Drug addiction, alleged spousal abuse... That's all behind him.
Ever since Whitney Houston drowned in a Los Angeles bathtub, Bad Bobby Brown's been able to focus on the important stuff like fighting a DUI charge in California and hitting the road with his Boston-bred R&B group, New Edition.
The 43-year-old singer's in the midst of a full-fledged reunion tour with the five other original New Edition members: Ronnie DeVoe, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ralph Tresvant, and Johnny Gill.
The tour is a buildup to the group's 30th anniversary next year. But for at least one New Edition member, it's the beginning of a new chapter.
"Of course, we want to get to the 40th and 50th, too, but we just feel like our road to the 30th is going to be special because all of these different things that are in front of us," Ronnie DeVoe tells Billboard. "It's just gonna be an incredible ride."
In 1983, New Edition released its debut record, Candy Girl. Yet despite critical acclaim, the album didn't even crack Billboard's Top 100; it peaked at a disappointing 111. Two years later, though, New Edition's self-titled slab broke into the top ten, went double platinum, and sent Bobby Brown humpin' toward a massively successful, six-year solo streak, wedded bliss with Whitney, and a whole glorious year of reality TV.
New Edition. Saturday, May 5. BankUnited Center, 1245 Dauer Dr., Coral Gables. The show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets cost $39.50 to $79.50 plus fees via ticketmaster.com. Call 305-284-8686 or visit bankunitedcenter.com.
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