Jonathan Knight
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Rashleigh Knight (born November 29, 1968) is an American singer
. Knight is part of the boyband
New Kids on the Block
. The band also includes Donnie Wahlberg
, Joey McIntyre, Danny Wood
and Jonathan's younger brother Jordan
. He is the oldest member of the group and was the first to leave the group in 1994 prior to their official disbanding.
to parents Marlene Putnam and Allan Knight. He is the 5th of 6 children: Allison, Sharon, David, Christopher, Jonathan, and Jordan.
. The group originally tried to continue the tour claiming Knight had been badly hurt by a horse
, but in a press conference a few weeks later, the group revealed that they were actually disbanding. Knight's early departure from the group lead to reports that some members were frustrated with the way he departed and that those feelings prevented an earlier reformation of the group.
In the spring of 2008, Knight returned to show business, reuniting with the other four members of New Kids on the Block. The band released their seventh album (and first in 14 years), The Block
, on September 2, 2008. To confirm their reunion and announce the new album, the band performed live together on May 16, 2008 for the first time in fifteen years on the Today Show.
A world tour was scheduled to follow the new release and began in Canada on September 18, 2008. The first single from the album, "Summertime
", performed well worldwide peaking as #9 in Canada and breaking the top 30 in the U.S. charts (#24 as a digital download). The group released "Single", their second single from The Block in August 2008.
.
In the years after the group first disbanded, Knight has worked as a real estate
developer living in Essex, Massachusetts
and rarely made public appearances or gave interviews. In 2000, Knight revealed that he has suffered from panic attacks since his early career with New Kids On The Block. He has since sought medical help and his health had improved.
In the early 1990s, Knight was linked to teen pop singer Tiffany
. Both denied dating at the time. In 2009, The National Enquirer
published an article from a man claiming to be Knight's ex-boyfriend, and outing him as gay. In a January 2011 interview, singer Tiffany stated that Knight is gay, which Knight then confirmed, saying "I have lived my life very openly and have never hidden the fact that I am gay".
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
. Knight is part of the boyband
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
New Kids on the Block
New Kids on the Block
New Kids on the Block are an American boy band from Boston, Massachusetts, assembled in 1984 by producer Maurice Starr. The band currently consists of brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood.New Kids on the Block enjoyed success in the late 1980s and...
. The band also includes Donnie Wahlberg
Donnie Wahlberg
Donald Edward "Donnie" Wahlberg, Jr. is an American singer, actor and film producer. He is a member of the popular 1980s and 1990s boy band New Kids on the Block. His work background includes music, feature films, and television...
, Joey McIntyre, Danny Wood
Danny Wood
Daniel William "Danny" Wood is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and occasional actor. He is also a member of the American boy band New Kids on the Block and also serves as one of the key choreographers.-Life and career:...
and Jonathan's younger brother Jordan
Jordan Knight
Jordan Nathaniel Marcel Knight is an American singer-songwriter best known as the lead singer in the boy band, New Kids on the Block , and actor, who rose to fame in the 1980s and 1990s. He is best known for his distinctive falsetto style of singing, influenced by The Stylistics. After New Kids On...
. He is the oldest member of the group and was the first to leave the group in 1994 prior to their official disbanding.
Early life
Jonathan was born in Worcester, MassachusettsWorcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
to parents Marlene Putnam and Allan Knight. He is the 5th of 6 children: Allison, Sharon, David, Christopher, Jonathan, and Jordan.
New Kids on the Block
Between 1984 and 1994, Knight was a member of an award-winning American pop group New Kids on the Block. The group went on to sell over 80 million albums worldwide before disbanding in 1994 after Knight left the group during the tour for their 1994 album Face the MusicFace The Music (New Kids on the Block album)
Face the Music is the fourth studio album by New Kids on the Block, released in January 1994. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album has sold 138,000 copies in the U.S.-Album history:...
. The group originally tried to continue the tour claiming Knight had been badly hurt by a horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
, but in a press conference a few weeks later, the group revealed that they were actually disbanding. Knight's early departure from the group lead to reports that some members were frustrated with the way he departed and that those feelings prevented an earlier reformation of the group.
In the spring of 2008, Knight returned to show business, reuniting with the other four members of New Kids on the Block. The band released their seventh album (and first in 14 years), The Block
The Block (album)
The Block is the fifth studio album by New Kids on the Block. The album was released on September 2, 2008, along with a deluxe edition that included four bonus tracks. It sold 100,000 copies in its first week of release and debuted at number one on the U.S. Top Pop Albums chart and at number two on...
, on September 2, 2008. To confirm their reunion and announce the new album, the band performed live together on May 16, 2008 for the first time in fifteen years on the Today Show.
A world tour was scheduled to follow the new release and began in Canada on September 18, 2008. The first single from the album, "Summertime
Summertime (New Kids on the Block song)
"Summertime" is a 2008 single and the first from the New Kids on the Block album titled The Block. The single was released on May 13, 2008 and was the first new single released by the group since 1994....
", performed well worldwide peaking as #9 in Canada and breaking the top 30 in the U.S. charts (#24 as a digital download). The group released "Single", their second single from The Block in August 2008.
Personal life
Jonathan is the older brother of Jordan KnightJordan Knight
Jordan Nathaniel Marcel Knight is an American singer-songwriter best known as the lead singer in the boy band, New Kids on the Block , and actor, who rose to fame in the 1980s and 1990s. He is best known for his distinctive falsetto style of singing, influenced by The Stylistics. After New Kids On...
.
In the years after the group first disbanded, Knight has worked as a real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
developer living in Essex, Massachusetts
Essex, Massachusetts
Essex is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, north of Boston. The population was 3,504 at the 2010 census.Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Essex.- History :...
and rarely made public appearances or gave interviews. In 2000, Knight revealed that he has suffered from panic attacks since his early career with New Kids On The Block. He has since sought medical help and his health had improved.
In the early 1990s, Knight was linked to teen pop singer Tiffany
Tiffany (singer)
Tiffany Renee Darwish , known popularly as Tiffany, is an American singer and former teen icon. She is most notable for her 1987 cover version of "I Think We're Alone Now", originally recorded by Tommy James and the Shondells in 1967. Released as the second single from her eponymous album, Tiffany,...
. Both denied dating at the time. In 2009, The National Enquirer
The National Enquirer
The National Enquirer is an American supermarket tabloid now published by American Media Inc . Founded in 1926, the tabloid has gone through a variety of changes over the years....
published an article from a man claiming to be Knight's ex-boyfriend, and outing him as gay. In a January 2011 interview, singer Tiffany stated that Knight is gay, which Knight then confirmed, saying "I have lived my life very openly and have never hidden the fact that I am gay".