Performing Friday August 21st at 8PM
By Alex Updike
For over thirty years, New Edition has rocked stages as the blueprint for the modern day boy band. This Friday night, they will bring their signature style and famous stage show to the Coachella Valley as they perform at Fantasy Springs Casino.
New Edition started in Boston, MA in the early 80s when childhood friends Bobby Brown, Michael Bivins, Ricky Bell, Travis Pettus, and Corey Rackley formed a singing group and began entering local talent shows in the Boston area. It was at one of these talent shows that they were discovered and given the name New Edition to signify their status as a new edition of the classic group Jackson 5. Pettus and Rackley soon left the group and were replaced by Ralph Tresvant and Ronnie DeVoe, who made up the quintet, which was discovered in 1982 at another talent competition in the Boston area. Soon after, the group signed their first contract, recorded the hit album Candy Girl and, in 1983, embarked on their first major tour. It was this tour, and the disastrous aftermath, which would help shape and guide the young R&B sensations into the well-known group they are today.
After their initial tour ended, the boys were promptly dropped off in the Boston projects they had come from and given less than two dollars each for their efforts. “It opened our eyes,” group member Ronnie DeVoe told me in the cool, suave way only a man who’s been a big deal for over 30 years could pull off. “It’s good that it happened early.” In fact, it helped the group to understand the importance of the business side of the music industry. Afterwards, New Edition moved forward with their careers and garnered even more success in the 80s and 90s. But everyone with a radio and access to Wikipedia can tell you the history and success of the group. What makes that success, however, is who the men were before anyone knew their names.
“Growing up we were heavily influenced by the local talent around Boston in the late 60s and early 70s, groups like The Untouchables, The Transitions, and Blue Magic were bands we wanted to emulate,” DeVoe stated. And the group worked hard. “What a lot of people don’t know is that we practiced 3-4 hours a day before “Candy Girl” came out,” DeVoe said. “We were really just enjoying the atmosphere of the talent shows. It was how to make the girls scream.” Even in the current social media-laden culture, DeVoe sees local talent shows and open mic nights as a great way to be seen or to discover new talent. “That’s ultimately what it’s about,” he said. “There’s nothing better than going to a karaoke night and seeing the raw talent.”
Over thirty years later, the men of New Edition are still bringing their own raw talent to stages across the country, a task that could easily become tedious and monotonous without the right attitude. “It’s something we love to do,” DeVoe stated. “It’s a blessing from God and we have some of the best fans on the planet.”
But do not expect New Edition’s success to stop. The group currently has a television deal with BET to produce a 3-night miniseries about many of the struggles they have faced in their careers. The men also have new music coming out next spring and a big tour planned with some surprise guests that DeVoe declined to reveal. Although the group may seem like old news to some, New Edition still has plenty of tricks up their sleeves to remain the gold standard for boy band success.
Purchase tickets at fantasy-springs.tickets-center.com
