Bobby Brown

Last updated

Bobby Brown
Bobby Brown on Sister Circle Live.jpg
Brown in 2018
Born
Robert Barisford Brown

(1969-02-05) February 5, 1969 (age 55)
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • rapper
  • dancer
Years active1978–present [1] [2]
Television Being Bobby Brown
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1992;div. 2007)​
Alicia Etheredge
​
(m. 2012)​
Children7, including Bobbi Kristina
Awards Full list
Musical career
Genres
Labels
Member of

Bobby Barisford Brown Sr. (born February 5, 1969) [4] is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and dancer. Brown, alongside frequent collaborator Teddy Riley, is noted as one of the pioneers of new jack swing: a fusion of hip hop and R&B. Brown started his career in the R&B and pop group New Edition, from its inception in 1978 [2] until his exit from the group in December 1985. [5]

Contents

Once he started a solo career, Brown enjoyed commercial and critical success with his second album Don't Be Cruel (1988) which spawned five Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles, including the number one hit "My Prerogative", and the Grammy Award–winning "Every Little Step". [6] In 1989, Brown contributed two songs to the soundtrack of Ghostbusters II . Brown's next album Bobby (1992) spawned several singles including "Humpin' Around", "Get Away", and "Good Enough". However, despite going 3× Platinum, sales of Bobby did not reach the level of its predecessor. In 1992, Brown married Whitney Houston, with whom he later had a daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown. The couple's drug problems and domestic disputes made them tabloid fodder. [7]

Brown also appeared in the films A Thin Line Between Love and Hate and Two Can Play That Game . He returned to New Edition for a reunion album and tour from 1996 to 1997, and returned with all six members for another stint in 2005. Brown and Houston starred in the 2005 reality show Being Bobby Brown . Houston, who filed for divorce in 2007, died in 2012. Their daughter died in 2015.

Early life

Brown was born in Boston, Massachusetts, [4] as one of eight children. His mother Carole Elizabeth (born Williams) was a substitute teacher, and his father Herbert James Brown was a construction worker. [8] [9] Brown grew up in Roxbury's Orchard Park Projects. [10] [11] [12] Brown's first taste of performing on stage occurred when he was age three, and one of his childhood idols James Brown performed in Boston. This performance sparked his dream of becoming a professional singer. Brown joined the church choir, where he recognized and developed his singing abilities. Brown's musical influences also include singer-songwriters Rick James, Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, and Prince. [13]

Music career

New Edition

New Edition was founded in 1981 by 12-year-old Brown and childhood friends Michael Bivins and Ricky Bell. [14] Ralph Tresvant joined the group at the suggestion of Bell who sang with Tresvant as a duo. Brown was also familiar with Tresvant since they were children. In 1982, they became a quintet when their manager Brooke Payne insisted on bringing in his nephew Ronnie DeVoe, to complete the group. After performing in several talent shows in the Boston area in 1979, they signed a deal with fellow Bostonian Arthur Baker's Streetwise Records, who released their debut album Candy Girl . The title track, on which Brown sang co-lead alongside Bell and Tresvant, was a top-20 hit on Billboard's R&B Singles Chart in 1983. Brown's first full lead vocal performance was on the New Edition ballad "Jealous Girl", which was a minor hit when it also charted in 1983. The group became pop sensations with their self-titled second release. The album included the crossover hits "Cool It Now" and "Mr. Telephone Man", which Brown also co-led.

Despite the group's success, however, Brown felt the group was never rightfully paid the money they felt they had earned, later saying, "The most I saw from all the tours and all of the records we sold was $500 and a VCR." Brown also allegedly grew jealous of the attention given to fellow New Edition member Ralph Tresvant, and during some of their tour performances would often step out of his position and perform out of turn, singing and performing seductively, which caused concern within the group's management team. Brown was featured on two more New Edition albums before leaving the group in early 1986. [15] Brown later said he felt that the group's management treated them "like little slaves by people who were only interested in money and power, and not in the welfare of New Edition". Some controversy arose over the way Brown was removed from the group. Some say Brown asked to be let out of New Edition, but a VH-1 Behind the Music documentary on the group claimed Brown was voted out by the group via their management team, with the members—most prominently Tresvant—against the decision.

Solo career

Following his exit from New Edition, Brown signed a contract with his former group's label, MCA (which had earlier promised Brown a solo deal if he had decided to leave New Edition), and also signed with manager Steven Machat, who had also worked with New Edition. The label released his debut album King of Stage in 1986. Brown had a number-one R&B hit with the ballad "Girlfriend", but the album otherwise failed to perform well.

Brown laid low for more than a year while working on his follow-up album. With the help of Machat and MCA representative Louil Silas, Brown began working with some of the top R&B producers and songwriters of the time, including Babyface, Antonio "L.A." Reid and Teddy Riley. The producers helped to compose what became Brown's most successful solo album of his career, Don't Be Cruel . Released in 1988, the album launched five top-ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100, [6] including the number-one single, the self-penned "My Prerogative", [16] which became, along with "Every Little Step" and the title track, signature hits for the performer. After topping both the pop and R&B charts, album sales would eventually reach twelve million copies worldwide, making it the bestselling album of 1989. In February 1990, he won the Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for the album's fourth single "Every Little Step". [17] Don't Be Cruel also garnered Brown two American Music Awards, a Soul Train Music Award and a People's Choice Award.

In 1989, Brown contributed two songs to the soundtrack of Ghostbusters II , and he also had a cameo role in the film. The first track on that album, "On Our Own" [18] became another top-ten single for the singer, peaking at number two. The same year, a remix compilation, Dance!...Ya Know It! , was released, and found fans in the United Kingdom. Brown embarked on a 120-day world tour to promote Don't Be Cruel in 1988, with Al B. Sure! opening for him, and New Edition also opening for him on some dates. The tour lasted into the spring of 1991, but not without Brown gaining notoriety for simulating sexual acts onstage, which got him into trouble with local law enforcement. [19] In 1990, Brown performed "Tap into My Heart" at the 1990 MTV Awards, and was set to release the album Mystical Magic, but it was eventually shelved for reasons unknown and wasn't released. In 1990, Brown was featured on the number-one hit "She Ain't Worth It" by Glenn Medeiros, [20] making it his second number 1 hit on the pop chart, and also collaborated with Babyface for the remix of the latter's single "Tender Lover" that same year. In 1991, Brown collaborated with New Edition member Ralph Tresvant on the latter's single "Stone Cold Gentleman", which was a top-five R&B hit.

Brown's next album Bobby was released in 1992. Despite its release during the final days of the New Jack Swing era it was a success, selling more than 3 million copies, and spawning several hit singles including "Humpin' Around", [21] "Get Away", and "Good Enough". He received his second Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance nomination for "Humpin' Around". [17] He received his third American Music Award in January 1993. However, sales of Bobby did not match its predecessor. Whitney Houston and Brown had recorded a song together, "Something in Common", which was released as a single from the Bobby album.

In 1994, dance producers K-Klass remixed "Two Can Play That Game" from the Bobby album, it would become Brown's biggest single in the UK peaking at No.3 in 1995.

Four years later, he would release his fourth solo album Forever , in 1997. The album's only single, "Feeling Inside", was not successful.

Prior to the release of Forever, Brown had been in negotiations with rapper Tupac Shakur to sign with Shakur's new label Makaveli Records, or with the proposed label Death Row East. However, Shakur died before that could take place. Leaving MCA following Forever, Brown laid low for several years, appearing as a featured artist in 2001 on two tracks from The Benzino Project , and in 2002 he was featured in a duet with rapper Ja Rule on the song "Thug Lovin'". Brown was signed to Murder Inc. Records, but that label had already begun to dissolve, so Brown's tenure with them was brief. In 2006, Brown appeared adding vocals to Damian Marley's song "Beautiful" on Marley's album, Welcome to Jamrock .

In 2008, Brown planned to release a book titled Bobby Brown: The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing But, written by author Derrick Handspike. [22] When controversial comments that Brown made about his ex-wife, Whitney Houston, were leaked to the media, he backed out of the project. [23] [22] Handspike released the book after Houston's death in 2012. [24]

In 2010, Brown was featured in a duet with singer Macy Gray on the song "Real Love" on Gray's album The Sellout . About this project, Gray explained to Essence , [25] "Actually, he came to the studio, since he doesn't live far, and knocked out his recording in two hours. We're friends, and his one-year-old son is my godson. His fiancée is one of my best friends in the whole world. I met Bobby a long time ago, but we really got to know each other through her." [26]

On June 5, 2012, Brown released his fifth album, The Masterpiece , which debuted at number 41 on the Billboard R&B album chart. [6]

On February 14, 2017, Brown performed at the Valentine's Day Music Festival with Keith Sweat, Avant and El DeBarge. [27]

New Edition reunions

Brown made his first reunited appearance with New Edition at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards. Their performance later sparked the recording of Bell Biv DeVoe's "Word to the Mutha!" in 1991 (on which Brown, Ralph Tresvant and later NE member Johnny Gill were included). A fully-fledged reunion occurred with the 1996 release of the album, Home Again . [28] Brown contributed lead vocals on two hit singles, "Hit Me Off" and "You Don't Have to Worry". However, a subsequent 1997 tour to support the album led to problems between Brown and the other New Edition members. Brown later admitted that he was struggling with drug addiction and alcoholism during the tour.

In 2005, at the BET 25th Anniversary Special, Brown again reunited with New Edition. In 2008, Brown, Ralph Tresvant, and Johnny Gill then formed a splinter group, Heads of State, to compete with Bell Biv DeVoe. At the 2009 BET Awards, following the death of the group's idol Michael Jackson, all six of the New Edition members again reunited to perform a medley of Jackson 5 hits in honor of Jackson. This sparked rumors of another full-fledged New Edition reunion, which was confirmed the following year.

Brown and New Edition continue to perform together, including The Culture Tour, which began in early 2022. [29] [30]

Acting and television career

Brown made his acting debut with a cameo appearance in the 1989 film, Ghostbusters II , playing the Mayor's doorman. The following year, he appeared in the HBO kids show, Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme playing all three characters of Three Blind Mice. In 1995, he made another guest appearance in the film, Panther , and had a major role in the Martin Lawrence film, A Thin Line Between Love and Hate . Brown made other guest appearances in the films Two Can Play That Game , Gang of Roses , Nora's Hair Salon and Go for Broke.

In 2005, Brown was in negotiations with the Bravo television network for a reality series entitled Being Bobby Brown . Bravo, however, was not ready to commit to the deal unless Brown's superstar wife Whitney Houston agreed to be part of the cast, which she did. The show then received the greenlight from Bravo and was a massive success in the ratings, with Houston proving so popular on the series that she received as much screen time as the show's name-sake. The series showed Brown and Houston not always in their best moments. The Hollywood Reporter said that the show was "undoubtedly the most disgusting and execrable series ever to ooze its way onto television". [31] Despite the perceived train-wreck nature of the show, it continued Houston's unbroken string of hit motion pictures and television projects, and it gave Bravo its highest ratings ever of any of its ongoing series. [32] The show lasted one season and ended in 2006 after Houston stated she would not appear in season two and Bravo and Brown could not settle on a new deal.

In June 2007, Brown took part in the ITV television series 24 Hours With..., a chat show format as celebrity and interviewer spend an intense 24 hours locked in a room together. The show's host, Jamie Campbell, asked Brown questions about his career and private life, and infamously joked about making "sexual moves" towards the singer. Brown was furious and threatened to beat Campbell up live on air. [33] Brown's later tenures in reality shows included appearances on Real Husbands of Hollywood , Celebrity Fit Club and Gone Country .

In 2021, Brown competed in season five of The Masked Singer as the wild card contestant "Crab". At one point after performing Rick James's song "Give It to Me Baby", Brown had to be briefly taken to his dressing room when he became overheated and short of breath in his costume. He was later eliminated on Week 7 alongside Tamera Mowry as "Seashell".

In May 2022, Biography: Bobby Brown and Bobby Brown: Every Little Step began airing on A&E. [34] [35] Brown is an executive-producer of both the documentary-style and reality television series about his life. [36] [37]

Personal life

In 1995, Brown was with Steven Sealy when Sealy was targeted in a drive-by shooting. Sealy, Brown's sister's boyfriend, was killed and Brown was unharmed. [38] [39] The shooter, John Tibbs, took a plea agreement in 2001. [40]

Brown's parents, Carole and Herbert Brown, died within a year of each other. Carole died in 2011 and Herbert "Pops" in January 2012, a month before Bobby's former wife Whitney Houston's death. [41] [42]

Marriages

Brown first met Whitney Houston at the Soul Train Music Awards in 1989 when he was 20. They began a close friendship after Houston invited Brown to her 26th birthday party that August. Their friendship developed into a romance. In 1991, Brown proposed to Houston and the couple married at Houston's estate on July 18, 1992. Their daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown was born in 1993. [43] Houston and Brown later collaborated on the hit single "Something in Common", which included their daughter at the end of the music video.

Throughout their marriage, there were rumors of infidelity on Brown's part, alcohol and drug abuse, and domestic violence. [44] Their personal issues became fodder for talk shows and sketch comedy shows. Some sketch comedy shows portrayed Brown as a has-been who was jealous of his wife's celebrity status. In 2003, Brown was charged with battery after an altercation with Houston. [44]

In 2005, the couple participated in the reality show Being Bobby Brown , which gave a picture of their lives behind the scenes. [45] In September 2006, Houston filed for legal separation and later divorce. [46] Their divorce was finalized on April 24, 2007, with Houston receiving custody of their 14-year-old daughter. [47] [48] In a September 2009 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Houston admitted to sometimes using drugs with Brown, stating that Brown had "laced marijuana with cocaine". [49] Houston also told Winfrey that Brown had been abusive during their marriage and even spat on her on one occasion while drunk. [50]

Following the death of Houston on February 11, 2012, six days after his 43rd birthday, Brown struggled to perform at a New Edition show, shouting "I love you, Whitney" in tears. [51] Brown then excused himself from the stage and New Edition finished the remainder of the show. Brown appeared at Houston's memorial service in New Jersey but was asked to leave by the family's security. In an interview given to The Today Show in May 2012, Brown said security was the reason he and his family left the service; Brown stated that he loved Houston's family and told Matt Lauer that he had spent "14 beautiful years" with Houston as his wife. [52] Along with Clive Davis, Ray J, and others, Brown has been accused of contributing to the singer's death, which he denies. [53]

In 2009, Brown had a son named Cassius with his partner of two years, manager Alicia Etheredge. [54] Brown and Etheredge became engaged in May 2010, when Brown proposed during a performance at the Funk Fest in Jacksonville, Florida. [55] The couple married on June 18, 2012, in Hawaii and have since had two daughters. [56]

Children

Brown has fathered seven children. His eldest, Landon, was born on June 22, 1986, to Melika Williams. [56] He has two children with Kim Ward, whom he met around 1980; daughter La'Princia [57] (b. 1989) and son Bobby Brown Jr. (1991–2020). His and Ward's on-and-off 11-year relationship ended in 1991. At three months pregnant, Ward found out Brown was engaged to Whitney Houston. [58] Houston suffered miscarriages in 1992, 1994, and 1996. His only child with Houston was Bobbi Kristina Brown (1993–2015). Brown has three children with Alicia Etheredge: a son born in 2009, and daughters born in 2015 and 2016. [59] [60]

In January 2015, Brown's daughter Bobbi Kristina was found unconscious in her bathtub at her residence in Roswell, Georgia. The 21-year-old was rushed to North Fulton Hospital where she was placed on a ventilator in a medically induced coma to stop the swelling of her brain. It was reported her brain activity was "low". Brown rushed to his daughter's side and released a statement to the press requesting them to respect the family's privacy. She was later transferred to Emory University Hospital. [61] After doctors concluded significant brain function was unlikely to occur, Bobbi Kristina was removed from the ventilator and put in the care of Hospice in Duluth, Georgia. She died there on July 26, 2015, at age 22. [62]

On November 18, 2020, Brown's son Bobby Jr., age 28, was found dead in his home. [63] [64] His death was ruled an accidental overdose of cocaine, fentanyl, and alcohol. [65]

Health and drug use

As a child, Brown was diagnosed with ADD and later with bipolar disorder at age 32. [66] Brown said that his drug of choice was marijuana and that he had developed alcoholism at an early age. Brown was doing drugs all his life before he met Whitney Houston [67] "I never used cocaine until after I met Whitney. Before then, I had experimented with other drugs, but marijuana was my drug of choice," he said. [23] Throughout the 1990s, his drug addiction worsened and at one point he was cooking cocaine and using heroin. [23]

According to former gang member David Collins, Brown was kidnapped by New York street gang the Preacher Crew over a $25,000 drug debt in 1993. Houston paid a $400,000 ransom to the gang who threatened to kill Brown. The incident was never reported to authorities. [68] [69]

Arrests

Since 1989, Brown has been arrested multiple times for various offenses:

Brown popularized the Roger Rabbit dance (aka the "backwards" running man), as performed in the music video for his song "Every Little Step" (1989), [94] along with the Gumby-style hi-top fade. [95] Brown has claimed that he taught Michael Jackson how to do the moonwalk. [96]

Brown was spoofed by Aries Spears on MADtv , with Whitney Houston portrayed by Debra Wilson. [45] He was also spoofed by Tracy Morgan and Finesse Mitchell on Saturday Night Live . Brown was portrayed by Arlen Escarpeta in the television film Whitney , by Woody McClain in the 2017 miniseries The New Edition Story and in the 2018 miniseries about his life, The Bobby Brown Story. Brown is also portrayed by Ashton Sanders in the Whitney Houston biopic, Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody , that was released Christmas 2022. [97]

In 2022, Brown also claimed he started wearing the "diaper pants" that MC Hammer altered and made famous, on his A&E show Bobby Brown: Every Little Step . [98] However, Brown wore a less sagging variation during some concerts and in music videos, such as "My Prerogative" (1988) and "Every Little Step" (1989). [99]

Discography

Studio albums
With New Edition

Tours

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1984 Be Somebody... or Be Somebody's Fool! HimselfVideo
1985 Krush Groove
1989 Ghostbusters II Mayor's Doorman
1990 Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme Three Blind MiceTV movie
1995 Panther Rose
1996 A Thin Line Between Love and Hate Tee
2001 Two Can Play That Game Michael
2002 Go for Broke Jive
2003 Gang of Roses Left Eye Watkins
2004 Nora's Hair Salon Bennie
2008 Nora's Hair Salon 2: A Cut Above Old Man Butter
2017A Kindred SoulUncleShort

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1984–86 American Bandstand HimselfRecurring Guest
1984–92 Soul Train
1985 Solid Gold Episode: "Episode #5.20"
1988–89 America's Top 10 Episode: "(1988-12)" & "Top 10 Songs of 1989"
1989 227 Episode: "Video Activity"
1989–96 Top of the Pops Recurring Guest
1992 Saturday Night Live Episode: "Nicolas Cage/Bobby Brown"
1993 American Music Awards Himself/Co-HostMain Co-Host
Out All Night HimselfEpisode: "A Date With a Diva"
1996 Family Matters Episode: "Home Again"
2000–02 Where Are They Now? Recurring Guest
2003 Cedric the Entertainer Presents Episode: "Episode #1.16"
2005 Behind the Music Episode: "New Edition"
Dateline NBC Episode: "Episode #13.51"
Being Bobby Brown Main Cast
Cuts Episode: "Blinging In The New Year"
2007 24 Hours with... Episode: "Bobby Brown"
2008 Gone Country Main Cast: Season 1
2009Played by FameEpisode: "Kickin' the Habit"
2010 Celebrity Fit Club Main Cast: Season 7
2011 Celebrity Close Calls Episode: "Bobby Brown/Morgan Fairchild/Jewel/Elliott Yamin"
2013–14 Unsung Episode: "Johnny Gill" & "Troop"
2013–15 Real Husbands of Hollywood Guest: Season 1, Recurring Cast: Season 2–3
2017 Hollywood Medium Episode: "Eva Longoria/Bobby Brown/Jwoww"
Hip Hop Squares Himself/Center SquareRecurring Guest
Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood HimselfEpisode: "Boy Band"
Lip Sync Battle Episode: "Soul Train Special"
2019 American Soul Rufus ThomasEpisode: "Lost and Found"
2021 The Masked Singer Himself/CrabContestant: Season 5
Crank Yankers Bobby Brown's Uncle/Mike Tyson (voice)Episode: "Episode #6.5" & "#6.9"
2022Bobby Brown: Every Little StepHimselfMain Cast

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitney Houston</span> American singer and actress (1963–2012)

Whitney Elizabeth Houston was an American singer, actress, and film producer. Known as “the Voice”, she is one of the most awarded entertainers and one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with sales of over 220 million records worldwide. Houston's crossover appeal on popular music charts and her performances influenced the breaking down of gender and racial barriers, as well as popular culture. Known for her vocal delivery and live concerts, Houston was ranked second by Rolling Stone on its 2023 list of the "200 Greatest Singers of All Time". Her life and career have been the subject of multiple documentaries and television specials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Edition</span> American R&B group

New Edition is an American R&B/pop group from the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1978 by singer/rapper Bobby Brown. Their name is taken to mean a new edition of the Jackson 5. The group reached its height of popularity in the 1980s and is considered the blueprint for what would become the modern boy band. The lineup originally consisted of Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ronnie DeVoe, Bobby Brown, and Ralph Tresvant. Brown left the group in late 1985 to begin a successful solo career, and they continued as a quartet for one album, before adding Johnny Gill to the lineup in 1987. Early hits included "Candy Girl", "Cool It Now", and "Mr. Telephone Man". Tresvant was the lead singer on most of the songs. In 1990, both Gill and Tresvant released their own solo albums, while the remaining three members formed the trio Bell Biv DeVoe; the group ceased to work together for the first half of the 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cissy Houston</span> American singer and mother of Whitney Houston (1933–2024)

Emily Drinkard, known professionally as Cissy Houston, was an American soul and gospel singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, Houston began singing with three of her siblings in the family gospel group, The Drinkard Singers. By the early 1960s, Houston began a career as a session vocalist for several secular musicians in the rhythm and blues, soul, rock and roll, pop and rock genres. After initially joining her nieces' group the Gospelaires for a session with Ronnie Hawkins in 1961, Houston gradually took control of the group, which revamped into "The Group" with Houston, niece Sylvia Shemwell, Myrna Smith and teenager Estelle Brown. She eventually founded the girl group The Sweet Inspirations with Shemwell, Smith and Brown in 1967 and that year signed a contract with Atlantic Records where, with Houston as lead singer, they would record four albums before Houston departed for a solo career in 1970. Her best known solo singles include the top 20 R&B chart single, "I'll Be There" and the top 5 dance single, "Think It Over". Her solo career culminated with two Grammy Award wins, both in the Traditional Gospel Album category.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Gill</span> American R&B singer (born 1966)

Johnny Gill Jr. is an American singer and songwriter. He is the sixth and final member of the R&B/pop group New Edition and was also a member of the supergroup called LSG, with Gerald Levert and Keith Sweat. Gill has released eight solo albums, three albums with New Edition, two albums with LSG, and one collaborative album with Stacy Lattisaw. Gill has sold over 15 million copies worldwide as a solo artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray J</span> American singer (born 1981)

William Ray Norwood Jr., known professionally as Ray J, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, television presenter, and actor. Born in McComb, Mississippi and raised in Carson, California, he is the younger brother of singer and actress Brandy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ralph Tresvant</span> Musical artist

Ralph Edward Tresvant is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer, best known as the lead singer of R&B group New Edition. As a solo artist, Tresvant released his double platinum-selling debut album Ralph Tresvant (1990). In 2008, he began touring with Bobby Brown and Johnny Gill in a new group named Heads of State. On February 3, 2023, Tresvant became host of the syndicated radio show Love and R&B, heard on WOSF.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Something in Common</span> 1993 single by Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston

"Something in Common" is a song by American singers Bobby Brown and then-wife Whitney Houston, that was featured on Brown's third album, Bobby (1992). The single version was re-recorded and released in December 1993 by MCA, and was also available on Brown's 1993 compilation album Remixes in the Key of B. It was written by Brown and Houston with Teddy Riley, Bernard Belle, Mark Middleton and Alfred Rosemond, while Riley and L.A. Reid produced it. The song stands as the couple's first musical collaboration and the only song released as a single. It examines two unlikely people coming together as they find "something in common." Its music video was directed by Andy Morahan.

<i>All for Love</i> (New Edition album) 1985 studio album by New Edition

All for Love is the third studio album by American R&B quintet New Edition, released by MCA Records on November 8, 1985. The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Also, this would be the final studio album to feature original group member Bobby Brown, who would shortly depart for a solo career until he would later return for their 1996 comeback album with the group, Home Again.

<i>Heart Break</i> 1988 studio album by New Edition

Heart Break is the fifth studio album by American R&B quintet New Edition, released June 20, 1988, by MCA Records. It is the first album to return the Boston-reared band as a quintet after the public exit of original member Bobby Brown, and the first album to feature Johnny Gill as a member of the group. The album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

<i>Home Again</i> (New Edition album) 1996 studio album by New Edition

Home Again is the sixth studio album by American R&B/pop group New Edition. Released on September 10, 1996, it is the only album to date to feature all six members of New Edition—Bobby Brown, who had left the group in 1985, rejoined the lineup—and was their final recording for MCA Records. Highly anticipated, and being their first album since, Heart Break (1988), the album debuted on the US Billboard 200 at number one, becoming the group's first album to open at number one, selling 227,000 in its first week sales. It also topped the Irish Albums Chart, and the US Billboard R&B Albums Chart as the group's first album in twelve years to do so since their self titled album in 1984. The album's success spawned four singles that collectively received moderate Billboard chart success. It was certified double platinum by the RIAA, for sales and shipments of over two million copies on February 4, 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">If It Isn't Love</span> 1988 single by New Edition

"If It Isn't Love" is a song by American R&B quintet New Edition, and the first single from their fifth studio album, Heart Break (1988). The song was released on June 9, 1988 by MCA Records. It became the biggest hit from the album, reaching the top ten of the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number seven, becoming their first top 10 hit following the departure of Bobby Brown, and reaching the second position on the Hot Black Singles chart. The song and video is also notable for being the introduction of fellow R&B singer Johnny Gill as a new member of the R&B quintet. Its chart performance and well-received music video garnered the quintet their first, and to date, sole nomination for the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 31st Grammy Awards in February 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Every Little Step</span> 1989 single by Bobby Brown

"Every Little Step" is a 1989 single by American singer Bobby Brown, written by L.A. Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and released by MCA Records. Released as the fourth single on his second album Don't Be Cruel it reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100, number one on the Hot Black Singles chart, and number six on the UK Singles Chart in 1989. The song also appears on Brown's remix album Dance!...Ya Know It!. The single garnered Brown's first career Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 32nd Grammy Awards in 1990.

"Count Me Out" is a song released as a single by R&B/pop group New Edition from their All for Love album, released in September 1985 on the MCA label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobbi Kristina Brown</span> American television personality and singer (1993–2015)

Bobbi Kristina Brown was an American reality television personality and singer. She was the only child of singers Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown. Her parents' fame kept Brown in the public eye, as did her appearances on the reality show Being Bobby Brown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Bodyguard World Tour</span> 1993–94 concert tour by Whitney Houston

The Bodyguard World Tour is the fifth concert tour by American recording artist, Whitney Houston. The tour was in support of her multi-platinum soundtrack album, The Bodyguard, and also of the movie of the same name. Following the success of the album and worldwide hit singles "I Will Always Love You", "I Have Nothing" and "I'm Every Woman", Houston started the extensive world tour that lasted through the fall of 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Shmurda</span> American rapper (born 1994)

Ackquille Jean Pollard, known professionally as Bobby Shmurda, is an American rapper. Along with Rowdy Rebel, Shmurda is considered a pioneer of Brooklyn drill music. He rose to international fame in 2014 when his single, "Hot Nigga", peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100. Its success led him to sign with Epic Records to release his debut extended play (EP), Shmurda She Wrote, (2014).

<i>Whitney</i> (2015 film) 2015 American TV series or program

Whitney is a 2015 American biographical film directed by Angela Bassett based on American singer Whitney Houston and her turbulent marriage to R&B artist Bobby Brown that premiered on Lifetime in North America on January 17, 2015. Whitney received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, with DaCosta's performance as Houston and Bassett's direction being praised but Escarpeta's casting and the film's accuracy being criticized. Bassett was nominated at the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Miniseries or TV Film and at the Black Reel Awards for Outstanding Director in a Television Miniseries or Movie.

The New Edition Story is an American biographical three-part miniseries about the R&B group New Edition, from their rise to fame as a boy band from the Orchard Park Projects of Roxbury, Massachusetts, to becoming a successful adult act. It was originally broadcast on BET from January 24 through January 26, 2017, becoming the network's first scripted miniseries. All six members of New Edition served as co-producers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Offset (rapper)</span> American rapper (born 1991)

Kiari Kendrell Cephus, known professionally as Offset, is an American rapper and songwriter. He rose to prominence as one third of the Atlanta-based hip hop trio Migos. Formed with fellow rappers Quavo and Takeoff in 2008, the group released four commercially successful studio albums—Yung Rich Nation (2015), Culture (2016), Culture II (2017) and Culture III (2021)—before disbanding in 2023.

<i>Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody</i> 2022 film by Kasi Lemmons

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody is a 2022 American biographical musical drama film directed by Kasi Lemmons, from a screenplay by Anthony McCarten, based on the life and career of American pop icon and actress Whitney Houston. The film stars Naomi Ackie as Houston with Stanley Tucci, Ashton Sanders, Tamara Tunie, Nafessa Williams, and Clarke Peters in supporting roles.

References

  1. ↑ "You Say It's Your Birthday, New Edition, and Bell Biv Devoes". MTV . Archived from the original on October 24, 2019. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  2. 1 2 "'The New Edition Story' Part One: Humble Beginnings To Harsh Realities". Essence. January 25, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  3. ↑ "Bobby Brown Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic .
  4. 1 2 Huey, Steve. "[Bobby Brown] Artist Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  5. ↑ Caramanica, Jon (February 13, 2009). "The Newest New Edition: Three Singers, Trading Styles with Equanimity". The New York Times. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 "Bobby Brown Chart History". Billboard.
  7. ↑ Rubenstein, Janine (July 17, 2018). "Inside Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown's Rocky Marriage: 'It Was More of a Codependency'". MSN.
  8. ↑ "Whitney Houston shows for funeral in Roxbury". Boston.com . Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Bobby Brown's Uneasy Passage". Rolling Stone . September 7, 1989. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  10. ↑ "From boy band to bloated: Bobby Brown". Boston.com. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  11. ↑ "BOBBY BROWN UNHURT AS GUNMAN SLAYS PAL". The Daily News . September 29, 1995. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Singer Bobby Brown Uninjured After Shootout Which Killed Friend Brown Was Leaving Seedy Bar Near His Boyhood Neighborhood". The Spokesman-Review . September 29, 1995. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Artist Influences for Bobby Brown". MTV. Archived from the original on February 3, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
  14. ↑ "Bobby Brown tells why he waited five years to make new album". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. December 8, 1997. ISSN   0021-5996 . Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  15. ↑ Hilburn, Robert (September 27, 1992). "How Cruel Can Fame Be, Bobby Brown?". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  16. ↑ "BOBBY BROWN | full Official Chart History". Official Charts. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  17. 1 2 "Bobby Brown". Recording Academy Grammy Awards. November 23, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 – 1989". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  19. ↑ Dougherty, Steve; Holmstrom, Rick (April 10, 1989). "Bobby Brown's Cruel Beguiles Fans—but Not the Cop Who Nabbed Him for Dirty Dancing". People.
  20. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 – 1990". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1992". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  22. 1 2 "Author Reveals Why Bobby Brown Backed Out of Tell-All Book Deal". Essence. December 16, 2009.
  23. 1 2 3 Kaufman, Gil (April 3, 2008). "Bobby Brown's Autobiography Claims Whitney Houston Introduced Him To Hard Drugs". MTV. Archived from the original on June 29, 2014.
  24. ↑ Handspike, Derrick (2012). Bobby Brown: The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing But. Over The Edge Books. ISBN   978-1-4675-1944-1.
  25. ↑ Essence magazine
  26. ↑ Hillary Crosley. "Macy Gray on 'The Sellout' and Finding Bobby Brown". Archived from the original on June 25, 2010. Retrieved September 14, 2010.
  27. ↑ Penrose, Nerisha (January 30, 2017). "Where are the Six Members of New Edition Now?". Billboard. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  28. 1 2 3 "Update: Bobby Brown Arrested In Atlanta". Billboard. November 7, 2002. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  29. ↑ "New Edition Announces The Culture Tour Beginning February 2022 With Charlie Wilson and Special Guest Jodeci". Business Wire. December 13, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  30. ↑ Darlene Aderoju (December 17, 2021). "New Edition 2022 Tour Dates With Charlie Wilson and Jodeci". Billboard. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  31. ↑ Barry Garron, "'Being Bobby Brown' Is Disgusting", MSNBC, July 7, 2005.
  32. ↑ Steve Rogers, "Report: Bravo's 'Being Bobby Brown' coming back for second season", RealityTV World, October 31, 2005.
  33. ↑ "BROWN'S 24 HOURS OF ANGER". Mirror.co.uk. May 12, 2007. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
  34. ↑ "Watch Biography: Bobby Brown Documentary, Full Episodes, Video". A&E. June 16, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  35. ↑ "Watch Bobby Brown: Every Little Step Full Episodes, Video & More". A&E. June 16, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  36. ↑ "Bobby Brown Says His A&E Documentary Biography: Bobby Brown Helped Him 'Move On With Life'". Black Enterprise. June 16, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  37. ↑ "Bobby Brown biography, miniseries to air on A&E Network | SoulTracks - Soul Music Biographies, News and Reviews". SoulTracks. January 26, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  38. ↑ "Spotlight On: Bobby Brown R&b Bad Boy Trying To Walk 'A Thin Line'". Morning Call. March 30, 1996. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  39. ↑ "Not Who You Think She Is". People . Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  40. ↑ "Admits to '95 slaying in plea agreement. (News)". Archived from the original on June 26, 2015.
  41. ↑ "Whitney Houston Performs at Mama Brown's Family Funeral". tmz.com. February 2011. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  42. ↑ "Bobby Brown's Dad Herbert -- Dead at 82". tmz.com. December 11, 2011. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  43. ↑ Speidel, Maria (March 22, 1993). "Passages". People . Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
  44. 1 2 3 4 "Bobby Brown charged with battery". CNN. December 10, 2003.
  45. 1 2 Lindsey D., Craig (July 14, 2005). "Whitney's Dookie Bubble". Houston Press.
  46. 1 2 "Whitney Houston, Bobby Brown split". TODAY.com. September 13, 2006.
  47. ↑ Silverman, Stephen M. (November 18, 2006). "Whitney Houston Files for Divorce". People . Time, Inc . Retrieved February 8, 2009.
  48. ↑ "Houston wins custody of daughter". BBC News. April 5, 2007. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
  49. ↑ "Whitney Houston – Houston Details Drug Use: 'We Laced Marijuana With Rock Cocaine". Contact Music. September 15, 2009. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
  50. ↑ Sheila Marikar (September 14, 2009). "Whitney Houston Reveals Dark Days With Bobby Brown: 'He Spit on Me'". ABC News. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  51. ↑ "Bobby Brown Says 'I Love You, Whitney' During Emotional Concert". Billboard. February 12, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
  52. ↑ "Bobby Brown Speaks Out on Whitney Houston's Funeral in 'Today' Interview". The Hollywood Reporter. May 1, 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  53. ↑ Furek, M.W. (2015). "Gotcha…Playing the Whitney Houston Blame Game". Counselor, the Magazine for Addiction and Behavioral Health Professionals. Vol. 16, no. 4. Deerfield Beach, Florida: Health Communications, Inc. pp. 14–17.
  54. ↑ Brown in "Bobby Brown Welcomes Son Cassius". People. June 4, 2009. Archived from the original on March 23, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2011. I just had a baby. Four days ago — my son Cassius.
  55. ↑ "Bobby Brown Gets Engaged – On Stage!". People. May 9, 2010.
  56. 1 2 "Bobby Brown Is Married". People. June 19, 2012.
  57. ↑ Spelling per her Twitter account: La'Princia Q. Brown. Retrieved on February 24, 2016.
  58. ↑ Wolfson, John (July 2004). "Bobby Brown's Bum Rap". Boston Magazine. Archived from the original on February 20, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  59. ↑ "Bobby Brown Names His Newborn Daughter Amid Bobbi Kristina Tragedy". Us Weekly . July 16, 2015.
  60. ↑ "Bobby Brown's Newborn Daughter's Name Is Revealed: 'I'm Grateful'". Us Weekly . July 30, 2016.
  61. ↑ "Bobbi Kristina Brown moved to new hospital amid fight for life". February 3, 2015.
  62. ↑ Respers France, Lisa (July 26, 2015). "Bobbi Kristina Brown dies at 22". CNN . Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  63. ↑ "Bobby Brown's Son Bobby Jr. Dead at 28". TMZ. November 19, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  64. ↑ "Bobby Brown Pays Instagram Tribute to Late Son Three Years After Death". People. November 27, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  65. ↑ "Bobby Brown Jr. Died of Accidental Overdose of Cocaine, Fentanyl and Alcohol: Coroner". People. March 22, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  66. ↑ Marcia Purse. "Bobby Brown". About.com Health. Archived from the original on June 26, 2015. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  67. ↑ Seemayer, Zach (June 7, 2016). "Bobby Brown Opens Up About Doing Drugs With Whitney Houston, Denies Abuse Allegations: 'I've Never Been a Violent Person'". Entertainment Tonight . Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  68. ↑ Green, Jonathan (2018). Sex Money Murder: A Story of Crack, Blood, and Betrayal. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN   978-0-393-24450-2.
  69. ↑ Parker, Mike (April 5, 2009). "Whitney Houston pays off drug gangsters". Express.co.uk.
  70. ↑ "Bobby Brown Held For Aiding Brother". The Buffalo News. September 25, 1990.
  71. 1 2 3 Fitzgerald, Henry (December 24, 1996). "Bobby Brown Faces DUI Charge In Hollywood". Sun-Sentinel.com.
  72. ↑ "Bobby Brown Found Guilty Of Drunk Driving; Gets Five Days In Jail And Drug Treatment". Jet: 64. February 16, 1998.
  73. 1 2 3 "Warrant issued for Bobby Brown". CNN. January 16, 2003.
  74. ↑ "Bobby Brown Investigated On Sexual Battery Complaint". Chicago Tribune. June 22, 1998.
  75. ↑ Ryan, Joal (June 23, 1998). "Bobby Brown Busted in Beverly Hills". E! Online.
  76. ↑ Reese, Lori (May 23, 2000). "Bobby Brown is told to stay in jail". EW. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  77. ↑ "Bobby Brown Sentenced To Eight Days In Jail". Billboard. January 17, 2003.
  78. ↑ Kaufman, Gil (August 27, 2003). "Bobby Brown Sentenced For Probation Violations". MTV News. Archived from the original on November 19, 2014.
  79. ↑ Kaufman, Gil (December 3, 2003). "Bobby Brown Turns Himself In, Appears In Court With Whitney At His Side". MTV News . New York City: Viacom. Archived from the original on February 25, 2004. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  80. ↑ "Bobby Brown Charged With Battery After Allegedly Hitting Whitney Houston". Jet: 63. January 5, 2004.
  81. ↑ Nadira A. Hira (March 24, 2004). "Bobby Brown Jailed (Again) For Failure To Pay Child Support". MTV News. Archived from the original on July 17, 2015.
  82. ↑ "Bobby Brown jailed for no child support". UPI. March 25, 2004.
  83. ↑ "Singer Bobby Brown Pays $63,500 In Back Child Support; Released From Jail". Jet: 35. April 12, 2004.
  84. ↑ Alyssa Rashbaum (June 15, 2004). "Bobby Brown Pays Child Support, Avoids Jail". MTV News. Archived from the original on August 2, 2020.
  85. ↑ "Bobby Brown jailed over child support". Reuters. February 27, 2007.
  86. ↑ "Bobby Brown free after paying child support". TODAY.com. March 1, 2007.
  87. ↑ "Bobby Brown Arrested in Los Angeles; DUI Suspicion". The New York Times. October 24, 2012.
  88. 1 2 Duke, Alan (February 28, 2013). "Bobby Brown ordered to jail for DUI". CNN.
  89. ↑ "Bobby Brown Is Back in Rehab, Wife Alicia Etheredge Says". US Weekly . August 14, 2012. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
  90. ↑ Duke, Alan (October 24, 2012). "Bobby Brown arrested again on DUI charge". CNN.
  91. ↑ "Bobby Brown slapped with 55-day jail sentence on drunk-driving rap". New York Daily News. February 26, 2013.
  92. ↑ Duke, Alan (March 21, 2013). "Bobby Brown out of jail in hours". CNN. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  93. ↑ "Bobby Brown Serves 9 Hours of 55 Day Sentence". ABC News. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  94. ↑ "Bobby Brown's Most Trendsetting Style Moments". May 26, 2022.
  95. ↑ "Fade to the '90s".
  96. ↑ "Bobby Brown Says He Taught Michael Jackson How to do the Moonwalk". September 6, 2017.
  97. ↑ Pedersen, Erik (February 18, 2022). "Sony Moves Oh Hell No Off Schedule, Confirms A Man Called Otto For Christmas, Sets Umma Date & More". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  98. ↑ "And #BobbyBrown presents to you: Diaper Pants!". TikTok . Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  99. ↑ "Bobby Brown's Most Trendsetting Style Moments". May 26, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.