BACKSTREET BOYS: `WE'D GET MORE RESPECT IF WE WERE BLACK

BACKSTREET BOYS: `WE'D GET MORE RESPECT IF WE WERE BLACK

NEW YORK (Wireless Flash) -- Looks like the Backstreet Boys see their lives in black and white: they claim they'd get more respect if they were black. That's according to Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson, who tells the upcoming "Rolling Stone" he believes the Boys are plagued by the racial stereotype that white guys can't sing. As he puts it: "...because we're white, people will assume `Oh, man, they ain't really singing.'" But Richardson also admits the group probably wouldn't sell as many records if they were black -- which he says is a "sad fact." However, it looks like all of his Backstreet Boy babbling is unnecessary -- at least when it comes to the fans. The group has just swept "Rolling Stone's" annual Reader's Poll, winning awards in nine categories including "Best Band," "Best Album" and "Best Single" for their hit "I Want It That Way."