Black & Blue Tour

The Black & Blue World Tour was the fifth worldwide concert tour by the Backstreet Boys in support of their fourth album Black & Blue (2000) and the world tour took place in 2001. The first leg of the tour kicked off January 22, 2001 in the U.S. The second leg began June 8 in the group's hometown of Orlando, Florida and was temporarily put on hold July 9, in order for group member AJ McLean to seek treatment for clinical depression which led to anxiety attacks and the excessive consumption of alcohol. The tour resumed August 24 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and wrapped up October 19 in Paradise, Nevada. BSB's world tour came to a close by the end of 2001. It grossed over $315 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing concert tour by an artist in general of the year. The tour was sponsored by Burger King, Kellogg's, and Polaroid.

On September 11, 2001, band member Brian Littrell's wife Leighanne and a crew member for the band, Daniel Lee, were scheduled to fly from Boston, where the group played their fifth sold-out show the night before to Los Angeles on American Airlines Flight 11. Leighanne canceled her flight the night before because she wanted to spend more time with her husband, but Lee was one of 92 people killed aboard Flight 11 after it was hijacked and crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. Near the end of their concert in Toronto on September 12, Littrell spoke briefly about Lee and led the audience in a moment of silence for Lee and those who died in the attacks.