'Candy Girl,' a song Starr co-wrote for the group, was released as their first single in 1983, when the members ranged in age from 13 to 15.
More talent show victories followed, including a prestigious gig at the local Strand Theater, where they performed the Jackson 5's 'The Love You Save.' They were discovered by writer/producer/impresario Maurice Starr, who signed the group to his small Streetwise label in hopes of launching a Jackson 5 phenomenon for the '80s. They eventually recruited friend Ralph Tresvant as a fourth member, and after winning a talent show in 1980, also added Ronnie DeVoe. New Edition was formed in the Roxbury section of Boston, MA, by Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, and Bobby Brown, who began singing together in 1978 while still in elementary school, hoping to perform for pocket cash. In fact, after New Edition drifted apart, all of its members had at least some significant success outside the group as part of the new jack movement, which helped ensure that their original incarnation would be remembered for much more than the bubblegum urban soul that made their name. As they matured and progressed, they laid much of the groundwork for the fusion of hip-hop and R&B known as new jack swing. Collection of New Edition New Edition's early, Jackson 5-inspired material made them the forerunners of two generations of teen pop (most of which was geared to white audiences).
