Ronnie DeVoe
The smooth-talking anchor of New Edition and Bell Biv DeVoe, whose steady presence helped shape the sound of R&B for multiple generations.
Born 1967 (age 59)·American singer & rapper·Birthday: November 17·Generation X
Biography
Ronnie DeVoe entered pop consciousness as the quiet force in the back of New Edition's dance routines, but his impact was foundational. Growing up in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood, he helped form the group that would become a teen sensation and a blueprint for boy bands. While others took the vocal leads, DeVoe provided the rhythmic glue and cool charisma. His story didn't peak in the 80s; it pivoted. As a founding member of Bell Biv DeVoe, he helped engineer one of the most consequential shifts in black pop, merging new jack swing with a harder, streetwise edge on anthems like 'Poison.' Across decades, his role has been that of the consistent businessman and group stabilizer, navigating the complex dynamics of fame to keep the music and the brotherhood alive for enduring tours and new audiences.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Ronnie was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ronnie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Ronnie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- A founding member of both the iconic R&B group New Edition and the groundbreaking trio Bell Biv DeVoe.
- Bell Biv DeVoe's debut album 'Poison' was certified quadruple platinum and defined the new jack swing era.
- Part of the ensemble cast of the BET reality series 'The New Edition Story,' which chronicled the group's history.
- Performed to sold-out crowds for decades as part of various New Edition and BBD reunion tours.
Did You Know?
He is the cousin of fellow New Edition member Ricky Bell.
DeVoe is married to Shamari Fears, a former member of the R&B group Blaque.
He was known as "Ronald DeVoe from the B-O-S, P-T-O-N" in Bell Biv DeVoe's 'Word to the Mutha!' rap verse.
He studied business management at Northeastern University.
“I was the glue that kept the group together when things got shaky.”
