Nick Carter was just a hyper, happy-go-lucky 13-year old when he auditioned for the group that would become the Backstreet Boys. As he tells it: "There were about 200 people auditioning and I was lucky enough to be chosen. For my audition I sang an old Richard Marx song called "Take This Heart." And luckily, I got it!"
But even at that tender young age, Nick already knew that showbiz was where his heart was. "There's this old story," he says. "In the old house where I used to live, there was this old tree stump. It wasn't that tall, and I was a small kid. I stood up on it and I sang to the grass. I would pretend I was singing in a huge arena. And my mom caught me singing one day, and that's when I started taking singing lessons. All that happened when I was nine."
Nick's mom, Jane, immediately recognized her son's awesome talent and enrolled him in a voice class. Nick loved every second of it, and as he progressed he saw his young career move full-speed ahead. "I started doing commercials--I did the Florida State Lottery, Sears and NASA. Then I sang on the New Original Amateur Hour and won. I did some extra work in movies, but I didn't have much of an interest in movies. I was always interested in singing."
And singing would become Nick's life's work--specifically, singing with the Backstreet Boys. As the group struggled with it's early years--traveling across the world, gathering fans in faraway places like Asia and Germany--Nick struggled with his growing-up years. In front of the eyes of millions, Nick shot up from 5'6" to a strapping 6'1", changing from a cute, giggly guy to an absolute heartthrob. According to Brian, Nick is the BSB who's done the most changing over the years--more than just his obvious growth spurt. "Nick was so young when we started and now he's like a kid in a candy store," says Brian. "But you talk to him, and he still has his head on straight. If I were his age when all my dreams came true, my head would be huge. But he's so together, and he's really growing up into a great guy."
Right now, Nick is absolutely thrilled with his life--after all, the Backstreet Boys have hit it huge around the world, and Nick is beloved for his beauteous voice. His first love, singing, is now his career. But he's also busy thinking about the future--and that future might just include acting. "We've talked about it, and four of the five of us have had acting experience," he says. "Why not do something with it? We could work individually or as a group--both would be cool."