Maurice Starr is an American singer who gained lots of fame in the ’80s as a director of several pop and soul bands such as New Edition and New Kids on the Block. He gained massive respect as a music producer and songwriter whose list of impressive projects are seemingly endless. Over the years, he has put out an enormous body of work and has won over many fans who adore his skills as a producer and his talent as a songwriter.
Even though he did try to create a solo career, Maurice Starr is now best remembered for his work with the different pop groups he was involved with. He has worked with many influential artists over the years and has been credited with helping to kick-start the careers of many artists.
Maurice Starr’s Biography
The exact day and month in which Maurice Starr was born are not known. However, we know that he was born in 1953 in Deland, a city in Florida. Although everyone now calls him Maurice Starr, his real birth name is actually Larry Curtis Johnson.
Maurice started his music career in the ’70s when he and his five brothers formed a music band called The Johnson Brothers. Their aim was to become very one of the most successful music bands in the USA.
The group started out by writing songs and touring Florida and the Southeast US where they performed their songs to the admiration of many fans. They actually became quite big in Florida and surrounding areas but their success did not translate to a national stage; they could only manage to conquer Florida.
The family later left Florida to Boston in 1972 when Maurice was 17 years old. The move was made in other to explore new areas where their music could find new acceptance and success. However, their hopes of becoming big nationally did not quite materialize.
In 1980, Maurice decided to go solo and create his own sound. Being a prolific songwriter, he wrote many songs and recorded two albums namely; Flaming Starr and Spacey Lady. Even though there was a lot of promise when he went solo, the albums he released did not do very well. So he decided to form a band which will perform the songs that he had written by himself.
Maurice soon began a talent show to discover talents and in 1982, he discovered New Edition, a music band. He co-wrote and co-produced their debut album which had many hits including classics like Is This The End and Candy Girl. The group shot to the top of the charts and gained massive success. However, they soon parted ways with Maurice over creative differences.
After parting ways with New Edition, Maurice discovered another group called the New Kids on the Block, a band consisting of five male teenagers. He also wrote their songs and produced them. New Kids on the Block would go on to be very successful; in fact, in 1990 and 1991 alone, Maurice and the band had earned more than $115 million from concerts and records and were topping the charts in America. As expected, he was very elated with the group’s success.
Over the years, he has also tried to recreate the success of New Kids on the Block with other artists such as Rick Wes, Tommy Page, Perfect Gentlemen, Homework, the Superiors, and many others. However, none of these persons had the kind of success that New Kids on the Block did
Maurice Starr now manages another boy band called NK5. It was Maurice who assembled the group and just as he did with New Kids on the Block and New Edition. He also writes the songs that they sing.
Apart from working with the bands that he creates, Maurice has also written, produced and sometimes performed with top names in the American music industry such as Frank Sinatra, Mariah Carey, Kirk Franklin, Ricky Martin, LL Cool J, Bobby Brown, Master P, Sugar Hill Gang, and several others.
Maurice Starr’s Net Worth
There is not a doubt in the world that Maurice Starr is a wealthy man. Having found fame while working with the bands he created and managed, and having also worked with top names in the industry, it is apparent that he has raked in a considerable amount of wealth over the years.
Maurice also has investments in businesses and at the moment, he is reported to be worth over $10 million. Apparently, this figure will change as he continues to do more business in music and otherwise.
Who Are Maurice Starr’s Family?
Maurice Starr’s father has been identified as Vernon Johnson Sr., and his mother’s name has been given as Willie Mae Johnson. Maurice grew up with five brothers who were all gifted musically and were further taught music by their parents.
Maurice Starr’s parents were both musicians. His father was a jazz trumpeter and his mother was a church organist. His father used to play with Count Basie, a popular American jazz pianist and Lionel Hampton, a popular bandleader. Apparently, growing up in this kind of home which was surrounded by musically gifted people helped Maurice develop an interest in music from an early age.
Does He Have Children?
As far as we know, Maurice Starr has never been a married man. There are no records showing that he has tied the knot with any woman. However, we know that he has a number of children. His most famous sons have been identified as Stephen Starr and Maurice Starr Jr.
Reports say he has other children; however, their identities remain unknown at the moment. This is no surprise as Maurice has always loved to keep his personal life very private.
Is Maurice Starr Dead?
Maurice Starr is not dead; he is alive and well. His new project with his new boy band called NK5 is keeping him very busy as he keeps writing songs for them as well as producing their records. From the looks of things, he doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon.