Larry Curtis Johnson (born July 14, 1953), better known by his stage name Maurice Starr, is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

musician,

songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...

, and

record producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure.Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

. He is best known for his work creating songs and albums with boy bands

New Edition New Edition is an American R&B/Pop group from the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1978 by Bobby Brown. Their name is taken to mean a 'new edition' of the Jackson 5. The group reached its height of popularity in the 198 ...

and

New Kids on the Block New Kids on the Block (also initialized as NKOTB) is an American boy band from Dorchester, Massachusetts. The band consists of brothers Jonathan and Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood. New Kids on the Block enjoy ...

. He was fired by New Edition for embezzling funds.

Biography

Early life

Originally from Deland,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, Johnson moved to

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

, in the early 1970s.

Career

Johnson was a member of the Johnson Brothers (not to be confused with

the Brothers Johnson The Brothers Johnson were an American funk and R&B band consisting of American musicians and brothers George ("Lightnin' Licks") and Louis E. Johnson ("Thunder Thumbs"). They achieved their greatest success from the mid-1970s to early 1980s, ...

from

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

) and the seminal electro group known as the

Jonzun Crew Jonzun Crew was an American electro and early funk– hip hop group that was active in the 1980s. The group was led by Michael Jonzun, his brothers Maurice Starr and Soni Jonzun, and Carl (Captain Fingers). Overview The Jonzun Crew was forme ...

with brothers

Michael Jonzun Michael Jonzun is a musician and music producer. His specialty genres are electro, electronic dance, and electrofunk. Born in Florida, he formed the Jonzun Crew in Boston with Steve Thorpe and Gordy Worthy. In the early 1980s, the group recor ...

and Soni Jonzun. In 1980, Johnson changed his name to Maurice Starr and recorded two R&B albums, ''

Flaming Starr ''Flaming Starr'' is the debut album by Maurice Starr. It was released in 1980. Critical reception AllMusic wrote that "when Starr really turns up the funk and emphasizes keyboards and synthesizers, ''Flaming Starr'' predicts the synth-funk/elec ...

'' and ''Spacey Lady''. Unsuccessful as a solo artist, and described as "a cross between

Berry Gordy Berry Gordy III (born November 28, 1929), known professionally as Berry Gordy Jr., is a retired American record executive, record producer, songwriter, film producer and television producer. He is best known as the founder of the Motown record la ...

and

P. T. Barnum Phineas Taylor Barnum (; July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, businessman, and politician, remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and founding the Barnum & Bailey Circus (1871–2017) with James Anthony Bailey. He was ...

," Starr decided to create a band to perform the songs that he wrote. In 1982, Starr discovered the band

on his talent show. He co-wrote and co-produced their debut album with the hits, " Candy Girl", "

Is This the End "Is This the End" is a 1983 song by R&B/Pop group New Edition, written and produced by Maurice Starr Larry Curtis Johnson (born July 14, 1953), better known by his stage name Maurice Starr, is an American musician, songwriter, and record prod ...

", and "

Popcorn Love "Popcorn Love" is a single by New Edition, released on August 6, 1983. It was released as the third and final single from their debut album, '' Candy Girl'' on the Streetwise label. The single read #25 on the R&B chart. Charts Another Bad Cre ...

". 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 attorney Steven 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. In 1986, Starr created

, a band consisting of five male teenagers, brothers Jonathan and

Jordan Knight Jordan Nathaniel Marcel Knight (born May 17, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. He is a singer in the boy band New Kids on the Block (NKOTB), who rose to fame in the 1980s and 1990s, using a falsetto style of singing influenced by ...

Joey McIntyre Joseph Mulrey McIntyre (born December 31, 1972) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. He is best known as the youngest member of the pioneering boy band, New Kids on the Block. He has sold over one million records worldwide as a solo a ...

Donnie Wahlberg Donald Edmond Wahlberg Jr. (born August 17, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actor, record producer, and film producer. He is a founding member of the boy band New Kids on the Block. Outside music, he has had roles in the ''Saw' ...

, and

Danny Wood Daniel William Wood (born May 14, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and occasional actor. He is a member of the American boy band New Kids on the Block and also served as a choreographer for the band in late 80s and 90s. ...

. Starr intended NKOTB to be a white version of New Edition; he stated "I honestly believe that if they'd been white, ew Editionwould have been 20 times as big." 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. Starr later attempted to repeat his success with artists such as

Perfect Gentlemen Perfect Gentlemen were an American trio of teen R&B vocalists formed under the direction of Maurice Starr, who discovered New Edition and New Kids on the Block. Starr put the group together in Boston in 1988, and had them tour the US openi ...

, Rick Wes, Homework, the Superiors, Heart Body & Soul, Classic Example,

Tommy Page Thomas Alden Page (May 24, 1967 – March 3, 2017) was an American singer-songwriter, best known for his 1990 hit single " I'll Be Your Everything" and was later a music industry executive. Page collaborated with many artists, including Malaysi ...

, and Ana. None of these acts attained anything like the massive popularity of New Edition and New Kids on the Block. Starr also attempted to revitalize Tiffany's faltering career with her third album ''

New Inside ''New Inside'' is the third studio album by Tiffany, which was released by MCA on October 2, 1990. Tiffany severed her ties with manager/producer George Tobin soon after her 18th birthday, and signed with manager Dick Scott and producer Maurice ...

'', but it failed to chart in the U.S. Starr affected a persona he called the General, wearing various quasi-military uniforms in black, white or red, emblazoned with

medals A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...

and gold

piping Within industry, piping is a system of pipes used to convey fluids (liquids and gases) from one location to another. The engineering discipline of piping design studies the efficient transport of fluid. Industrial process piping (and accompan ...

. In an interview, he admitted he did not earn the medals by way of military service.

2000s

Starr manages NK5, another boy band he assembled. Like his earlier successful boy bands, he produces and writes the group's songs.

Discography

Albums

*''

'' (1980) *''Spacey Lady'' (1983)

Production

* '' Candy Girl'' -

(1983) * '' Rockin' Radio'' - Tom Browne (1983) - wrote the title track * ''Electric Lady'' -

Con Funk Shun Con Funk Shun (formerly known as Project Soul) is an American R&B and funk band whose popularity began in the mid-1970s and ran through the 1980s. They were influenced by funk legend James Brown and Sly and the Family Stone. Signed to Mercury R ...

(1985) * ''

'' -

(1986) * ''

Hangin' Tough ''Hangin' Tough'' is the second studio album by American boy band New Kids on the Block, released on August 12, 1988, by Columbia Records. It is widely regarded as the breakthrough album of the group's career, gaining positive reviews for their ...

'' - New Kids on the Block (1988) * '' Step by Step'' - New Kids on the Block (1990) *''Rated PG'' -

(1990) * ''Homework'' - Homework (1990) * ''

'' - Tiffany (1990) * ''

Body Language Body language is a type of communication in which physical behaviors, as opposed to words, are used to express or convey information. Such behavior includes facial expressions, body posture, gestures, eye movement, touch and the use of space. Th ...

'' - Ana (1990) * ''North, South, East, Wes'' - Rick Wes (1990)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Starr, Maurice 1953 births Living people People from DeLand, Florida African-American songwriters Songwriters from Florida Record producers from Florida Place of birth missing (living people) New Kids on the Block