The BACKDROP to The New Edition Story
By Dominga Martin
January 25, 2017
Egos and Superstardom Collide as New Edition Rise to the Top. Ain’t Nobody Smiling.
116 Eustis Street. Apt 771/772. The Brown Family lived there—they had what was called a “break thru.” A break through was two apartments joined together, which connected like a hotel suite from one side of the project building, to the other. Orchard Park offered these apartments to large families. The Brown Family was a family of 6, a two parent home lead by MA and POP Brown—they had a rare nuclear family. In tact, like my grandparents.
By New Edition’s self titled 2nd album, the tour buses were still dropping them off in OP (Orchard Park), a project located in Roxbury, MA. Growing up, those of us in the neighborhood thought it was exciting; what we did not know was—they weren’t getting paid! Watching The New Edition Story on BET is such an eye opening experience for those who were close to the group, and also for aspiring entertainers who do not know about the “business.” Night 2, takes us inside the tumultuous rise of a super group transitioning from boys to men, while learning hard lessons affecting their personal growth.
The New Edition Story, part 2 introduces us to the cast playing New Edition as adolescents into adulthood: Bryshere Gray of EMPIRE who channels Michael Bivens, Elijah Kelly (Ricky Bell), Luke James (Johnny Gill), Woody McClain (Bobby Brown), Keith Powers (Ronnie DeVoe) and Algee Smith (Ralph Tresvant).
Night 2 of this mini-series begs the question: “What happened to their money?” If the single “Candy Girl” beat out Michael Jackson on the Billboard Charts, shouldn’t they have been paid 100 times over, and most importantly—shouldn’t they have moved out of the projects?”
Disheartening.
In 1984, while Bobby was recording his 2nd album with the group, the Brown family was getting excited and my mother and I were let in on a secret. I remember one night specifically, while my mom hung out at his older sister (Tina Brown’s) apartment, my younger cousin and I were in the back room watching all of the New Edition music videos from the 1st album.
Bobby was at the studio, finalizing what would be his first big solo—to our surprise, Tina had the demo to “Mr. Telephone Man” which we heard for the first time. I just remember Ma Brown and all the adults, including my mother saying: “This is a HIT!” That night, the song played throughout the house on heavy rotation.
“It was an amazing feeling for family,” says Tina Brown, one of Bobby’s older sisters. “We were all like, ‘is it real? Is this really happening?’ We were just so proud of him. Before “Mr. Telephone Man” came out, I played it for the family and he (Bobby) would get mad that I played his songs [but] I played it everywhere…he was like: ‘you’re not supposed to play it yet!’ She laughs, and continues; “I was just so excited to hear his little squeaky voice on there.”
By 1985, the group heads to Beverly Hills where they meet Jheryl Busby, head of the Black Music Division at MCA Records, and viewers discover collectively with a big gasp that, they have been ripped off again, by their new manager:
“None of the managers were no good and my mother knew it.,” says Tina—she continues: “We were going to seriously hurt this man, and around that time; the label put a bug in my mother’s ear about Bobby going solo.”
As I watched the 2nd episode, I had a memory that impacted all of our lives at 116 Eustis Street. In 1981, my cousin James “Jimmy/Jimbo” Flint, who was Bobby’s best friend was murdered at the age of 15, over his bicycle. Bobby dedicated his first two albums “King of Stage” and “Don’t Be Cruel” to him.
I heard lots of stories on how my cousin Jimmy was in line to be an original New Edition, perhaps he was one of the names Bobby mentioned when he suggested Travis [as he was] formulating the group, in episode !. The stories are conflicting, however, one thing is true; when Jimmy was stabbed to death, his body was brought back to our hallway at 116, Bobby was just 13. That night, as the ambulance road off silently with Jimmy’s body inside, Bobby gazed into darkness and bounced his basketball outside for what seemed like the whole night. I remember watching him out the window and hearing the bounce of the ball hit the concrete, over and over.
“Bobby and Jimmy had a makeshift basketball hoop outside,” says Jimmy’s mother Sarah, and continues; “After they came back from the hospital, Bobby tore it down that night…Jimmy’s death affected Bobby a whole lot [because] no one gave him any type of therapy…he was there when Jimmy was killed…he was one of the ones who brought him back to the hallway and was at the hospital when he was pronounced dead.”
Tina states: “There was a mob of us at the hospital. The doctors had to be escorted by the police to tell us Jimmy had passed.”
The next morning, my grandmother and all the neighbors came outside to clean the blood from the hallway in the building so that my Aunt, Sarah Flint would not see the carnage. Can you imagine what it must’ve been like for an adolescent who just witnessed his friend killed, to have to buckle up and become a superstar? To go on with New Edition, without Jimmy? My cousin had Bobby Brown and BBD edge, with Ralph Tresvant’s good looks and swag. If he was the 5th member of New Edition, watch out world!
I know Jimmy’s tragic death changed Bobby forever.
The next year, New Edition had a hit song on the radio and Bobby was heading to tour, without his friend and expected to adjust. There is a moment when the new manager “Gary” (Michael Rapaport) states: “The bottom line is, Bobby Brown is bad for business!” As I watched that scene, with the 4 original members conflicted about making a decision to vote Bobby out the group, I asked myself, ‘was he bad for business or acting out because he could not be contained in the recipe of New Edition any longer? And was his acting out, part of his grief?’
Tina adds: “We know he was acting out that way because of Jimmy. That was his idol. Jimmy was a little older than him. but that was his boy…they’d been through hell and seen a lot at their young age.”
By mid story, Bobby is voted out of the group, and even though I know the story, I am wondering what happens next, or better yet—-what really happened?
“The record label came to my mother and wanted Bobby by himself.” Tina reveals. “All of that (voting him out” was planned to put Bobby out the group because they wanted to launch Bobby as a solo artist…being on stage was Bobby’s life. He wouldn’t behave and he’d go out of step, but he got the crowd going!”
New Edition is a set recipe, with measured ingredients, and Bobby was the added spice, going off menu. At some point, it was inevitable—-Bobby had to leave the group, whether he was voted out or not. His sister reveals that a check was immediately sent to Ma Brown after his departure, so fans don’t worry, he was not left in the cold!
As The New Edition Story progresses, tensions escalate as Bobby becomes more addicted to the adrenaline of being a true entertainer. We see the persona of the “King of Stage” developing. The Bad Boy of R&B birthing before our eyes, and we love it. Everyone loves a bad boy, but the truth is, all of the New Edition were bad boys. OP Originals. It is who they are, because of where they’re from. They are from the hood in Roxbury, and it is evident in one scene, after group members go to blows, where Mike Bivens says: “I’mma keep my respect, even if I have to take it.”
And New Edition as a collective took the world by storm.
By 1988, Bobby is officially solo ready to launch his second album. His older brother Tommy is managing his singing career. New Edition fires their manager, and Ralph yearns to go solo. Unbeknownst to Ralph, Johnny Gill, an adolescent crooner with a hit is added to the group, and unless Bobby is coming back Ralph does not want to split his money 5 ways again! New Edition is imploding and fans everywhere are forced to accept Johnny Gill.
“To this day, I still feel like I’m the new guy,” says Johnny Gill. “And to be honest with you, I still don’t feel like a New Edition…and I still feel sometimes an offsetting energy from their true hardcore New Edition fans…but God has really blessed me and I’ve been able to build my hard core Johnny Gill fans…I’m the guy who understands that I am a team player.”
While becoming Ralph Tresvant, actor Algee shares: “Ralph makes a lot of sacrifices [as you see] throughout the movie…he puts everyone before himself which sometimes hurts him…that’s one thing that helped me throughout the scenes, I was like: ‘OK, I can’t dominate this scene, this scene has to be a sacrifice seen.’
As we lead into night 3, New Edition has hit their stride in all directions, they are finally making money and out of the bubble gum pop category, but we learn that they are falling apart and not even their hometown bond is holding them together.
Stay tuned for the finale of The New Edition Story. Tomorrow at 9PM on BET.
This article dedicate in loving memory to Ma and Pop Brown and James Jimbo Filnt, who’s mom Sarah has started the organization Mothers for Justice and Equality, which she brought all the way to the White House, in addition to launching a scholarship fund to help students buy books who are heading to college, in the loving memory of her son.
The New Edition Story airs for 3 nights on BET beginning January 24th. 9PM
Trailer
Urban world highlight
1st Clip
‘The New Edition Story’ ‘If It Isn’t Love’ Rehearsals Pt. 1
Here’s an exclusive performance of “You’re Not My Kind of Girl.”
Who Really Kicked Bobby Brown Out of New Edition?
New Trailer (Jan 1, 2017)
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