BY JOHN NEMO
Special to the Pioneer Press He might have grown up as a Backstreet Boy, but these days, Brian Littrell wants to be known as a man of faith. The 31-year-old native of Lexington, Ky., spent more than 13 years as a member of the famous boy band, helping the Backstreet Boys sell more than 90 million albums worldwide. Littrell, who released a contemporary Christian album, "Welcome Home," as a solo artist earlier this spring, will perform Saturday at Valleyfair with Christian swing band Denver & the Mile High Orchestra. He took a few minutes last week to ruminat! e on everything from his reception in the contemporary Christian music industry to where he'd be today if he hadn't become a Backstreet Boy. Q. Are your concerts still filled with screaming teenage girls? A. (Laughs.) Yes and no. There are still those young ladies, but also I would say my show is more of a family environment. You've got kids, you've got young parents, older parents. Eight to 80, I guess I would say. Q. If the contemporary Christian music industry had been as big back in the early 1990s as it is now, would you have gone that route instead of ending up with the Backstreet Boys?
A. Actually, wh! en I was 18 years old, I was planning on attending a Bible college in Cincinnati, Ohio. I had a four-year vocal scholarship and was planning on studying music and youth ministry. Then my cousin (Kevin Richardson) called and asked me if I wanted to audition for this group called the Backstreet Boys.
I was 18, and I thought this was a chance to go out on my own, stand on my own two feet, make a living for myself. And if the Backstreet Boys didn't work out, then I could go back to school. Little did I know God would bless my career for the next 13½ years, that I'd be so successful and get a chance to touch so many people. Q. What has been the response from people in the contemporary Christian music industry?
A. To be honest, they have been! extremely supportive and very, very nice. I had it in my mind that people would be skeptical of this project. But my life's mission is to share my heart and what I'm about as a person, not as a Backstreet Boy. I'm a new artist in contemporary Christian music, and I understand that. I have to do the kind of things I'm doing today, getting my story out and telling people my story. I think if people listen to this new record from top to bottom, that answers all the questions about why I decided to do this, why at this time in my life and everything else. Q. What has been the response of your Backstreet Boys fans to this new album?
A. They are being very receptive to the record. Having had the chance to grow up with our fans over the past 13½ years, the die-hard Backstreet Boys fans! know who I am as a person and what I stand for, what I believe in. They know my heart. Even the other guys in the group have been supportive and know this is a direction I have been planning to go in for a long time. Q. You were selling 90 million albums and famous around the globe. Now, you're focused on sharing your faith with people. How's it different?
A. I think making a difference through sharing my faith is a lot better. It's more rewarding. God has blessed my life tremendously, and in order for me to do what he calls me to do, I think that's exactly where I'm at right now, playing smaller club shows, sharing my heart, sharing my faith and encouraging other people to stand up and do the same. It's fun to be a Backstreet Boy, don't get me wrong. But my heart is in Christian! music. This is definitely where I'm going to be as a solo artist. Freelance writer John Nemo can be reached online at www.johnnemobooks.com Who: Denver & the Mile High Orchestra with Brian Littrell
When: 2 p.m. Saturday
Where: Valleyfair, Shakopee
Tickets: $33.95-$21.95
Info: 651-631-5151.
