Almost a decade after his life as a Backstreet Boy began, Kevin Richardson is as humble as he was the day it all started. Enjoying the moments and embracing the opportunities, Kevin has undoubtedly come a long way but he still holds close the people and memories that have helped guide him to this place in his life.A native of Lexington, Kentucky, Kevin grew up singing in church, playing sports and enjoying the outdoors. Music was always a constant and as a teenager he was often seen jotting down lyrics or playing the piano. In high school, he was involved with activities ranging from musicals to football. His desire for perfection led him to success in everything he did and helped him develop a work ethic and personal versatility that would drive his future successes.
In the early 1990's, after graduating from high school, Kevin moved to Orlando, Florida to pursue performing opportunities. It was in Orlando that Kevin met up with Nick, Howie and AJ and together they formed the Backstreet Boys. Soon after becoming a group, Kevin invited his cousin Brian to join and the rest is Backstreet history. Since the Backstreet Boys began they have seen record sales of over 65 million albums world wide, have sold out countless tours and have received a multitude of awards acknowledging their exceptional harmonies and contributions to pop culture.
Kevin has also become an active advocate of colon cancer awareness and prevention, a cause that has become particularly important to him since losing his father, Jerald Wayne Richardson, to the disease in 1991. In 2001, Kevin joined several congresspeople, including Congresswoman Slaughter of New York, on Capitol Hill to introduce the ?Eliminate Colorectal Cancer Act.? This was established to promote early detection and treatment of colon cancer.In 2003 Kevin made his Broadway acting debut as the super-smooth lawyer Billy Flynn in the musical ?Chicago" (a role he also played on the London West End stage and at San Francisco's Golden Gate Theatre). In addition to his work in ?Chicago,? Kevin also performed in several regional theatrical productions during his hiatus from Backstreet.
Kevin also founded the Just Within Reach Foundation (JWRF) ? an organization bearing the initials
of his late father - dedicated to providing education and promoting personal responsibility for keeping the environment clean of potential cancer-causing pollutants and toxins. Kevin has worked tirelessly the past several years to help further the goals of JWRF, including participating in the Olympic Torch Relay in honor of the foundation and testifying before a Congressional committee. Through the foundation, Kevin has also distributed over a dozen scholarships to environmental science majors and has worked with National Geographic to make an educational video on heroes in American history.Moving forward Kevin hopes to continue his outreach by lending his voice, time and passion to the Natural Resources Defense Council and Kentuckians For The Commonwealth. Currently, Kevin resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Kristin, and is preparing for the release of a new Backstreet Boys album in June of 2005.
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