Bobby Brown Biography

Bobby Brown was born in 1969 in a working-class area of Boston. His family struggled with finances when young Bobby was growing up, and his earliest years in the gang-infested neighborhood of Roxbury led to a firm commitment to shape his life into something better. When the opportunity for Bobby to join the group New Edition arose when he was only nine years old, he jumped at the chance.

New Edition selected their own lineup and formed on their own terms, but quickly caught the eye of Maurice Starr, who helped pave the way for their debut album, Candy Girl, in 1982. The album was a smash hit, selling millions of copies and launching New Edition and Bobby Brown to instant stardom. Brown stayed with the group until 1986, at which time he launched a solo career, releasing the mildly successful album King of Stage.

The album’s performance was mediocre, however, and so Bobby returned to the studio and re-emerged with the smash hit Don’t Be Cruel in 1988, re-launching what would become a solo career that would last well into the new millennium. Don’t Be Cruel featured the chart-topping hits “My Prerogative,” “Roni,” “Every Little Step,” “Rock Wit’cha,” “On Our Own,” and the title track, all of which reached into the top ten on the mainstream charts. The albums Bobby (1992) and Forever (1997) followed, although Bobby Brown spent much of the decade focused on a number of other projects and opportunities.

Bobby Brown has also appeared in a  number of films, including Panther (1995), A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996), Two Can Play That Game (2001),  Gang of Roses (2003), and Nora’s Hair Salon (2004.) Brown continues to perform, record, act, and produce, and has most recently launched some collaborations with his former New Edition members. His most recent album is The Masterpiece, which arrived in 2012.