In 1953 many legends were born, but only one musical genius would create an international frenzy with a group of boys from North Dorchester and Jamaica Plain in Boston. Larry Johnson would become Maurice Starr, surrounded by love and music from day one, and destined to become a hit-making songwriter and producer responsible for culminating 70 million record sales worldwide. Before the Legend-The Rise of New Kids on the Block...and a Guy Named Maurice Starr: The Early Years is a remarkable true story as told by author Tony Rose, the primary architect along with Maurice Starr of the Boston/Roxbury Music Scene. When the fairy tale began, like a cosmic force, the entities were destined by fate to be in place where the dream would unfold.
Tracing the roots of the world's biggest-grossing boy band and their zealous record producer Maurice Starr, this New Kids on the Block biography is the true behind-the-scenes story of the teenage boys that paved the way for boy bands of the 1990s. Giving a firsthand look at the dedication, success, and many failures of Donnie Wahlberg, Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Danny Wood, and Joe MacIntyre, this biography chronicles the beginnings of the five working-class boys living in the blue-collar districts of Boston, striving to make their way to the top of the music industry to become one of the top-selling musical groups of their time.
Five working-class boys who lived in the blue-collar districts of Boston called north Dorchester and Jamaica Plain and Maurice Starr, a record producer from Roxbury would go to the dizzying heights of the music world at a speed so phenomenal that it shattered most existing record sales and concert tour sales. This is the true, undoctored, hard-hitting, fact-filled story of Donnie Wahlberg, Jordan Knight, Jonathan Knight, Danny Wood, and Joe McIntyre...
Rose, Tony: - "Author Tony Rose was a successful Executive Producer, Record Producer, Record Company Owner, Personal Manager, Music Publisher, Recording Studio Owner, Recording Engineer, Song Writer, Composer and close friend of Maurice Starr for more than fifteen years. His Solid Platinum Records and Productions was the first African American production company to have a production deal with Virgin Records. Albums produced by Rose, Gang War and Stone Killers by Prince Charles and the City Beat Band reached Gold Album status and shared the charts with Michael Jackson's Thriller for six consecutive months in the number one, two and three positions throughout the world; and his legendary Prince Charles and the City Beat Band albums Gang War, Stone Killers, Combat Zone and singles, have accounted for more than Six Million sold worldwide. Rose's many music awards include "Gold" and "Platinum" Albums and "Ampex Golden Reel" Awards for recording and engineering New Kids on the Block. Rose has also penned Before the Legend - The Rise of New Kids on the Block and ...A Guy Named Maurice Starr - The Early Years as well as eight other published books. Tony Rose is an NAACP Image Award Winner for Outstanding Literature, the Publisher and CEO of Amber Communications Group, Inc., the nation's largest African American Publisher of Self-Help Books and Music Biographies."
