New Edition Talks Resilience, Brotherhood And Groundbreaking Career Wins With Tamron Hall
New Edition exclusively joined Tamron Hall for a juicy chat to talk about boy band struggles, professional triumphs and reveal “stories they’ve never shared.”
The award-winning R&B crooners Ricky Bell, Bobby Brown, Ronnie DeVoe, Johnny Gill, Ralph Tresvant and Michael Bivins all spoke with Hall on her ABC syndicated daytime talk show on Tuesday (Feb. 15) .
“We were not supposed to make it out,” DeVoe says, reflecting on the group who grew up in Boston projects. “When you look at us and you see our faces people out there that are in those situations know that you can make it out at the end of the day.”
When it comes to career highs, the boy band reflected on the moment they out-charted the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, on the Billboard charts during the first week of May 1983 when their breakout single “Candy Girl” climbed to No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip Songs chart. Jackson’s hit “Beat It” came in at No. 2.
“You topped Michael Jackson!” Hall says. “I can’t even understand how you process that, knowing how [he] influenced you and then your song beats Michael Jackson’s song on the Billboard [charts.]”
To which Tresvant responds, “At the time, we didn’t know either. We didn’t know what we did; we didn’t know what type of accomplishment the Billboard charts were and all that.”
Adding, “So when we heard that we beat Michael, that was just all that meant to us. ‘Oh we beat Michael Jackson, we must be doin’ good!’ But overall, we didn’t really understand the charts then. We were just little boys getting into the industry, figuring it all out.”
Bobby Brown also reflected on how his chosen brothers helped him cope with the loss of Whitney Houston, his daughter Bobbi Kristina and his son Bobby Brown Jr.’s deaths. Most recently, Brown Jr. was found dead back in Nov. 2020.
According to NBC News, an autopsy report released by the Los Angeles County Coroner said Brown died due to combined effects of alcohol, cocaine, and fentanyl.
“It's been wonderful [having the support of New Edition]. My brothers have stuck by me through so many rough times in my life. I'm proud to call them my brothers and my friends,” Brown shared. They've lifted me up and they've helped me up to heights that I can't even find the words to explain. But they've always been there for me and I appreciate them all.
New Edition is headed to their 30-city “The Culture Tour” with Charlie Wilson and special guest Jodeci kicking it off on Feb. 16 in Columbus, Georgia.
