Source: Source: Celebrity Close-Ups Magazine Thanks to backstreet.net
Interview By Cindy Holthouser
What is new with the Foundation this year?
Howie: Since last year, we have done so much. We went on the cruise
again, a seven day cruise to Cozumel, Ocho Rio's, and the Grand Cayman
Islands, which was very successful. Since then, I've done a couple other
fund raisers here and there. There are a lot of fund raisers going on,
that have been set up all around the United States. They raised a lot of
money again this year, I don't have the number yet, we're still working
on that, but we've done very well. I've partnered with CC& A again for
this, Kraft-Nabisco has gotten involved this year, Nabisco has partnered
up and sold to Kraft, so Kraft is the main sponsor which we are very
excited about. Just putting together this show, very very pleased with
the rock star talent we've got this year, it's a little bit different
then last year, it's more of a rock thing then a pop thing. Why did you
decide to go with older type artists then last year? Howie: You know, it
just fit. Every year I think it's cool to get a different genre of music
and different types. I always like to try to keep a little bit of
variety just because I know that why the major age demographic of our
audience is from teenagers to adults and I know REO Speedwagon and
Survivor, growing up on the music their music as well. We've even opened
up for REO Speedwagon back I'd say, six years ago. So, it's like I say,
their great, it's cool to have. I'm very glad that they would come. The
lead singer of REO Speedwagon has a family member, I think it's his
stepson that has Lupus. So they are very outgoing, very encouraged. It's
fun, each year it gets bigger and bigger.
Since last year, have they gotten closer to finding a cure?
Howie: They've been working a lot! They'll be getting pretty close here
pretty soon. we're talking to a lot of doctors. Last year we gave
$125,000.00 to UCLA research center which they were very excited to use
towards different ideas and perspectives on how to do it.
Since the 9-11 tragedy, has it been a struggle for Lupus research?
Howie: I don't know if it has been a struggle. There has been a lot of
attention put on to 9-11, which our foundation definitely supports all
the victims. We've even got a lot of charity work going on, I'm actually
getting ready to go to New York here in a couple days to sing on a song
called "United We Sing", which is going to be a fundraiser type song, a
collaboration of a bunch of different artists. All the proceeds go to
the victims of 9-11. There has been a lot of light shed upon the victims
and to get relief and help for them, so our foundation is very
supporting and in a heartbeat, take a backstep to that, because that is
a big thing as well and is something that needs immediate attention. The
foundation is for Lupus, but we are getting a bunch of attention and
it's not something that is going to happen overnight.
You are obviously using your celebrity to promote awareness, does it
sometime sadden you that this is the only way to bring overdue attention
to the disease?
Howie: It's sad to think that Lupus hasn't really been brought out up
until now. I'm happy to be able to bring a lot of attention to it, but
it does sadden me that it had to be personal with artists credibility to
bring it. A disease affects everybody, I realize that if I can make a
difference, and I can use my celebrity power to do it, I'm going to do
it. If it helps me to get out there and to bring more awareness by
getting on to talking to different people, by doing interviews, by being
on TV and stuff like that, it's all for a good cause. I accept that and
it gives me more of a self worth going on by doing this every day.
Will there be another cruise?
Howie: That's going to be the next focus I think after this. A lot of
attention has been put on to putting this fund raiser together because
it's a big event and it takes a lot of time, so probably after this the
next focus will start going on doing a cruise at Christmas time again.
Will there be a website to get information?
Howie: Yes, The Dorough Lupus Foundation.org is the website,
www.doroughlupusfoundation.org, and on that it talks about everything,
the different upcoming events, facts about lupus. It talks about how
people can send donations and even in regards to donations, how they can
receive a merchandise piece that we're selling. We have jackets out, we
have the bears, we have "Pollyanna's Theme", which is the theme song for
the foundation. There are different ways that people can send in a
donation and at the same time get something back for a good cause.
Do you think that Lupus is under-addressed internationally and what more
can be done to spread awareness throughout the U.S. and other countries?
Howie: I think Lupus definitely is not, awareness is not promoted enough
all around the world and that's why my goal is to get it around the
world. That's why me and my sister went down to South America the year
and a half ago and did a fund raiser down there, Argentina as well as
Puerto Rico just recently. We did a benefit concert there as well, which
we got $25,000.00 donated to the Foundation. So, definitely, we are
trying to get out there as much as possible, not only in the States, but
around the world. I think through our website and having a lot of
Backstreet fans, we are starting to notice that it is getting more
awareness. We have a lot of fans coming from Japan that sent us
donations as well as coming to the event today. Up in Canada as well.
One of our things that we really pride ourselves is when a certain
country asks us for help in their country with the disease, we
definitely put the money that is raised in that country, back in the
country. Like, Canada, they gave us a proposal about trying to do a
paleoclinic in Chatham, a small town in Ontario. We gave them 24 or 25
thousand Canadian. The reason why we did that is to show it's not all
about the money coming into America, we keep it all here. I know Lupus
is all around the world, it is not only here, so we are trying to let
people know that they are helping their own countries as well.
This question comes from Madas who has suffered with Lupus for many
years now. Her question was, "I have Lupus, and it has begun to affect
my daily life and movement. It is not contagious and I have nothing to
be ashamed of yet it is treated as an unmentionable disease in so many
quarters. Even here in the UK, my children don't like to tell people
what's wrong with Mommy. Why do you think that happens, and did your
family ever experience that, too?"
Howie: I find that on a daily occurrence people come up to me and say,
"You know what? Lupus is such a hush-hush disease, nobody knows what it
is about." A lot of times people feel like they'll be alienated if they
talk about it because people might think they have Aids or something.
Just because the knowledge is not out there amongst people about the
disease. But luckily, on the same hand, people have come to me and said,
"Since you've gone out there and been speaking clearly about the disease
and encouraged people to get checked out by the doctors", now people I
think don't feel as bad because they're like, it's something that people
are starting to get to know. They may not know what Lupus is but at
least they are starting to hear the word "Lupus". That to me is the
biggest thing to me, just to have people say, "I didn't know what Lupus
was, but I went to see my doctor and I'm all good." A lot of times I see
kids that come up to me and say, "I have Lupus," or "My mom has Lupus"
but "I feel so uncomfortable talking about it, but now that you brought
it out to people, I don�EUR^(TM)t feel as uncomfortable." It's really good.
Can you give us an update about what is going on with Backstreet?
Howie: Well, we're actually right now in the studio, recording for the
next album. Each of us are just doing a lot of our own charity work
right now for their different foundations. The guys are very supportive
of them down here and very excited for me. That's about it, like I said
we're just in the studio writing and recording for a new album.
We had some fans write in asking, "Are you single, or did you find that
special someone in your life?"
Howie: I am dating someone, yeah. I'm very happy about it, I always very
happy that the fans are very supportive of all of us and our different
life endeavors, whether it's charity work, whether it's family, whether
it's getting married, whether it's eventually having kids for all of us.
I'm very happy that the fans are very supporting and understanding and
realizing that we do have normal lives.
The album you are recording right now, did you write any special songs
that might possibly make it on the album?
Howie: I actually was in L.A. in February for the whole month and I
wrote about 20 different songs, and I think out of that I might
hopefully be pretty lucky and get a couple that might go for the next
album that I'm very excited about. I don't want to say which songs it is
in case it doesn't get that one, I feel like a dork later on. It looks
like the group has been writing a lot. We've written about ten songs
already and out of that we are hoping to have at least four or five that
will be the creditability. We're just experimenting right now, writing
with a bunch of different writers, just working on it.
We hear the acting bug has hit you. Would you like to pursue an acting
career more while Backstreet is on hiatus?
Howie: Uh-huh, sure. Probably, we've all talked about, each of us have
said we want to give each other the space to do individual stuff,
especially during the down time of the group. I mean the group has to
come first, before everything, before our own individual stuff
foundation-wise, everything. But, during the down time, we do give each
other the space to do individual endeavors, whether it's acting,
singing, dancing, producing, whatever it is, or even just having normal
lives, we give each other the space. So, actually, I think during my
down time here, probably after the next album, if we do take a break,
I'll probably definitely start getting into doing some acting.
Have you ever gone skinny dipping and have you been caught?
Howie: [LAUGHS] Nope, I have never gone skinny dipping so since then I
can't say I've ever gotten caught.
Are you going to be doing any private shows with Backstreet to do with
the Lupus Foundation or anything else?
Howie: What we've been talking about, trying to put some stuff together,
whether it's a golf tournament, or possibly next tour doing a couple of
charity shows where the money goes to our foundations. Last year, each
ticket that was sold, 25 cents went to our foundations, as well as we
had different things we sold out there for merchandise. I did a bear,
Brian had healthy heart T-shirts and stuff like that. We know that the
fans are very supportive of our foundations, so we like to do credible
stuff that makes them feel like they can hang out with us, at the same
time give to a good cause.
Have you thought about changing the event to a different state?
Howie: Not so much about changing to another state, but we're talking
about possibly adding it to some other states. That's all up in the
works. To put together something like this is a lot of work, it takes a
lot of time and it takes a lot of effort to try to get artists to give
up their time, to fly into another town, give up their days off. But we
are definitely talking about the idea of possibly taking it to another
state as well.
Is there one thing that you have not done in your lifetime that you
still want to do?
Howie: Hmmm...
Get married?
Howie: Eventually get married, eventually, not anytime soon. I'm, uh,
actually, I'm enjoying life the way it is right now, with me and the
group and I just feel like marriage is a matter of timing. I think
marriage and having a family, starting a family, is definitely something
that to me I believe is you definitely have to make sure it's the right
timing for you. I think right now with the busy schedule for the group
and everything, it's just not the right time. It wouldn't be fair to my
loved one or to if I had kids, it wouldn't be fair to put them through
all this craziness.
Finish the sentence: I get scared when I...?
Howie: I get scared when I have to take shots.
If I can't sleep I...?
Howie: If I can't sleep I make myself sleep because I don't have a
problem, knock on wood.
The most funniest thing I've ever done was...?
Howie: The most funniest thing that I've ever done was, good lordy, a
lot of things I don't think are funny, a lot of other people think are
funny, on a daily occurrence. But, I think it was maybe when I was
younger with my sister Angie, we were over my neighbors in Indiana. A
friend of ours told us that the traditions is to run out in your long
johns in the hallway. For what reason I don't know why and I don't know
why I was stupid enough to believe him, but I did it. And I ran from one
room into the next room. I thought it was pretty funny, I didn't think
it was that funny actually, but when I thought about it. Now that I look
at it, I definitely don't think it was that funny.
I want everyone to know about...?
Howie: My Dorough Lupus Foundation.
And when I look into the sky, I think of...?
Howie: Peace, God, and my sister Caroline.
Do you think that DLF has a hard enough profile that if you suddenly or
unexpectedly leave the foundation, that it could continue to be
successful without you?
Howie:I hope so. I hope the Foundation carries on a life of it's own. I
at least try to dedicate as much time as I can to it, but unfortunately,
I'm only one person and that's why I thank God it's a family foundation,
it's not the "Howie" foundation, that's why I have my sister, all my
family works for the foundation. That's why I'm very thankful that we
have a lot of fans our there that create a lot of events to bring
awareness to the foundation on it's own.
I, myself, have a sister with Lupus in the family. My older sister
suffers from Lupus and I had an uncle that died suddenly without any
warning that he had Lupus. Do you have any advice for friends and family
who are learning to understand the disease?
Howie: I would just tell them to try to educate themselves as much as
possible about it. Talk to your doctor. There is definitely several
doctors that specialize in Lupus. There are a lot of great doctors that
we work out in the West Coast. There is actually books out there on
Lupus. Try to take care of yourself. If you do have Lupus, definitely
take your medications. Make sure you protect yourself when going out in
the sun. Do what you can.
Have you changed in any way due to the 9-11 attacks, and what has
changed about you?
Howie: I definitely have changed by now having to go to the airport
definitely early. Being on time, that's for sure, I can't no longer just
go the airport. In the past I'd be there fifteen minutes before the
plane takes off and hurry up and get on it. I think I've learned as
well, I've changed...I don't know. You know, we lost a member of our
crew that was on the plane.
It makes you more nervous to get on the plane?
Howie: It definitely makes me more nervous now, but I think now our
airports are the safest they've ever been, because there is heightened
security. I can't even go with fingernail clippers in my bags anymore.
So, I think, I'm not as scared, but you never know.
Do you have a message for the fans?
Howie: Just once again, thank you for all the support, especially with
my foundation. It's definitely been brought all around the world, making
them aware, as well as they have been making other people aware of the
disease. Once again, thanks for all the support with the Backstreet Boys
as well. I'm definitely looking forward to them hearing our new album,
which will be out hopefully sometime before the end of this year. And
just KEEP THE BACKSTREET PRIDE ALIVE!