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February 24. 2006 6:59AM
'Hangin' Tough'
Former New Kid hits the charts, the road again
KAREN RIVERS
Tribune Staff Writer
Don't try to goad Jordan Knight into sounding bitter. He won't take the bait. Yes, he was "the cute one" of New Kids on the Block, and that qualifies him as a former child superstar, but he swears he's free of scars. No stints in rehab. No unsightly mug shots posted on the Web. He did not have a sex change operation as a popular rumor (his favorite, in fact) suggests.
"I love (my boy band past)," Knight says. "I embrace it. I enjoy it. I have fun with it. How could you not when you were such a big part of people's childhoods?"
Knight's calling from his home in Boston, his native city and the place where he has settled down with his wife and young son. Knight is about to embark on an intimate-venue tour in support of his new solo album, "The Fix." The tour stops Sunday at the Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City, where Knight will perform along with Jeff Timmons, formerly of 98 Degrees.
Die-hard fans will be happy to know that, yes, Knight will pull from the New Kids catalog. (And for those who never got over their Jordan crushes, press photos suggest that he's still handsome and buff, and spends most of his time in a white undershirt.)
As for the new material, Knight says it pretty much follows the can't-miss formula of pop melodies with R & B beats. It includes a tune in Spanish and a track featuring Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh.
"(Working with them) was cool because I grew up on old-school hip-hop," he says.
Right now, Knight says he's really into Usher, Alicia Keys and Musiq but adds that he's a junkie for all genres.
His own rise to pop stardom began with the release of the New Kids' first album in 1986. The explosion lasted into the early '90s, followed, understandably, by a period of silence from Knight.
He made a surprisingly respectable comeback in 1999, with an album of original material and a single -- "Give It to You" -- that went platinum. His subsequent release of New Kids remixes found less success.
Knight says that today he's OK with a more low-profile career. He's proud to announce that "Where Is Your Heart Tonight," his current single, is on the adult contemporary charts. It peaked at No. 12.
"I was able to chart in three decades," he says. "I don't know if that makes me old or if it's just really cool. ... (This time around) I don't have to sell 10 million albums."
And apparently Knight's not exactly invisible.
"It still happens like back in the day," he says. "I really can't go to the mall without someone yelling 'It's Jordan Knight!' "
That may have something to do with his stint on VH1's "The Surreal Life." The popular show places off-the-radar stars in a house, then records the drinking, hooking up and general chaos. Knight's roomies included a runner-up from "American Idol," Brigitte Nielsen, Flavor Flav, Charo and Dave Coulier of "Full House."
"It was interesting. It was more fun for me to watch it than it was to make it," he says.
One of Knight's most memorable moments on the show was when he built a wall of suitcases to get some privacy in his doorless bedroom.
Of his cast mates, he says, "They were crazy, but they all have really good hearts."
With that television gig over, Knight says he's excited to play some gigs, where he can meet fans, take requests.
That's right, at the Blue Chip Casino, you will be able to get oh-so-close.
As Knight prepares to hit the road yet again, he says he's proud of himself and proud of his former band mates. Joey McIntyre, for instance, was on Broadway, and Donnie Wahlberg has found steady work as an actor. Also, despite their divergent career paths, the guys still keep in touch.
"Maybe we'll do a reunion. You never know," Knight says, without even being asked.
He then adds, with satisfaction, "The critics said we'd all be around for a year, tops."
Almost two decades later, most of the New Kids are, to an extent, still "around."
Will somebody cue "Hangin' Tough"?
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Jordan Knight, formerly of New Kids on the Block, is back with a new solo CD, "The Fix." On Sunday, he will perform at the Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City.
Photo provided
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In Concert
Jordan Knight and Jeff Timmons perform at 8 p.m. CST Sunday in the Grand Ballroom of the Blue Chip Casino, 2 Easy St., Michigan City. The concert is sold out. Doors open at 7 p.m. Must be 21 to attend. Ticket holders may purchase "Meet and Greet" tickets for $50 the day of the concert. For more information, call (888) 879-7711, ext. 3608.
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