Editing New Kids on the Block (section)

===1984–1985: Early career===
In the early 1980s, [[Maurice Starr]] discovered [[Pop music|pop]]/[[R&B music|R&B]] quintet [[New Edition]], and guided their early success. After he was fired by New Edition for embezzling funds,<ref name=Machat>{{cite book |title=Gods, Gangsters and Honour: A Rock 'n' Roll Odyssey |last=Machat |first=Steven |authorlink=Steven Machat |date=2010 |publisher=Beautiful Books |isbn=9781905636839}}</ref> Starr and his business partner, Mary Alford, sought to create a white counterpart act. Fifteen-year-old [[Donnie Wahlberg]] impressed Starr and Alford with his rapping skills, becoming the group's first member.<ref name="Biography.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.biography.com/news/new-kids-on-the-block-origins|author=Sara Kettler|title=New Kids on the Block: The Hurdles They Overcame Before Enjoying Pop Music Success|work=[[Biography.com]]|date=September 9, 2020|access-date=December 4, 2020}}</ref><ref name="pop bonanza">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/11/arts/pop-view-white-singers-black-style-pop-bonanza.html|title=POP VIEW; White Singers + Black Style - Pop Bonanza|first=Peter|last=Watrous|date=March 11, 1990|website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref name="puberty to platinum">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/new-kids-on-the-block-from-puberty-to-platinum-112529/|author=David Wild|title=New Kids on the Block: From Puberty to Platinum|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=November 2, 1989|access-date=December 4, 2020}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> He was initially joined by his younger brother [[Mark Wahlberg|Mark]], who left the group after only a few months.<ref name="Biography.com"/><ref name=heartthrobs>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20118457,00.html|title=The Heartthrobs of America |last=Dougherty|first=Steve |date=August 13, 1990|magazine=People|access-date=September 23, 2008}}</ref><ref name="Ten Things">{{cite web|url=https://www.laweekly.com/ten-things-we-learned-about-new-kids-on-the-block-from-their-new-biography/|author=Sarah Fenske|title=TEN THINGS WE LEARNED ABOUT NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK FROM THEIR NEW BIOGRAPHY|work=[[LA Weekly]]|date=October 16, 2012|access-date=December 4, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Boston days">{{cite web|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2012/09/29/new-kids-block-their-early-boston-days/QkknuflO1Uy45M0xDmOIPP/story.html|author=Nikki Van Noy|title=New Kids on the Block: Their early Boston days|work=The Boston Globe|date=September 30, 2012|access-date=December 5, 2020}}</ref> Donnie then recruited his school friends Jamie Kelly, [[Jordan Knight]] and Danny Wood to join the group; Knight was followed into the group by his older brother Jonathan Knight, while Kelly left the group early on.<ref name="Encyclopedia Johnson"/><ref name="Biography.com"/><ref name="heartthrobs"/>

When a search was made to find a [[Michael Jackson]]-esque singer to replace Kelly, Starr recruited 12-year-old [[Joey McIntyre]], who initially struggled to fit in with the group.<ref name="Biography.com"/><ref name="heartthrobs"/><ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/media/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/new-kids-block|author=Jason King|title=The New Kids on the Block|encyclopedia=[[St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture]]|access-date=December 5, 2020}}</ref> With the final lineup in place, Starr rehearsed the boys after school and on weekends, and eventually secured the group a recording contract at [[Columbia Records]].<ref name="Biography.com"/><ref name="pop bonanza"/><ref name="heartthrobs"/><ref name="Boston days"/>

Originally, the group was called Nynuk (pronounced "na-nook").<ref name="heartthrobs"/><ref name="Ten Things"/> Nikki Van Noy, author of the group's official biography, wrote in 2012 that the name Nynuk is "meaningless",<ref name="Boston days"/> although a 1989 article by ''Rolling Stone'' suggested a possible connection to ''[[Nanook of the North]]''.<ref name="puberty to platinum"/> Columbia demanded Starr change the name of the group. Subsequently, they settled on New Kids on the Block, after a [[hip hop music|rap]] song that Donnie Wahlberg had written and arranged for their first album.<ref name="Biography.com"/> The group was signed to Columbia's black music division and originally marketed to black audiences.<ref name="Biography.com"/><ref name="Ten Things"/><ref name="Boston days"/><ref name="Encyclopedia Johnson"/>