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did struggle with drug abuse, which affected the group, that’s not why he quit. “Drugs wasn’t the reason why this or that did not happen. But my brother did wrestle with drug abuse from time to time,” he revealed. “It was an issue but it was important to keep our reputation and deliver a solid show and handle the business.”

It was the stress of the music industry that Kevon said led Melvin to quit. “Melvin grew tired of the business. There are no checks and balances or safety nets or protections for you in this business. He still loves to sing but it’s the extra stuff that he reached his limit with.”

These days After 7 is also weary of the business side of music and has no immediate plans to pursue a record deal even though their last album was released nearly 20 years ago. Instead Kevon is content to perform with the group on occasion, work on solo material outside of R&B and spend time with his family.

“I am happily married with a family and that’s one of the greatest gifts. So if something good presents itself and it feels right and seems purposeful then I will take a look at it. But I’m good in this space.”

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[Via Souleouniverse]

Maybe one day we’ll see Melvin rejoin the group, but in the meantime it’s great seeing his son, Jason Edmonds, carry that torch in his place.

Keeping a group together is something just short of a miracle in the music industry and the typical problems we usually hear are either money issues, one member getting too much of the group’s shine, or drug problems. Although Kevon Edmonds said that drugs weren’t the reason that Melvin actually left, I’m willing to bet that it contributed greatly to his departure. Think about it, if Melvin’s reason for leaving was because he couldn’t handle the pressure of the music industry and not having a steady flow of income, but he also had addictive tendencies, what does someone with an addiction problem typically do during stressful times? They self medicate. So it’s probably safe to assume that his addiction only made his ability to accurately handle the pressure 100 times worse. We certainly wish Melvin Edmonds the best with his health and hope to see him back in the music game soon.

Flip the page to see a few more R&B groups that have had their fair share of drug problems.