Ricky Bell (singer)

Ricardo Bell (born September 18, 1967) is an American singer and rapper, best known as one of the founding members of R&B/pop group New Edition, and the lead singer of Bell Biv DeVoe. As a solo artist, Bell released the album Ricardo Campana in 2000.

Early life and career

The youngest of eleven children, Bell was born in Roxbury, Boston, Massachusetts and grew up in the Orchard Park Projects. He began his career singing with close friend Ralph Tresvant in the group Ricky and Ralph. Later, Bell, along with Michael Bivins, Bobby Brown, Ralph Tresvant, and Ronnie DeVoe formed New Edition. The group began a career in 1978 that has spanned more than 40 years. After the departure of Brown, Johnny Gill joined the group in the mid-1980s. Before Gill joined the group, Bell was originally the oldest member of New Edition. After the group recorded the album "Heartbreak", Bell was given the chance to go solo but opted instead to form Bell Biv DeVoe, with Bivins and DeVoe.

The "best kept secret" originally gained the respect of the industry when record producer Jimmy Jam had the idea for the spin-off group Bell Biv DeVoe with Bell as the lead singer. BBD, as the group is commonly known, was the first to integrate elements of Rap and R&B consistently, calling their style "Hip-hop smoothed out on an R&B tip with a pop feel appeal to it." BBD's 1990 debut established Bell as a lead singer capable of chart topping success. Though Bell had primarily performed as a backup vocalist with New Edition, he emerged as one of the most utilized voices on singles released by the group in the 1990s. With the exception of the ensemble songs "Hot2Nite" and "Hit Me Off", and the Brown-led "You Don't Have to Worry," Bell performed lead or co-lead on the remainder of the group's charting singles.