The City of Boston to Have a good time forty second Anniversary of New Edition

The six members of the legendary R&B group will probably be honored by the City with Mayor Wu declaring August 30 as “New Edition Day” within the City of Boston and thru a collection of occasions, together with a avenue naming ceremony and group block occasion in Roxbury.

Mayor Michelle Wu right now introduced a collection of occasions honoring New Edition, the legendary Boston-based R&B group based in Roxbury in 1978, on Saturday, August 30. In recognition of the group’s profound affect in Boston and the music trade, Mayor Wu and the City of Boston will host numerous occasions to rejoice the group’s contributions and legacy, together with a avenue naming ceremony and a group block occasion in Roxbury. In addition to those occasions, Mayor Wu may also declare August 30 as “New Edition Day” within the City of Boston. These occasions will honor the crucial contributions of New Edition and create alternatives for residents and households to construct group throughout Boston neighborhoods.

“It is an honor to welcome home Roxbury natives New Edition to celebrate their global impact, from our communities here in Boston to the music industry worldwide,” stated Mayor Michelle Wu. “Thank you to all of our City teams for their work in putting on this vibrant series of events that will bring community members together in recognition of our local, homegrown group. This is a unique opportunity to bring Boston’s neighborhoods together in a celebration of culture, pride and community and I encourage every community member to join us to celebrate New Edition’s tremendous impact.”

Founded in Roxbury, Massachusetts, “Orchard Park Projects” in 1978, New Edition has had a profound affect on each the Boston group and the music trade as an entire, paving the best way for pop and R&B stars worldwide. For 40 plus years Members Ronnie DeVoe, Bobby Brown, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ralph Tresvant and Johnny Gill have garnered immeasurable success touring the world each individually and as a collective group. In 2017 this Multi-Platinum promoting supergroup was honored with a star on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame. The star unveiling ceremony coincided with the premiere of NE’s three-part miniseries “The New Edition Story” which aired on BET setting a community report with greater than 29 million distinctive viewers. In 2022, New Edition was inducted into the Black Music Hall of Fame and in 2023 the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. Throughout New Edition’s numerous achievements, their most “coveted” accomplishment has been, and continues to be, the love and assist they obtain from their loyal and devoted followers. Affectionately often known as #NE4LIFERS, Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, Michael, Ralph and Johnny are equally as devoted to them, for with out them New Edition wouldn’t and couldn’t exist.

“I am truly grateful for the privilege of being made a permanent fixture in our city that has played such a significant role in shaping our lives and career,” stated Ricky Bell. “It brings me immense joy to think that future generations of my family, friends, and #NE4Lifers from all over the world will be able to walk and drive down New Edition Way. This honor is mind-blowing in the most awesome way. 02119 IS and WILL always be my home.”

“Boston is where it all began for us.This honor means the world to me,” stated Bobby Brown.

“I’ll never forget when I was a junior at Brown University and in January of 1983 Maurice Starr came bounding into the WBRU-Providence (my college radio station) studio on a Sunday when we had our (ridiculously high-rated) Black programming on the normally Alt Rock station. He’d brought us some local Boston records before but he had an EXTRA amount of energy that day. While I was playing another song on the air, he made me listen to this new song in “cue,” stated Stephen Hill, Former Radio DJ, BET and MTV Executive. “It’s so funny; I remember his smile as those first 6 now familiar clap-sounding drum machine beats came out of the speakers, the last beat igniting that mini-glissando into awesomeness. And there it was, the classic Jonzun Crew computer-talk into the most Michael Jacksonest voice I’d heard since 1971 starting what might have been the very first R&B song to start with a rap. It was both innovative and familiar, reflective of burgeoning, nascent hip-hop while true to the structure of traditional R&B. As a tried and true J5 fan, I loved it immediately and I assured him that I left that record on the turntable, switched it from cue to on-air, and proudly became one of the first in the country to play the seminal hit “Candy Girl.” 

New Edition Day Events 

New Edition Street Naming Ceremony 

Saturday, August 30, 10:00 a.m.

Location: Corner of Ambrose & Albany Streets, Roxbury, 02119 

New Edition Day: Community Block Party 

Saturday, August 30, 11:00 a.m.

Location: Orchard Gardens Boys & Girls Club, 2 Dearborn St, Roxbury, MA 02119

“When my family and I made Roxbury our home in 1982, I was introduced to the music of New Edition.  Whenever I hear the hit song ‘Candy Girl,’ it still evokes happy childhood memories. New Edition has provided this city with decades of fond memories, and immense pride,” stated Dion Irish, Chief of Operations. “New Edition are reminders of the greatness that the youth of Boston are capable of. I am extremely proud and excited to see them celebrated in this way, and very thankful to Mayor Wu for her leadership in this effort.”

“The City of Boston welcomes New Edition back home to honor their legacy and dedication to the community,” said Brianna Millor, Chief of Community Engagement. “The world knows New Edition as international superstars, but for Boston natives, we consider them family. It is our greatest privilege to celebrate our hometown legends.”

On Saturday, August 30, the City of Boston will host a avenue naming ceremony and group block occasion. At the ceremony, Mayor Wu will designate Dearborn Street as New Edition Way and declare August 30 as “New Edition Day” within the City of Boston. The avenue naming ceremony will happen on the nook of Ambrose Street and Albany Street in Roxbury, honoring the group at Orchard Gardens, previously often known as Orchard Park, the place the founding members of New Edition grew up. Immediately after the road renaming ceremony, the City will host a group block occasion in entrance of the Orchard Gardens Boys & Girls Club, that includes music, a backpack giveaway for youth, free meals, enjoyable actions and a particular look by New Edition. 

“It is such an honor to be able to celebrate one of the most iconic groups to ever come out of the city of Boston,” stated John Borders IV, Director of Tourism, Sports, and Entertainment for the City of Boston. “We are truly excited to bring the community together to recognize the impact New Edition has had both locally and worldwide. We hope this sets the precedent for how we honor our own moving forward.” 

“As someone from Roxbury, it’s an honor to celebrate New Edition’s accomplishments and legacy right where it all started,” stated Frank Farrow, Executive Director, Office of Black Male Advancement. “New Edition is the best music group of all time. The legendary group’s cultural affect remains to be felt right now within the Boston group and all through the leisure trade worldwide.”