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New Edition Will 'Never Forget' Meeting Michael Jackson

Ricky Bell recalls to MTV News 'going to the mansion and seeing him skip down the stairs.'

[artist id="13207"]New Edition[/artist] are fast approaching 30 years in the music biz, and the Boston boys have a ton of memories since dropping their debut album, Candy Girl, in 1983.

For Johnny Gill, his favorite came in 1990 when NE reunited on the MTV Video Music Awards; for Ralph Tresvant, his best memory came after hearing the group's song on the radio for the first time. Ricky Bell, nodded in agreement, but then recalled another special time -- meeting the King of Pop.

"I guess Ralph took my number one, but number two would probably be meeting Michael Jackson, being invited to his house. Going to the mansion and seeing him skip down the stairs," Bell told MTV News before the group performed at DJ Cassidy's 30th birthday party in New York City on July 6. "Just to meet someone, that icon who inspired you, is a moment I'll never forget."

New Edition -- which includes Bobby Brown, Tresvant, Gill, Bell, Ronnie DeVoe and Michael Bivins -- are in the middle of a reunion run after performing in New Orleans at the [article id="1666774"]2011 Essence Music Festival[/article]. In addition to a number of shows they are performing together, [article id="1667018"]NE also have a new album[/article] in the works, and if they have it their way, they will continue to add on to three decades' worth of memorable moments.

For Brown, though, it will always start at the beginning. "For me, 30 years would probably be just meeting them," he said of his bandmates. "Meeting them and being able to have friends in my life and have brothers in my life that weren't blood brothers, but they were my brothers and they took care of me."

Share your memories of New Edition's nearly 30 years in the comments below!

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