Tag Archives: New Edition

Ralph Tresvant isn’t just a talented singer and performer. He’s also a doting father of four children he loves dearly. For those who don’t know, the Roxbury, Massachusetts native has two sons, Ralph Jr. and Dakari, and two daughters, Mariah and Na’Quelle. It also looks like Ralph’s talent has rubbed off on one of his children – his first born child, Na’Quelle.

Now a beautiful, married adult with her own child, Na’Quelle Tresvant is looking to make a name for herself in the music industry. Needless to say, not only is she strikingly beautiful, but she has an amazing voice just like her father. *Scroll down to see her mother, husband and kids*

***

Check out Na’Quelle Tresvant’s  music video:

Ralph welcomed his now 30-year-old daughter with his childhood sweetheart Shelly Tresvant.

However, Shelly’s name may not have been one you heard in The New Edition Story because their storyline was altered a bit. In the biopic, her name was changed because she did not want to be associated with the film. Her name was changed to “Zena” in the popular biopic and, of course, the change didn’t go unnoticed by fans. Many took to Twitter to share their reaction to the change.

FYI: Ralph Tresvant 1st wife name is actually Shelly. Where did Zena come from? Idk #NewEditionBET

— A M B E Z Y (@bezy_bby) January 27, 2017

**

Is zena another name for Ralph tresvant ex wife Shelly ?

— blaxk widow (@iamRyanNicole) January 26, 2017

For those who don’t know, Ralph and Shelly went through a bitter divorce. Despite being each other’s childhood sweethearts who grew up to have three children and many years together, things went awry as Ralph embraced stardom. They eventually divorced in 1996, after three years of marriage. After the divorce, Ralph married his second wife, Amber Serrano, in 2004, whom he welcomed his fourth child, Dakari, with.

Despite all of the drama and Ralph’s level of stardom, his gorgeous daughter, Na’Quelle, has revealed that she and her father are very close and she actually lived a relatively normal lifestyle. She first realized her father was famous when he arrived to pick her up from school one day. As he approached his daughter, a group of starstruck girls flocked to him and immediately began losing their minds over the fact that the Ralph Tresvant was standing before them. Of course, all of the attention and pandemonium seemed odd to Na’Quelle but that’s when she said she’d first realized her Pops wasn’t like everyone else’s father. Ralph Tresvant’s name carries weight! You can check out what else she revealed in her interview with ‘The OTAP Show’ below…

Na’Quelle’s Husband and Adorable Kids

Na’Quelle’s pops is one of the biggest legends in R&B music, so it was only natural that she married a man who’s also in the music industry. That man is her music producer husband, Darius “King D” Smith…

Darius and Na’Quelle have three children together- two sons and one daughter son…

**

Ralph must be really proud of his daughter, Na’Quelle, and she has a beautiful fam.’ Hopefully, her music career will soon soar to new heights as well! She definitely has an amazing voice to match her beautiful looks and besides, we’d love to see another ‘Tresvant’ in the game.

The things we learn when we do a lil’ diggin.’ Ralph Tresvant secretly ended up singing some of the lead parts  “Every Little Step” because Bobby Brown was allegedly just a little too out of it at the time, says ex-manager.

When we found out what Bobby’s former manager, Marty Machat, revealed about this, we couldn’t believe that they managed to keep this secret on the low for decades.

Ralph and Bobby were such good friends, that according to Marty -who was there to witness this first hand- Ralph ended up finishing one of Bobby’s biggest hits off his 7-million-selling Don’t Be Cruel album. “Every Little Step” released in 1988 and Bobby could have been outed by Ralph long ago, but Ralph proved that loyalty to his “brother” was most important. Here’s how Ralph ended up secretly singing on “Every Little Step,” according to what Bobby’s ex-manager, Marty Marchat, revealed in an interview with Dazed Digital:

Marty Marchat: “The beginning and last tracks of the album I did with MCA A&R Louis Silas so the album would be filled with numbers. The song ‘Don’t Be Cruel’ is on there three times! Silas begged Babyface and L.A Reid to produce it – Bobby did not show up at the studio. He only came by sometimes to try to sing. And that was an endless wait. Drugs were part of the make-up of this album. Bobby was missing from the studio when we were scheduled to finish ‘Every Little Step’. He was on a drug run and New Edition’s Ralph Tresvant was waiting for him. Babyface and L.A were about to leave, so Ralph filled in. ‘Every Little Step’ has two singers. Bobby and Ralph. Go back and listen to the lead vocals. Then listen to Ralph.” -via Dazed Digital

Embed from Getty Images

That’s crazy, right? One thing is for sure: Ralph obviously was a true friend. Loyalty is everything in any relationship, so hats off to Ralph for being a good representation of that. Bobby is a great entertainer, so I’m glad he’s now past his wild days and has simmered down a bit, because he’ll probably be the first to admit that he was living life at 200 miles per hour back in the day.

Below, is the video of “Every Little Step,” just in case you want to listen closely and try to find the parts with Ralph’s voice. We listened to it over and over and couldn’t decipher Bobby’s part from Ralph’s, but that’s probably because of the light vocoder effect that appears to be on their vocals, which helps to match tone and pitch of singers’ voices. Check it out…

Bobby’s “Don’t Be Cruel” album topped the Billboard pop chart for six weeks and had R&B on FIRE! With hits like“My Prerogative,” “Roni,” “Rock Wit’cha,” and “Every Little Step,” it also gave a lot of folks good material to perform at talent shows across America…remember those days?

By the way, we thought we’d add this hilarious VIDEO rendition of “Every Little Step” by MIKE TYSON, WAYNE BRADY and your man, BOBBY B. Some of you have probably seen it, but if you want to laugh again, check it out…

Like we said, that is hilarious and Mike Tyson, really needs some SERIOUS work on his two-step…LOL.

Embed from Getty Images

By now, most of New Edition’s fans have seen their BET biopic, The New Edition Story, and learned that Ralph Tresvant has a younger brother. In case you didn’t catch that part of the movie a few years ago, it was in the first episode of the 3-part miniseries, when the ‘kid-Ralph’ and his N.E. brothers were trying to find a fifth member. ‘Kid-Ralph’ told their then-manager, Maurice Starr, they couldn’t possibly pick his little brother because he’d “just learned to walk a year ago.” Well, fast forward to today and we’ve found Ralph’s baby bro.’

The Tresvant brothers are really tight and now they’ve shared stories about their family, their beloved Mother, and their days coming up in Boston, MA.

Meet Ralph Tresvant’s Brother

Introducing Andre Tresvant. He’s 41 years old and has nothing but love and admiration for his 51 year old brother, Ralph.

In the video below, the Tresvant brothers reminisced and laughed about how Andre was bad as hell as a child; and how their mom, Patricia Tresvant, had to repeatedly go to school for him. Andre also recalled how their Momma once pulled up on the school playground angered, rockin’ her house robe and slippers, after Andre came home and told her one of his teachers had just called him a “ni&&er.” They both agreed that Mama Tresvant was NO joke when it came to protecting her babies.

WATCH RALPH & ANDRE TRESVANT REMINISCE

Andre Tresvant Reveals Extreme Hardships After Their Mother Sadly Passed Away

Sadly, Ralph’s and Andre’s beloved mother, Patricia Tresvant, passed away and Andre revealed a few upsetting things that happened to him afterwards, which the world didn’t know. If you saw The New Edition Story, you probably recall the “Home Again” album photoshoot scene, when Mike Bivins and Ronnie Devoe were feeling bad for Ralph after he’d lost his mother. She passed away just before all six of the N.E. members were preparing for their 1996 “Home Again” album release/tour.

Andre said he was just 16 years old when he and Ralph’s Mom died and that he’d been living in California when they moved there when he was age 7 (after they’d moved there from Boston, MA). According to Andre, his world was turned upside down when his mother, Patricia, died- he was left alone in Cali. to fend for himself at just 16 years old. He says he had no family there to help him,  they were mostly still living in their hometown of Boston.

There’s More>>>

Yvette Nicole Brown took fans by storm when she starred in the popular BET biopic, The New Edition Story. For those who missed it, Yvette- best known for her roles in Community, The Office, and The New Odd Couple- portrayed Michael Bivins’ mother, Shirley Bivins; and ironically, Mike and Yvette have a history together that most never knew about…until now.

In The New Edition Story, Yvette starred alongside the other ‘N.E. mothers’: La La Anthony (Flo DeVoe), Monica Calhoun (Patricia Tresvant), Lisa Nicole Carson (Mae Bell), and Sandi McCree (Carole Brown). The women worked together to bring the motherhood dynamic to life when the cameras were rolling, but most don’t know Yvette actually has a deep past with Michael Bivins. Their work together actually started long before the biopic.

Yvette & Michael Bivins’ Past Together:

Now here’s the kicker about Mike Bivins and Yvette: Yvette Nicole Brown was actually signed to Michael’s label, Biv 10 Records, back in the day! But that’s not all, during an interview with musician, Harry Connick Jr., Yvette revealed that she was not only a singer on Biv’s label, but that Mike was her manager. Then, after she’d graduated from college, she went back to work for Bivins as his assistant. Lo and behold, ten years after Yvette was no longer Bivins’ assistant, she morphed into his momma, Shirley, for The New Edition Story. Ain’t that something?!!

Check out Yvette Nicole Brown- a Cleveland, Ohio native- singing as a member of Bivins’ ‘East Coast Family’ clique in their music video for Biv 10 Records song, “1-4 All 4-1″…BUT THERE’S MORE…

SEE WHAT YVETTE SAID NEW EDITION’S BODYGUARD DID FOR HER & PHOTOS OF THE REAL LIFE MOTHERS OF N.E.>>>

Embed from Getty Images

Michael Bivins is proud to have accomplished many feats and withstood many New Edition trials and tribulations throughout his life. However, there’s nothing he’s probably more proud of than his beautiful fam.’ The 50 year old R&B legend and his wife of 13 years, Teasha Bivins, have 4 beautiful girls, who are growing up right before our eyes.

Their youngest daughter, Sanaa, is cute as a button, and she recently celebrated her first orbit around the sun in early May 2019. Yeah, we’re a lil’ tardy for the party with this one, but better late than never…and besides, the cuteness overload you’re about to bare witness to in Bivins’ little girl, was well worth the wait.

Before we get to the celebration extravaganza that Mike and his wife threw down for their 1 year old daughter, we must first throwback to that time when the N.E. singer’s thicka-than-a-snicka wife’s snapback was on level 1000, just TWO WEEKS after delivering Sanaa last year.

This is what Teasha and their baby girl looked like in mid 2018…

Now Peep Bivins’ Daughter In Her Swagged Out Glory For Her B-day Bash…And Her 3 Sisters>>>

Embed from Getty Images

Bobby Brown has much to be grateful for at this time. The brotha turned 50 years old on February 5, 2019. He’s also overcome drug addiction. In addition to that, Bobby B. made it through a reportedly life threatening health scare in recent years. Most importantly, he’s continuing to learn to cope with the never-ending pain of losing his beautiful daughter, Bobbi Kristina…without resorting back to drugs to numb his pain.

His latest feat is the journey he’s been on to get his health back to pre-high blood pressure and cholesterol levels. In doing so, apparently the “My Prerogative” legend has been puttin’ in some serious work in the gym or wherever else he can fit in a workout in the midst of his busy schedule with his current business ventures.

Pretty sure that cuttin’ up on stage with his RBRM (Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky and Mike) group members is also helping Bobby to drop down a few pants sizes, which is exactly what he’s done recently. Matter of fact, the new Bobby B. is almost close to giving us post-New Edition era 1988 “Don’t Be Cruel” vibes all over again. Scroll down to see Bobby’s transformation…

Check Out Bobby’s New Weight Loss Photos>>>

Embed from Getty Images

ILOSM family, if you were hoping that New Edition had finally buried the hatchet that’s been driving a wedge between them to this day, you’re out of luck…at least for now, according to lead singer, Ralph Tresvant.

Typically, Ralph is the only member who doesn’t speak on their drama. But in a new interview on the Rick and Sasha show, Tresvant held nothing back about the issues he’s currently having with Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, and Mike (FYI: He and Johnny are still cool). He also threw a lil’ shade while at it. Peep some of what Ralph Tresvant had to say below…

Their trademark beef…
A few months ago, Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, and Mike revealed that Ralph and Johnny Gill trademarked the New Edition name and refused to tour with the rest of the group. Soon afterwards Johnny slammed them, stating that he and Ralph asked all of them to trademark the name with them, but when they dragged their feet, he and Ralph trademarked the name to protect the N.E. brand. Ralph has now echoed Johnny’s sentiment, but that’s not the only reason he is no longer touring with N.E. There’s more…

See The REAL Reason Ralph Says He’s Not With The Group Right Now>>>

Embed from Getty Images

Out of all six New Edition members, lead singer, Ralph Tresvant, has always been the most private. In fact, even after The New Edition Story released in January 2017 and exposed all their tension, Ralph still barely uttered a word about it publicly.

Well, needless to say, he didn’t need to drop dimes about the past and CURRENT tension between he and his NE brothas, because they did so for him. At any rate, it’s still cool to see a smile on Ralph’s face, regarding the new accolade he’s just received and it was all caught on camera.

N.E.’s Current Timeline Of Tension & Beef

Embed from Getty Images

Now, before we get into why Ralph is currently beaming with pride and gratitude, we should first recap what has transpired in the past few months. Why? Because like the Old School saying goes: ‘You can’t appreciate the peaks, if you don’t appreciate the valleys.’ So here it is ladies and gents…the latest timeline of N.E.’s plethora of valleys..and highs…

The name change drama…
Even though we all witnessed the love-hate relationship that exists among New Edition in their biopic, it wasn’t until their various interviews, that we learned said tension STILL exists now. That also was prevalent after Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, and Mike revealed, in May 2018, that they started a new group called, RBRM and were going on tour- without Jonny Gill and Ralph. Fans were shocked.

RBRM exposes trademark tension…
Then came RBRM’s recent ‘Breakfast Club’ interview, where they really broke down what the latest drama is all about. Ralph and Johnny trademarked New Edition’s name, leaving them in complete control over N.E.’s usage and likeness, thus RBRM’s name change.

Johnny gets pissed…blasts back…

Embed from Getty Images

Never one to bite his tongue, following RBRM’s reveal about the trademark situation, Johnny Gill, was hella pissed and wasted NO time going OFF on Ronnie, Bobby Ricky and Mike, for not stressing the fact that he and Ralph reportedly went to them multiple times, asking them to trademark the name with them, but RBRM apparently dragged their feet about that.

Ralph’s and Johnny’s refusal to tour with RBRM…
In addition to RBRM’s name change and trademark tension, Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky and Mike also revealed that Johnny and Ralph weren’t feelin’ the idea of going on a group tour right now. Ralph probably is enjoying his calm, laid back gig as a radio personality for a popular Boston radio station. While Johnny could be diggin’ performing solo, in a drama-free environment (i.e. without his N.E. brothas arguing half the time). FYI: We’re not sure why Johnny and Ralph didn’t wanna tour, so those are just hypothetical scenarios.

The online shade…
And of course we can’t forget about the epic shade Johnny threw at their other members on Ralph’s 50th birthday. We also remember the painful, rare post Ralph shared online, addressing the latest drama between him and his N.E. brethren.

Fast forward to now and RBRM are currently touring and out here cuttin’ UP on stage to sold out arenas; Johnny’s still doing his thang, performing solo; and Ralph has just received a major honor from their hometown of Boston, MA.

Boston Shows Ralph Tresvant Major Love

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Saturday, October 13, 2018 proclaimed as “Ralph Tresvant Day” in our city of Boston. • • • Congratulation RT, these moments are what legacies are built on. It’s such a blessing to see the blessings in this Thing of Ours while we are here. Enjoy the scent of your roses! One Love… @therealralphtresvant #ne4life

A post shared by BROOKE PAYNE (@brookepayne1) on Oct 13, 2018 at 2:17pm PDT

N.E.’s longtime, choreographer/mentor (and Ronnie’s uncle), Brooke Payne, shared video footage of Ralph somewhere in Boston, standing in front of a small audience, in complete gratitude. He was presented with the official paperwork that certified October 13th as “Ralph Tresvant Day.”

Like my mama would always say, Look at Gawd!

Embed from Getty Images

For years, most of us, Guy fans, have known about the on-again-off-again tension between the members- Teddy Riley, Aaron Hall and Damon Hall- but we never knew the TRUE reason behind their breakup. Now, Teddy has given the real reason in a new interview with “The Breakfast Club” and it dates back to a very tragic incident that went down back in the day, involving New Edition.

The Tragedy That Led To Their Breakup

Teddy Riley: “Guy broke up because my best friend was killed. And the situation we had with New Edition in 1989…it started in North Carolina. It was a situation where New Edition walked on our stage while we were singing “Piece of My Love.” … We didn’t know what was going on.

So, when they walked on the stage we were just dumbfounded. All we heard was like, ‘Yo, don’t hold me back! Yo, what’s up Ted?!!’

Now, how that happened, [was] it started from there and it went to Pittsburgh.”

The tension between Guy and N.E. was never between the actual singers, but sparked by others in both camps:

“It was never no actual beef with the principals, it was in the backline. One of my guys kicked their…tech guy 10 feet off the stage. … He did it because that particular day, New Edition was supposed to go on before us, but they were late.”

Embed from Getty Images

Teddy then explained how promoter, Al Hayman, and label exec, Gene Griffin, had already pre-determined which nights each group would alternate being the closing act:

“So that was the day that New Edition was supposed to go on first. When all this happened, it continued in Pittsburgh.”

By the time Guy arrived into Pittsburgh -hours after their crew had- that’s when Teddy was hit with the tragic reality that his best friend had just been shot FOUR times right before they’d arrived to the city:

“When we drove into Pittsburgh, it was all on the news: ‘Guy by the name of Anthony B. from Harlem, NY, dies in the revolving door of the Marriott Hotel. And the guy that shot him was a pro because he didn’t miss, not one shot. […] “[Shot] four times through the heart, through the back. … It took him out right away.

And this guy, my best friend, he was my confidante, like, he did everything; he was the big homie. He was the one that kept me off the streets, after I got busted [for selling drugs back in the day]. … He was just my guy! … He just wanted to get outta the streets and I was the guy to help him,” Teddy said somberly. “He had groups, he wanted to get into the music business and I said ‘This is good, I’ll help you,’ because he helped me. With keyboards, if I needed something, he’d buy it and he wouldn’t even tell me, he’d just show up.”

Nobody Came To The Funeral

Teddy then explained that “nobody,” including his Guy members- Aaron and Damon Hall, attended his friend, Anthony’s, funeral. That’s what hurt him even further and he decided to leave the group:

“So, with someone like that I’d loss..I just said, ‘Ya know, no one cares, but I do.’ I went to the funeral, nobody came to the funeral.”

Teddy stated that his final decision to leave Guy was because when his best friend was murdered by N.E.’s crew, “they weren’t there for me.”

How Michael Jackson Helped Teddy At The Time

A call from Michael Jackson instantly helped spark his solo career:

“Michael Jackson called…everything happened at the same time. …I asked Q-Tip if I could use his [studio] room to make music for Michael. I didn’t tell Michael I was quitting the group. We [Guy] had a show at the Madison Square Garden and that was my last show with Guy, 1990.”

This is so incredibly sad. The bright side for Teddy at that time, is that a few days after his last show with Guy in 1990, he flew to where MJ was and created one the greatest musical masterpieces of his entire career- Michael Jackson’s 1991 Dangerous album, which has sold over 32 million albums worldwide.

By the way, we reported details of that tragic Guy-New Edition altercation a while back. If you missed the intricate details of what transpired, see it HERE.

Beef With Aaron Hall Reached Petty Levels

Needless to say, Guy’s breakup left a bad taste in Aaron’s mouth, as he watched his former homie, Teddy Riley, soar to new heights as a hit-making producer. Aaron’s disdain for Teddy became so prevalent, that it eventually spilled over into interviews and such. But things done changed now…

Reunited…

In recent years, Teddy, Damon, and Aaron have let bygones be bygones, with their brotherly reunion. They’ve been performing together at sold-out concerts, just like they did back in the day.

In case y’all haven’t heard by now, Bobby Brown’s 3-part BET biopic, “Bobby Brown Story,” has been causing mass hysteria all up and down Twitter and for good reason. For one, Bobby’s life had more drama, battles, excitement and sadness, than ever.

On Wednesday September 5, 2018, part 2 aired and sadly, it covered the multiple tragedies that occurred in Bobby’s life in a seemingly short period of time. One such tragedy was the scene in which he lost his beloved mother, Carole Brown and at her funeral, Bobby’s then ex-wife, Whitney, delivered a touching song tribute to Mrs. Carole. So did Bobby’s New Edition brothers.

During the funeral scene, Whitney was portrayed stating that Mrs. Carole would be her mother-in-law ‘forever’ and she did not care that Bobby’s wife, Alicia Etheredge-Brown, was sitting right there in front as she spoke. That was the Whitney the we all know and love- she kept it real at ALL times, even in the midst of her forever mom-in-law’s funeral.

WATCH the REAL Funeral Footage Of Whitney & New Edition Singing Tributes For Mama Carole

Needless to say, Twitter was on fire following that heart-wrenching funeral scene in the movie and now, the actual footage of both Whitney & New Edition singing at Mrs. Carole’s REAL funeral has surfaced. Whitney sang “Precious Lord” and she later joined Johnny Gill (accompanied by Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, Ralph, and Mike) for a rendition of “Never Would Have Made It.”

It was very sad, but beautiful to witness, as Whitney sang her heart out to offer comfort for the man she loved for 14+ years and also as New Edition uplifted Bobby and his loved ones at the home-going. Mrs. Carole would have been proud of her ‘forever’ daughter-in-law and her sons’ childhood friends, N.E., who she knew since they were youngins running around Boston. Take a look at these rarely seen tributes:
Whitney sings “Precious Lord” at Carole Brown’s funeral…

Whitney & Johnny Gill sing “Never Would Have Made It” with N.E. members at Mama Carole’s funeral…

Bobby Mourned Back-To-Back Personal Deaths

It’s so heartbreaking to see that footage of Whitney singing at Mama Carole’s funeral, only for her to pass away, just over 1 year later.

As we previously reported, Bobby’s Dad, Mom, and ex-wife, Whitney Houston, died all within a 2-year span. Just three years later, so did his beloved daughter, Bobby Kristina Brown.

Bobby’s mother, Carole Brown, passed away on January 20, 2011. Just one year later, Bobby’s dad, Herbert “Pops” Brown, died on December 10, 2011. Bobby’s mother’s death actually reunited him with Whitney (from a peaceful, friendship standpoint), which led to Whitney singing at his Mom’s funeral.

Sadly, only one month after Bobby’s Dad passed away, our beloved Whitney passed away on February 11, 2012, sending Bobby into a downward spiral that was clouded in extreme grief, as he tried to cope with what was happening. After Whitney’s death, Bobby had a relapse with alcohol addiction in August of 2012, after successfully managing to stay sober for 7 years prior to that. His 2012 relapse caused him to get a DUI, which landed him in rehab for 18 months.

Then came the ultimate, most unnatural kind of pain that NO parent should ever have to bare- the death of his and Whitney’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina on July 26, 2015. Sadly, by February 2016, Bobby Brown was reportedly back in the same position he was in about four years prior to- allegedly trying to self medicate the grief away. That caused him to enter into a rehab facility for an unknown substance abuse, allegedly.

Being that Bobby is a recovered drug addict, his alleged relapse after Bobbi Kris’ passing, is understandable. Although Bobby has been fighting his heart out to keep pushing forward in life with his other children and also in his career, there is only so much heartache one person can take and we all have different ways of dealing with it. We truly wish Bobby B. well and give him the utmost respect for sharing his ups, downs, fails, and heartaches with the world. Hopefully his story will help someone else from making the same mistakes.