View source for Bobby Brown

{{Short description|American singer (born 1969)}}
{{Other people}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Bobby Brown
| image              = Bobby Brown on Sister Circle Live.jpg
| caption            = Brown in 2018
| birth_name         = Robert Barisford Brown
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|1969|02|05}}
| birth_place        = [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]], U.S.
| television         = ''[[Being Bobby Brown]]''
| nationality        = 
| occupation         = {{hlist|Singer|songwriter|rapper|dancer}}
| years_active       = 1978–present<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/869/you-say-its-your-birthday-new-edition-and-bell-biv-devoes-michael-bivens/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191024200424/http://www.mtv.com/news/869/you-say-its-your-birthday-new-edition-and-bell-biv-devoes-michael-bivens/|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 24, 2019|title=You Say It's Your Birthday, New Edition, and Bell Biv Devoes|website=[[MTV]]|access-date=October 24, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Story">{{cite web|url=https://www.essence.com/entertainment/new-edition-story-part-one-recap/|title='The New Edition Story' Part One: Humble Beginnings To Harsh Realities|publisher=[[Essence (magazine)|Essence]]|date=January 25, 2017|access-date=October 24, 2019}}</ref>
| spouse             = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|[[Whitney Houston]]|1992|2007|reason=divorced}}
* {{marriage|Alicia Etheredge|2012}}
}}
| children           = 7, including [[Bobbi Kristina Brown|Bobbi Kristina]]
| awards             = [[#Awards and nominations|Full list]]
| module             = {{Infobox musical artist
| embed           = yes
| genre           = {{hlist|[[Contemporary R&B|R&B]]|[[hip-hop]]|[[Dance music|dance]]|[[soul music|soul]]|[[new jack swing]]|[[pop music|pop]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bobby-brown-mn0000061044|title = Bobby Brown Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More|website = [[AllMusic]]}}</ref>}}
| label           = <!-- list names only; dates and details go in the article -->{{hlist|[[MCA Records|MCA]]|[[Geffen Records|Geffen]]|Bronx Bridge}}
| current_member_of = {{flatlist|
* [[New Edition]]
* [[New Edition|Heads of State]]}}
| website =
}}
}}

'''Robert Barisford Brown Sr.''' (born February 5, 1969)<ref name=allmusic>{{cite web| url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bobby-brown-mn0000061044/biography | title= [Bobby Brown] Artist Biography | first=Steve| last= Huey| publisher=[[AllMusic]] | access-date= March 22, 2015}}</ref> is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and dancer. Alongside frequent collaborator [[Teddy Riley]], he is recognized as a pioneer of [[new jack swing]]: a fusion of [[hip-hop]] and [[Contemporary R&B|R&B]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://medium.com/@ShamarieKnight/bobby-brown-the-iconic-trailblazer-of-new-jack-swing-turns-55-b173caf405fe |title=Bobby Brown: The Iconic Trailblazer of New Jack Swing Turns 55 |work=[[Medium (website)|Medium]] |author=Shamarie Knight |date=February 5, 2024 |accessdate=April 2, 2025}}</ref> Brown rose to fame as a founding member of the R&B/pop vocal group [[New Edition]],<ref name="Story" /> contributing to hits like "[[Candy Girl (New Edition song)|Candy Girl]]", "[[Cool It Now]]", and "[[Mr. Telephone Man]]". He left the group in 1985 to pursue a solo career but later reunited with them for their [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] number-one album [[Home Again (New Edition album)|''Home Again'']] (1996).<ref name="Left">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/14/arts/music/14brow.html |title=The Newest New Edition: Three Singers, Trading Styles with Equanimity |newspaper=The New York Times|date=February 13, 2009|access-date=October 29, 2019 |last1=Caramanica|first1=Jon}}</ref>

Brown's debut album, ''[[King of Stage]]'' (1986), featured the [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|number-one R&B]] single "[[Girlfriend (Bobby Brown song)|Girlfriend]]". However, it was his second album, ''[[Don't Be Cruel (album)|Don't Be Cruel]]'' (1988), that brought him commercial and critical success, producing five [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] top 10 singles, including the number-one hit "[[My Prerogative]]" and the [[Grammy Award]]–winning "[[Every Little Step]]".<ref name=":9">{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/bobby-brown/chart-history/hsi/ |title=Bobby Brown Chart History|magazine=Billboard}}</ref> In 1989, Brown contributed two songs to the ''[[Ghostbusters II]]'' soundtrack. His next album, ''[[Bobby (Bobby Brown album)|Bobby]]'' (1992), was certified 3× Platinum by the [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] and featured the singles "[[Humpin' Around]]", "[[Get Away (Bobby Brown song)|Get Away]]", and "[[Good Enough (Bobby Brown song)|Good Enough]]". Brown has also appeared in films, including ''[[A Thin Line Between Love and Hate]]'' (1996) and ''[[Two Can Play That Game (film)|Two Can Play That Game]]'' (2001).

In 1992, Brown married [[Whitney Houston]], with whom he had daughter [[Bobbi Kristina Brown]]. Their widely-publicized relationship was marked by drug issues and domestic disputes, attracting significant media attention.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/celebrity/inside-whitney-houston-and-bobby-browns-rocky-marriage-it-was-more-of-a-codependency/ar-AAAdL0t|title=Inside Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown's Rocky Marriage: 'It Was More of a Codependency'|last=Rubenstein|first=Janine|date=July 17, 2018|website=MSN}}</ref> Brown and Houston starred in the 2005 reality television series ''[[Being Bobby Brown]]''. Houston filed for divorce in 2006, and it was finalized the next year.

== Early life ==
Brown was born in [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]],<ref name=allmusic /> as one of eight children. His mother Carole Elizabeth (born Williams) was a teacher, and his father Herbert James Brown was a construction worker.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boston.com/yourtown/boston/roxbury/articles/2011/02/02/whitney_houston_shows_for_funeral_in_roxbury/|title=Whitney Houston shows for funeral in Roxbury|work=[[Boston.com]]|access-date=June 25, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bobby-browns-uneasy-passage-235761/|title=Bobby Brown's Uneasy Passage|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=September 7, 1989|access-date=January 4, 2023}}</ref> Brown grew up in [[Roxbury, Massachusetts|Roxbury]]'s [[Orchard Park Projects]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/more_names/blog/2009/09/from_boy_band_to_bloated_bobby.html|title=From boy band to bloated: Bobby Brown|work=Boston.com|access-date=June 25, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/bobby-brown-unhurt-gunman-slays-pal-article-1.693986|title=BOBBY BROWN UNHURT AS GUNMAN SLAYS PAL|work=[[Daily News (New York)|The Daily News]]|date=September 29, 1995 |access-date=June 25, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/1995/sep/29/singer-bobby-brown-uninjured-after-shootout-which/|title=Singer Bobby Brown Uninjured After Shootout Which Killed Friend Brown Was Leaving Seedy Bar Near His Boyhood Neighborhood|date=September 29, 1995|work=[[The Spokesman-Review]]|access-date=June 25, 2015}}</ref>

As a child, Brown was molested by a [[Catholic]] priest after being placed in temporary custody by social services and said this painful encounter contributed to his struggle with drug and alcohol abuse.<ref name="book25">{{cite book |last1=Brown |first1=Bobby |title=Every Little Step: My Story |date=2016 |pages=25–26 |isbn=978-0-06-244256-7 |url=https://archive.org/details/everylittlestepm0000brow_e5d6/page/25/mode/2up?q=catholic |quote=One of the [Catholic] priests who worked with the children brought me into a room. To my utter shock, he tried to touch my privates and attempted to stick his finger in my ass. I punched him really hard in his head and ran away.}}</ref><ref name="people">{{cite web |title=Bobby Brown Says Being Molested by a Priest Changed the Course of His Life: 'It Was the Reason I Abused Myself' |url=https://people.com/music/bobby-brown-molestation-by-priest-changed-course-of-his-life/ |website=People |date=May 17, 2022}}</ref> He later said, “It’s been more than thirty years, but I can never let go of the horror I felt in that room with the priest.”{{sfn|Brown|2016|p=26}}

Brown was three when he had his first taste of performing on stage and one of his childhood idols, [[James Brown]], performed in Boston. This performance sparked his dream of becoming a professional singer. Brown joined the church choir, where he recognized and developed his singing abilities. Brown's musical influences also include singer-songwriters [[Rick James]], [[Michael Jackson]], [[Marvin Gaye]], and [[Prince (musician)|Prince]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/artists/bobby-brown/related-artists/?filter=influencedBy|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203014847/http://www.mtv.com/artists/bobby-brown/related-artists/?filter=influencedBy|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 3, 2014|title=Artist Influences for Bobby Brown|publisher=MTV|access-date=February 22, 2013}}</ref> Brown is reportedly a distant cousin of [[disco]] artist [[Donna Summer]] and her family, who lived in the multiracial [[Mission Hill, Boston|Mission Hill]] neighborhood in the 1950s and 1960s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0113140/bio/|title=Bobby Brown - Biography - IMDb|work=[[IMDb]]|accessdate=May 17, 2025}}</ref>

== Music career ==
=== New Edition ===
{{Main|New Edition}}
New Edition was founded in 1980 under the name "The Bricks" by 12-year-old Brown and childhood friends [[Michael Bivins]] and [[Ricky Bell (singer)|Ricky Bell]].<ref name="Jet">{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YMQDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA58|magazine=Jet|title=Bobby Brown tells why he waited five years to make new album|issn=0021-5996|date=December 8, 1997|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|access-date=December 1, 2019}}</ref> [[Ralph Tresvant]] joined the group at the suggestion of Bell who sang with Tresvant as a duo. Brown was also familiar with Tresvant since they were children. In 1982 they became a quintet when their manager Brooke Payne insisted on bringing in his nephew [[Ronnie DeVoe]], to complete the group. After performing in several talent shows in the Boston area, they signed a deal with fellow Bostonian [[Arthur Baker (musician)|Arthur Baker]]'s Streetwise Records, who released their debut album ''[[Candy Girl (album)|Candy Girl]]''. The title track, on which Brown sang co-lead alongside Bell and Tresvant, was the group's first number-one hit on Billboard's R&B Singles Chart in 1983 and also became an international hit reaching number one in the United Kingdom and New Zealand. Brown's first full lead vocal performance was on the New Edition ballad "Jealous Girl", which was a minor hit when it also charted in 1983. The group became crossover pop sensations with their [[New Edition (album)|self-titled second release]] in 1984. The album included the pop hits "[[Cool It Now]]" and "[[Mr. Telephone Man]]", the latter in which Brown also co-led, often singing the now-memorable chorus.

Despite the group's success, Brown felt the group was never rightfully paid the money they felt they had earned, later saying, "The most I saw from all the tours and all of the records we sold was $500 and a VCR." Brown also allegedly grew jealous of the attention given to fellow New Edition member Ralph Tresvant, and during some of their tour performances would often step out of his position and perform out of turn, singing and performing seductively, which caused concern within the group's management team. Brown was featured on two more New Edition albums before leaving the group in early 1986.<ref>{{cite news|title= How Cruel Can Fame Be, Bobby Brown? |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=September 27, 1992|url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-09-27-ca-63-story.html|access-date=January 4, 2023|first=Robert|last=Hilburn}}</ref> Brown later said he felt that the group's management treated them "like little slaves by people who were only interested in money and power, and not in the welfare of New Edition". Some controversy arose over the way Brown was removed from the group. Some say Brown asked to be let out of New Edition, but a [[VH-1]] ''[[Behind the Music]]'' documentary on the group claimed Brown was voted out by the group via their management team, with the members—most prominently Tresvant—against the decision.

=== Solo career ===
Following his exit from New Edition, Brown signed a contract with his former group's label, [[MCA Records|MCA]] (which had earlier promised Brown a solo deal if he had decided to leave New Edition), and also signed with manager Steven Machat, who had also worked with New Edition. The label released his debut album ''[[King of Stage]]'' in 1986. Brown had a number-one R&B hit with the ballad "[[Girlfriend (Bobby Brown song)|Girlfriend]]", but the album otherwise failed to perform well.

Brown lay low for more than a year while working on his follow-up album. With the help of Machat and MCA representative Louil Silas, Brown began working with some of the top R&B producers and songwriters of the time, including [[Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds|Babyface]], [[Antonio "L.A." Reid]] and [[Teddy Riley]]. The producers helped to compose what became Brown's most successful solo album of his career, ''[[Don't Be Cruel (album)|Don't Be Cruel]]''. Released in 1988, the album became Brown's first number-one album on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] on January 21, 1989, replacing fellow [[contemporary R&B|R&B]] singer [[Anita Baker]]'s ''[[Giving You the Best That I Got (album)|Giving You the Best That I Got]]'' at the top spot.<ref name="BB200Jan89">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/1989-01-21/ |title=Billboard 200 - Week of January 21, 1989 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=January 21, 1989 |accessdate=April 2, 2025}}</ref> 19 years old at the time of this accomplishment, Brown became the youngest male artist to top the ''Billboard'' 200 since [[Stevie Wonder]]'s 1963 live album, ''[[Recorded Live: The 12 Year Old Genius]]'', which reached the top spot when Wonder was thirteen. At the time, Brown became the youngest male artist in history to top the album charts with a [[studio album]]. Singer [[Justin Bieber]] later broke that record in 2010.

The album launched five top-ten hits on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]],<ref name=":9" /><ref name="topten">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/photos/albums-five-top-10-hot-100-hits-6738611/ |title=The Albums With the Most Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 Hits |date=December 19, 2024 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |accessdate=April 2, 2025}}</ref> including the number-one single, the self-penned "[[My Prerogative]]",<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/25034/bobby-brown/|title=Bobby Brown &#124; full Official Chart History|website=Official Charts| access-date=25 January 2022}}</ref> which became, along with "[[Every Little Step]]" and the title track, signature hits for the performer. Album sales would eventually reach twelve million copies worldwide, including 7 million alone in the US, making it the [[List of best-selling albums by year in the United States|best-selling album of 1989]]. In February 1990, he won the [[Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance]] for the album's fourth single "Every Little Step".<ref name=":6">{{cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/bobby-brown|title=Bobby Brown|website=Recording Academy Grammy Awards|date=November 23, 2020}}</ref> ''Don't Be Cruel'' also garnered Brown two [[American Music Award]]s, a [[Soul Train Music Awards|Soul Train Music Award]] and a [[People's Choice Award]].

In 1989, Brown contributed two songs to the soundtrack of ''[[Ghostbusters II]]'', and he also had a cameo role in the film. The first track on that album, "[[On Our Own (Bobby Brown song)|On Our Own]]"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://billboardtop100of.com/1989-2/|title=Billboard Top 100 – 1989|website=Billboardtop100of.com| access-date=25 January 2022}}</ref> became another top-ten single for the singer, peaking at number two. The same year, a remix compilation, ''[[Dance!...Ya Know It!]]'', was released, and found fans in the United Kingdom. Brown embarked on a 120-day world tour to promote ''Don't Be Cruel'' in 1988, with Al B. Sure! opening for him, and New Edition also opening for him on some dates. The tour lasted into the spring of 1991, but not without Brown gaining notoriety for simulating sexual acts onstage, which got him into trouble with local law enforcement.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://people.com/archive/bobby-browns-cruel-beguiles-fans-but-not-the-cop-who-nabbed-him-for-dirty-dancing-vol-31-no-14/|title=Bobby Brown's Cruel Beguiles Fans—but Not the Cop Who Nabbed Him for Dirty Dancing|last1=Dougherty|first1=Steve|last2=Holmstrom|first2=Rick|date=April 10, 1989|website=People}}</ref> In 1990, Brown performed "Tap into My Heart" at the 1990 [[MTV Awards]], and was set to release the album ''Mystical Magic'', but it was eventually shelved for reasons unknown. In 1990, Brown was featured on the number-one hit "[[She Ain't Worth It]]" by [[Glenn Medeiros]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://billboardtop100of.com/1990-2/|title=Billboard Top 100 – 1990|website=Billboardtop100of.com| access-date=24 January 2022}}</ref> making it his second number-one hit on the pop chart, and also collaborated with Babyface for the remix of the latter's single "Tender Lover" that same year. In 1991, Brown collaborated with New Edition member [[Ralph Tresvant]] on the latter's single "[[Stone Cold Gentleman]]", which was a top-five R&B hit.

Brown's next album ''[[Bobby (Bobby Brown album)|Bobby]]'' was released in 1992. Despite its release during the final days of the [[new jack swing]] era it was a success, selling more than 3 million copies, and spawning several hit singles including "[[Humpin' Around]]",<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1992/hot-r-and-and-b-hip-hop-songs|title=Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1992|magazine=Billboard|date=January 2, 2013| access-date=21 January 2022}}</ref> "[[Get Away (Bobby Brown song)|Get Away]]", and "[[Good Enough (Bobby Brown song)|Good Enough]]". He received his second [[Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance]] nomination for "Humpin' Around".<ref name=":6" /> He received his third [[American Music Award]] in January 1993. However, sales of ''Bobby'' did not match its predecessor. The song "[[Something in Common]]", a duet between Brown and then-newlywed wife [[Whitney Houston]], in which they shared songwriting credit while Houston was credited with vocal arrangement, became a hit in the UK, peaking at No. 16. Despite the fact that the song did not receive a commercial single in the United States, the song became a hit on the ''Billboard'' pop and R&B radio airplay charts.

In 1994, dance producers K-Klass remixed "[[Two Can Play That Game (song)|Two Can Play That Game]]" from the ''Bobby'' album, which would become Brown's biggest single in the UK, peaking at No. 3 in 1995.

Four years later, he would release his fourth solo album ''[[Forever (Bobby Brown album)|Forever]]'', in 1997.  The album's only single, "Feeling Inside", was not successful. Brown would contribute to wife Whitney Houston's 2002 album, ''[[Just Whitney]]'', co-producing the moderately successful hit, "[[Whatchulookinat]]", while contributing vocals to their duet, "My Love", off the same album. The latter duet reached the top 40 of the ''Billboard'' [[Adult R&B Songs]] chart. ''Just Whitney'' was a hit, going platinum in the United States and selling over 2.5 million units worldwide.

Prior to the release of ''Forever'', Brown had been in negotiations with rapper [[Tupac Shakur]] to sign with Shakur's new label Makaveli Records, or with the proposed label [[Death Row East]]. However, Shakur [[Murder of Tupac Shakur|died]] before that could take place. Leaving MCA following ''Forever'', Brown lay low for several years, appearing as a featured artist in 2001 on two tracks from ''[[The Benzino Project]]'', and in 2002 he was featured in a duet with rapper [[Ja Rule]] on the song "[[Thug Lovin']]". Brown was signed to [[Murder Inc. Records]], but that label had already begun to dissolve, so Brown's tenure with them was brief. In 2006, Brown added vocals to [[Damian Marley]]'s song "Beautiful" on Marley's album, ''[[Welcome to Jamrock]]''.

In 2008, Brown planned to release a book titled ''Bobby Brown: The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing But'', written by author Derrick Handspike.<ref name=":7">{{cite web|url=https://www.essence.com/news/author-reveals-why-bobby-brown-backed-ou/|title=Author Reveals Why Bobby Brown Backed Out of Tell-All Book Deal|date=December 16, 2009|website=Essence}}</ref> When controversial comments that Brown made about his ex-wife, Whitney Houston, were leaked to the media, he backed out of the project.<ref name=":8">{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1584747/bobby-browns-autobiography-claims-whitney-houston-introduced-him-to-hard-drugs/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140629055622/http://www.mtv.com/news/1584747/bobby-browns-autobiography-claims-whitney-houston-introduced-him-to-hard-drugs/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 29, 2014|title=Bobby Brown's Autobiography Claims Whitney Houston Introduced Him To Hard Drugs|last=Kaufman|first=Gil|date=April 3, 2008|website=MTV|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":7" /> Handspike released the book after Houston's death in 2012.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Bobby Brown: The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing But|last=Handspike|first=Derrick|publisher=Over The Edge Books|year=2012|isbn=978-1-4675-1944-1}}</ref>

In 2010, Brown was featured in a duet with singer [[Macy Gray]] on the song "Real Love" on Gray's album ''[[The Sellout (album)|The Sellout]]''. About this project, Gray explained to ''[[Essence (magazine)|Essence]]'',<ref>[[Essence (magazine)|''Essence'' magazine]]</ref> "Actually, he came to the studio, since he doesn't live far, and knocked out his recording in two hours. We're friends, and his one-year-old son is my godson. His [[fiancée]] is one of my best friends in the whole world. I met Bobby a long time ago, but we really got to know each other through her."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.essence.com/entertainment/music/macy_gray_talks_new_album.php#ixzz0sGFCSUeH|title=Macy Gray on 'The Sellout' and Finding Bobby Brown|author=Hillary Crosley|access-date=September 14, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100625041320/http://www.essence.com/entertainment/music/macy_gray_talks_new_album.php#ixzz0sGFCSUeH|archive-date=June 25, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On June 5, 2012, Brown released his fifth album, ''[[The Masterpiece (album)|The Masterpiece]]'', which debuted at number 41 on the ''Billboard'' R&B album chart.<ref name=":9" />

On February 14, 2017, Brown performed at the Valentine's Day Music Festival with [[Keith Sweat]], [[Avant (singer)|Avant]] and [[El DeBarge]].<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Penrose|first1=Nerisha|title=Where are the Six Members of New Edition Now?|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/new-edition-members-where-are-they-now-7669914/|magazine=Billboard|date=January 30, 2017|access-date=January 4, 2022}}</ref>

=== New Edition reunions ===
Brown made his first reunited appearance with [[New Edition]] at the [[1990 MTV Video Music Awards]]. Their performance later sparked the recording of [[Bell Biv DeVoe]]'s "[[Word to the Mutha!]]" in 1991 (on which Brown, [[Ralph Tresvant]] and later NE member [[Johnny Gill]] were included). A fully-fledged reunion occurred with the 1996 release of the album, ''[[Home Again (New Edition album)|Home Again]]''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/update-bobby-brown-arrested-in-atlanta-73551/|title=Update: Bobby Brown Arrested In Atlanta|date=November 7, 2002|magazine=Billboard|access-date=January 4, 2023}}</ref> Brown contributed lead vocals on two hit singles, "[[Hit Me Off]]" and "[[You Don't Have to Worry (New Edition song)|You Don't Have to Worry]]". However, a subsequent 1997 tour to support the album led to problems between Brown and the other New Edition members. Brown later admitted that he was struggling with drug [[addiction]] and [[alcoholism]] during the tour.

In 2005, at the [[BET]] 25th Anniversary Special, Brown again reunited with New Edition. In 2008, Brown, Ralph Tresvant, and Johnny Gill then formed a splinter group, Heads of State, to compete with [[Bell Biv DeVoe]]. At the 2009 BET Awards, following the [[Death of Michael Jackson|death of the group's idol Michael Jackson]], all six of the New Edition members again reunited to perform a medley of [[Jackson 5]] hits in honor of Jackson. This sparked rumors of another full-fledged New Edition reunion, which was confirmed the following year.

Brown and New Edition continue to perform together, including The Culture Tour, which began in early 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211213005800/en/New-Edition-Announces-The-Culture-Tour-Beginning-February-2022-With-Charlie-Wilson-and-Special-Guest-Jodeci |title=New Edition Announces The Culture Tour Beginning February 2022 With Charlie Wilson and Special Guest Jodeci |publisher=Business Wire |date=2021-12-13 |accessdate=2022-06-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Darlene Aderoju |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/new-edition-the-culture-tour-dates-2022-1235012433/#! |title=New Edition 2022 Tour Dates With Charlie Wilson and Jodeci |publisher=Billboard |date=December 17, 2021|accessdate=January 4, 2023}}</ref> A year later, the sextet appeared at the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] performing a medley of hits by that year's inductees, [[soul music|soul]] group [[The Spinners (American group)|The Spinners]].

Brown's work with New Edition has since been honored, with the group receiving the BET Lifetime Achievement Award at the [[2017 BET Awards|2017 ceremony]]. In 2022, the group was inducted into the [[Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame]]. In 2023, they were inducted into the [[National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame]] and in 2024, they were inducted into the [[NAACP Image Awards|NAACP Hall of Fame]].

== Acting and television career ==
Brown made his acting debut with a cameo appearance in the 1989 film, ''[[Ghostbusters II]]'', playing the Mayor's doorman. The following year, he appeared in the HBO kids show, ''[[Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme]]'' playing all three characters of Three Blind Mice. In 1995, he made another guest appearance in the film, ''[[Panther (film)|Panther]]'', and had a major role in the [[Martin Lawrence]] film, ''[[A Thin Line Between Love and Hate]]''. Brown made guest appearances in the films ''[[Two Can Play That Game (film)|Two Can Play That Game]]'', ''[[Gang of Roses]]'', ''[[Nora's Hair Salon]]'', and ''Go for Broke''.

In 2005, Brown was in negotiations with the [[Bravo (U.S. TV channel)|Bravo]] television network for a reality series entitled ''[[Being Bobby Brown]]''. Bravo, however, was not ready to commit to the deal unless Brown's superstar wife Whitney Houston agreed to be part of the cast, which she did. The show then received the greenlight from Bravo and was a massive success in the ratings, with Houston proving so popular on the series that she received as much screen time as the show's namesake. The series showed Brown and Houston not always in their best moments. ''The Hollywood Reporter'' said that the show was "undoubtedly the most disgusting and execrable series ever to ooze its way onto television".<ref>Barry Garron, [https://www.today.com/popculture/being-bobby-brown-disgusting-wbna8409211 "'Being Bobby Brown' Is Disgusting"], MSNBC, July 7, 2005.</ref> Despite the perceived train-wreck nature of the show, it continued Houston's unbroken string of hit motion pictures and television projects, and it gave Bravo its highest-ever ratings of any of its ongoing series.<ref>Steve Rogers, [http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/report-bravo-being-bobby-brown-coming-back-for-second-season-3794.php "Report: Bravo's 'Being Bobby Brown' coming back for second season"], RealityTV World, October 31, 2005.</ref> The show lasted one season and ended in 2006 after Houston stated she would not appear in season two and Bravo and Brown could not settle on a new deal.

In June 2007, Brown took part in the ITV television series ''24 Hours With...'', a chat show format as celebrity and interviewer spend an intense 24 hours locked in a room together. The show's host, [[Jamie Campbell (British documentary filmmaker)|Jamie Campbell]], asked Brown questions about his career and private life, and infamously joked about making "sexual moves" towards the singer. Brown was furious and threatened to beat Campbell up live on air.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2007/05/12/brown-s-24-hours-of-anger-115875-19090885/ |title=BROWN'S 24 HOURS OF ANGER |publisher=Mirror.co.uk |date=May 12, 2007 |access-date=February 12, 2012}}</ref> Brown's later tenures in reality shows included appearances on ''[[Real Husbands of Hollywood]]'',  ''[[Celebrity Fit Club]]'' and ''[[Gone Country (TV series)|Gone Country]]''.

In 2021, Brown competed in [[The Masked Singer (American TV series) season 5|season five]] of ''[[The Masked Singer (American TV series)|The Masked Singer]]'' as the wild card contestant "Crab". At one point after performing [[Rick James]]'s song "[[Give It to Me Baby]]", Brown had to be briefly taken to his dressing room when he became overheated and short of breath in his costume. He was later eliminated on Week 7 alongside [[Tamera Mowry]] as "Seashell".

In May 2022, ''[[Biography (TV program)|Biography]]: Bobby Brown'' and ''Bobby Brown: Every Little Step'' began airing on [[A&E (TV network)|A&E]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aetv.com/shows/biography-bobby-brown |title=Watch Biography: Bobby Brown Documentary, Full Episodes, Video |publisher= A&E |date=2021-06-16 |accessdate=2022-06-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aetv.com/shows/bobby-brown-every-little-step |title=Watch Bobby Brown: Every Little Step Full Episodes, Video & More |publisher= A&E |date=2021-06-16 |accessdate=2022-06-22}}</ref> Brown is an executive-producer of both the [[Television documentary|documentary-style]] and [[reality television]] series about his life.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.blackenterprise.com/bobby-brown-says-that-his-ae-documentary-biography-bobby-brown-helped-him-move-on-with-life/ |title=Bobby Brown Says His A&E Documentary Biography: Bobby Brown Helped Him 'Move On With Life' |publisher=Black Enterprise |date=June 16, 2022  |accessdate=2022-06-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.soultracks.com/story-bobby-brown-biography-every-little-step |title=Bobby Brown biography, miniseries to air on A&E Network &#124; SoulTracks - Soul Music Biographies, News and Reviews |publisher=SoulTracks |date=2022-01-26 |accessdate=2022-06-22}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
In 1995, Brown's sister's boyfriend Steven Sealy was targeted in a drive-by shooting; he was killed and Brown, who was with him, was unharmed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mcall.com/news/mc-xpm-1996-03-30-3071266-story.html|title=Spotlight On: Bobby Brown R&b Bad Boy Trying To Walk 'A Thin Line'|work=Morning Call|date=March 30, 1996 |access-date=June 25, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20102406,00.html|title=Not Who You Think She Is|work=[[People (magazine)|People]]|access-date=June 25, 2015}}</ref> The shooter, John Tibbs, took a plea agreement in 2001.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://business.highbeam.com/3972/article-1G1-70029434/admits-95-slaying-plea-agreement|title=Admits to '95 slaying in plea agreement. (News)|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626124649/http://business.highbeam.com/3972/article-1G1-70029434/admits-95-slaying-plea-agreement|archive-date=June 26, 2015}}</ref>

Brown's mother Carole died in 2011 and his father Herbert "Pops" followed in January 2012, a month before Bobby's former wife Whitney Houston's death.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tmz.com/2011/02/01/whitney-houston-sings-bobby-brown-carole-brown-funeral-new-edition-video/|title=Whitney Houston Performs at Mama Brown's Family Funeral|work=tmz.com|date=February 2011 |access-date=June 25, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tmz.com/2011/12/10/bobby-brown-dad-dead/|title=Bobby Brown's Dad Herbert -- Dead at 82|work=tmz.com|date=December 11, 2011 |access-date=June 25, 2015}}</ref>

=== Marriages ===
Brown first met [[Whitney Houston]] at the [[Soul Train Music Awards]] in 1989 when he was 20. They began a close friendship after she invited him to her 26th birthday party that August. Their friendship developed into a romance, he proposed in 1991, and they married at Houston's estate on July 18, 1992. Their daughter [[Bobbi Kristina Brown]] was born in 1993.<ref name=":1">{{cite news | url = http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20110013,00.html | title = Passages | first = Maria | last = Speidel | work = [[People (magazine)|People]] | date = March 22, 1993 | access-date = July 10, 2013 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140202164534/http://www.people.com/people/article/0%2C%2C20110013%2C00.html | archive-date = February 2, 2014 }}</ref> Houston and Brown later collaborated on the hit single "[[Something in Common]]", which included their daughter at the end of the music video. Due to their combined successes in pop and R&B music, the couple earned a ''[[Guinness World Record]]'' around 1999 as the "most successful star couple".<ref name=GWR>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/guinness1999book00slgu/page/18/mode/1up?view=theater&q=whitney+houston |title=The Guinness 1999 book of records |author=Young, Mark |page=18 |date=1999 |publisher=Facts on File |isbn=9780965238397 |access-date=February 17, 2025}}</ref> In 2000, Houston thanked Brown during her acceptance speech for winning the Grammy Award for [[Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance|Best Female R&B Vocal Performance]] for the 1999 hit, "[[It's Not Right but It's Okay]]", which many in the media speculated was hinting at the couple's volatile marriage.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.etonline.com/gallery/111119_Songs_About_Celebs/31224 |title=Songs About Celebs |work=[[Entertainment Tonight]] |date=May 31, 2011 |accessdate=April 20, 2025}}</ref>

Throughout their marriage, there were rumors of infidelity on Brown's part, [[Alcohol (drug)|alcohol]] and [[substance abuse]], and domestic violence.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|date=December 10, 2003|title=Bobby Brown charged with battery|work=CNN|url=https://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/12/10/brown.charged/index.html}}</ref> Their personal issues became fodder for talk shows, [[tabloid media|tabloids]], and sketch-comedy shows, some of which portrayed Brown as a has-been who was jealous of his wife's celebrity status. In 2003, Brown was charged with battery after an altercation with Houston.<ref name=":2" />

In 2005, the couple participated in the reality show ''[[Being Bobby Brown]]'', which gave a picture of their lives behind the scenes.<ref name=":10">{{cite web|url=https://www.houstonpress.com/music/whitneys-dookie-bubble-6548991|title=Whitney's Dookie Bubble|last=Lindsey D.|first=Craig|date=July 14, 2005|website=Houston Press}}</ref> In September 2006, Houston filed for [[legal separation]] and later divorce.<ref name=":11">{{cite web|url=http://www.today.com/popculture/whitney-houston-bobby-brown-split-wbna14819663|title=Whitney Houston, Bobby Brown split|date=September 13, 2006|website=TODAY.com|language=en}}</ref> Their divorce was finalized on April 24, 2007, with Houston receiving custody of their 14-year-old daughter.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://people.com/celebrity/whitney-houston-files-for-divorce/ | title = Whitney Houston Files for Divorce |access-date=February 8, 2009 | date = November 18, 2006 | author = Silverman, Stephen M. | work = [[People (magazine)|People]] | publisher = [[Time, Inc]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6529135.stm | work=BBC News | title=Houston wins custody of daughter | date=April 5, 2007 | access-date=April 26, 2010}}</ref> In a September 2009 interview with [[Oprah Winfrey]], Houston admitted to sometimes using drugs with Brown, stating that Brown had "laced marijuana with [[cocaine]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/houston-details-drug-use-we-laced-marijuana-with-rock-cocaine_1116018 |title=Whitney Houston&nbsp;– Houston Details Drug Use: 'We Laced Marijuana With Rock Cocaine|publisher=Contact Music |date=September 15, 2009 |accessdate=November 11, 2010}}</ref> Houston also told Winfrey that Brown had been abusive during their marriage and even spat on her on one occasion while drunk.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/whitney-houston-discusses-bobby-brown-oprah-winfrey/story?id=8568203|author=Sheila Marikar|title=Whitney Houston Reveals Dark Days With Bobby Brown: 'He Spit on Me'|work = ABC News|date=September 14, 2009|access-date=December 28, 2017}}</ref>

Following the [[Death of Whitney Houston|death of Houston]] on February 11, 2012, six days after his 43rd birthday, Brown struggled to perform at a New Edition show, shouting "I love you, Whitney" in tears.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/506195/bobby-brown-deeply-saddened-asks-for-privacy|title=Bobby Brown Says 'I Love You, Whitney' During Emotional Concert|date=February 12, 2012|magazine=Billboard|access-date=February 12, 2012}}</ref> Brown then excused himself from the stage and New Edition finished the remainder of the show. Brown appeared at Houston's memorial service in [[New Jersey]] but was asked to leave by the family's security. In an interview given to ''[[The Today Show]]'' in May 2012, Brown said security was the reason he and his family left the service; Brown stated that he loved Houston's family and told [[Matt Lauer]] that he had spent "14 beautiful years" with Houston as his wife.<ref>{{cite magazine|date=May 1, 2012|title=Bobby Brown Speaks Out on Whitney Houston's Funeral in 'Today' Interview|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/bobby-brown-whitney-houston-death-today-318768|magazine=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=May 2, 2012}}</ref> Along with [[Clive Davis]], [[Ray J]], and others, Brown has been accused of contributing to the singer's death, which he denies.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Furek|first=M.W.|date=2015|title=Gotcha…Playing the Whitney Houston Blame Game|magazine=Counselor, the Magazine for Addiction and Behavioral Health Professionals|location=Deerfield Beach, Florida|publisher=Health Communications, Inc.|volume=16|issue=4|pages=14–17}}</ref>

In 2009, Brown had a son named Cassius with his partner of two years, manager Alicia Etheredge.<ref>Brown in {{cite web|url=http://celebritybabies.people.com/2009/06/04/bobby-brown-welcomes-son-cassius/|title=Bobby Brown Welcomes Son Cassius|date=June 4, 2009|work=People|quote=I just had a baby. Four days ago — my son Cassius.|access-date=November 28, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170323082909/http://celebritybabies.people.com/2009/06/04/bobby-brown-welcomes-son-cassius/|archive-date=March 23, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> Brown and Etheredge became engaged in May 2010, when Brown proposed during a performance at the Funk Fest in [[Jacksonville, Florida]].<ref>{{cite magazine|date=May 9, 2010|title=Bobby Brown Gets Engaged – On Stage!|url=https://people.com/celebrity/bobby-brown-gets-engaged-on-stage/|magazine=People}}</ref> The couple married on June 18, 2012, in [[Hawaii]] and have since had two daughters.<ref name="PeopleWedding">{{cite news|date=June 19, 2012|title=Bobby Brown Is Married|work=People|url=https://people.com/celebrity/bobby-brown-marries-alicia-etheredge/}}</ref>

=== Children ===
Brown has fathered seven children. His eldest, Landon, was born on June 22, 1986, to Melika Williams.<ref name="PeopleWedding" /> He has two children with Kim Ward, whom he met around 1980: daughter La'Princia<ref>Spelling per her Twitter account: [https://twitter.com/laprinciaxo La'Princia Q. Brown]. Retrieved on February 24, 2016.</ref> (b. 1989) and son Bobby Brown Jr. (1991–2020). His and Ward's on-and-off 11-year relationship ended in 1991 when Ward, at three months pregnant, found out that Brown was engaged to Whitney Houston.<ref name="bostonmagazine">{{cite web|url=http://www.bostonmagazine.com/2006/05/bobby-browns-bum-rap/|title=Bobby Brown's Bum Rap|last=Wolfson|first=John|date=July 2004|work=Boston Magazine|access-date=February 24, 2016|archive-date=February 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160220090653/http://www.bostonmagazine.com/2006/05/bobby-browns-bum-rap/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Houston suffered miscarriages in 1992, 1994, and 1996. His only child with Houston was [[Bobbi Kristina Brown]] (1993–2015). Brown has three children with Alicia Etheredge: a son born in 2009, and daughters born in 2015 and 2016.<ref>{{cite news|date=July 16, 2015|title=Bobby Brown Names His Newborn Daughter Amid Bobbi Kristina Tragedy|work=[[Us Weekly]]|url=http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/bobby-brown-names-his-baby-daughter-bodhi-jameson-rein--2015167}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=July 30, 2016|title=Bobby Brown's Newborn Daughter's Name Is Revealed: 'I'm Grateful'|work=[[Us Weekly]]|url=http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/bobby-browns-newborn-daughters-name-is-revealed-w431816}}</ref>

In January 2015, Brown's daughter Bobbi Kristina was found unconscious in her bathtub at her residence in [[Roswell, Georgia]]. The 21-year-old was rushed to North Fulton Hospital where she was placed on a ventilator in a medically induced coma to stop the swelling of her brain. It was reported her brain activity was "low". Brown rushed to his daughter's side and released a statement to the press requesting them to respect the family's privacy. She was later transferred to [[Emory University Hospital]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2015/02/03/entertainment/whitney-houston-daughter-bobbi-kristina-hospitalized/index.html|title=Bobbi Kristina Brown moved to new hospital amid fight for life|date=February 3, 2015 }}</ref> After doctors concluded significant brain function was unlikely to occur, Bobbi Kristina was removed from the ventilator and put in the care of Hospice in Duluth, Georgia. She died there on July 26, 2015, at age 22.<ref name="BKB_dead">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/26/us/bobbi-kristina-brown-dies/|title=Bobbi Kristina Brown dies at 22|last=Respers France|first=Lisa|date=July 26, 2015|work=[[CNN]]|access-date=July 26, 2015}}</ref>

On November 18, 2020, Brown's son Bobby Jr., age 28, was found dead in his home.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bobby Brown's Son Bobby Jr. Dead at 28|url=https://www.tmz.com/2020/11/18/bobby-brown-son-bobby-jr-dead-dies/|access-date=November 19, 2020|website=TMZ|date=November 19, 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://people.com/bobby-brown-pays-instagram-tribute-to-late-son-three-years-after-death-8407175#:~:text=Bobby%20Brown%20Jr.,Digital%20Writer%2FEditor%20at%20PEOPLE.|magazine=People|title=Bobby Brown Pays Instagram Tribute to Late Son Three Years After Death|date=November 27, 2023|access-date=March 27, 2024}}</ref> His death was ruled an accidental overdose of cocaine, fentanyl, and alcohol.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://people.com/music/bobby-brown-jr-cause-of-death-cocaine-fentanyl-alcohol-overdose/|magazine=People|title=Bobby Brown Jr. Died of Accidental Overdose of Cocaine, Fentanyl and Alcohol: Coroner|date=March 22, 2021|access-date=March 27, 2024}}</ref>

=== Health and drug use ===
Brown has struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for most of his life, attributing it to the sexual abuse that was inflicted on him by a [[Catholic]] priest when he was a child: "It was part of the reason I did things, other things, drugs, alcohol, why I abused myself." He said, "I had tucked it down so deep into my soul that I didn't think that I would talk about it again."<ref name="book25" /><ref name="people" />

As a child, Brown was diagnosed with [[attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder|ADD]] and later with [[bipolar disorder]] at age 32.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bipolar.about.com/od/singersmusicians/p/bobby_brown.htm|title=Bobby Brown|author=Marcia Purse|work=About.com Health|access-date=June 25, 2015|archive-date=June 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626140015/http://bipolar.about.com/od/singersmusicians/p/bobby_brown.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> Brown said that his drug of choice was [[marijuana]] and that he had developed [[alcoholism]] at an early age. Brown was doing drugs all his life before he met Whitney Houston.<ref>{{cite web|first=Zach|last=Seemayer|url=http://www.etonline.com/news/190546_bobby_brown_opens_up_about_doing_drugs_with_whitney_houston_denies_abuse_allegations/|title=Bobby Brown Opens Up About Doing Drugs With Whitney Houston, Denies Abuse Allegations: 'I've Never Been a Violent Person'|website=[[Entertainment Tonight]]|date=June 7, 2016|access-date=September 7, 2018}}</ref> Brown often contradicted himself on when he began using cocaine, claiming that he did not start using cocaine until after meeting Houston, though he later admitted on his ''Behind the Music'' documentary in 2009 that he had been using cocaine prior to meeting Houston.<ref name=":8" />

Throughout the 1990s, his drug addiction worsened and at one point he was cooking cocaine and using [[heroin]].<ref name=":8" />

According to former gang member David Collins, Brown was kidnapped by New York street gang the Preacher Crew over a $25,000 drug debt in 1993. Houston paid a $400,000 [[ransom]] to the gang who threatened to kill Brown. The incident was never reported to authorities.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Green|first=Jonathan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MMI6DwAAQBAJ&q=bobby+brown+kidnapped+1993&pg=PT263|title=Sex Money Murder: A Story of Crack, Blood, and Betrayal|publisher=W. W. Norton & Company|year=2018|isbn=978-0-393-24450-2|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/93345/Whitney-Houston-pays-off-drug-gangsters|title=Whitney Houston pays off drug gangsters|last=Parker|first=Mike|date=April 5, 2009|website=Express.co.uk|language=en}}</ref>

=== Arrests ===
Since 1989, Brown has been arrested multiple times for various offenses:
* In September 1990, Brown was charged with disorderly conduct for refusing to leave a restaurant after his brother Tommy was arrested.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://buffalonews.com/1990/09/25/bobby-brown-held-for-aiding-brother/|title=Bobby Brown Held For Aiding Brother|date=September 25, 1990|work=The Buffalo News}}</ref>
* In April 1995, Brown and two friends were charged in the beating of a nightclub patron in Orlando. Police reported that, after his arrest, Brown urinated in a police patrol car and scratched four-letter words in the vinyl. The charges were dropped after the victim settled a civil lawsuit against Brown.<ref name=":3">{{cite web|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1996-12-24-9612230381-story.html|title=Bobby Brown Faces DUI Charge In Hollywood|last=Fitzgerald|first=Henry|date=December 24, 1996|website=Sun-Sentinel.com|language=en-US}}</ref>
* In August 1995, Brown was cited for battery after police said he kicked a hotel security guard who was sent to his room to investigate noise complaints.<ref name=":3" />
* In January 1998, Brown was convicted in Florida of [[driving under the influence]] and causing property damage.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=February 16, 1998|title=Bobby Brown Found Guilty Of Drunk Driving; Gets Five Days In Jail And Drug Treatment|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SMQDAAAAMBAJ&q=bobby+brown+1996+drunk&pg=PA64|journal=Jet|page=64}}</ref> The charges stemmed from 1996, when Brown crashed Houston's sports car into a condominium sign.<ref name=":3" /> He served five days in jail then was released on probation.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/01/15/bobby.brown.warrant/|title=Warrant issued for Bobby Brown|date=January 16, 2003|work=CNN}}</ref>
* In June 1998, Brown was arrested on suspicion of [[sexual battery]] for allegedly slapping a woman's bottom at the Beverly Hills Hotel.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1998-06-22-9806230087-story.html|title=Bobby Brown Investigated On Sexual Battery Complaint|date=June 22, 1998|work=Chicago Tribune}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eonline.com/news/36605/bobby-brown-busted-in-beverly-hills|title=Bobby Brown Busted in Beverly Hills|last=Ryan|first=Joal|date=June 23, 1998|website=E! Online|language=en-US}}</ref> The case was dropped due to insufficient evidence.<ref name=":11" />
* From May to June 2000, Brown spent 26 days in jail after he was arrested by [[United States Customs Service|U.S. Customs agents]] in New Jersey following a trip from the Bahamas.<ref name=":0" /> The arrest stemmed from an outstanding warrant for violating probation in his 1996 drunken driving conviction. The warrant had been issued in June 1999, after Brown's probation officer reported that cocaine had been found in his urine test twice.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ew.com/article/2000/05/23/bobby-brown-told-stay-jail/|title=Bobby Brown is told to stay in jail|last=Reese|first=Lori|date=May 23, 2000|website=EW|language=en|access-date=November 22, 2019}}</ref><ref name=":4" />
* In November 2002, Brown was arrested on drug and traffic charges, and later discovered he was wanted on the 1996 warrant.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4" />
* In January 2003, Brown served an eight-day sentence in the [[DeKalb County, Georgia]], jail after he pleaded guilty to a 1996 drunken driving charge and a count of speeding.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/72622/bobby-brown-sentenced-to-eight-days-in-jail|title=Bobby Brown Sentenced To Eight Days In Jail|date=January 17, 2003|magazine=Billboard}}</ref><ref name=":2" />
* In August 2003, Brown was sentenced to 14 days in jail for probation violations stemming from a 1996 drunken driving charge. His sentence was followed by 60 days of house arrest.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1477682/bobby-brown-sentenced-for-probation-violations/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141119215847/http://www.mtv.com/news/1477682/bobby-brown-sentenced-for-probation-violations/|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 19, 2014|title=Bobby Brown Sentenced For Probation Violations|last=Kaufman|first=Gil|date=August 27, 2003|website=MTV News|language=en}}</ref>
* In December 2003, Brown was charged with [[Battery (crime)|battery]] for striking his wife, Whitney Houston, and threatening to beat her."<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{cite web|first=Gil|last=Kaufman|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1481058/12112003/brown_bobby.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040225070843/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1481058/12112003/brown_bobby.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 25, 2004|title=Bobby Brown Turns Himself In, Appears In Court With Whitney At His Side|website=[[MTV News]]|publisher=[[Viacom (2005–present)|Viacom]]|location=New York City|date=December 3, 2003|access-date=June 25, 2015}}</ref> Police reported that Houston had visible injuries to her face.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=January 5, 2004|title=Bobby Brown Charged With Battery After Allegedly Hitting Whitney Houston|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wLUDAAAAMBAJ&q=bobby+brown+jet+2004&pg=PA63|journal=Jet|page=63}}</ref>
* In March 2004, Brown was sentenced to 90 days in jail for owing $63,000 in back [[child support]] to Kim Ward.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1485955/bobby-brown-jailed-again-for-failure-to-pay-child-support/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150717005716/http://www.mtv.com/news/1485955/bobby-brown-jailed-again-for-failure-to-pay-child-support/|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 17, 2015|title=Bobby Brown Jailed (Again) For Failure To Pay Child Support|last=Nadira A. Hira|date=March 24, 2004|website=MTV News|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2004/03/25/Bobby-Brown-jailed-for-no-child-support/55801080235077/|title=Bobby Brown jailed for no child support|date=March 25, 2004|website=UPI|language=en}}</ref> After one night in jail, he was released when Houston paid off the debt.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=April 12, 2004|title=Singer Bobby Brown Pays $63,500 In Back Child Support; Released From Jail|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jb8DAAAAMBAJ&q=bobby+brown|journal=Jet|page=35}}</ref>
* In June 2004, Brown received a suspended 90-day prison sentence for missing three consecutive child support payments. The sentence was suspended after six days when Brown made the back payments.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1488453/bobby-brown-pays-child-support-avoids-jail/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802162751/http://www.mtv.com/news/1488453/bobby-brown-pays-child-support-avoids-jail/|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 2, 2020|title=Bobby Brown Pays Child Support, Avoids Jail|author=Alyssa Rashbaum|date=June 15, 2004|website=MTV News|language=en}}</ref>
* In February 2007, Brown was sentenced to 30 days in jail for unpaid child support in the amount of $20,000 to Kim Ward.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brown-arrest-idUSN2622244120070227|title=Bobby Brown jailed over child support|date=February 27, 2007|work=Reuters|language=en}}</ref> He was released after three days when a radio station paid his fees.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.today.com/news/bobby-brown-free-after-paying-child-support-wbna17399817|title=Bobby Brown free after paying child support|date=March 1, 2007|website=TODAY.com|language=en}}</ref>
* In April 2012, Brown was arrested for drunken driving.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/10/24/us/ap-us-bobby-brown-dui.html|title=Bobby Brown Arrested in Los Angeles; DUI Suspicion|date=October 24, 2012|work= The New York Times }}</ref> He spent time in a "confidential rehabilitation center" as part of his plea deal.<ref name=":5">{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2013/02/27/showbiz/bobby-brown-jail/index.html|title=Bobby Brown ordered to jail for DUI|last=Duke|first=Alan|date=February 28, 2013|website=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Bobby Brown Is Back in Rehab, Wife Alicia Etheredge Says |url=http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/bobby-brown-is-back-in-rehab-wife-alicia-etheredge-says-2012148|magazine=[[US Weekly]]|date=August 14, 2012|access-date=August 14, 2012}}</ref>
* In October 2012, Brown was arrested for drunken driving.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2012/10/24/showbiz/bobby-brown-arrest/index.html|title=Bobby Brown arrested again on DUI charge|last=Duke|first=Alan|date=October 24, 2012|website=CNN}}</ref> He was ordered to attend at least three [[Alcoholics Anonymous]] sessions each week until he reported to the [[Los Angeles County Jail|Los Angeles County jail]].<ref name=":5" /> In February 2013, Brown was sentenced to 55 days in jail and four years of summary probation following his second drunken driving conviction in a year.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/bobby-brown-55-days-article-1.1274337|newspaper=New York Daily News|title=Bobby Brown slapped with 55-day jail sentence on drunk-driving rap|date=February 26, 2013}}</ref> He was released after serving nine hours and put on electronic monitoring by [[Los Angeles County Probation Department|Los Angeles County Probation]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/21/showbiz/bobby-brown-free/|title=Bobby Brown out of jail in hours|last=Duke|first=Alan|date=March 21, 2013|work=CNN|access-date=June 25, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2013/03/bobby-brown-serves-9-hours-of-55-day-sentence/|title=Bobby Brown Serves 9 Hours of 55 Day Sentence|work=ABC News|access-date=June 25, 2015}}</ref>

== In popular culture ==
Brown popularized the [[Roger Rabbit]] dance (aka the "backwards" [[running man (dance)|running man]]), as performed in the [[music video]] for his song "[[Every Little Step]]" (1989),<ref>{{cite web | url=https://rickeysmileymorningshow.com/2852861/bobby-browns-most-trendsetting-style-moments/ | title=Bobby Brown's Most Trendsetting Style Moments | date=May 26, 2022 }}</ref> along with the [[Gumby]]-style [[hi-top fade]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/entertainment/arts/2014/07/06/fade-s/12137571/ | title=Fade to the '90s }}</ref> Brown has claimed that he taught [[Michael Jackson]] how to do the [[Moonwalk (dance)|moonwalk]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hellobeautiful.com/2957074/bobbby-brown-michael-jackson-moonwalk/|title = Bobby Brown Says He Taught Michael Jackson How to do the Moonwalk|date = September 6, 2017}}</ref>

Brown was spoofed by [[Aries Spears]] on ''[[MADtv]]'', with Whitney Houston portrayed by [[Debra Wilson]].<ref name=":10" /> He was also spoofed by [[Tracy Morgan]] and [[Finesse Mitchell]] on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''. Brown was portrayed by [[Arlen Escarpeta]] in the television film ''[[Whitney (2015 film)|Whitney]]'', by Woody McClain in the 2017 miniseries ''[[The New Edition Story]]'' and in the 2018 miniseries about his life, ''The Bobby Brown Story''. Brown is also portrayed by [[Ashton Sanders]] in the [[Whitney Houston]] biopic, ''[[Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody]]'', that was released Christmas 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/02/sony-release-dates-oh-hell-no-a-man-called-otto-umma-whitney-houston-biopic-1234957127/|title=Sony Moves ''Oh Hell No'' Off Schedule, Confirms ''A Man Called Otto'' For Christmas, Sets ''Umma'' Date & More|date=February 18, 2022|first=Erik|last=Pedersen|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|access-date=February 19, 2022}}</ref>

In 2022, Brown also claimed he started wearing the "[[Hammer pants|diaper pants]]" that [[MC Hammer]] altered and made famous, on his [[A&E (TV network)|A&E]] show ''[[#Acting and television career|Bobby Brown: Every Little Step]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tiktok.com/@aetv/video/7106584143915470122 | title=And #BobbyBrown presents to you: Diaper Pants! |website=[[TikTok]] |access-date=June 23, 2022}}</ref> However, Brown wore a less sagging variation during some concerts and in music videos, such as "[[My Prerogative]]" (1988) and "Every Little Step" (1989).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://rickeysmileymorningshow.com/2852861/bobby-browns-most-trendsetting-style-moments/ | title=Bobby Brown's Most Trendsetting Style Moments | date=26 May 2022 | access-date= June 23, 2022}}</ref>

==Discography==
{{Main|Bobby Brown discography}}

;Studio albums
* ''[[King of Stage]]'' (1986)
* ''[[Don't Be Cruel (album)|Don't Be Cruel]]'' (1988)
* ''[[Bobby (Bobby Brown album)|Bobby]]'' (1992)
* ''[[Forever (Bobby Brown album)|Forever]]'' (1997)
* ''[[The Masterpiece (album)|The Masterpiece]]'' (2012)

;with New Edition
* ''[[Candy Girl (album)|Candy Girl]]'' (1983)
* ''[[New Edition (album)|New Edition]]'' (1984)
* ''[[All for Love (New Edition album)|All for Love]]'' (1985)
* ''[[Home Again (New Edition album)|Home Again]]'' (1996)

== Tours ==
* Heartbreak Tour (1988)
* Don't Be Cruel Tour (1988–1991)
* Humpin' Around the World Tour (1992–1993)
* New Edition Reunion Tour (1996)
* Forever Tour (1997–1998)
* Heads of State Tour (2008–2014)
* RBRM Tour (2018)
* The Culture Tour (2022)
* The Legacy Tour (2023)

==Filmography==

===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1984
| ''[[Be Somebody... or Be Somebody's Fool!]]''
| rowspan="2" | Himself
| Video
|-
| 1985
| ''[[Krush Groove]]''
|
|-
| 1989
| ''[[Ghostbusters II]]''
| Mayor's Doorman
|
|-
| 1990
| ''[[Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme]]''
| Three Blind Mice
| TV movie
|-
| 1995
| ''[[Panther (film)|Panther]]''
| Rose
|
|-
| 1996
| ''[[A Thin Line Between Love and Hate]]''
| Tee
|
|-
| 2001
| ''[[Two Can Play That Game (film)|Two Can Play That Game]]''
| Michael
|
|-
| 2002
| ''[[Go for Broke (2002 film)|Go for Broke]]''
| Jive
|
|-
| 2003
| ''[[Gang of Roses]]''
| Left Eye Watkins
|
|-
| 2004
| ''[[Nora's Hair Salon]]''
| Bennie
|
|-
| 2008
| ''[[Nora's Hair Salon 2: A Cut Above]]''
| Old Man Butter
|
|-
| 2017
| ''A Kindred Soul''
| Uncle
| Short
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="margin-right: 0;"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1984–86
| ''[[American Bandstand]]''
| rowspan="7" | Himself
| rowspan="2" | Recurring Guest
|-
| 1984–92
| ''[[Soul Train]]''
|-
| 1985
| ''[[Solid Gold (TV series)|Solid Gold]]''
| Episode: "Episode #5.20"
|-
| 1988–89
| ''[[America's Top 10]]''
| Episode: "(1988-12)" & "Top 10 Songs of 1989"
|-
| 1989
| ''[[227 (TV series)|227]]''
| Episode: "Video Activity"
|-
| 1989–96
| ''[[Top of the Pops]]''
| Recurring Guest
|-
| 1992
| ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''
| Episode: "Nicolas Cage/Bobby Brown"
|-
|rowspan="2"| 1993
| ''[[American Music Awards of 1993|American Music Awards]]''
| Himself/Co-Host
| Main Co-Host
|-
| ''[[Out All Night (TV series)|Out All Night]]''
| rowspan="16" | Himself
| Episode: "A Date with a Diva"
|-
| 1996
| ''[[Family Matters]]''
| Episode: "Home Again"
|-
| 2000–02
| ''[[Where Are They Now? (American TV series)|Where Are They Now?]]''
| Recurring Guest
|-
| 2003
| ''[[Cedric the Entertainer Presents]]''
| Episode: "Episode #1.16"
|-
|rowspan="4"| 2005
| ''[[Behind the Music]]''
| Episode: "New Edition"
|-
| ''[[Dateline NBC]]''
| Episode: "Episode #13.51"
|-
| ''[[Being Bobby Brown]]''
| Main Cast
|-
| ''[[Cuts (TV series)|Cuts]]''
| Episode: "Blinging in the New Year"
|-
| 2007
| ''[[24 Hours with...]]''
| Episode: "Bobby Brown"
|-
| 2008
| ''[[Gone Country (TV series)|Gone Country]]''
| Main Cast: Season 1
|-
| 2009
| ''Played by Fame''
| Episode: "Kickin' the Habit"
|-
| 2010
| ''[[Celebrity Fit Club (American TV series)|Celebrity Fit Club]]''
| Main Cast: Season 7
|-
| 2011
| ''[[Celebrity Close Calls]]''
| Episode: "Bobby Brown/Morgan Fairchild/Jewel/Elliott Yamin"
|-
| 2013–14
| ''[[Unsung (TV series)|Unsung]]''
| Episode: "Johnny Gill" & "Troop"
|-
| 2013–15
| ''[[Real Husbands of Hollywood]]''
| Guest: Season 1, Recurring Cast: Season 2–3
|-
|rowspan="4"| 2017
| ''[[Tyler Henry|Hollywood Medium]]''
| Episode: "Eva Longoria/Bobby Brown/Jwoww"
|-
| ''[[Hip Hop Squares]]''
| Himself/Center Square
| Recurring Guest
|-
| ''[[Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood]]''
| rowspan="2" | Himself
| Episode: "Boy Band"
|-
| ''[[Lip Sync Battle]]''
| Episode: "Soul Train Special"
|-
| 2019
| ''[[American Soul]]''
| Rufus Thomas
| Episode: "Lost and Found"
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2021
| ''[[The Masked Singer (American TV series)|The Masked Singer]]''
| Himself/Crab
| Contestant: [[The Masked Singer (American season 5)|Season 5]]
|-
| ''[[Crank Yankers]]''
| Bobby Brown's Uncle/Mike Tyson (voice)
| Episode: "Episode #6.5" & "#6.9"
|-
| 2022
| ''Bobby Brown: Every Little Step''
| Himself
| Main Cast
|}

== Bibliography ==
* ''Every Little Step: My Story'' (2016)

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb name|0113140}}
* [http://www.vimeo.com/11228412 NEW Bobby Brown HD interview April 2010]

{{Bobby Brown}}
{{New Edition}}
{{Whitney Houston}}
{{American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist}}
{{American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist}}
{{Billboard Year-End number one albums 1970–1989}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Bobby}}
[[Category:1969 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century American rappers]]
[[Category:21st-century American rappers]]
[[Category:20th-century American songwriters]]
[[Category:21st-century American songwriters]]
[[Category:African-American Christians]]
[[Category:African-American male dancers]]
[[Category:African-American male singers]]
[[Category:African-American songwriters]]
[[Category:American child singers]]
[[Category:American contemporary R&B singers]]
[[Category:American dance musicians]]
[[Category:American male dancers]]
[[Category:American male singers]]
[[Category:American male songwriters]]
[[Category:American people convicted of drug offenses]]
[[Category:American prisoners and detainees]]
[[Category:Grammy Award winners]]
[[Category:Singers from Atlanta]]
[[Category:Singers from Boston]]
[[Category:MCA Records artists]]
[[Category:New Edition members]]
[[Category:New jack swing musicians]]
[[Category:Participants in American reality television series]]
[[Category:People charged with battery]]
[[Category:People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder]]
[[Category:People with bipolar disorder]]
[[Category:Songwriters from Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Houston–Warwick family]]
[[Category:American male pop singers]]