Full Name: Howard Dwaine Dorough
Age: 27
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5'6
Weight: 138
Shoe Size: 8
Nicknames: Howie D., Sweet D., Latin Lover
Birthplace: Orlando, Florida
Residence: Orlando, Florida
Birthdate: August 22, 1973
Astrological Sign: Leo
Marital Status: Single
Best Love Matches: Libra, Aries, Sagittarius, and Gemini girls
Family Status: Parents- Hoke & Paula; brother- John; sisters- Pollyana, Caroline (died of lupus in 1998), Angie
Tattoos: None
Car he drives: Corvette
Favorite Color: Purple
Favorite Foods: Asian food; Mom's home cooking
Favorite Breakfast: Pancakes with maple syrup
Favorite Drinks: Iced tea & Sprite
Favorite Ice Cream: Oreo Cookies & Cream
Favorite Car: Corvette
Favorite Sports: swimming, racketball, surfing, weight lifting, water skiing
Hobbies: clubbing, dancing, working out, movies, hanging out with his Boys
First Album Bought: Michael Jackson's "Thriller"
Instrument: guitar
Favorite Music: Prince, Jon Secada, Celine Dion, Bobby Brown, Michael Jackson, Al B. Sure, Phillip Bailey, soul and R&B music
Favorite Song: "Unchained Melody" by Righteous Brothers
Favorite Movies: The Outsiders, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Favorite Actress: Demi Moore
Dream Women: Salma Hayek, Cindy Crawford, Brooke Shields
Favorite Actor: Tom Hanks
Favorite Book: The Firm by John Grisham
His Hero: His mom, who has supported him from the beginning
Favorite TV Shows: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Married... With Children
Accessories: silver bracelets, earring in left ear, silver chains
Favorite Clothes: Tommy Hilfiger
Favorite Item of Clothing: his vest; he has forty at home
Favorite Colognes: Cool Water and CK One
Favorite School Subject: Math
Least Fave Subject: English
Favorite Childhood Memory: "Spending Christmas with my family"
Favorite Getaway Place: "To my family's house in Orlando or Puerto Rico"
What he looks for in a girl: Howie likes girls who have a positive attitude, being supportive, upbeat, and ambitious
Favorite Saying: "Cheers!"
Favorite Sports Team: Montreal Expos
Early Jobs: Howie had roles in the movies "Parenthood" and "Cop and a Half". He also did a lot of community theater as well as a commercial for Disney World.
Major Turn-Off: Selfish people, racism, prejudice
What he thought he'd be: A police officer
Self-Discription: "I'm a honest, sincere person who cares a lot about other people and their feelings."
Best Quality: "Being a perfectionist"
Worst quality: "Being a perfectionist... and sleeping late"
Historical era he would like to visit: "The 1950's because I love their style of music ans living back then."
If he were an inanimate object, he would be: "I would be a car because I like living in the fast lane."
Who he would like to ask out on a date: Cindy Crawford
What he brings on the road: "My book bag, which has my whole house in it! CD player, CD's, cassette player, Spanish books, sunglasses- I have everything and anything!" He also brings a pocket-sized tape recorder and records his thoughts and observations.
Most Prized Possession: "My family and my career."
Secret Confession: Howie sleeps in his underwear!
Secret Disguise: A baseball cap
Secret Dream: To cruise around the Carribean in a sailboat!
He's most likely to: Invite you for a moonlight walk on the beach. Howie's such a romantic!
Dream Date: "Going out for a candlelight dinner, then to the movies, out dancing."
I was born August 22, 1973, in Orlando, Florida at Orange Memorial Hospital, and I lived in the same house my whole life [not counting his stint in the BSB bachelor pad]! My dad is a retired police officer- He was a police officer up until I was 12 years old. We're a family of five kids. My parents have been together well over 40 years. There's 10 years difference between me and the next youngest sibling, so I kind of came to my parents a little later on in life. I have a brother Johnny-he's 34; my sister Polly-Anna, is 36; I have another sister who's 38 and she's named Caroline. And then there's Angie, she's 40. I was an uncle at four years old!
When I was a little kid, about three or four, I used to get up on my grandma's bed and sit with my little guitar and sing "Baby Face" (That was my favorite tune then). When my sister was in her senior year of high school, she started getting into entertainment abnd she brought me along. She's just like me: a singer, dancer, and actor. She got me involved in her first play. The Wizard of Oz. She was Glenda the good witch and I was a little munchkin, one of the lollipop guys. I rememeber having these pants that were two sizes too big and I'd be running around dancing holding my pants up, because they'd be falling down the whole time...
I found other kids in my school involved with theater and taking voice lessons and they told me about a voice teacher and an acting troupe for kids called "Show Stoppers". For four years, in elementary school, I was heavily involved with plays, one play after the next. I was a little ham!- I would sing higher notes than the girls next to me! I sang in the childrens choir at my church, and then I went into the men's choir. I sang throughout high school.
When I was about 14, I had a silent bit part in the movie Parenthood and I was also in Cop and a Half. I made the transition into television when Universal Studios moved down here. I was also in the TV pilot for Welcome Freshman for Nickelodeon. I was also in several commercials....
When I was a little kid, and I did that part in the Wizard of Oz, I used to always pretend I had stage fright. I'd go off to the side and I would put on this big act, because I'd get so much attention. But as I got older, I really did start to get nervous before a show! I don't think [nerves] ever leave you. That's what keeps you going, those little butterflies. The day I lose that will be the day I lose touch with reality.
I don't think I was really spoiled, but I was given a lot more than my brother and sisters, who were older. All my [siblings] were there for me- always very caring and understanding. They would make me go around to their high school and show me off to their friends. They didn't tell me what to do, but I would always go to them for advise on girls or school. My mom's Spanish, and we have a large family...here and in Puerto Rico.
For me, having my dad as a cop... he was strict, not in a bad way. He would make sure we were responsible for our actions. He's really always been a good dad. As for school, I was selected 'Most Talented' in my high school year book, and I've done two years of college. I have an Associate of Arts Degree.
Looking back now, I think I was a pretty good little kid. The worst I can remember doing was when I was little, I raked all the leaves in the backyard and I threw them over the fence into the neighbour's backyard!... Household chores weren't a big part of my growing up. My brother and Sister were like, 'You really lucked out. When we younger we always had like a week in the kitchen.' But when I was growing up, they were always there to do the chores for me. I did kind of luck out!
In junior high, I was really interested in girls, but, I could never keep a relationship, because i was already career-oriented. I knew that if I had a girlfriend, I'd bethinking about her all the time and I wouldn't be able to concentrate on school or my career. A lot of times, I'd end up having a girlfriend for two or three weeks, if I was lucky. It wasn't until the later part of high school, that I said that I really want to start dating and having relationships...
I had my first love and I also have my first true love. It's something I'd never trade in; It's something that was a learning experience. One was a singing partner of mine for three years; we dated for two. Even as a little kid, when I used to do acting, I knew her. Even though she was in the entertainment field, it was very hard for her to understand about me leaving all the time. Her insecurity about me being on the road, and what everybody told her about people in groups and stuff... she hard a hard time dealing with it. I actually [got my heart broken]. With my first girlfriend, I got my heart broken too. I was trying to make it a relationship. I gave it my all and everything, but it takes two to tango.
I was feeling as if I was sheltered somewhat with my siblings giving me advice about all this stuff. I felt grown-up mentally about a lot of decisions I made, but them a lot of times it was hard for me to make those decisions because I hadn't had a lot of opportunity to make them. Of course, I'm older now and more experienced- and I feel a lot more confident about who I am and what I want.
If you have the rest of Howie's autobiography, please EMAIL it to me and you'll be given full credit. Thanks.