Backstreet Boys' Howie Dorough talks touring with kids
Dorough talked hitting the road with the band's children.
The Backstreet Boys are currently out on their "DNA" tour, and joining them for this leg of the trek are some Backstreet little boys, and girls -- the children of the five group members.
There are eight, plus Nick Carter's wife, Lauren Kitt Carter, has one on the way. Backstreet's Howie Dorough says touring with children isn't always easy, but it's the "best education."
"Y'know, they're seeing stuff...that they're reading about -- seeing it right in front their faces," Dorough said of his two boys. "And to be able to travel around the states and see this beautiful land that we live in here, and also Canada ... I wouldn't be able to see my kids if they stayed back home."
One of the eight Backstreet kids -- Brian Littrell's 16-year-old son, Baylee -- is not only seeing the sights, he's also seeing thousands of faces every night from the stage. That's because he's the opening act on the tour.
"He's an amazing artist," Dorough said. "We're all very proud of him. He's following his father's footsteps but doing the country route, and he's a really talented kid."
Backstreet's current world tour is their first in a while -- for the past several years, they've stayed put in Vegas and let their fans come to them. Getting on a bus and traveling from city to city is "a totally different experience," said Dorough.
"The road is not always the easiest, especially when you add the families into the whole dynamic," he added.
According to Dorough, just finding things that kids will be willing to eat in different countries and cities is quite the challenge. But he says, "It's a lot of fun. I really enjoy touring around the world."
"It's work," he admitted. "But I wouldn't trade it for anything."