New Kids on the Block is an American boy band from Dorchester, Massachusetts. The band consists of brothers Jonathan and Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood. New Kids on the Block enjoyed success in the late 1980s and early 1990s and have sold more than 80 million records worldwide, and are often credited for paving the way for future boy bands such as Take That, Backstreet Boys and NSYNC. They won two American Music Awards in 1990 for Favorite Pop/Rock Band, Duo, or Group and Favorite Pop/Rock Album. In 1991, they performed the halftime show at Super Bowl XXV, a first for a popular music group.
Charles Edwin Hatcher , known by his stage name Edwin Starr, was an American singer and songwriter. He is best remembered for his Norman Whitfield-produced Motown singles of the 1970s, most notably the number-one hit "War".
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.
Jordan Nathaniel Marcel Knight is an American-Canadian pop singer and songwriter. He is the lead vocalist of the boy band New Kids on the Block (NKOTB), which rose to fame in the 1980s and 1990s, using a falsetto style of singing influenced by The Stylistics. After New Kids on the Block split in 1994, he launched a solo career.
George Lamond, sometimes styled George LaMond, is an American freestyle music and salsa music singer.
Maurice White was an American musician, best known as the founder, leader, main songwriter and chief producer of the band Earth, Wind & Fire, also serving as the band's co-lead singer with Philip Bailey.
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.
Hangin' Tough is the second studio album by American boy band New Kids on the Block, released on August 12, 1988, by Columbia Records. It is widely regarded as the group's breakthrough album, gaining positive reviews for their musical transition from bubblegum pop to urban contemporary, blended with popular rock music. The group's label had planned to end their contract when their 1986 debut garnered little commercial and critical attention, which nearly led to their breakup. However, Maurice Starr, the group's producer, diligently persuaded the label to let them record a second album.
"Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" is a song by American soul group the Delfonics, co-written by producer Thom Bell and lead singer William Hart. It was released as a single in 1969 on the Philly Groove record label and appeared on their self-titled third album the following year. The song reached number three on the Billboard R&B chart and number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970. Overseas, the song peaked at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart in and number 81 in Australia. The Delfonics won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for the song in 1971.
"Please Don't Go Girl" is a 1988 song by American boyband New Kids on the Block. The lead vocals were sung by Joey McIntyre, Jordan Knight, and spoken by Danny Wood, but the majority of the lyrics were sung by Joey McIntyre. Written and produced by Maurice Starr, it was the first release from their second album, Hangin' Tough (1988), and also became the group's first commercial hit. "Please Don't Go Girl" first rose from #62 to #46, on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart during the week of July 30, 1988. The single was the first major commercial exposure of the group, resulting in somewhat of a slow, but steady climb. The single eventually peaked at #10 the week of October 8, 1988. In 1997, Aaron Carter covered this song and was featured on his international self-titled debut album.
Merry, Merry Christmas is the third studio and only Christmas album by pop band New Kids on the Block, released in the United States by Columbia Records on September 19, 1989. It features seasonal songs, both cover versions and original material. Released at a time when the band was peaking, it went double platinum and spawned the top-ten single, "This One's for the Children", which Maurice Starr produced and recorded at Tony Rose’s Hit City Recording Studio in Roxbury, Massachusetts.
"Step by Step" is a song by American boyband New Kids on the Block, released on May 10, 1990 as the first single from the album of the same name (1990). It is the group's biggest-selling hit single. The lead vocals were sung by Jordan Knight. Danny Wood sang "Step 1", Donnie Wahlberg sang "Step 2", Jordan Knight sang "Step 3", Joey McIntyre sang "Step 4", and Jonathan Knight sang "Step 5".
"Be My Girl" is the 1986 debut single by New Kids on the Block, with lead vocals by Donnie Wahlberg. Written and produced by Maurice Starr, it was the group's first release from their self-titled album New Kids on the Block. Although it received marginal airplay in their hometown of Boston, it was largely ignored nationally and failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.
No More Games: The Remix Album is a remix album from pop group New Kids on the Block. It peaked at number 19 on the US Billboard 200.
Larry Curtis Johnson, better known by his stage name Maurice Starr, is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his production work for boy bands New Edition and New Kids on the Block. He was fired by New Edition for embezzling funds.
Face the Music is the fifth studio album by American boyband New Kids on the Block, released on January 25, 1994. The album debuted at number 37 on the Billboard 200 in the United States, with first-week sales of 27,000 copies. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album had sold 138,000 copies in the US as of 2008.
Barbara Weathers is an American R&B/soul singer, and former lead singer of R&B vocal group, Atlantic Starr.
New Edition is the second studio album by American quintet New Edition, released on September 28, 1984, in North America. It was their first album on MCA Records. The album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. (RIAA) It was also their first album without manager/producer Maurice Starr who would depart from the group during the making of the album after the group accused him of stealing their monetary earnings from their platinum debut. The album was produced by Vincent Brantley & Rick Timas, Grammy-nominated producer Michael Sembello & Richard Rudolph, Ray Parker Jr. and Peter Bunetta and Rick Chudacoff. The album reached #6 on the Billboard 200 and #1 on the R&B/Hip Hop Albums Chart and the Irish Albums Chart.
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).
"Let's Try It Again" is a song performed by New Kids on the Block. Written and produced by Maurice Starr, it was the fourth and final single from the group's third album, Step by Step, released in the fall of 1990. It contains shared lead vocals by Danny Wood and Jordan Knight.
