Legendary. Iconic. Trailblazing. All words used to
describe New Edition, the boy band that was founded in Boston in 1978, but
truly came of age in the 1980's, and whose impact on the R & B genre is
still seen and felt today.
In the eyes of many, New Edition paved the way for
New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, The Backstreet Boys, N'Sync, and others,
and the solo careers of stars like Bobby Brown and Johnny Gill, undoubtedly
paved the way for singers such as Usher and Chris Brown.
Monday night's premiere of BET's three-part
miniseries, "The New Edition Story," was a success with over four
million viewers. The group was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
on Monday afternoon, a fine overture which is sure to put the group's
contributions into proper context. Bobby Brown told NBCBLK getting the
prestigious recognition was an "amazing experience."
"I'm so emotional and very grateful for all
the fans that traveled in from all over the world to be with us," Brown
said via email.
Ralph Tresvant, from left to right, Michael Bivins,
Johnny Gill, Ronnie DeVoe, Bobby Brown and Ricky Bell attend a ceremony
honoring New Edition with the 2,600th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on
Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, in Los Angeles. (Photo by John Salangsang/Invision/AP) John
Salangsang/Invision/AP
The first installment opened up with the boy band's
beginnings, starting with their youth and their early performances as a group.
Part II airs Tuesday night and picks up with the group's growing success and
struggles they face.
Brown said the series will show fans, "the
good, the bad, and the ugly," and that they've been able to stick together
through, "brotherhood, love, and support."
The made for television movie was years in the
making. It was produced by Jesse Collins who has produced live telecasts like
the BET Awards and The BET Honors, and directed by respected director Chris
Robinson, the man behind a plethora of memorable music videos.
"I wanted to do New Edition because when you
look, they're a supergroup. They're challenged with something that no one else
has ever done. They're starting out as teen pop stars transitioning to adult
stars, solo superstars. It's never happened: The Temptations, the Jacksons, The
Rolling Stones, none of them are able to do what New Edition has done,"
Collins said. "Also, they predate social media. So all the drama, all of
that stuff they kept to themselves. Now they're willing to pull the curtain
back, and tell the story of how it really went down. What are the dynamics of
the brotherhood, and it's a fascinating story."
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