What A WILD, Strange Trip It’s Been
As Elroy recounts to RAMP, “I remember vividly getting a visit from New Edition’s producer, Maurice Starr and member Ricky Bell, who gave me a copy of ‘Candy Girl’ to play for the city of Boston. I opened up the phone lines and the listeners gave this song so much love. WILD (a daytimer at 1090) was located in Roxbury, a predominately black section of Boston, and New Edition were raised in Roxbury. This was a perfect connection to have the local radio station support a local group. Since I had just become a program director, I was naïve as to what it meant to break a new record and a new group. I never imagined playing ‘Candy Girl’ would evolve into a such a lengthy and successful career for this group. Anytime I wanted New Edition to do a show for WILD, they were there for the radio station. They became family to me and the radio station.”
Smith added, “I am so proud of [BET VP of Programming] Stephen Hill, one of my former DJs at WILD, for his vision in saluting New Edition in such a grandiose way. This story of the life of New Edition is getting a huge buzz throughout the country. Kudos to Stephen and his team at BET for doing an exceptional job, creating this movie about Boston’s own New Edition.” KBLX is running a promo honoring Elroy’s well-deserved movie immortalization and to commemorate New Edition’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.