New Edition is celebrating the 40th anniversary of their single “Candy Girl,” and decades later, they still manage to dazzle fans with their stellar performances.
Ahead of the highly anticipated “Legacy Tour,” group members — Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill, Ralph Tresvant, Michael Bivins, Ricky Bell, and Ronnie DeVoe — sat down for an interview to share some of their favorite memories from touring back in the day.
During a chat with Big Tigger, Bell revealed that the group would announce toward the end of their shows what hotel they were staying at.
“It was crazy. Just imagine a lobby full of women and us just up pointing out which one we wanted, telling security, ‘the one in the red…’ Everything that could possibly be done, was done,” he said, before sharing a story about his group member.
“Ralph had a stalker,” said Bell, “Her and her mom would show up the whole tour. Her in her prom dress!”
Tresvant then chimed in, adding to the story, “That same girl ended up in Boston staying with my grandma.” He said, “She found my grandmother in Boston somehow and my grandmother said, ‘I like this girl, you should come say hi to her.”
But he isn’t the only New Edition member who has dealt with a stalker. “Ron had a good stalker,” Bivins interjected. “Nancy, we called her Nancy.”
Attempting to divert the conversation, Ronnie said, “Listen, I’m not saying anything. We had some moments with crazy fans.”
He then recalls women dressing up like maids just to get close to their hotel rooms.
“We had ladies who got dressed up like the maids, knocking on the doors and we would open it up and they would just give it away right away,” he laughed. “Maids don’t scream!”
New Edition kicked off their “Legacy Tour” with Keith Sweat and the R&B singing trio Guy, performing at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina, on Thursday, March 9.
The three iconic ’80s R&B groups are scheduled to stop in 30 major cities like Charlotte, Memphis, Atlantic City, Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas, and two dozen more. Tickets are sold on most platforms, including Ticketmaster.
