Backstreet Boy Howie Dorough said he’s working on his debut solo album, which will feature both Spanish and English songs. Dorough revealed that the Backstreet Boys are currently on hiatus, and the individual group members are pursuing their own respective interests.
Brian Littrell and his wife are enjoying spending time at home with their 6-month-old baby boy, Kevin Richardson is opening up a music school in Kentucky and looking for investment properties in Alabama, Carter has his offshore power boat racing team to keep him busy, and Denise McLean, the mother of A.J. McLean, has written a book about her son’s life and career due in December. All of the Boys are also involved with their own charities.
Dorough explained to LAUNCH that the folks at the publishing arm of Jive Records approached him about doing a solo album. “The group is actually taking some time off right now,” Dorough says. “We decided to give each other a little bit of space to do some individual stuff, as well as one of the guys just had a baby, so he’s really excited about spending some time with his child, you know in the early stages. So, I’ve been approached by the publishing department of my record company about possibly considering the idea of doing a solo record-most likely with BMG-if not I’ll end up shopping it to the other labels out there.”
While the project is still in its early stages, Dorough has already met with several high-profile Latin music producers and songwriters. “I actually have, I was down in Miami about a month ago at the Latin Billboard Awards, and caught up with a lot of great producers-everybody from Emilio Estefan to Rudy Perez to this guy out in LA. I was doing some writing with K.C. Porter, and a bunch of the people that are in the crossover English/Latin market. I’m trying to create something that’s a little bit pop-a little bit Latin-ey, and like I say a mixture of English and Spanish.”
Dorough admitted that he does have an ulterior motive for wanting to record a Latin-flavored solo album-it would make his mom, Paula Dorough, proud. “It’s a chance for me to show the fans my Latin roots,” Dorough says. “Something that I wasn’t really able to do that much of within the group. And knowing that we have such a strong base that’s in the Latin community, I just wanted to do something special for my mom.”
Dorough will be the second member of the group to release a solo album. He will follow in the footsteps of Nick Carter, who released his solo debut, Now Or Never, in October 2002.
