ARTIST

BBMak

BBMak are not just another boy band, no matter how young and handsome they may be. This British pop trio started off writing and producing their own music and playing their own instruments, and they've never attempted any synchronized dance routines.

It was BBMak rhythm guitarist Christian Burns's destiny to go into music, as his father had played guitar for the Signs, a band that once opened for the Beatles. Lead guitarist Stephen "Ste" McNally grew up listening to classic rockers like Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd, while Mark Barry, BBMak's resident soul man, cites the Jackson 5 and Stevie Wonder as influences and contributes his wind-instrument talents to the group's overall sound.

While playing with different bands in northwest England, Christian, Mark, and Ste held jam sessions and eventually formed BBMak (a moniker combining their respective surnames, coined by Ste). They then landed their record deal in a most audacious do-it-yourself fashion: After recording a demo, they marched out to perform spontaneously at the front doors of the major record companies that lined the streets of London. Amazingly, the contracts were soon pouring in after a herd of A&R reps attended the trio's showcase in Liverpool. The lucky bidders were Telstar (in the U.K.) and Hollywood Records (in America), through which BBMak released their million-selling debut, Sooner Or Later, in 2000. Their pop single, "Back Here" became an instant hit in various parts of Asia, reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100, reigned at number one on Billboard's adult-contemporary charts in the U.S., and rose to the top five in their native Britain.

After spending two years on the road in support of Sooner Or Later and playing packed stadiums opening for mega pop acts like Britney Spears, The Corrs, and *NSYNC, BBMak issued their follow-up album, Into Your Head in 2002. Like Sooner Or Later, this sophomore effort features their winning three-sided combination of pop, rock, and soul, with harmonies and lovelorn lyrics sung by each member. With their new album, BBMak continue to earn a legion of fans in every corner of the world and break the mold of the boy-band brigade.

Written by Minnie Chi