Full Name:Brian Thomas Littrell
Birthday:February 20th,1975
Birth Place:Lexington, Kentucky
Starsign:Pisces
Sibs:Brian has an older brother named Harold
Fave Color:Midnight Blue
Fave Music:Boys II Men and Bobby Brown
Fave Food:Macaroni and Cheese
Fave Film Stars:Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock
Fave Movie:Star Wars
Fave Cologne:Safari
Pet:A cat named Missy back home in Kentucky
Odd Fact:Brian is afraid of heights
What He Looks For In A Girl:Brian says he's attracted to girl's eyes. "Eyes are very appealing to me,"he says,"I also like somebody who is interested in a career for themselves and can treat me like a normal person."
He's Most Likely To:Keep your secrets! Brian believes in trust between friends
Hobbies:Weight Lifting, basketball, water skiing, and listening to music
Lives:When he's not touring, Brian calls an apartment near Orlando's Universal Studios that he shares with Kevin and Howie home
Nicknames:B-Rok, Frick, Mr. Messy
Dream Girl:I saw Jada Pinkett shopping in a mall once. I was starstruck,"says this Pisces
Stuff He loves:I like to play all sports:tennis, baseball, football, even golf!"he says
None of the members of Backstreet Boys are what you'd call shy, but you could accurately claim that Brian "B-Rok" Littrell is the most reserved of the bunch. Unfailingly polite, obviously "raised right," sincere, down-to-earth-these are all of Brian's personal characteristics. Watch him onstage, however, and you'll see the other side of Brian, the side that's passionate about giving a good performance, thrilled to be part of the group and sincerely thankful to the fans who have followed his career along the way.
Brian has never had a singing lesson in his life. He's just a natural talent! Born on February 20, 1975 in Lexington, Kentucky, Brian is the younger of two brothers in a family who revered music but never truly considered singing professionally. "I never dreamed of being a big star or anything," he says. "I grew up in a big Baptist church and ever since I could walk I was singing." A brush with a serious childhood illness helped cement Brian's ties to both his family and his faith. Though all the Backstreet Boys' success, he's never lost sight of what's truly important in life. One of the things he never leaves on tour without is his book of spiritual life lessons which, he explains, helps him keep his head on straight when events around him threaten to get a little crazy.
"I'm not real religious but my family brought me up with a religious backround. I try to stay somewhat focused on that and do my own thing," he says. Although they don't broadcast their views on religion, all of the Backstreet Boys thank the divine powers for their success. Before a concert, the five will gather together to focus their energy and say a little prayer. "We always hold hands and say a prayer and do little meditaion-type focus things...just so that the show goes well and there are no injuries," he explains.
While none of the guys in Backstreet Boys behave badly, the other members admit that Brian is definitely the least likely to cheat on a girlfriend. He was also voted the Backstreet Boy most likely to get married first. "Either him or Kevin," says Nick.
B-Rok says that he'd love to meet someone with "a great personality, [who's] very open, trustworthy, giving and just willing to have fun." Brian also says that the first thing he notices about girls are their eyes. "Pretty eyes are nice to look at," he says.
What else does Brian like? Lots of things! He and Nick have an ongoing rivalry playing sports-related Nintendo games and shooting hoops. The good-natured competition between "Frick" and "Frack," as they sometimes call each other, can really heat up sometimes! Brian also loves lifting weights, water skiing, and watching any movie starring Speed 2's Sandra Bullock. Often recruited to sing lead on Backstreet Boys' tracks, BRian admits that he has a total soft spot for their first American single "Quit Playin' Games (With My Heart)."
Musically, he loves the sounds of Take 6, Boyz II Men and Luther Vandross. "I admire him as a singer because I saw him live in Orlando," he says. "I would have given anything to get a copy of that concert. It was just unbelievable. He just blew away."
Of course, Brian's own soaring pipes have received plenty of acclaim, but this is one guy who never lets success go to his head. He's completely grounded and plans to stay that way no matter how high Backstreet Boys' star rises. "If you dwell on all the people who know me or Nick or us, it can be kind of a shock. But I think it's what you make of it," he proclaims. "I mean, I'm no different than anyone else. My logic is that my life is no different from anybody else's except for four or five feet, and that four or five feet is how tall the stage is. Because if you put anyone else on the stage, the girls will scream. I'm just the lucky one who's having an opportunity like this. When I step off the stage, I'm like anyone else."
Despite his modesty, it's Brian own opinion that destiny was involved in the phone call he received from his cousin Kevin that brought him into Backstreet Boys. "I think everyone's here for a reason," he says. "To do something natural, which for me is is singing and being a ham on stage. But to be a singer-to do something I love, to go to work every day and do something that I enjoy-that's what I was looking for." Brian just never dared to imagine that Backstreet Boys would become the global phenomena they have. "I never dreamed it would be worldwide," he says. "It's still kind of a little hard to believe."
"I was born with a heart murmur," Brian explains. "I have a hole in my heart. I lived the first 5 years of my life with this hole in my heart, and the doctors didn't know."
That is, until one fateful day in 1980. Brian was playing in his Lexington, Kentucky neighborhood with his 8-year-old brother, Harold, Jr. "We were just goofing around," Brian recounts. Then the future musician stumbled and cracked his skull on concrete. Though he didn't knock himself unconscious, the fall was bad enough that his parents, Harold and Jackie, thought their young son might have a concussion. So they immediately sped off to the hospital. It turned out that getting his gash gave him septacemia ("Don't ask me how to spell it," Brian begs), which is a fancy term for infected blood. Actually, Brian's infected blood had an even fancier title. "Bacterialindocaridus," he guesses, again pleading, "Don't ask me how to spell it." Whatever Brian's infection was, the virus that had entered the 5-year-old's bloodstream was definitely deadly and threatened to overtake his entire body."I had no chance of living whatsoever," Brain recalls. "The doctors were telling my mother and father to go ahead and make the funeral arrangements."
There has to be hope, his parents argued. There has to be a chance our little boy will live. The doctors agreed, but told them that even if Brian lived it could hardly be called "living." His destiny appeared to have changed from that of a lively, energetic boy into a barely-moving, brain-dead child. But to the stunned shock of the staff of the Good Samaratin Hospital, medicine--and possibly a miracle from a Higher Power--somehow defeated the virus, allowing Brian to make the comeback of his life.Though Brian is strong and fit and singing with his cousin Kevin Richardson and friends Nick Carter, A.J. McLean, and Howie Dorough these days, he's never forgotten his close call.
"I think the reason God gave me the gift to sing is so that I can bless other people's lives," Brian suggests.
The singer is grateful that he has use a use for his lungs other than to serve as a back-up for a respirator. He's grateful to have turned 23 this past February 20. And, he's even found that some good has come from going through his harrowing, near-death experience.
"It builds character," Brian says, "and makes you realize how fortunate you.