1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s, music video, New Jack Swing, Pop Music, R&B, singer/songwriters, Throwback, Video Video
by William Ruben Helms

Throwback: Happy 58th Birthday, Michael Bivins!

It’s August. We’ve somehow managed to survive 3/4s of a what has been a miserable, soul-wrenching slog of a year, full of gratuitous brutality, endless war, and a slow-burning slide into fascism. Oh and add economic difficulties. But, we’re still here. And we will face whatever it is we’re meant to face, right?

Music, art and community matter more than ever. Let’s not forget that fact. As always, I will spend some time celebrating the birthday of a series of favorites and legends while we still have them.

Michael Bivins is a co-founder or two of the most commercially successful R&B and pop acts of the 80s and early 90s — New Edition and Bell Biv DeVoe. At the height of New Edition’s popularity — roughly 1983-1986 or so — the pop act had an impressive collection of chart-topping hits: “Candy Girl,” the album title track of the act’s 1983 full-length debut, Candy Girl was a Top 20 Hit on Billboard‘s R&B Singles Chart, 1984’s self-titled sophomore album, featured crossover hits “Cool It Now” and “Mr. Telephone Man.” “Cool It Now” peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and “Mr. Telephone Man” landed at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 — while simultaneously being their third #1 on the Black Singles chart.

When New Edition split up, Bivins formed Bell Biv Devoe with his New Edition group mates Ricky Bell and Ronnie DeVoe. Bell Biv DeVoe helped pioneer the New Jack Swing sound, which dominated the charts between 1990-roughly 1995. Their debut album Poison peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200 charts — thanks in part to the commercial success of album title track “Poison,” and “Do Me Baby.”

Bivins has also discovered, managed and produced a handful of acts that many of you will remember — including Another Bad Creation, Boyz II Men and 702 among others.

The New Edition and Bell Biv DeVoe co-founder celebrates his 58th birthday. Happy birthday, brother! Thank you for being a part of music that I’ve loved and listened to all of my life.

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