Editing Howie Dorough (section)

===Early career===
Dorough's love and passion for entertainment started when he was three years old, singing "[[Baby Face (1926 song)|Babyface]]" with his little guitar.<ref>{{cite book |last1=McGibbon |first1=Rob |title=The Backstreet Boys: official biography |date=1997 |publisher=BoxTree/Macmillan Publishers |location=London |isbn=0-7522-2406-9 |page=22 }}</ref> He started performing around age six or seven, thanks to his sister Polyanna, singing during mass in the church choir and having his first role in the musical adaptation of ''[[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|The Wizard of Oz]]'' as a singer and actor.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Johns |first1=Michael-Anne |title=Hangin' With the Backstreet Boys|year=1998 |publisher=Scholastic, Incorporated |isbn=9780590047111 |url=https://archive.org/details/hanginwithbackst00john |url-access=registration }}</ref> Throughout elementary school, his mother enrolled him in children's community theaters and he performed in many community theater productions of top musicals, among them "Sound Of Music," "Showboat" and "Camelot"<ref>{{cite web |title=WILLIAMS' DAUGHTER HAS MAGIC MOMENT |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2000-03-05-0003050003-story.html |website=OrlandoSentinel.com|date=March 5, 2000 }}</ref> and got him in singing/voice and acting lessons by putting him in a performing arts academy where he also took dance lessons in classical ballet, tap, and jazz. He even was in an all-boy ballet troupe. He did Little League once before switching to the arts. During junior high to high school, Dorough sang in the choir, even qualified for All-State Chorus and talent shows, and joined the drama club, acting in school productions and a school TV show called "Macho & Camacho." He got discovered by an acting agent when he was 14, who gave him the stage name, Tony Donetti, and also managed to land roles in movies, such as ''[[Parenthood (film)|Parenthood]]'' and ''[[Cop and a Half]]'', a lead role in the [[Nickelodeon]] TV production pilot for "[[Welcome Freshman]]" and star in a commercial for [[Disney World]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Interview With Howie D |url=https://lifewithkathy.com/interview-with-howie-d/ |website=Life With Kathy |access-date=13 November 2024 |date=18 June 2019}}</ref> he even audition for the Mickey mouse club like his bandmates.<ref>{{cite web |title=Why Howie Dorough of the Backstreet Boys was not cast for The Mickey Mouse Club |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaRUvcgoPJc |access-date=13 November 2024 |date=5 May 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Instagram |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/C956cclSeTV/ |website=www.instagram.com |access-date=6 September 2024}}</ref><ref name="biography.com">{{cite web | url=http://www.biography.com/people/howie-dorough-21215193#young-performer | title = Howie Dorough - Actor, Singer - Biography | website = [[Biography (TV program)|Biography]] | access-date = July 26, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180323152131/https://www.biography.com/people/howie-dorough-21215193 | archive-date = March 23, 2018 | url-status = dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=McGibbon |first1=Rob |title=The Backstreet Boys : official biography |date=1997 |publisher=BoxTree/Macmillan Publishers |location=London |isbn=0-7522-2406-9 |page=21 }}</ref> He was a victim of bullying as a child for his lack of Spanish language, his falsetto vocal range when he was 12 and his weight.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Backstreet Boys |journal=Nickelodeon Magazine |date=September 1998}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Backstreet Boys' Howie Dorough Releases Single Off Upcoming Family Album Based on His Childhood |url=https://people.com/music/backstreet-boys-howie-dorough-no-habla-espanol-new-single/ |website=[[People (magazine)|People]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Magic Box Interview: Howie D | website=[[YouTube]] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLdUHev3134  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/qLdUHev3134| archive-date=December 11, 2021 |url-status=live|date=November 9, 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Howie D from Backstreet Boys Interview: Howie Was A Fat Kid (2 of 2) | website=[[YouTube]] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV380XOyrsk  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/YV380XOyrsk| archive-date=December 11, 2021 |url-status=live|date=December 23, 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

His choir teacher asked Dorough to perform the National Anthem at his high school basketball game. He agreed but forgot the words when it was time to sing.<ref>{{cite book |last1=McGibbon |first1=Rob |title=The Backstreet Boys: official biography |date=1997 |publisher=BoxTree/Macmillan Publishers |location=London |isbn=0-7522-2406-9 |pages=29–30 }}</ref> Despite the extreme embarrassment, he got right back on his horse and began performing again when he sang 'Unchained Melody' at his school talent show, and got a standing ovation.<ref>{{cite book |last1=McGibbon |first1=Rob |title=The Backstreet Boys : official biography |year=1997 |publisher=BoxTree/Macmillan Publishers |isbn=978-0752224060 |pages=30–31|url=https://archive.org/details/backstreetboysof0000mcgi }}</ref> He also auditioned for a Latin boy band [[Menudo (band)|Menudo]], but he did not make it.<ref>{{cite news | title = Howie D of Backstreet Boys and Pauly D Talk "In a World Like This Tour" | url = http://www.artistdirect.com/entertainment-news/article/howie-d-of-backstreet-boys-and-pauly-d-talk-in-a-world-like-this-tour/10722676 | first = Rick | last = Florino | date = September 3, 2013 | work = [[ARTISTdirect]] | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160914004516/http://www.artistdirect.com/entertainment-news/article/howie-d-of-backstreet-boys-and-pauly-d-talk-in-a-world-like-this-tour/10722676 | archive-date = September 14, 2016 | url-status = dead}}</ref> He was also involved in a peer counseling group called Friends, where he talked to other kids about living "a clean life, having fun, going to school, avoiding drugs."<ref>{{cite book |title=Givin' it their all : the Backstreet Boys' rise to the top |date=June 1998 |publisher=Ballantine Books |isbn=0-345-48288-3 |page=89 |edition=1st }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=McGibbon |first1=Rob |title=The Backstreet Boys : official biography |year=1997 |publisher=BoxTree/Macmillan Publishers |isbn=0752224069 |url=https://archive.org/details/backstreetboysof0000mcgi }}</ref> When he's not working in the spotlight, he works as a tour guide in [[Universal Orlando]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.orlandofamilymagazine.com/interviews/still-on-top/|title=STILL ON TOP}}</ref> and worked with his sister at Zarro's Bread Basket one summer in New York when he was 14.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Official Backstreet Boys Summer Tour Mag|journal=Tiger Beat |date=October 1998}}</ref>

He was selected 'Most Talented' and graduated from [[Edgewater High School]] in 1991, the Top 10 of his class.<ref>{{cite web |title=Howard Dorough from Edgewater High School - Classmates |url=https://www.classmates.com/people/Howard-Dorough/417176701 |website=www.classmates.com}}</ref> After high school, Dorough auditioned for Backstreet Boys under his stage name, but they lost his headshot and contact info; however, after six months, they were able to track him down, thanks to AJ, and was already in the group.<ref name="PopCrush">{{cite web | title = Howie D Reveals How His Stage Name Almost Kept Him From Being in BSB | url = http://popcrush.com/howie-d-backstreet-boys-stage-name-exclusive/ | first = Michelle | last = McGahan | date = January 30, 2015 | website = PopCrush | access-date = July 26, 2019}}</ref> He got a scholarship, and attended both [[University of Central Florida]] and [[Valencia College]] with an Associate of Arts Degree with [[*NSYNC]] member, Chris Kirkpatrick.<ref>{{Cite magazine | url = http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20127525,00.html | title = Boy Power | first = Jeremy | last = Helligar | date = February 8, 1999 | magazine = [[People (magazine)|People]] | access-date = July 26, 2019}}</ref>