Bobby Brown

Singer Bobby Brown rose to fame in the early 1980s as a member of the influential R&B teen group New Edition before launching a successful solo career.

Brown formed New Edition at the age of nine with friends and neighbors from Boston's Orchard Park Projects. Songwriter and producer Maurice Starr signed the group to a management deal and authored their first single, the trans-Atlantic hit "Candy Girl," but when he handed each member a check in the amount of just $1.87 following their first national tour, New Edition moved on. Contractual issues continued to haunt the group despite the success of hits like "Cool It Now" and "Mr. Telephone Man," and in late 1985, Brown headed out on his own.

Brown's debut solo album, 1986's King of Stage, went largely unnoticed, but the follow-up, 1988's Don't Be Cruel, catapulted him to superstardom. The album spawned several hit singles, including "My Prerogative," "Every Little Step" and "Roni," and emerged as a cornerstone of producer Teddy Riley's hip-hop-inspired new jack swing ethos. Brown's personal life dominated headlines in the years following his 1992 wedding to superstar singer Whitney Houston, and he was dogged by allegations of infidelity, alcohol and drug abuse, and domestic violence. Brown reunited with New Edition off and on throughout the years, and continued touring with the group into the 21st century.