Ralph Tresvant was born on May 16, 1968, in Roxbury, Massachusetts, to Patricia and Ralph, Sr. He has an older sister named LaTonya and a younger brother named Andre. Ralph married his childhood sweetheart Shelly in 1993, and they have two daughters, Na'Quelle and Mariah.
As a teenager, Ralph and his friends Ronnie DeVoe, Bobby Brown, Ricky Bell, and Michael Bivins formed a music group called New Edition. They were discovered by Maurice Starr at a talent show and signed to Streetwise Records in 1983. The group released their debut album, which included hits like "Candy Girl", "Popcorn Love", and "Is This The End". In 1984, they left Streetwise and signed with MCA Records, releasing their second album, "New Edition", which featured hits like "Cool It Now", "Mr. Telephone Man", and "Lost In Love".
In 1985, the group released their third album, "All For Love", which included hits like "Count Me Out" and "A Little Bit Of Love [Is All It Takes]". In 1987, Bobby Brown left the group, and Johnny Gill replaced him, bringing a more Adult Contemporary style to the group's music. The album "HeartBreak" was a huge success, featuring hits like "If It Isn't Love", "Can You Stand The Rain", "Boyz II Men", and others.
In 1990, the group members went solo, with Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill, Bell Biv DeVoe, and Ralph Tresvant releasing their own music. Ralph's debut album, "Ralph Tresvant", went platinum and included hits like "Sensitivity", which spent 20 weeks at number one on the R&B charts and 20 weeks at number four on the Pop charts, as well as "Do What I Gotta Do" and "Stone Cold Gentleman", which featured Bobby Brown.
Ralph also appeared in the movie "House Party 2" and sang a song on the soundtrack called "Yo, Baby, Yo!". He has also been featured on soundtracks like "Mo'Money", on which his song "Money Can't Buy You Love" was included, and "The Preacher's Wife", on which he was featured on the song "Somebody Bigger Than You And I".
In 1993, Ralph released his second album, "It's Goin' Down", although it did not achieve the same level of success as his debut. In 1996, New Edition released a reunion album with all six original members, which included hits like "Hit Me Off" and "I'm Still In Love With You". The group went on to tour, with two parts to the reunion tour.
However, in recent years, tensions within the group have led to Bobby Brown's departure, with him stating that he hates the group and will never work with them again. New Edition has since gone on to tour as a solo act, with Bobby Brown, Ralph Tresvant, Johnny Gill, Ronnie DeVoe, Ricky Bell, and Bell Biv DeVoe.
