Nick Carter

Nick Carter achieved worldwide fame in the mid-'90s through his role in the Backstreet Boys, which ranks among the highest-selling teen pop acts ever. Born Nickolas Gene Carter on January 28, 1980, in upstate New York, his show-business path started young through appearances in numerous commercials and entries in talent competitions. During adolescence he exited traditional schooling for homeschooling to concentrate fully on performance work. He entered the Backstreet Boys at their 1992 formation as the youngest member, just past age 12. A European tour brought the group stardom by 1994. The act reached American audiences in 1997 via the singles "Quit Playin' Games (With My Heart)" and "As Long as You Love Me," after which their U.S. debut album moved 13 million copies. Millennium arrived in 1999 as a notable second release, while Black & Blue in 2000 posted weaker numbers.

Following seven years of global touring, Carter stepped back yet kept future music plans in mind. He soon joined KNS Productions, whose members were Josh Schwartz and Brian Kierulf, to create his debut solo album. The resulting Now or Never blended rock & roll and R&B in personal fashion and reached stores via Jive in October 2002. He launched his first solo tour the following February. Poor sales prompted a shift toward acting, highlighted by the 2006 E! reality series The Carters that followed Nick and his four siblings under one roof. Shortly before that show aired, he rejoined the Backstreet Boys for their 2005 return album Never Gone. Two further band albums appeared over the next four years. His second solo outing, I'm Taking Off, surfaced first in Japan during February 2011 and then digitally in the U.S. that May. The Backstreet Boys reunion set In a World Like This debuted at number five on the Billboard charts upon its 2013 release. Carter also collaborated with Jordan Knight of New Kids on the Block on the duet album Nick & Knight, which entered the Billboard charts at number 24 after its September 2014 launch.