Transcript of Nikki Van Noy's chat with the Boston Globe

Here is the transcript of Nikki Van Noy's chat with the Boston Globe:


2:30
Boston.com A&E: Hi readers! Welcome to our chat with biographer Nikki Van Noy! Nikki's authorized biography of New Kids on the Block was released today and she will be joining us to answer your questions about her book and the boys! Welcome, Nikki!

2:31
Nikki Van Noy: Great to be here!

2:32
Boston.com A&E: Nikki -- do you think you can give our readers a little background on how you researched your book? And how you became a NKOTB fan?

2:33
Nikki Van Noy: Yes, it was extremely difficult to narrow down fan submissions for inclusion in the book. Ultimately, we included about 100 fans in the book. This was a very small percentage of what we actually received, unfortunately. SO much good stuff.

2:33
Comment From Guest
Did you find it hard to narrow down what fan submissions to include in the book?

2:33
Comment From sweetie
Hi Nikki HUGE THANK YOU for your book :) and i wanted to ask...how can u order it if im in Ukraine?

2:34
Nikki Van Noy: I don't believe the book is in bookstores in the Ukraine yet, however it should be available on various international Amazon sites.

2:34
Comment From Guest
Nikki- How awesome was it to be able to spend 1 on 1 time with each of the guys ?

2:35
Nikki Van Noy: It was very awesome to spend one on one time with the guys. I can't stress enough how normal and grounded they are. It was actually almost impossible to remember that I was with someone who wasn't a "regular Joe" after the first 30 seconds or so of each interview.

2:35
Comment From Lisa
What was the most surprising thing you discovered during your time working on this book? Thanks, can't wait for my copy to arrive!

2:37
Nikki Van Noy: Thanks, Lisa! I think the most surprising thing to me was how little they had to say about that early 90s period when they were at the height of their fame. From what I learned, it seems as though their favorite moments came in the earlier days and during the reunion. When everything was going at hyperspeed circa Magic Summer, I think it was difficult for them to take in.

2:38
Comment From Guest
did you yourself have a favorite boy coming into the book?

2:38
Comment From Bonnie
OK Nikki - 'Fess up - who was your favorite then, and who is now?

2:39
Nikki Van Noy: Back in the day, I started as a Jordan girl then, at some point, switched over to Joe. Writing the book, I was very, very fickle. My favorite was always the last guy I interviewed. Too hard to choose! ;)

2:39
Comment From Annie
What is your all time favorite song? If you can pick just one.

2:40
Nikki Van Noy: Please Don't Go Girl.

2:40
Comment From Guest
You've written other books and articles on musical people. How did you find the New Kids fans different from other fan groups? And do you think the band interacts more intimately with their fans that other groups do?

2:41
Nikki Van Noy: I know that I'm doing publicity for this book, so it may sound a bit trite, but it's 100% true that I have never seen any group come anywhere near being as intimately attached to and genuinely appreciative of their fans as the New Kids. They know fans' names, they tell anecdotes about the fans, they do things behind the scenes for the fans. It's impressive, to say the least.

2:42
Comment From Tammy
which guy was the easiest to talk to ?

2:44
Nikki Van Noy: Mmmm--that's a hard question, Tammy. I can't say that any of them weren't easy to talk to, they're all just different as with any group of five people. To give you a run-down, Donnie was much more zen than I would've expected. Joe is as witty as you would expect. Jordan is much more mellow, but has a very poignant way of expressing himself. Jon is such a warm person--you could talk to him for hours easily. And Danny is very honest and insightful.

2:44
Comment From Guest
Did any of the guys share any unknown secrets that you had to cut from the book, but we really SHOULD know?!? Please share...

2:46
Nikki Van Noy: No, nothing that you SHOULD know. ;) Just kidding. I think anything that could be seen as a "secret" is mentioned in the book ... but New Kids fans already know pretty much everything there is to know about them. I don't think there are really any shocking revelations, just perhaps a different slant on what you've heard over the years.

2:47
Comment From Melissa
Did they believe they would be successful this time around? ~Donnie 4-Eva~ :)

2:48
Nikki Van Noy: They worked very, very hard, but, no--they didn't know what to expect. I think, in terms of the magnitude and longevity of their comeback, it's been just as surprising to a lot of them as it has been to others.

2:48
Comment From Bonnie
Do you still have unanswered questions? As in, what didn't you ask that you wish you had or would still like to know?

2:50
Nikki Van Noy: That's a good question, Bonnie. To be honest, I think we covered pretty much everything I wanted/needed to know. The interview part of this went on for over three months and I had multiple sessions with each guy, all pretty extended. To give you an idea of how much material I got, the transcript for a single interview with Donnie ran 50 pages. And there were multiple interviews.

2:50
Comment From Amy
Hello from Texas! Thanks for putting together such a wonderful biography! I've learned some interesting tidbits about the guys! What are some things that you learned about the guys that might have surprised you?

2:52
Nikki Van Noy: I was absolutely floored at how hand-on they are. That is very, very atypical from a group of their magnitude and, also, something I think that most people are unaware of about them. In the book, Donnie talks about working on creating a banner they hung at their Fenway show. There are many, many more examples like this that are pretty mind-boggling to me.

2:53
Boston.com A&E: A quick question from the peanut gallery! About how much time did you spend with the guys researching the book?

2:55
Nikki Van Noy: The book took one year to the day from the time I had the idea to when I finished the final draft of the manuscript. It was a very rapid-paced year that was divided into two parts: 1) the fans and 2) the band. I spent from about March to August interviewing/collecting stories from fans and gaining an understanding of the culture. I spent August through December interviewing the guys. I wrote the book in splices as I was researching.

2:56
Comment From Debbie
Nikki, any info you can share about the new album - any hints? ;-)

2:56
Nikki Van Noy: Sorry! I don't have any inside scoop on that. The book was actually finished before they began. I do know they were excited about getting started on it, though!

2:57
Comment From Kim
Hi Nikki, can we purchase the book at stores in Ontario, Canada or can we only order it online so far?

2:57
Nikki Van Noy: Hi, Kim. The book should be available at bookstores throughout Canada as of today!

2:58
Comment From KK
Ordered the kindle version, but there aren't any pictures. Are there any ebook versions that include the pics, or are they just in the print version?

2:58
Comment From Kim
K, great :) I guess i just have to be patient, there's none in my area yet. Thank you, can't wait to get my hands on a copy to read it.

3:00
Nikki Van Noy: KK, my editor is looking into this right now so that I can get you a definitive answer. If I don't find out by the time the chat is over, I'll post the answer on Twitter @nkotbandus.

3:01
Comment From Tammy
are you planning on doing a part 2 to this book?

3:02
Nikki Van Noy: There's no doubt that there's certainly more to this story to be told as their career progresses further. Also, I ultimately had so much more information than I was able to include in this book due to space constraints. Which is to say, there's certainly room for more to be told at some point in the future ...

3:02
Comment From Aurelia
Will the book be later published in different languages? I'm lucky to be pretty fluent in English but curious for fellow French BHs

3:04
Nikki Van Noy: Hi Aurelia. The answer to that is that we don't have an answer yet. At this point, no translations are planned, but that could change. I'll definitely keep everyone informed if and when foreign translations are printed.

3:04
Comment From Guest
Regarding Tammy's question on planning part 2 to this book...any chance of doing an unedited version of the pages of transcripts??? I would absolutely LOVE a Q/A type format to the inside scoop.

3:06
Nikki Van Noy: I'll definitely keep that in mind and try to brainstorm some different ways of getting some of that "bonus" info out there. Most of the topics are included in the book, it's just that you have five versions of every scenario, so it became a matter of picking and choosing. Hard decisions!

3:06
Comment From LeeAnn
was any family members interviewed ?

3:07
Nikki Van Noy: Yes! Joe's dad; Jordan and Jon's mom; and Donnie's mom are all included. They were just as interesting to interview as the guys themselves.

3:07
Boston.com A&E: We have to ask, Nikki, were any Boston/Dorchester spots name-dropped during the interviews? Any favorite hangouts, restaurants, etc?

3:09
Nikki Van Noy: Bob the Chef's came up in several interviews, though I don't know that it's actually in the book. There is a ton about Trotter Elementary and the guys experience there. Dorchester and JP in general are all over the book. Boston is essentially the sixth character.

3:09
Nikki Van Noy: Just got an answer regarding the e-reader pictures question from my editor ...

3:10
Comment From Tammy
Did Danny give you any health tips ?

3:10
Nikki Van Noy: The photo insert should be included in ALL e-book editions of the book, in the middle of the text (just as it is in the hard copy edition).

3:11
Nikki Van Noy: Danny didn't give any specific health tips, but he did talk at length about how inspiring fans' lifestyle changes and weight loss stories are to him and how they, in turn, motivate him.

3:12
Comment From Guest
Have you personally been to any of their recent concerts or on a cruise? Would you have considered yourself a BH before the book? Do you consider yourself a BH now?

3:13
Nikki Van Noy: The 2011 cruise was actually the first NKOTB event I went to as I was writing the book. It was incredible--I've never seen anything like it, both in terms of the excitement and how much the New Kids and the fans were interacting. I went to a lot of shows on the NKOTBSB tour, both in the US and Canada.

3:14
Comment From Elmira
Being an NKOTB fan yourself, was it hard to interview the guys? I know that I wouldn't be able to say a word if one of them was right there in front of me.

3:16
Nikki Van Noy: In all honesty, I was a huge NKOTB fan growing up, but had only been following their reunion from a distance. Luckily, I've had a lot of interview experience leading up to this and they're so easy-going that it wasn't intimidating. Also, I bet you'd be surprised, Elmira--they're easy to talk to. :)

3:16
Comment From sweetie
why his father wasn't interviewed? :(

3:20
Boston.com A&E: Readers, we have time for one last quick question for Nikki before we have to let her go!

3:22
Comment From Guest
No question, but a HUGE Thank You!!! I am looking forward to reading this!!! Very Much APPRECIATED!!!

3:22
Comment From LeeAnn
Thank you for the Q&A

3:23
Nikki Van Noy: Thanks so much for the kind words! And thanks to everyone for participating--it was great to be able to share a little bit more about this experience!

3:23
Boston.com A&E: Thank you, Nikki! And thank you NKOTB fans!

Nikki Van Noy interview with NECN

NECN interviewed Nikki Van Noy, author of "New Kids on the Block: Five Brothers and a Million Sisters" to talk about the new NKOTB book being released today.

Update: Video has been deleted, does anyone have it saved?

Jordan Knight interviewed by the Toronto Sun

The Toronto Sun interviewed Jordan recently and he talks about the upcoming NKOTB album.

New Kids on the Block readying some new music

New Kids are back in the starting blocks.

Mere months after polishing off an international tour with Backstreet Boys, the Bostonians are already at work on their first new record since their 2008 comeback disc, says Jordan Knight.

“We’re doing an album now,” the 42-year-old vocalist confirms. “We’ll be touring with it next year. It’s exciting; the last album we did was four years ago. It’s going to be great for the fans — but it’s going to be really great for us because we’ll be re-energized with new music, new videos, new dance moves, a new stage act. It’ll be new, new, new.”

That reinvention may extend to their sound, he says, claiming NKOTB would even be willing to try their hand at dubstep — though a mashup with genre superstar Skrillex might not be in the offing. “Who?” Knight asks. “See? I’m showing my age there. But we do like to mix our classic sound with whatever is going today so it’s very relevant. We like to keep on top of the trends.”

But before moving forward with bandmates Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood and his older brother Jonathan, Knight has to take care of some unfinished business: Touring Canadian theatres with his own band in support of his 2011 solo album — titled Unfinished, appropriately enough. While driving in the slow lane outside Boston, he chatted about being secretly Canadian, life as a middle-aged heartthrob and stretching on the Lido Deck.

You just finished the NKOTBSB tour in June and you’re touring again. Are you broke or a workaholic?

Yeah, what’s wrong with me? I think I’m a workaholic. Really, the thing is that I didn’t get to do my solo tour and sing my new music in Canada. I did about 20 cities in the States and I got a lot of requests to go to Canada. So I felt the need and the desire to top it off with a Canadian run.

It seems there’s a strong connection between New Kids and Canada. You started your 2008 comeback tour here. Why the love?

Well, both my parents are from Canada. I’m actually a dual citizen. I definitely have Canadian roots. I mean, I definitely consider myself an American because I was raised down here, but every Christmas I would go to my grandparents’ house at Dunville, Ont., and every summer we’d spend time on Lake Erie. We were always heading up to Canada. So there’s definitely a connection.

What’s the difference between Americans and Canadians?

I’ve always thought of Canadians as salt of the earth people. All my relatives, you could just feel the Canadian essence when we would go visit. They were just good people. Not that I’m saying Americans are bad people — at all. I just feel comfortable around Canadians. They’re more polite. That’s for sure.

How do you feel about touring theatres with your solo band instead of touring arenas with New Kids?

I look at it as a special thing. I don’t look at it as a downgrade. It’s just a different setting. It’s cool to be in a smaller setting with hardcore fans. They get to have a more closeup view, and I get to be more off the cuff, instead of having a set show in an arena where every song has to be a smash. I get to sit at the keyboard and sing songs of mine I wouldn’t be able to do at a big show. I can take my time, I can do whatever I want: Make a joke, have a laugh, bring someone onstage. It’s more of an in-the-moment experience.

Does being a heartthrob make it tougher to be taken seriously when you’re in your 40s and trying to get people to listen to your music?

Nah. I think the fans can enjoy the music I make and see me as a heartthrob. It just comes with the package. But I don’t feel like I’m going out there and living off my image of when I was 18 years old. I put a lot of pride into my work and that’s why I’m still doing it. And I believe they feel that.

It could be worse: You could be a former heartthrob.

Yeah. That would just be sad. I don’t think I’d be on the road if that was the case. Then again, I probably would. I love it too much to let that stop me.

Speaking of getting older, how are you holding up? Is it getting tougher to keep up with the physical demands of your show?

There’s a lot of stretching, I gotta tell you. But I’ve always been big on stretching. Fans know me as someone who likes to stretch. Actually, on one of our (concert) cruises, I did a stretch class on the Lido Deck. The whole ship was watching me do yoga moves. And on Twitter, there was a time when I would walk fans through stretches every morning. I guess it’s pretty weird.


Jordan Knight tour dates:

Oct. 3 | Ottawa | Centrepointe Theatre

Oct. 4 | Toronto | Guvernment

Oct. 5 | Montreal | Metropolis

Oct. 13 | Halifax | Casino Nova Scotia

Oct. 14 | Moncton | Capitol Theatre

Oct. 16 | Edmonton | Citadel Theatre

Oct. 18 | Calgary | MacEwan Hall

Oct. 20 | Vancouver | Venue

Oct. 21 | Victoria | McPherson Theatre