New Edition,with its signature sound that has spanned decades, is coming to Savannah on Sept. 20.
All the members of the original group will be performing their Jackson 5-inspired material that made them the forerunners of two generations of teen pop. As they matured and progressed, the band laid much of the groundwork for the fusion of hip-hop and R&B known as new jack swing.
New Edition was formed in the Roxbury section of Boston by Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Bobby Brown, who began singing together in 1978 while still in elementary school. They eventually recruited friend Ralph Tresvant as a fourth member, and after winning a talent show in 1980, also added Ronnie DeVoe.
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. "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. Despite a lack of major-label interest in the group, "Candy Girl" was a smash, topping the R&B charts. And the rest is history.
The Sept. 20 show will be at the Civic Center's Johnny Mercer Theater. Tickets go on sale July 13 at www.savannahcivic.com.