Maurice Starr | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Larry Curtis Johnson |
| Born | (1953-11-19)November 19, 1953 (age 71) Deland, Florida, United States |
| Genres | |
| Occupations | |
| Instruments | |
| Years active | 1970s–present |
Larry Curtis Johnson (born November 19, 1953), better known by his stage nameMaurice Starr, is an American musician,songwriter, andrecord producer. He is best known for his production work for boy bandsNew Edition andNew Kids on the Block.[1] He was fired by New Edition for embezzling funds.[2]
Originally fromDeland,Florida, Johnson moved toBoston,Massachusetts, in the early 1970s.
Johnson was a member of the Johnson Brothers (not to be confused withthe Brothers Johnson fromLos Angeles,California) and the seminal electro group known as theJonzun Crew with brothersMichael Jonzun and Soni Jonzun. In 1980, Johnson changed his name to Maurice Starr and recorded two R&B albums,Flaming Starr andSpacey Lady. Unsuccessful as a solo artist, and described as "a cross betweenBerry Gordy andP. T. Barnum,"[3] Starr decided to create a band to perform the songs that he wrote.
In 1982, Starr discovered the bandNew Edition on his talent show. He co-wrote and co-produced their debut album with the hits, "Candy Girl", "Is This the End", and "Popcorn Love". Despite the album's success, and a lengthy tour, New Edition members were paid less than two dollars each, and they fired Starr in late 1983, accusing him of embezzlement. Retaining industry attorneySteven Machat, they sued Starr for damages and won, also winning the right to continue using their group name. Signed to a new label, New Edition produced more hit singles throughout the 1980s.[2][4]
In 1986, Starr createdNew Kids on the Block, a band consisting of five male teenagers: brothersJonathan andJordan Knight,Joey McIntyre,Donnie Wahlberg, andDanny Wood. Starr intended NKOTB to be a white version of New Edition; he stated "I honestly believe that if they'd been white, [New Edition] would have been 20 times as big."[5] By 1989, NKOTB was the fastest-rising act in the United States. Starr handled the group’s lucrative marketing of posters, T-shirts, and other spin-offs.[3][6][7] By the fall of 1989, the New Kids on the Block were so huge that their holiday albumMerry, Merry Christmas catapulted into the Top Ten upon its release, reaching double-platinum status not long afterward. The album spawned the top-ten single "This One's for the Children", which was produced and recorded at Tony Rose’s Hit City Recording Studio in Roxbury, Massachusetts.
Starr later attempted to repeat his success with artists such asPerfect Gentlemen,Rick Wes,[8][9] Homework, the Superiors, Heart Body & Soul,Classic Example,Tommy Page, andAna.[3] None of these acts attained anything like the massive popularity of New Edition and New Kids on the Block. Starr also attempted to revitalizeTiffany's faltering career with her third albumNew Inside, but it failed to chart in the U.S.[10]
Starr affected a persona he called the General, wearing various quasi-military uniforms in black, white or red, emblazoned withmedals and goldpiping. In an interview, he admitted he did not earn the medals by way of military service.[11]
Starr manages NK5, another boy band he assembled. Like his earlier successful boy bands, he produces and writes the group's songs.[12][13]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
