The New Edition Story : Should Ralph Tresvant have been a bigger star as a solo artist?

He was the lead singer of New Edition and the most popular/adored member but ended up having the least successful solo career.

http://www.lipstickalley.com/showthread.php/1136518-Should-Ralph-Tresvant-have-been-a-bigger-star-as-a-solo-artist

Yes

That's what happens sometimes.Coko from Swv went solo and her album went no where. The same with Tony Thompson of Hi five and RL from Next.

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He was the lead singer of New Edition and the most popular/adored member but ended up having the least successful solo career.

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I think it comes down to timing, production, how hard the songs hit with the public, amount of radio and video play and overall record sales. Ralph released his album in 1990 and had a #1 R & B hit with "Sensitivity". He also had some movie soundtrack songs from the Mo' Money and House Party 2 movies in '91 and '92. Now BBD had monster hits with "Poison" which came out in 1990, and a few other songs from that album. The video for "Poison" is legendary.

Bobby is the bad boy of the group so he had the notoriety already. His first album came out in 1986 and didn't do as well as the second, which came out in 1988 & that had all the monster hits like "My Prerogative", "Don't Be Cruel", "Every Little Step". He then had the Ghostbusters soundtrack song the following year.

Johnny Gill was already a solo artist before he joined the group, so he was aleady known in the industry for his vocal prowess. When he put out an album in 1990 he had a smash with "My My My" and other great songs. ("Fairweather Friend", "Wrap My Body Tight", "Lady Dujour" to name a few. He even had some success with Levert Sweat Gill with that monster hit "My Body".

All that to say that yeah, you'd think Ralph would have been the biggest solo star being the lead, but IMO it really came down to when the albums came out and how popular the songs/video hit with radio/public. I love them all and have all their solo and group albums. Their legacy is massive, as a group and as solo artists.

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I think his "lane" was filled by others with better written and produced songs.
Think Babyface(as singer) and Rafael Sadiq. These guys were more talented than Ralph and kind of crowded his lane.

You're right. Without the right material, and prducers, it doesn't matter how good they are.

Also, BBD was on the New Jack Swing train - the music was fresher and appealed heavily to the pop/dance house party crowd. They got in at a good time. Its possible their solo careers could successfully mirror their old group - like say KC & JoJo did when departing Jodeci - but it's harder when change is sweeping the industry to not be left behind.

It seems like Bobby had the most personality and also took more risks musically. Bobby and Bell Biv Devoe really helped bring the New Jack Swing sound into the early 90s.

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Ralph had a great voice but it seems he was tailored made to be in a group than solo contrary to what was told to him over the years. We will never know if Ralph would have been a bigger star if he started his solo career earlier. But it's sad that he's been told for years he was intended to be a big star and then when he goes out on his own it does not happened. Sensitivity is one of the most iconic songs toward the late 80's no matter what to me though

Oh yeah, he definitely should have had a more successful solo career but I don't think it's on him. I put that on the managers, label and the producers, not Ralph. He did all that he could do. He can sing, he can dance, he has great stage presence and he's fine as hell. Plus by all accounts, he has a great work ethic. If he had had the right producers and managers, there is no telling were he would be as a solo artist but the good thing about R&B is that it's not too late. He can still come out with a dope album that could get him all the accolades, recognition and money that he should have gotten damn near 30 yrs ago.














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