On Tuesday (Feb. 15), all six members of New Edition sat down with daytime talk show host, Tamron Hall in a rare hour-long chat ahead of their nationwide tour. Michael Bivins, Bobby Brown, Ronnie DeVoe, Ricky Bell, Johnny Gill, and Ralph Tresvant got candid about the group’s inception and their respective solo endeavors. The gentlemen shared a few stories they’ve never previously spoken about and gave fans an inside look into how they prepared for their first tour in a decade.
During their 2012 reunion tour, Brown left the #AllSix Tour to be with his daughter, Bobbi Kristina, after the death of Whitney Houston. Tragically, Bobbi Kristina passed nearly three years later in a similar manner, and his son, Bobby Brown Jr. died in Nov. 2020 due to an accidental overdose. For the first time, it is revealed how Brown’s bandmates helped him cope.
“It’s been wonderful [having the support of New Edition]. My brothers have stuck by me through so many rough times in my life,” said the Don’t Be Cruel crooner. “They’ve lifted me up and they’ve helped me up to heights that I can’t even find the words to explain. But they’ve always been there for me and I appreciate them all.”
DeVoe chimed in with the sentiment, “Bob is like a giant man. You know, I told him that the measure of a man is in what God allows you to endure to a certain extent […] So, he walks in giant’s shoes at the end of the day. And I love the fact that he’s still here and able to really overcome a lot of those obstacles and look at it like ‘Look, there is a mission, there is a purpose for my life.’ And one of those things is being right here.”
Switching gears to The Culture Tour, the group stressed the importance of making sure everything is in place to run smoothly during their 30-city tour.
“That is the number one goal,” Brown stated. “To have everything precise. Every I has to be dotted and every T has to be crossed in order to perform with these guys.” He also spoke on the difficulty of relearning some of New Edition’s iconic dance moves after not having done them in so long. Johnny Gill applauded his hard work.
“I’ll tell you what is going to be really special for the fans, watching Bobby,” said the “My My My” singer. “I was just saying how proud I am of watching him putting in the work and the fans getting the chance to see him [for the first time] in – I don’t know how long it’s been, how many years – to see us as one unit. Like he’s going through the process, learning the steps, and putting in the work. The fans are gonna really—I think they’re gonna really enjoy it to see just the level of growth for us all.”