The pioneering boy band New Edition received the 2,600th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Monday for a career that has brought it 14 No. 1 records performing rhythm and blues, hip-hop and pop.
Music producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and BET executive Stephen Hill joined the group’s Ricky Bell in speaking in the late-morning ceremony on Hollywood Boulevard.
New Edition was formed in Boston in 1983 with teenagers Ronnie DeVoe, Bobby Brown, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Ralph Tresvant. Brown left the group in 1986 for a solo career, with Johnny Gill joining the following year.
With Gill, New Edition released its biggest-selling album, “Heartbreak,” in 1988 with three No. 1 songs.
New Edition has released 18 multi-platinum albums, won four American Music Awards and made 15 national tours.
The ceremony came one day before the premiere of BET’s three-part “The New Edition Story.”
—City News Service