Donnie, Danny, Jonathan, Jordan, and Joey: they are Boston’s own New Kids on the Block, an iconic boy band that sprang to the top of the charts (and into the hearts of millions of global fans) in the 1980s. Though each of the “kids” and the band itself has faced their ups and downs in the four decades since they came together, they continue to release new music and maintain a loyal fanbase lovingly known as “Blockheads.”
In New Kids on the Block 40th Anniversary Celebration, music journalist and proud Blockhead Selena Fragassi delves into the band’s origins—from their manager Maurice Starr bringing them together and their earliest influences—to their biggest successes in the 1980s and ’90s, to their continued achievements today and the lasting legacythey’ve left in the boy-band canon. Along the way, readers will also explore:
- The creation of NKOTB’s biggest hits, such as “Please Don’t Go Girl” and “You Got It (The Right Stuff)”
- The fan culture that built up around the band, from the small gigs and mall tours of their earliest years to their inaugural fan convention in 2023
- NKOTB’s influences, from R&B to pop, and their place in a boy-band history that begins with the Jackson 5 and continues in the modern day with bands like One Direction and BTS
- The lasting legacy of a band proudly celebrating their fortieth anniversary
Step by step, through interviews, photos, and sidebars full of fun facts and trivia, you’ll learn something new about the band on every page. This book is the perfect companion to your everlasting love for NKOTB!
First I must thank Selena Fragassi, Quarto Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.
Calling all die hard Blockheads this book is written for us!!! If you know me I am a HUGE New Kid On The Block fan since 1989! Saw them at Darien Lake with the late Tommy Page in 1989! My walls were plastered with New Kids On The Block posters! I had all the cassettes and watched them whenever they came on tv! I have seen them 4 times in concert and the Mixtape Tour with Debbie Gibson and Tiffany was the best ever!! Why? Because I spent 12 hours outside in the back of Key Center in Buffalo, NY just waiting to get a glimpse of the boys. Now prior to this I had met and got a selfie with Donnie…but Joey was the one I really wanted to meet. Never in a million years did I ever think I would meet him or anyone else in the band. You should have seen my shocked face!! I was literally crying my eyes out with happy tears as I had a total crush on him for years. He and the New Kids music got me through a very difficult time in my life. That day I got to meet Joey, Danny, and Debbie Gibson and got selfies with all of them! So…that being said when I saw that Selena Fragassi was writing a new book about The New Kids On The Block The 40th Anniversary Celebration It was a no brainer that I had to read it!!
Selena blew me away on how knowledgeable she was on the boys. Not just what happened inside the group but with their solo projects as well. I never knew that Jennifer Lopez was a backup dancer for the boys! I was shocked to hear that!
Their Super Bowl Halftime Show was mentioned in the book including pictures. It is probably the only time The Buffalo Bills were in the Super Bowl! I can remember I was at a Super Bowl Party and so excited to see the halftime show!! However, the local stations had broken into the halftime show to show news!! Needless to say I was madder than mad!!
I also loved and appreciated how Selena talked about Jon coming out of the closet. I knew he was gay but never really knew the whole story of him coming out. So thank you for including that. I adore him and Harley together!
Selena incorporated many pictures, quotes, timelines, history, personal stories and a discography! It truly is a must read for any die hard blockhead out there!
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