Bobby Brown Biography
Summary
"Robert Baresford Brown" (born February 5, 1969), better known as "Bobby Brown", is an American Grammy Award-winning R&B singer, songwriter, and dancer. Brown began his career with the popular boy band New Edition in 1980 but was later ousted from the group due to behavioral problems. He embarked on a solo career in 1986 and had a string of Top 10 Billboard hits. Brown is the ex-husband of R&B singer Whitney Houston and the star of his own reality show, "Being Bobby Brown" on Bravo. On September 13, 2006, Houston's publicist announced that after 14 years, the singer filed for a legal separation from Brown. One month later, Houston officially filed for a divorce from Brown. It was ruled by a judge on April 4, 2007 that their marriage would be definitively dissolved on April 24, 2007 and that Whitney would receive custody of their 14-year-old daughter.
Music career
New Edition
Bobby Brown began his music career as a member of the R&B boy band New Edition. The group's hits with Brown included 'Candy Girl', 'Cool It Now', and 'Mr. Telephone Man'. Brown was voted out of New Edition in 1986 when the other four members felt their careers would be jeopardized by Bobby's lewd on-stage antics. Throughout the "All for Love" tour, he feuded with Ralph Tresvant and cut in on Tresvant's lead vocals. In 1996, Brown rejoined for New Edition's comeback album "Home Again". In the middle of the tour, he made further on-stage antics. He extended his solo set and cut into Bell Biv Devoe's time. During an interview, he admitted that he was intoxicated during the tour. He once again left New Edition and continued to get in trouble with the law.
In the fall of '05, New Edition performed at BET's 25th Anniversary Special. The group performed a medley of their greatest hits, and even brought Bobby Brown onstage for a rendition of 'Mr. Telephone Man'. It was later announced on BET and Inside Hollywood that Bobby had rejoined the group and would be on the next group album. By January 2006, New Edition announced that the group would launch a new album and tour in 2008.
Solo career
George Smith was Bobby Brown's manager when Bobby left New Edition and was working on the 'Don't Be Cruel' album. George Smith was responsible for spearheading Bobby's solo career with the 'Don't Be Cruel' album which sold over twelve million copies. George Smith used his business acumen including independent retail, radio and marketing to help facilitate Bobby Brown's image, development and album sales. George Smith financed, mentored, implemented and orchestrated Bobby's success before and during his first album. George Smith was instrumental in developing the careers of Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds and Antonio 'L.A.' Reid. Bobby Brown lived with George Smith for a while at Mr. Smith's estate in Danville, California.
A pioneer of New Jack Swing music, Brown released his second album "Don't Be Cruel" in 1988. With hits like the title cut, 'Every Little Step,' 'Rock Wit' Cha,' 'My Prerogative' (a song that was subsequently covered by Britney Spears in 2004), and 'Roni,' the album made Brown famous. The following year he contributed 2 songs (the #2 pop single 'On Our Own') to the "Ghostbusters 2" soundtrack (Brown also had a cameo in the film). Brown has subsequently also dabbled in an acting career.
Personal life
Brown was married Whitney Houston in July 1992. Together they have one daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, born on March 4, 1993. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Brown's legal and substance abuse troubles threatened to overshadow his music. In late 2003, Brown was arrested for misdemeanor battery, allegedly for striking Houston while shouting epithets. . In February 2004, Brown was arrested and jailed in Georgia on a parole violation related to a previous drunk driving conviction.
On October 9th, 2007, he suffered a mild heart attack in Los Angeles, California. Brown complained of severe chest pains the night before and was taken to two different hospitals.
Brown later announced it was not true and that he was in good health.
"Being Bobby Brown"
On June 30, 2005, Brown launched his own reality series, "Being Bobby Brown", on the Bravo television network. Running for thirteen episodes, the reality show focused on the personal lives of the singer and wife Whitney Houston and their accompanying family over the course of six months, as they ostensibly work to improve and repair their lives.
The show was one of the highest-rated shows on the Bravo channel, partially for Houston's off banter quotes, including the oft-repeated "hell to the naw".
External links
(Being Bobby Brown Official Website)
(Whitney's Comeback) by Urban Celebrity News
(Bobby Brown Discography with Covers, Lyrics, Charts)
Credit
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article about Bobby Brown.
