The boys of New Edition grew up in Roxbury, MA in the early 1980s. Bobby Brown recruited his friends to form a group, and they added more members on the condition of joining a talent show. After releasing their debut album Candy Girl in 1983, they had success but financial issues with their record label. They went on to have platinum albums and hits throughout the 1980s before Bobby Brown left the group in 1985. The remaining members continued as New Edition and also had solo success. They reunited for a tour and album in 1996 but continued having tensions that led to a violent on-stage altercation in 1997. The group has reunited and toured several times since and their story was portrayed in TV bi

1. New Edition

2. Beginnings
• The boys of New Edition grew up in
the project in Roxbury, MA (5 miles
outside of Boston).
• Bobby Brown had dreams of
becoming an entertainer but
suffered from stage fright, so he
recruited his friends Michael Bivins,
Ralph Tresvant & Ricky Bell. They
hired Brooke Payne as their
manager.
• Throughout the early 80’s the
quartet competed for talent shows.
• One talent show the came in 2nd
place, but the organizer Maurice
Starr wanted to sign them one
condition, they add another
member.
• Payne then recruited his nephew
Ronald DeVoe to join as he was a
great dancer.

3. Candy Girl
• Released: March 1, 1983
• Notable Hits: “Candy Girl” (#46, #1
R&B), “Is This The End” (#85, #8 R&B),
“Popcorn Love” (#101, #25 R&B)

4. Leaving Streetwise
• After touring around the country & overseas, the boys
found themselves back in the projects. As sad as this
was, it’s nothing compared to what happened next.
• When they got their checks for all the Candy Girl works
it turned up to $1.87, as they were told the travel,
hotels, etc. overate the budget.
• The group cut ties with Streetwise and quickly inked a
deal with MCA Records

5. New Edition
(1984)
• Released: July 6, 1984
• Notable Hits: “Cool it Now” (#4, #1
R&B), “Mr. Telephone Man” (#12, #1
R&B), “Lost in Love” (#35, #6 R&B), “My
Secret (Didja Getit Yet?) (#103, #25
R&B)
• Certification: 2x Platinum

6. Money issues
• You would think their money issues was resolved
when they signed with MCA, it wasn’t.
• The boys failed to read their contracts and found
out that they were signed to Jump and Shoot
Productions, who had a deal with MCA.
• They boys borrowed $500,000 to extradite
themselves from Jump and Shoot, leaving the
boys in debt heading into their third album.

7. All For Love
(1985)
• Released: November 8, 1985
• Notable Hits: “Count Me Out” (#51, #2
R&B), “A Little Bit of Love (Is All it
Takes)” (#38, #3 R&B), “With You All the
Way” (#51, #7 R&B)
• Certification: Platinum

8. Exit Bobby
Brown
• Throughout 1985 Bobby Brown has gotten a
reputation for being the bad boy
• By this time, he begun to be more rebellious
against his peers
• One night in Oakland 1985, he performed Mr.
Telephone Man and prolonged the song, to the
point Ralph cued the band to go to the next song
• Infuriated, Bobby tossed his mic up in the air
nearly hitting his bandmates.
• After the show pressured by management, all
four members voted Bobby out of New Edition
• That night he was sent a plane ticket back to
Boston.

9. Under the Blue
Moon (1986)
• After recording the track Earth Angel for
the Karate Kid II soundtrack, MCA gave
the notion to record a doo-wop/cover
album
• Released: November 24, 1986
• Notable Hits: “Earth Angel” (#21, #3
R&B), “Tears on My Pillow” (#41 R&B)
• Certification: Gold

10. King of Stage
(1986)/Ralph
• Due to a leaving members clause MCA had on
its group, the label must produce a Bobby
Brown solo album.
• December 1986 Bobby released King of Stage.
• Notable hits: “Girlfriend” (#1 R&B, #57), “Girl
Next Door” (#31 R&B), “Seventeen”
• Although not a runaway success, it gave Bobby
the freedom to control his own music.
• This lead Ralph wanting to do a solo
• Early that year Ralph didn’t show up at the
Trumpet Awards leaving Bell Biv DeVoe to
perfom “Hey There Lonely Girl”

11. Enter Johnny Gill
• Fearing that Ralph was leaving the group, Michael
Bivins ran into Johnny Gill at a concert.
• Johnny Gill, a Washington, DC crooner had already
established himself as a solo artist just inked a deal
with MCA and their CEO Gearld Busby thought him
joining New Edition would be good for his career.
• But as it turned out Ralph wasn’t ready to leave the
group and didn’t want Johnny to join the group.
• Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who where assigned
the Heart Break album, didn’t promise Johnny
many leads for that album

12. Don’t Be Cruel
• While NE was in turmoil, Bobby was
experiencing massive success with his second
album.
• Released: June 20, 1988
• The album was headlined by it’s lead single
“My Prerogative” which hit #1 on both charts,
and 4 other top 10 hits “Roni”, “Rock Witcha”,
“Don’t Be Cruel”, “Every Little Step”
• What also helped the album success was when
he was arrested for simulating sex acts
onstage.
• The album went 7x Platinum and sold more
records than New Edition first four albums
combined.

13. N.E. Heartbreak
(1988)
• Released: June 20, 1988
• Notable Hits: “If It Isn’t Love” (#7, #2
R&B), “You’re Not My Kind of Girl” (#95,
#3 R&B), “Can You Stand the Rain” (#44,
#1 R&B), “Crucial” (#4 R&B), “NE
Heartbreak” (#13 R&B)
• Certification: 4x Platinum

14. Bell Biv DeVoe
• After the Heartbreak tour ended, Jimmy Jam
and Terry Lewis gave an idea for the
background singers of New Edition to form
their own group. They simply called
themselves Bell Biv DeVoe.
• The group was a contrast to New Edition (who
where professionals), BBD where more
sexually explicit
• Released: March 20, 1990
• Notable Hits: “Poison” (#3, #1 R&B), “Do Me”
(#3, #4 R&B), BBD (I Thought it was Me) (#26,
#1 R&B), “When Will I See You Smile Again”
(#63, #3 R&B), “Dope” (#9 R&B)
• The group won 2 AMA awards for their works

15. Biv 10 Records
• At the same time as Bell Biv DeVoe was experiencing success,
Michael Bivins was experiencing success as a business man.
• He created Biv 10 Records and given distribution through
Motown (now managed by Gerald Busby)
• Notable acts on the label: Boyz II Men (who experienced
massive success that I can’t do justice on this powerpoint),
Another Bad Creation (a kid group from Atlanta known for the
hit “Iesha”), BBD, 702 (early days before becoming a trio)

16. Johnny Gill
• Instead recording his solo album for
MCA, Busby ordered Gill to join
Motown
• Released : April 17, 1990
• Notable Hits: “Rub You the Right Way”
(#3, #1 R&B), “My, My, My” (#10, #1
R&B), “Fairweather Friend” (#26, #2
R&B), “Wrap my Body Tight” (#84, #1
R&B)
• His album went Platinum

17. Ralph Tresvant
• After many delays Ralph finally released
his album in November 1990.
• Notable Hits: “Sensitivity” (#4, #1 R&B),
“Stone Cold Gentleman” (#34, #3 R&B),
“Do What I Gotta Do (#2 R&B)
• Album went Platinum and Tresvant won
a Billboard Award for Best New Male
Artist

18. Bobby activity between (1990-
1995)
• Brown had been making tabloids when he married Whitney Houston in 1992. But the marriage
was mared with infidelity, cocaine use, and sometimes domestic violence. The couple divorced in
2006
• He released his 3rd album in 1992 and although it had hits it failed to match the success of Don’t
Be Cruel.
• After the disappointing 3rd album Bobby took a break and focus on his wife and daughter.

19. Video Soul
Interview
• Aired in 1990 all six members united to discuss their solo
endeavers.
• Calling this interview tense would be an understatement.
• It does show that Ralph grew envy towards BBD as Poison
was dominating the radios.
• A question was posed if the group was to reunite, the
boys beat around the bush.
• By 1993-96 all of they follow-up albums flop and
underperformed financially leaving all member (except
Brown and Bivins) in debt.

20. Home Again
(1996)
• Released: September 15, 1996
• Notable Hits: “Hit Me Off” (#3, #1 R&B),
“I’m Still in Love With You” (#7 on both),
“You Don’t Have to Worry (#7 R&B),
“One More Day” (#61, #22 R&B)
• Certification: 2x Platinum

21. Home Again Tour
• The Home Again Tour was marred by egos, separate
buses and unruly entourages
• Every member (except Johnny) had missed at least
one show none more than Bobby Brown
• Ricky, Ron where battling illness
• Michael had business obligation with Biv 10
• Ralph was still coping with the unexpected passing
of his mother

22. Home Again
Tour/Las Cruces,
NM
• All the tension boiled over in February 1997 at
Las Cruces, NM
• Sources differ depending on who’s telling the
story.
• It is believed that Bobby was extending his
nightly set per usual, and Ronnie had enough
and tried to pull Bobby offstage.
• While BBD performed their set, Brown tried to
use an extinguisher to disrupt BBD, but it failed,
and Bobby stormed the stage. A brawl ensues.
• One of Ronnie’s henchmen fired a gun and
misfired.
• Contrary to the movie, Bobby and Michael left
the tour early and the rest finished disappointly.

23. NE activity between 97-02
• Johnny Gill was the most successful post Home Again as he joined Keith Sweat
and Gerald Levert to form LSG. They scored a major hit with “My Body”
• Ronnie DeVoe moved to Atlanta and got into real estate. He marries Blaque lead
singer Shamari Fears.
• Michael Bivins Biv 10 Records went under in 2002.
• Ralph kept a low profile
• Ricky revealed in a recent DJ Vlad interview he went to rehab as he struggled with
cocaine use during the Home Again tour.

24. New Edition enters Bad
Boys/One Love (2004)
• In 2002 New Edition (minus Bobby)
received a lucrative offer to record for Bad
Boys Records.
• Released: November 9, 2004
• Notable Hits: “Hot 2nite” (#87, #35 R&B)
• Certification: Gold
• New Edition found out that they couldn’t
compete with a younger market and ask
for contractual release in 2005.

25. New Edition Story (2017)
• In 2015 it was announced that BET was
making a 3-part biopic telling the story of
New Edition.
• In 2016 a trailer was released during the
BET Awards
• January 2017 the 3-part biopic was
released and was met with overwhelming
positive reviews.
• Actors included Keith Powers (Ronnie),
Woody McClain (Bobby), Elijah Kelly
(Ricky), Bryshere Gray (Mike), Algee Smith
(Ralph), Luke James (Johnny)

26. Bobby Brown Story
(2018)
• After the 2017 BET Awards it was announced
that a 2-part biopic telling the story of Bobby
Brown.
• Woody McClain returned to reprise his role.
• A trailer was released in the summer of 2018
and released in September that same year to
positive reviews.
• Actors included Gabrielle Dennis (Whitney),
Mekhi Phifer (Tommy), and many others.

27. New Edition Today
• New Edition is still consider a
group and tour regulary, the
men chose to focus on individual
projects.
• After finding out Ralph and
Johnny owned naming rights to
New Edition, the other four
members formed their own
group called RBRM (initials of
their names).
• Ralph and Johnny still work on
solo projects.

28. New Edition Discography
Candy Girl
(1983)
New Edition
(1984)
All for Love
(1985)
Under the
Blue Moon
(1986)
Heart Break
(1988)
Home Again
(1996)
One Love
(2004)

29. New Edition Awards
AMA: Favorite Soul/R&B Band/Duo/Group (1986)
AMA: Favorite Soul/R&B Band/Duo/Group (1997)
Soul Train: Best R&B/Urban Contemporary Album of the Year – Group, Band, or Duo (Heart Break) (1989)
Soul Train: R&B/Soul Album – Group, Band, or Duo (Home Again) (1997)
Soul Train: Lifetime Achievement Award (2012)
Hollywood Walk of Fame
BET: Lifetime Achievement Award (2017)