Howie Dorough facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Howie Dorough
Dorough at a NKOTBSB show in Newcastle Arena, 2012
Born	Howard Dwaine Dorough (1973-08-22) August 22, 1973 (age 51) Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Other names	"Howie D" "Tony Donetti"
Alma mater	Valencia College
Occupation	Singer actor
Years active	1990–present
Spouse(s)	Leigh Boniello ​ (m. 2007)​
Children	2
Musical career
Genres	R&B, pop rock, dance
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Jive RCA K-BAHN
Signature

Howard Dwaine Dorough (born August 22, 1973), known to many as Howie D, is an American singer. He is famous for being a member of the popular pop group Backstreet Boys.

Early Life and Beginnings

Howie Dorough was born on August 22, 1973, in Orlando, Florida. There, he met his future bandmate A.J. McLean in 1989. Howie's mother, Paula Flores-Dorough, is Puerto Rican. His father, Hoke Dwaine Dorough, was Irish American. Howie is the youngest of five children. His sister, Pollyanna, is also a singer. Sadly, another sister, Caroline, passed away from lupus in 1998.

Howie's love for performing started very young. When he was just three years old, he would sing "Babyface" with a toy guitar. By age six or seven, he was singing in church choirs. He also had his first acting role in a musical version of The Wizard of Oz.

Throughout his school years, Howie took singing, acting, and dance lessons. He performed in many musicals like "Sound Of Music" and "Camelot." He even joined an all-boy ballet group!

Getting Discovered

When Howie was 14, an acting agent discovered him. He got roles in movies like Parenthood and A Cop and Half. He also appeared in a TV pilot and a commercial for Disney World. For a short time, he used the stage name Tony Donetti.

Howie faced some challenges as a child. He was sometimes teased for not speaking much Spanish and for his singing voice. However, he always kept performing. Once, he forgot the words to the National Anthem at a basketball game. But he bravely sang "Unchained Melody" at a talent show later and received a standing ovation!

He also auditioned for the Latin boy band Menudo but didn't make it. In high school, he was voted 'Most Talented'. He graduated from Edgewater High School in 1991.

After high school, Howie auditioned for the Backstreet Boys. They lost his contact information at first. But thanks to A.J. McLean, they found him six months later, and he joined the group! He also attended Valencia College and the University of Central Florida.

Career Highlights

Backstreet Boys Success

Dorough (left) and Nick Carter with the Backstreet Boys, 2005

The Backstreet Boys group was formed in 1993 by Lou Pearlman. Howie Dorough joined with AJ McLean, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter, and Kevin Richardson. They started by performing at high schools and malls. In 1994, they signed a contract with Jive Records.

The group quickly became popular in Europe, especially in Germany. Their first album sold over 8 million copies. Their second album, Backstreet's Back, was a huge hit. It reached number one in many countries.

In the United States, their first album was a mix of their international debut and Backstreet's Back. It sold over 14 million copies.

Their album Millennium, released in 1999, became one of the best-selling albums ever. It topped the charts in many countries. Their next album, Black & Blue, sold 1.59 million copies in its first week in the US. This made the Backstreet Boys the first artists to have two albums sell over a million copies in their first week.

After a break, the group reunited in 2003. They released Never Gone in 2005, Unbreakable in 2007, and This Is Us in 2009. Their eighth album, In a World Like This, came out in 2013. Their ninth album, DNA, was released in 2019, followed by a new tour. The Backstreet Boys have sold over 135 million records worldwide, making them one of the biggest-selling artists of all time.

Solo Music and Other Projects

Howie Dorough has also worked on his own music. In 2011, he released his first solo album, Back to Me. He co-wrote many songs on the album. The first single, "100," was played on the radio, especially in Canada. In 2019, he released his second solo album, "Which One Am I."

Besides music, Howie has worked as a producer for other artists. He also manages a Canadian band called Neverest.

TV and Movie Roles

Howie has appeared in several TV shows and movies. He was in Roswell and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. He also voiced Santa Claus on Dora the Explorer. In 2013, he and the Backstreet Boys appeared in the comedy movie This Is the End. More recently, he was on Long Island Medium: There in Spirit in 2021 and competed on Name that Tune in 2024.

Business Ventures

Howie also has a company called Sweet D, Inc. with his brother John. They work on real estate projects like building hotels and condominiums. He has also led other companies, including the Dorough Lupus Foundation.

In 2020, Howie starred in a musical called Howie D: Back in the Day. The show was loosely based on his own life story.

Personal Life

In 1998, Howie's sister, Caroline Dorough-Cochran, passed away from lupus. After her death, Howie started the Dorough Lupus Foundation (DLF) in her honor. The foundation raises money for lupus research. It also helps people who cannot afford treatment and raises awareness about the disease. Howie organizes many events for the foundation, including concerts and auctions.

Howie Dorough has a diverse background. According to the Backstreet Boys' YouTube page, he has Scandinavian, African, Iberian, Native American, Central and South American, Scottish, Welsh, Balkan, and Middle Eastern ancestry.

Family Life

On December 6, 2000, Howie met Leigh Anne Boniello. She was working on the official Backstreet Boys website at the time. They dated for six years. In 2006, Howie proposed to Leigh in front of her family on New Year's. They got married on December 8, 2007, in a Catholic ceremony in Orlando. They have two sons together. Howie also helped his wife launch her line of eco-friendly handbags called Eslla.

Discography

Albums

Singles

Collaborations

• "Every Minute, Every Hour" (co-writer) (2gether)
• "Show Me What You Got" (Bratz featuring BoA and Howie Dorough)
• "I'll Be There" (Howie Dorough featuring Sarah Geronimo)
• "It Still Matters ~愛は眠らない(Ai wa Nemuranai)~" (The Gospellers featuring Howie Dorough)
• "I Like It" (co-writer) (So Real, Mandy Moore)
• "If I Say" (Howie Dorough featuring U)
• "Worth Fighting For" (Howie Dorough featuring U)
• "New Tomorrow" (featuring Howie D) (A Friend in London feat Howie Dorough)

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Howie Dorough para niños

• Backstreet Boys
• List of Puerto Ricans