Biography
Ralph Tresvant delivered the lead vocals on New Edition's early successes and later claimed his own gold-certified number one R&B single with the sleek ballad "Sensitivity." He became the final member of the group to issue an individual album. The other participants had already reached the R&B summit: Bobby Brown with "Girlfriend" and Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, and Ronald DeVoe, performing together as Bell Biv DeVoe (BBD), with "Poison." Tresvant also had to navigate the band's own formidable legacy, which included four number one R&B singles—"Candy Girl" (gold), "Cool It Now," "Mr. Telephone Man," and "Can You Stand the Rain." Whether he could replicate that momentum on his own remained an open question, though releasing his record after his bandmates may have offered a strategic edge by letting him observe audience reactions and calibrate his approach accordingly.
Born May 15, 1968, to Patricia Ann Tresvant and Ralph Tresvant, Sr., he grew up in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood. He joined Bobby Brown, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, and Ronald DeVoe in a group assembled by producer and songwriter Maurice Starr, whose idea was to create a contemporary counterpart to the Jackson 5. Ironically, Motown founder Berry Gordy had once sought to position the Jackson 5 as a modern version of Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers. After signing with StreetWise Records, the act broke through with "Candy Girl." Follow-up singles included "Is This the End" (number eight R&B), "Lost in Love" (number six R&B), "Count Me Out" (number two R&B for two weeks), "Earth Angel" from the film Karate Kid Part 2 (number three R&B), "Once in a Lifetime Groove" from the Gregory Hines and Billy Crystal movie Running Scared (number ten R&B), "Tears on My Pillow" with Little Anthony of Little Anthony and the Imperials, "If It Isn't Love" (number two R&B, number seven pop), "You're Not My Kind of Girl" (number three R&B), and "Crucial" (number four R&B).
When he signed with MCA Records as a solo artist, Tresvant voiced his uncertainty about stepping out alone and matching prior accomplishments in several interviews. Producers and songwriters Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who had already worked with him on the group's double-platinum album Heartbreak, expressed confidence in his capabilities. They assigned him both lead and background vocals on the track they wrote for him, "Sensitivity." The single surpassed a million copies sold, topping the R&B chart and reaching number four on the pop side of Billboard in fall 1990. His self-titled solo debut arrived November 27, 1990, earned platinum certification, and held the number one R&B position for two weeks. Further charting cuts from the album were "Stone Cold Gentleman," "Do What I Gotta Do," and "Rated X." For Jam & Lewis' Perspective Records, he appeared on the 1992 hit "The Best Things in Life Are Free," released under the billing "Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson with BBD and Ralph Tresvant." That success was followed by his own single "Money Can't Buy You Love," featured in the Damon and Marlon Wayans film Mo' Money. He also appeared in the movie House Party 2. Tresvant rejoined New Edition for the 1996 reunion album Home Again and later appeared on the 1998 MCA Special Products collection It's Goin' Down.
Born May 15, 1968, to Patricia Ann Tresvant and Ralph Tresvant, Sr., he grew up in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood. He joined Bobby Brown, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, and Ronald DeVoe in a group assembled by producer and songwriter Maurice Starr, whose idea was to create a contemporary counterpart to the Jackson 5. Ironically, Motown founder Berry Gordy had once sought to position the Jackson 5 as a modern version of Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers. After signing with StreetWise Records, the act broke through with "Candy Girl." Follow-up singles included "Is This the End" (number eight R&B), "Lost in Love" (number six R&B), "Count Me Out" (number two R&B for two weeks), "Earth Angel" from the film Karate Kid Part 2 (number three R&B), "Once in a Lifetime Groove" from the Gregory Hines and Billy Crystal movie Running Scared (number ten R&B), "Tears on My Pillow" with Little Anthony of Little Anthony and the Imperials, "If It Isn't Love" (number two R&B, number seven pop), "You're Not My Kind of Girl" (number three R&B), and "Crucial" (number four R&B).
When he signed with MCA Records as a solo artist, Tresvant voiced his uncertainty about stepping out alone and matching prior accomplishments in several interviews. Producers and songwriters Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who had already worked with him on the group's double-platinum album Heartbreak, expressed confidence in his capabilities. They assigned him both lead and background vocals on the track they wrote for him, "Sensitivity." The single surpassed a million copies sold, topping the R&B chart and reaching number four on the pop side of Billboard in fall 1990. His self-titled solo debut arrived November 27, 1990, earned platinum certification, and held the number one R&B position for two weeks. Further charting cuts from the album were "Stone Cold Gentleman," "Do What I Gotta Do," and "Rated X." For Jam & Lewis' Perspective Records, he appeared on the 1992 hit "The Best Things in Life Are Free," released under the billing "Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson with BBD and Ralph Tresvant." That success was followed by his own single "Money Can't Buy You Love," featured in the Damon and Marlon Wayans film Mo' Money. He also appeared in the movie House Party 2. Tresvant rejoined New Edition for the 1996 reunion album Home Again and later appeared on the 1998 MCA Special Products collection It's Goin' Down.
Albums
Singles
