Brian Littrell
His soaring tenor voice defined the sound of the Backstreet Boys, turning boy-band pop into a global phenomenon that dominated the charts for a generation.
Born 1975 (age 51)·American singer, member of the Backstreet Boys·Birthday: February 20·Generation X
Biography
Brian Littrell's journey from a church choir in Lexington, Kentucky, to the pinnacle of pop music is a story of faith and resilience. Joining his cousin Kevin Richardson in the newly formed Backstreet Boys in 1993, his clear, powerful tenor became the harmonic anchor for the group's multi-platinum hits. At the height of their late-90s fame, Littrell faced a life-threatening heart condition, undergoing successful surgery in 1998. This experience deepened his Christian faith, leading him to later release a solo gospel album and become a vocal advocate for charitable causes. While the Backstreet Boys' legacy as one of the best-selling groups of all time is secure, Littrell has balanced that world with a quieter family life, watching his son Baylee embark on a country music career.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Brian was born in 1975, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brian Was Born
The biggest hits of 1975
#1 Movie
Jaws
Best Picture
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Brian's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1975Born
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1980Started school
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1988Became a teenager
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Could drive
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1993Could vote
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Turned 21
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2005Turned 30
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 40
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 50
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 51 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- As a core member of the Backstreet Boys, he contributed to the group selling over 100 million records worldwide.
- He received a Grammy Award nomination in 2006 for his solo contemporary Christian album 'Welcome Home'.
- He founded the 'Brian Littrell Healthy Heart Club for Kids' to support children with heart disease.
- He was inducted with the Backstreet Boys into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame in 2015.
Did You Know?
He is a first cousin of fellow Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson.
He was born with a heart murmur and underwent successful open-heart surgery in 1998 to correct a congenital defect.
His son, Baylee Littrell, is a signed country music artist on Warner Music Nashville.
He was a member of the Disciples of Christ church choir as a child.
““I’m not a Backstreet Boy 24/7. I’m a husband, a father, and a Christian first.””
