Michael Bivins

Background

Michael Lamont Bivins was born on August 10, 1968 in Boston, Massachusetts. His parents are Gerard and Shirley Bivins. He grew up with a sister named Tanya.

Marriage, Wife, and Children

Michael Bivins married his longtime girlfriend Teasha in 2006. His wife works as CEO of Bivins Realty Group and Lifestyle. The couple gave birth to their first child, a son, in December 1996. The couple ended up with four children. The names of their children are Michael Bivins Jr., Savi Bivins, Shi Bivins, and Star Bivins.

Career and Net Worth

Bivins is the founding member of the popular R&B group New Edition, which he started in 1982. The group’s members include long-time friends Ricky Bell, Ronnie DeVoe, Ralph Tresvant, and Bobby Brown. Their debut album, Candy Girl, was released on March 15, 1983 and their second self-titled album, New Edition, was released on August 6, 1984. The group’s most popular hits included “Candy Girl,” “Cool It Now,” and “Mr. Telephone Man.”

It was in the 1980s that the group reached the height of their popularity. New Edition enjoyed a number of hits and was the predecessor of the boy band phenomenon of the 1980s and 1990s, paving the way for groups like New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, Backstreet Boys, and N’Sync.

Bivins, together with Ricky Bell and Ronnie DeVoe, formed a new group called Bell Biv Devoe (BBD). With the help of Public Enemy producers Eric Sadler, Hank, and Keith Shocklee, they released their debut album Poison in 1990. The album was a huge success, selling in excess of four million copies, and reached number 1 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop charts. The group was credited with pioneering a new sound known as swingbeat or “New Jack Swing”. It was a style that combined hip-hop, funk, and soul with pop music elements. This new style helped expose the group to new fans who were looking for a harder, edgier sound than that of New Edition.