	Episode: "Arthur, It's Only Rock and Roll" Guest Voice
2002	Sesame Street	Himself
2005	The Ellen DeGeneres Show	Himself	Musical Guest with the Backstreet Boys
2009	El Hormiguero	Himself	Musical Guest With The Backstreet Boys
2012	Late Night with Jimmy Fallon	Himself	Musical Guest with Backstreet Boys
2013	El Hormiguero	Himself	Musical Guest With The Backstreet Boys
2013	This Is the End	himself	With the Backstreet Boys, performing "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)"
2014	I Heart Nick Carter	Himself	minor
2000-2014	Dora the Explorer	Voice Acting	Played Santa in A Present For Santa and the Singing Bridge in Dora's Pirate Adventure
2016	Dead 7	The Vaquero

See also

• Backstreet Boys
• List of Puerto Ricans

Notes

1. Mclean, AJ. "How Max Martin Turned a Fart Into the Epic Beat in Backstreet Boys' 'The Call': AJ McLean Tells All". Billboard. Billboard. Retrieved 27 January 2019.

References

1. "Backstreet Bahama Boys". CBS News. May 16, 2000. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
2. Netter, Matt (January 1999). Backstreet Boys * Aaron Carter. New York: Pocket Books. p. 55. ISBN 0-671-03539-8.
3. "Hoke Dwaine Dorough's Obituary on Orlando Sentinel". Orlando Sentinel.
4. "The Melody of Heartache: Howie Dorough". Celebrity Health Minute.
5. Johns, Michael-Anne. Hangin' With the Backstreet Boys.
6. "WILLIAMS' DAUGHTER HAS MAGIC MOMENT". OrlandoSentinel.com.
7. "Howie Dorough - Actor, Singer - Biography". Biography. Archived from the original on March 23, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
8. "Backstreet Boys". Nickelodeon Magazine. September 1998.
9. "Backstreet Boys' Howie Dorough Releases Single Off Upcoming Family Album Based on His Childhood". PEOPLE.com.
10. "The Magic Box Interview: Howie D". 9 November 2011.
11. "Howie D from Backstreet Boys Interview: Howie Was A Fat Kid (2 of 2)". 23 December 2011.
12. McGibbon, Rob. The Backstreet Boys : official biography. BoxTree/Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 978-0752224060.
13. Florino, Rick (September 3, 2013). "Howie D of Backstreet Boys and Pauly D Talk "In a World Like This Tour"". ARTISTdirect. Archived from the original on September 14, 2016.
14. Givin' it their all : the Backstreet Boys' rise to the top (1st ed.). Ballantine Books. p. 89. ISBN 0-345-48288-3. |access-date= requires |url= (help)
15. McGibbon, Rob. The Backstreet Boys : official biography. BoxTree/Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 0752224069.
16. "STILL ON TOP".
17. "The Official Backstreet Boys Summer Tour Mag". Tiger Beat. October 1998.
18. "Howard Dorough from Edgewater High School - Classmates". www.classmates.com.
19. McGahan, Michelle (January 30, 2015). "Howie D Reveals How His Stage Name Almost Kept Him From Being in BSB". PopCrush. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
20. Helligar, Jeremy (February 8, 1999). "Boy Power". People. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
21. "Howie D. for Sarah CD launch". Telebisyon.net. February 27, 2010. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
22. "Britney Spears Recruits A Backstreet Boy For Tour". MTV. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
23. "Howie D on Instagram: "Surprise! My new solo album - Which One Am I? - comes out on July 12th but starting tomorrow you can pre-order it. Not only that but…"". Instagram.
24. D, Howie (9 May 2019). "Surprise! My new solo album - Which One Am I? - comes out on July 12th but starting tomorrow you can pre-order it. Not only that, but you'll be able to get one of the new songs, "No Hablo Español", instantly when do you! Which One Am I? is an album made for families. #WOAIpic.twitter.com/DgulnPFrjX". @howied.
25. "Sweet D, Inc. Corporate Details". Visulate. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
26. "Howie Dorough". Retrieved July 5, 2012.
27. "Dorough Lupus Foundation". Retrieved July 5, 2012.
28. "Howiedoit Productions, Inc. Corporate Details". Visulate. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
29. "Howie D: Back In The Day". Retrieved February 18, 2020.
30. "Aaron Carter, LFO To Join Backstreet Boy Howie D. At Lupus Benefit".
31. "Howie Dorough Dishes on His 'Bachelor'-Like Romance Ahead of 10th Wedding Anniversary (Exclusive)". Entertainment Tonight.
32. "Backstreet Boy Howie Dorough Gets Engaged". PEOPLE.com.
33. "OK! Exclusive: Howie Dorough Married!". OK! Magazine. December 8, 2007. Archived from the original on September 6, 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
34. "Backstreet Boy Howie Dorough Gets Married". People. December 8, 2007. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
35. "Backstreet Boy Howie Dorough Welcomes a Son". People. May 7, 2009. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
36. "Howie Dorough, Backstreet Boy, Welcomes Son Holden John: Picture". US Weekly. February 19, 2013. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
37. "Which Backstreet Boy is Jewish? - World News - Jerusalem Post". www.jpost.com.
38. September 1, Diane Jameson (28 August 2019). "The Backstreet Boys' MyHeritage DNA Results Are Back!". MyHeritage Blog.
39. "Howie D – Oricon". Oricon. Retrieved October 27, 2017.

External links

• Official website
• Official Backstreet Boys website
• Official Japanese website