Bobby Brown is an &B legend who bridged the gap between rhythm and blues and hip-hop, essentially creating what we now call New Jack Swing. At 56, the Boston native continues touring with New Edition whilst running a successful food company and maintaining the sobriety that’s helped him live some truly devastating personal losses.
Biography
Robert Barisford Brown Sr. was born on February 5, 1969, in Boston, Massachusetts. Growing up in Roxbury’s Orchard Park Projects wasn’t easy. He was the seventh of eight children born to Herbert James Brown, a construction worker, and Carole Elizabeth Brown, who worked as a substitute teacher.
Growing up, life in the projects was brutal. Bobby witnessed his best friend James “Jumbo” Flint get stabbed to death when he was just eleven years old. He was shot in the knee during a fight and even survived sexual abuse by a Catholic priest whilst in temporary custody. These traumatic experiences, which he detailed in his 2016 memoir “Every Little Step,” would later contribute to his struggles with substance abuse.
But there was light too. At age three, watching James Brown perform in Boston sparked something inside him. That’s when young Bobby knew he wanted to be a singer. He started honing his skills in the church choir, drawing inspiration from legends like James Brown, Rick James, Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, and Prince.
Tragedy struck again in 1995 when Steven Sealy, Bobby’s sister Carol’s fiancé, was shot and killed whilst sitting in Bobby’s Bentley outside a Roxbury bar. Brown recalled in a 2024 podcast that “178 bullets was in the car. And I didn’t get scratched once.” Then, both his parents passed away in 2011. His mother Carole died from a heart attack in January, and his father Herbert succumbed to cancer in December, just two months before Bobby’s ex-wife Whitney Houston’s death in 2012.
Career
Bobby co-founded New Edition around 1978-1980 with childhood friends Ricky Bell and Michael Bivins in the Orchard Park Projects. After Ralph Tresvant and Ronnie DeVoe joined, the group was discovered at Boston’s Strand Theatre in 1982. Their debut album “Candy Girl” (1983) produced a number one R&B hit, launching the boy band phenomenon that would dominate the decade.
But Bobby wanted more. Creative tensions and his desire for more provocative performances led him to leave New Edition in late 1985. His debut solo album “King of Stage” (1986) achieved modest success with the R&B number one single “Girlfriend,” but it was his second album that changed everything.
“Don’t Be Cruel” dropped in June 1988 and became the best-selling album of 1989. It spent six non-consecutive weeks atop the Billboard 200 and sold a staggering 12 million copies worldwide. The album was certified seven times Platinum in the US and produced five consecutive Top 10 singles, which was unprecedented for an R&B artist at that time.
“My Prerogative” hit number one on the Hot 100 in January 1989, becoming his signature anthem. “Every Little Step” peaked at number three and won him the 1990 Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, his only Grammy win. Other hits from the album included “Don’t Be Cruel” (number eight), “Roni” (number three), and “Rock Wit’cha” (number seven).
His 1992 follow-up album “Bobby” reached number two and went three times Platinum, featuring the number three hit “Humpin’ Around.” He also scored a number one hit with Glenn Medeiros on “She Ain’t Worth It” in 1990.
Brown’s ventured into acting as well. He had a cameo as the Mayor’s Doorman in Ghostbusters II (1989) and played all three Blind Mice in Mother Goose Rock ‘n’ Rhyme (1990). His reality show “Being Bobby Brown” on Bravo in 2005 became the network’s highest-rated series, though it was cancelled after one season when Whitney Houston refused to continue.
More recently, he competed as “The Crab” on The Masked Singer Season 5 in 2021 and executive-produced two A&E projects in 2022: the documentary “Biography: Bobby Brown” and the docuseries “Bobby Brown: Every Little Step.”
New Edition has reunited numerous times since Bobby’s 1985 departure. Their 1996 reunion album “Home Again” debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. They’ve performed at major events including the BET 25th Anniversary Special in 2005, received a BET Lifetime Achievement Award and Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2017, and were inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2023.
As of early 2026, New Edition continues their first-ever Las Vegas residency at Wynn’s Encore Theater, which launched in February 2024 with sold-out performances. The major “New Edition Way” Tour with Boyz II Men and Toni Braxton is set to span 30 cities from January through April 2026, marking one of the group’s most ambitious touring efforts in years.
Personal Life
Bobby’s first marriage to global superstar Whitney Houston lasted from July 18, 1992, through their divorce on April 24, 2007. The relationship was plagued by mutual substance abuse and domestic turmoil. They had one daughter together and suffered three miscarriages. Whitney received custody of their daughter and all marital assets in the divorce.
He married his childhood friend and manager Alicia Etheredge on June 18, 2012, in Hawaii, just four months after Houston’s death. They’ve now been together for over twelve years, operating Bobby Brown Foods and the production company Brown Ribbon Entertainment together.
Bobby has fathered seven children with four women. Landon Brown (born 1986) is a singer-songwriter who works with his father. La’Princia Brown (born 1989) is a business graduate. Tragically, Bobby Brown Jr. died on November 18, 2020, from an accidental fentanyl, cocaine, and alcohol overdose at age 28.
His daughter with Whitney Houston, Bobbi Kristina Brown, died on July 26, 2015, at age 22 after being found unresponsive in a bathtub. She suffered lobar pneumonia following drug intoxication. Her boyfriend Nick Gordon was found liable for $36 million in a wrongful death suit.
With Alicia, Bobby has three children: Cassius (born 2009), Bodhi Jameson Rein (born 2015), and Hendrix Estelle Sheba (born 2016).
The deaths of Bobbi Kristina and Bobby Jr. have profoundly impacted Brown. He founded the Bobbi Kristina Serenity House, a domestic violence shelter honouring his daughter, and wears a dogtag with her photo daily. He speaks openly about managing grief through therapy and prayer.
Bobby’s legal troubles, primarily DUI-related, spanned from 1989 through 2012. His arrests included multiple DUIs, marijuana possession, and child support issues. However, no arrests or significant legal issues have occurred since 2013. After his 2013 sentencing, Brown stated he “didn’t want to be incarcerated ever, ever again” and has maintained sobriety through therapy and family support.
Net Worth
Bobby Brown’s estimated net worth stands at $2 million. This figure comes from both his tumultuous financial history and ongoing income streams. Despite “Don’t Be Cruel” generating massive sales in 1989, Brown claims he earned only “$500 and a VCR” from his New Edition years due to unfair contracts. His 2007 divorce from Whitney Houston left him with no marital assets.
His current income derives from New Edition touring, including the Las Vegas residency, music royalties and streaming, television appearances, and his food business. He reportedly received approximately $2 million from daughter Bobbi Kristina’s trust after her 2015 death.
Bobby Brown Foods, founded in 2014, remains active after a decade in business. The company sells all-natural, gluten-free, vegan-friendly products including BBQ sauces, seasonings, hot sauce, fry mix, and speciality coffee. Brown learned cooking from his mother as childhood punishment. The products are sold directly through bobbybrownfoods.com and wholesale channels.
His current chapter, marked by sobriety, active philanthropy, and continued performance with New Edition, shows a man who’s found stability whilst honouring those he’s lost.
