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New Kids On The Block
Biography
After his success with New Edition, producer Maurice Starr decided to replicate the singing group by substituting suburban white kids for the young black teenagers. The result was New Kids on the Block, a pioneering boy band that eclipsed the popularity of Starr's previous group while laying the groundwork for the teen pop boom of the late-'90s. During the New Kids' heyday, the group reportedly earned over one million dollars per week, and their string of hit singles -- the bulk of which reinterpreted R&B-styled street music for a young female audience -- made them one of the era's most successful acts. Following a botched attempt to rough up their clean-cut image with 1994's Face the Music, however, the boys disbanded, only to reconvene 14 years later for a comeback album and supporting tour.

In 1985, Maurice Starr launched a citywide talent search in Boston, where he hoped to assemble an adolescent vocal group. Donnie Wahlberg, Jordan Knight, Jon Knight, Danny Wood, and Joe McIntyre were soon recruited to join, with Starr presiding over the young teenagers as manager, choreographer, songwriter and producer. A contract with Columbia Records followed, and New Kids on the Block made an awkward, enthusiastic debut with their self-titled album in 1986.
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