Backstreet Boys

ENTER TO BE SEPTEMBER'S SOLDIER OF THE MONTH HERE

By Karah-Leigh Hancock
http://backstreetboys.com/users/karahleigh
@Princess_Karah

August is the month of several things – back to school or heading off to college, the dog days of summer and the birthday of one very special man – sweet Howie Dorough.

There was no better question for this month’s Soldier of the Month than finding out what fans would do for Howie’s birthday if they threw him a surprise party. Jodi Trimble of Michigan had the best answers.

“Honestly, I would get ahold of Leigh, James, and Holden and ask them what I should do,” she said. “Also ask each one of the guys and then do whatever they suggest, because let’s face it, family comes first.”

Jodi said she would definitely ask Leigh what kind of food they should have for the party and what James and Holden would like.

“If I was left on my own to decide, I would choose a cookies and cream ice cream cake for Howie,” Jodi said. “And then have a huge cake that had a section of every flavor cake because we need everybody to be happy, right?”

She also has an idea for the design of the cake.

“I would have it decorated with edible images of Howie’s best moments,” she said. “A timeline sort of and in the middle it would say, ‘This Is HOWIE do it for our sweet Howie D’s birthday!’”

She did admit that she had another idea that she would like to include in her surprise party.

“I will admit that I would hope it would include Disney and Universal because I’m a big kid at heart, just like I’m sure Howie and Leigh are too. And the parks are big enough for everyone that loves Howie to go.”

Jodi became a fan thanks to a radio station playing a Backstreet oldie.

“I was driving and heard this amazing some come on the radio,” Jodi said. “I immediately started dancing and turned it all the way up. I called the radio station and what it was called as I had missed what they said.”

Turns out the song was “We’ve Got It Goin’ On” and things were never the same.

According to Jodi, the Backstreet Boys have gotten her through a lot over the years, but it’s hard to pick one favorite boy.

“I truly adore each Backstreet Boy – all five of them.”

Meet Jodi, your August 2017 Soldier of the Month
Fan Club Username: crazy4bsb1999
Twitter: @krazy4bsb

Where are you from? 
Kalamazoo, Michigan!  Yes, there really is a Kalamazoo! And we have buttons and t-shirts to prove it. 

 
What do you do for a living? (job, etc.)
Well, first off - I am a mom to two beautiful girls, and four Golden Retrievers, a wife, and a krazy4bsb fan girl! (Pun intended)  
As for my job, I work in the medical field and work daily with cancer patients.  I have people ask me all the time, how do I do it? Isn't it depressing?  Well, yes it is BUT I can tell you, I've seen people BEAT CANCERS BUTT (keeping it G-rated), and walk out as warriors!  But on the flip side, yes - I lose patients daily and it hurts, I still hide to cry, or go home and cry.  It never gets any easier. I talk with and see patients (and their families) daily who are fighting for their lives!  These patients are hoping for one more birthday, one more anniversary, one more vacation with their loved ones. Patients who want to graduate high school, college, get married, and others who want to see their children grow up or their first grandchild being born. Patients who have worked hard their whole lives, who have just retired only to find out that they now have cancer diagnosis and may only have 6 months to live. Bottom line, CANCER SUCKS!  And it doesn't discriminate, it affects young to old and the families and friends of those it attacks.  And working daily with cancer patients has put a whole new perspective on life!  Which is why I live by the motto:  Live for today because tomorrow isn't promised to anyone!  So LIVE NOW!  BE SILLY!  HAVE FUN!  Go on that trip to see the boys in VEGAS!   I promise you, you will never regret what you did, but you will regret what you didn't do!  Trust me! 

How did you become a fan?
I was driving and heard this amazing song come on the radio. I immediately started dancing and turned it all the way up. I called the radio station and asked what it was called as I had missed what they said. That song was "We've got it going on" and I was hooked! I would call the radio station and request the song as much as I could.  I don't know why that didn't go to #1. Then later I remember came “Quit playing games with my heart,” and the voices and harmony were amazing! Could these guys get ANY BETTER?! When their CD was finally released, I ran to Target and bought it. I played NOTHING else in my car except for Backstreet Boys and drove everyone nuts.  IN FACT now that so think about it. I STILL DO, with my classic BSB CDs. Back then, my friends actually didn't like the music (not everyone has good taste) and they would beg me to play anything else.  I was the only one with a car, so I made it a rule that if you wanted me to drive, or were in my car you HAD TO LISTEN TO BACKSTREET BOYS!  There were no other options!

What is your favorite BSB memory? 
This is a hard question to answer because there are so many!   And you would be here all day reading them.  And because I can't choose just one memory. You still may!  (Sorry) The BSB have given me so many wonderful memories from 1996 to now!!

But one memory for sure that will always be special to me and that I still bring up all the time is from the Millennium tour concert in Indianapolis Indiana in 2000, where we were staying at the same hotel as the guys. This was our ninth concert during the tour we had been to, (we road tripped state to state) and JR (their tour manager) had just gotten the delivery of the guys Indianapolis Colts Jerseys to wear during the concert that night. He told us that they would be filming again for a video they were making.  So I had a plan and ran to the mall attached to our hotel. AND OF COURSE I had already memorized all of Nick's favorite things and I bought him a Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey and somehow I was going to get him to wear it. So, I showed up to the concert wearing a BSB shirt, and I put the jersey on over that. I had front row seats, and when the guys came out wearing those blue jerseys, I somehow made eye contact with Nick and pointed to the jersey I was wearing & pulled on it and mouthed this is for you! HE ACTUALLY UNDERSTOOD WHAT I SAID, because he smiled and mouthed back "FOR ME"? and pointed to himself? (Yes folks, I was freaking out) I shook my head yes, he then leaned down and said something to Billy (his bodyguard at the time) and next thing I know Billy is walking towards me with Nick staring at me smiling. I took it off and gave it to Billy. This was all happening DURING the concert! Next thing I know, Nick takes off the blue jersey (sorry JR) and puts on the jersey I had bought for him! And winked at me and said THANKS!  My plan worked!  SOMEHOW IT WORKED! I did it!  But then Brian made me feel bad when he noticed Nick had on the jersey and looked at me and mouthed "where is mine?"  Then looked at Nick and gave him crap for being the only one not wearing the Blue Colts Jersey!  Well, the kicker of all of this is that they WERE FILMING, and MY JERSEY (well the jersey I bought for Nick, but I wore FIRST, HAHA) is in that VIDEO.  What video you ask?  “THE ONE!”  My jersey is in THE ONE!  And I still tell people that to this very day!  The guys are all in blue and Nick is in red of course. 

Another favorite memory is from 2004 when I took my daughter to her first concert at four years old. I drove to Detroit Michigan, and she experienced her very first BSB concert.  And until Vegas, my TWO daughters have never missed a BSB concert.  You could say, I've raised them right!  And the wonderful memories we've had at those concerts have been nothing less than amazing. 

But most recently, my favorite memories are the trips to Vegas. (and I've made 3 trips alone to Vegas) my favorite part was the amazing after parties.  Where I was able to talk one-on-one with the guys without being rushed.  To finally ask the questions I wanted to ask, and to say the things I had always wanted to say to them thru the years.  WITHOUT GOING BACKSTREET STUPID. Yes. It's a thing. Read on to understand what I mean by this later. Hahah. Well, Those moments at the after party meant the most. Yes, it was loud but the thing is, that made it better actually. Because it was so loud, you had to lean in to talk loudly into each other's ears in order to hear each other, so you really got up close and personal with the guys.  HAHA!  Also, each one of the guys did something for my kids which meant the world to them and to me, since they couldn't be there with me in Vegas. And AJ even personally helped me convince my young teenage daughter not to pierce her nose. (Thanks, AJ) And those after parties gave me all of the wonderful amazing selfies I have now which are going to be cherished forever!  

What is your favorite BSB song and why? 
This is such a hard question to answer. As I love them ALL!  The classics “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) and “Larger than Life” I absolutely love. I also love “Incomplete,” because it was the song that my two daughters sang all the time when they were younger around three and four-years-old.  Backstreet Boys songs were pretty much their first words after momma and dada. I love “Get Down” and “Get another boyfriend,” that I now have to add GOOD GOD too, thanks to AJ. I love Madeline, and In a World like this. And I need you tonight, is a classic I still belt out in the car! 

What is your favorite BSB video and why?  
Well OF COURSE IT'S THE VIDEO – “THE ONE.” Why? Well, because my jersey is in that video. Hahaha. And because a most of that video, I was there!

Who is your favorite Backstreet Boy and why?
Well, I truly adore each Backstreet Boy - all 5 of them.  Don't we all? They each have their own amazing qualities, and voices that I admire. They each bring something unique and special to the group.   But obviously, from my previous answer, I think it's clear that I've always been a Nick girl. From the moment I met him. And those Nick Carter solo albums, WOW, what more can I say?  And the song "I need you tonight" is like I said, still a song I belt out singing alone in the car, and I don't care that people stare at the stop lights.  HAHA! And Nick just has that look that sucks you in every time, that smile, his words, and he knows how to do it and he does it!  EVERYTIME!  So I blame Nick!  But then, Brian sucks me in, too. With his charm, his goofiness, his kindness. I have always been a frick and frack girl. And Brian has always been kind to my kids. Ugh. THEY ARE ALL MY FAVORITES!  They are all absolutely amazing. 

How has BSB impacted your life? 
Backstreet Boys music and focusing on these five wonderful guys have gotten me through a lot, (as it has all of us right?)  WOW?  where to start, it's gotten me through depression, anxiety, difficult pregnancies, the birth of my daughters, the loss of friends, the loss of my dad, family problems and legal issues with those so called family members after the death of my dad, my mom’s cancer, and my own health issues. These are just mentioning some of the things they have helped me with.  These five boys have brought me joy, smiles, helped me cry the tears I needed to cry, and have brought me so much happiness.  To have them remember you when they see you, it all just means the world to me and always will.  It's why I've been and stayed a fan from the beginning.

What is your favorite thing about being a BSB fan?
Well first off, those five guys are nothing less than amazing. They include us, they care about us. Interact on social media with us. And I still completely freak when one of the boys likes my tweet or Instagram post. Or better yet. Replies to you.  It's all the love they give their fans and all the opportunities they give us to be close to them. 

Another thing is all the wonderful memories it has and continues to give me. Especially the wonderful memories I will always cherish going to all the concerts with my daughters since they were 4 years old.  We've even flown to California together to see the boys. 

And finally, all of the new friends it's given me. I now have friends around the world thanks to these guys. Very close friends. All thanks to being a BSB fan. It brought us all together. We are a fan-mily for sure!  

Being a BSB fan for the past 20+ years has given me so many wonderful MEMORIES and so much happiness!  And I know that it will continue!  

I see that you've already been to Vegas to see the guys. What did you think about the show?
The show is amazing, so much so it's brought me back several times.  The energy, the love, the dance moves, the nostalgia, all of it that sucked me in back during Millennium is still alive and well in Vegas!  Even them coming up and spinning around in those boxes, took me back to them flying in over our heads during the Millennium tour on the hover boards!  And then the chair dance, another thing that brought back that nostalgia!  I love that they brought back all the classics and mixed it with some newer music as well.  And who doesn't like the fact that they brought back "GET DOWN?"  HANDS UP! WOOP WOOP!  I love everything about the Vegas Show!  

How many Vegas shows have you seen so far and are you planning on doing more?
I went opening night week, and did 3 shows!  I then came back in April for the 24th Anniversary and did 2 shows, and came back AGAIN on June 30th and July 1st!  And traveled to Vegas all ALONE! Those boys have me hooked!  And yes, I plan on doing more.  I will be going back next February (week of Valentine’s Day) to see them again! I will be there all week. But, I have a feeling between now and then somehow I will end up being sucked in to do something more that involves the boys.