New Edition is hoping for its Rock & Roll Hall of Fame moment
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The members of New Edition. Photo: Courtesy of Tre Media
Few artists in recent memory have embraced their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination as much as New Edition.
The intrigue: Each member of the group — Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ronnie DeVoe, Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant — has feverishly promoted the Rock Hall's Fan Vote on social media.
- The Boston-born R&B act currently leads the annual poll by a solid margin over the likes of Phil Collins, P!NK and Luther Vandross.
What they're saying: "It's one of those bucket list things," Tresvant tells Axios.
- "It's rare that all of the members in a group are still here to witness this happening. It'd be a blessing to stand up there all together for an honor like that."
Reality check: Winning the Fan Vote by no means guarantees induction.
- The top seven vote-getters constitute a single "fan ballot" added to a pool of more than 1,200 voters.
Yes, but: Just the nomination caps an incredible six months for New Edition, a group that dominated the 1980s and became the archetype for the modern boy band.
State of play: Last year, the city of Boston declared Aug. 30 "New Edition Day." Boston renamed a portion of the street in the Roxbury neighborhood, where most of the members grew up, "New Edition Way."
- The group even named its current tour "The New Edition Way." The trek stopped in Cleveland a few days before this year's Rock Hall nominees were revealed.
What's next: The members say they'll continue to promote the Rock Hall nomination and keep their fingers crossed for when the class of 2026 is announced next month.
- "Some things come with patience," Bivins says. "The focus is on us now, and it feels just like it's our time."