Detailed Biography

Brian Thomas Littrell is an American singer-songwriter, best known as a member of the Backstreet Boys. In the late 1990s and early 2000s his participation in the Backstreet Boys catapulted him into super-stardom as the band sold over 100 million albums. He is also a contemporary Christian recording artist and released a solo album, Welcome Home, in 2006.

Biography

Brian Littrell was born in Lexington, Kentucky.

Faith and philosophy

A faithful Christian, Littrell has stated that he believes it is the duty of Christians to be open about their faith, saying, "I think as Christians we need to join hands and mount up together and lift God up and talk about our faith publicly and talk about all of the things God has done for us in our life to touch other people." Littrell, who has been a Born Again Christian since age 8 has said that he attributes his success in life to God, and that his faith has always been "the utmost important thing" in his life.

Career in Christian music

Littrell decided to make a Christian album and become a contemporary Christian singer, while maintaining his duties as a member of the Backstreet Boys. In the summer of 2005 Brian's solo single "In Christ Alone" went to #1 on the Christian Charts on July 4 and Littrell was the winner of the 2006 GMA Music Award for Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year, "In Christ Alone," which won both the 1993 award in this category and the 1994 Song of the Year at the GMA Music Awards. Brian's first solo album, Welcome Home was released on May 2, 2006, which like the Backstreet Boys projects, is a Sony BMG release. The album peaked at #74 on the Billboard 200 and #3 on the Christian Charts, and has currently sold over 100,000 copies. Three singles were released from the album. The first single "Welcome Home " reached #2 on the US Christian Charts and #1 on Reach FM's Top 40 chart and the R&R Christian Inspirational Chart staying there for 3 weeks. The second single from the album was "Wish" and in 2007 the third single "Over My Head" was released.

On September 27, 2006, he shared his testimony and performed at the Crystal Cathedral. The service was broadcast around the world on the Hour of Power television program and seen by an estimated 20 million viewers.

On May 10, 2007 he received an award from the Crystal Cathedral for being a positive role model using his music to touch lives in the pop and Christian market, and using his foundation to help children.

Personal life

Brian Littrell was born with a heart defect that brought him several times into hospital with life-threatening conditions - for two months alone when he was 5 years of age because of a bacterial infection. An open heart surgery in 1998 closed the hole he had in his heart, as he said on his "Hour of Power" interview in 2007. After that he founded the "Brian Littrell's Healthy Heart Club", a non-profit that assists children with heart conditions through medical, financial and practical help.

Two months after joining the Backstreet Boys, Brian started dating Samantha Stonebraker. The two dated for the next four years , sharing a bank account and a car. Brian even lived with Samantha 's family for two years. In 1998, she released the book What You Wanna Know: Backstreet Boys Secrets Only a Girlfriend Can Tell, about their relationship and the Backstreet Boys.

Two months after Littrel split from Samantha, he met model/aspiring actress Leighanne Wallace at the June 15, 1997 video shoot for their single As Long As You Love Me. He proposed on Christmas night of 1999 and they were married on September 2, 2000. Both are committed evangelical Christians. They have one child, son Baylee Thomas Wylee Littrell .

Littrell played in the All Star Legends and Celebrity Soft Ball Game 2009.

In 2009, while touring in New York with the Backstreet Boys, Littrell announced that he has been diagnosed with swine flu and the group has had to call off several Backstreet Boys performances.