Bobby Brown

Robert Barisford Brown (born February 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, dancer and actor. Brown started his career in the R&B and pop group New Edition, from its inception in 1981 until his exit from the group in December 1985. Starting a solo career, he enjoyed success with his second album in 1988, Don't Be Cruel, which spawned a number of hit singles including the self-penned "My Prerogative", and the Grammy Award-winning "Every Little Step". Brown had a string of top ten hits on various Billboard charts between 1986 and 1993. Brown, alongside frequent collaborator Teddy Riley, is noted as a pioneer of new jack swing; a fusion of hip-hop and R&B. He also starred in films such as A Thin Line Between Love and Hate and Two Can Play That Game. He returned to New Edition for a reunion album and tour from 1996 to 1997, and returned with all six members for another stint in 2005. In 1992, Brown married singer Whitney Houston, with whom he had a daughter named Bobbi Kristina Brown. The couple's drug abuse and domestic disputes made them tabloid fodder. They starred in the 2005 reality show Being Bobby Brown, and divorced two years later in 2007.