July 21, 1998
· Filed under Backstreet Boys, Trouble
On Monday, the Backstreet Boys consented with a Delaware judge’s decision to put a legal hold on their case against manager, Louis Pearlman, concerning control over their corporate entity, Backstreet Boys, Inc.
According to Pearlman’s lawyer, both parties have come to an agreement in principle concerning who should be elected to chair the company, which governs everything from the group’s personal appearances, to merchandising and royalties.
The five-piece act originally filed suit in May over whether their manager, who has the right to cast each individual member’s votes, is able to elect himself to this position.
A second legal action brought about by the Backstreet Boys to have an annual meeting held regarding company business is said to be part of this possible settlement. Both sides are expected to agree to new terms within the next few months. Pearlman and the individual members of the group are the only stockholders of Backstreet Boys, Inc.
The case, which was scheduled to be tried last Thursday and Friday in Delaware Chancery Court, has been set aside until either a settlement is reached or upon further notice from council.
July 7, 1998
· Filed under Backstreet Boys, Music, Success, Tour
The Backstreet Boys will turn a very important page in their career this week when they kick off their first U.S. tour on Wednesday.
When the lights go down at the Charlotte Coliseum in North Carolina, the group will finally see the same sort of success that they have been seeing in Europe for years. “This is our first big American tour here where we’re doing arenas and fairgrounds,” Howie Dorough told MTV News of the tour.
The group has finally reached A-level status in the States, but when the Boys came together in Orlando, Florida in 1993, the musical climate didn’t appear to be ready for their pop sensibilities. The group then spent the next two years honing their craft on tour in Europe, and finally saw U.S. success with their self-titled album (which is currently the best-selling non-”Titanic” album of 1998).
“It’s actually, this is our biggest tour that we’ve put together,” Dorough remarked as the band rehearsed for the tour in Orlando. “We’ve done several tours over in Europe and in America, and America is constantly trying to catch up with the tours over internationally, and now we’re finally on the same page with this last tour here. It’s a really great show. It’s almost two hours, an hour and 45 minutes, it’s jam-packed full of energy. There’s choreography throughout pretty much every song.”
After the tour kicks off in Charlotte, the Backstreet Boys play Jacksonville, Florida on Thursday.
July 6, 1998
· Filed under Backstreet Boys, Music, Sales
The halfway mark of 1998 has passed, and so far the charts have belonged to the Backstreet Boys, Savage Garden, and all things “Titanic.”
According to New York’s “Daily News,” the top-selling album of 1998 so far is the “Titanic” soundtrack (with 8.5 million copies sold), followed by “Titanic” diva Celine Dion and her “Let’s Talk About Love” (which has sold 4.6 million copies).
The Backstreet Boys have sold 2.5 million copies of their self-titled album so far to come in third, with Savage Garden close on their heels with 2.3 million units sold. Here’s how the first half of 1998 went in terms of album sales according to the “Daily News”:
“Titanic” soundtrack, 8.5 million Celine Dion, “Let’s Talk About Love,” 4.6 million Backstreet Boys, “Backstreet Boys,” 2.5 million Savage Garden, “Savage Garden,” 2.3 million “City of Angels” soundtrack, 1.9 million Shania Twain, “Come On Over,” 1.9 million Matchbox 20, “Yourself or Someone Like You,” 1.8 million Usher, “My Way,” 1.8 million Madonna, “Ray Of Light,” 1.7 million K-Ci and JoJo, “Love Always,” 1.7 million Will Smith, “Big Willie Style,” 1.6 million Garth Brooks, “Sevens,” 1.5 million Spice Girls, “Spiceworld,” 1.5 million Dave Matthews Band, “Before These Crowded Streets,” 1.2 million Pearl Jam, “No Code,” 1.1 million
