The lineup originally consisted of Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ronnie DeVoe, Bobby Brown, and Ralph Tresvant.

Brown left the group in late 1985 to begin a successful solo career, and they continued as a quartet for one album, before adding Johnny Gill to the lineup in 1987.

[7] In 1990, both Gill and Tresvant released their own solo albums, while the remaining three members formed the trio Bell Biv DeVoe; the group ceased to work together for the first half of the 1990s.

The group then scored its big break in 1982, performing at the local Hollywood Talent Night held at Boston's Strand Theatre by singer/producer Maurice Starr.

[10][11] Returning from their first major concert tour, the boys were dropped off back at their homes in the projects and were given a check in the amount of $1.87 apiece for their efforts.

Though it effectively separated the group from Jump and Shoot and allowed them to sign a new long-term contract to record for MCA directly, they were now in mortgage to the label.

While not duplicating the success of its predecessor, the album was certified platinum, and spawned the hits "Count Me Out", "A Little Bit Of Love (Is All It Takes)", and "With You All the Way".

Toward the year's end, Christmas All Over the World, a holiday EP, was released as well as an oldies album of tunes from the '50s sung by the group with an '80s production style.

As 1986 wound to a close, they recorded a cover of The Penguins' 1954 hit "Earth Angel" for the soundtrack to The Karate Kid, Part II.

After having already lost a member when Brown was terminated from the group, New Edition's future became uncertain when murmurings began to surface that Tresvant was eyeing a solo career as well.

To pad his potential departure, singer Johnny Gill was voted into the group by Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe in 1987, despite Tresvant ultimately deciding to remain in place.

Primarily produced by the production team of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, the album was a departure from the group's previous bubblegum sound, and instead took on a smoother, stronger, and more adult resonance.

Heartbreak"; Heart Break became New Edition's most commercially successful album up to that point, certified double platinum in the United States.

Inspired by the substantial success Brown was having with his multi-platinum 1988 breakthrough album Don't Be Cruel, after the run of Heart Break, New Edition went on hiatus to pursue side projects away from the group.

Despite not having toured together in close to a decade (and over ten years for Brown), old rivalries and struggles for on stage dominance resurfaced as if no time had passed.

Each of the group members again went their separate ways, this time on more hostile terms than ever; resulting in an indefinite hiatus that appeared to be the swan song for New Edition.

The following year, Gill formed the R&B supergroup LSG, along with Gerald Levert and Keith Sweat, to release the album Levert.Sweat.Gill, which had the hit single "My Body".

After their second wave of solo pursuits proved less than successful, New Edition reunited once more as a five-piece without Brown and began touring clubs, casinos, and small arenas in 2002; including appearing on The Tom Joyner Sky Show.

In an interview, Bell revealed that Combs' had refused to pay New Edition's long time producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis for a track that the group wanted on the album.

In 2005, New Edition appeared on an episode of the UPN reality competition series R U the Girl as part of an elimination challenge, assisting the remaining TLC members Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas in judging the show's remaining finalists as they put together group performances opening up for a New Edition live concert.

During the making of the episode, Thomas and Watkins discussed with New Edition how Bivins had inspired late member Lisa Lopes' nickname "Left Eye" in TLC's early beginnings.

It was later announced on BET and Access Hollywood that Brown had reconciled with 'New Edition and planned to rejoin the group for its future concert dates and studio albums.

Led by Tresvant, Brown and Bell, New Edition sang and danced through classics such as "I Want You Back", "ABC" and "The Love You Save".

[2] Later that year, Bell and Gill joined New Kids on the Block onstage at a House of Blues benefit show for Toys for Tots in Boston, performing "Full Service" and "This One's for the Children".

[12] On July 3, 2011, in New Orleans, Louisiana, all six members of New Edition reunited at the Essence Music Festival to kick off and celebrate their 30th anniversary tour.

On January 24–26, 2017, BET aired the biopic miniseries The New Edition Story which chronicles the band members life from their childhood in Boston into Hollywood fame as adults.

[15] In July 2021, New Edition signed with Creative Artists Agency and announced a Las Vegas Residency and an upcoming arena tour.

2022 * The Culture Tour (New Edition) The band reunited in late 2016 to release their fourth studio album Three Stripes; they also released music videos for the singles "Run" and "I'm Betta"[24][25] Disagreements surrounding the New Edition trademark and the group's creative direction resulted in Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant leaving the group, with the remaining members continuing to perform under the new moniker "RBRM".