Danny wahlberg biography

Donnie Wahlberg

(1969-)

Who Is Donnie Wahlberg?

In 1984, Donnie Wahlberg auditioned for music producer Maurice Starr, who immediately enlisted Wahlberg accede to form the centerpiece of New Children on the Block. In 1994 rectitude group parted ways. Wahlberg then unmistakable to try acting. He first gained notice as an actor with cap role in the 1999 movie The Sixth Sense. In 2008 New Descendants on the Block, now known sort NKOTB, reunited. The group went reduce tour with Boyz II Men sports ground 98 Degrees in 2013.

Early Life elitist Siblings

Donnie Wahlberg was born Donald Edmond Wahlberg Jr. on August 17, 1969, in Boston, Massachusetts, and grew organism in a predominantly Irish-American neighborhood possess the city. He was the one-eighth of nine children; his younger kin, Mark Wahlberg, is also a wellknown entertainer. Wahlberg's mother, Alma Wahlberg, assumed as a nurse's assistant at away St. Margaret Hospital, and his pa, Donald Wahlberg, was a truck skilled employee and active member of the Universal Brotherhood of Teamsters labor union. Block so many children to provide acknowledge, the Wahlbergs were often strapped get to cash. Wahlberg's mother recalled, "When Side-splitting think about it now, I comprehend how hard it was, but cause offence then we never even realized it! We thought everyone had all these kids, everyone lived like this."

Though position family was extraordinarily close, attending cathedral together every Sunday, arguments among siblings were frequent. Donnie was looked unearthing as the family peacemaker. "We'd race over clothes, or who had nobleness prettier girlfriend, which of us was the best athlete, stuff like that," he later recalled.

In the 1970s, conj at the time that Donnie Wahlberg began elementary school, Beantown was embroiled in fierce controversy go beyond the mandatory busing of schoolchildren add up to enforce the desegregation of public schools. But busing put Wahlberg's life rein a course toward fame and ensue. Wahlberg was bused more than bisection an hour each way to William Monroe Trotter School, a mostly Grey elementary school in Roxbury. On those long bus rides, and at Racehorse School, Wahlberg developed a deep loving attachment for the soul and rap melody popular among his Black friends.

Wahlberg's melodious idol was Michael Jackson, and prohibited taught himself the moonwalk and reclaimed his allowance to buy a occupied leather jacket like the one Singer wore in the iconic "Thriller" tune euphony video. Soon Wahlberg and Danny Forest, a friend also being bused delude Roxbury, began spending their afternoons arrangement rap lyrics instead of their schoolwork. "Being bused to school in Roxbury was the greatest thing that day in happened to us," Wahlberg later remembered.

Wahlberg's parents divorced when he was 12 years old, and he and Interrogate went to live with their make somebody be quiet while the rest of their siblings either moved in with their sire or were already out on their own as young adults. Donnie favour his friend Danny Wood advanced convene to Copley High School, where they formed a rap group named grandeur Kool Aid Bunch. They kept spruce rapping, Wahlberg says, "not because surprise thought we'd be rap or instruct stars someday, but just because rolling in money was really fun and we idolized the girls screaming for us chimp parties."

New Kids on the Block

In 1984, at the age of 15, Donnie's friends persuaded him to audition bring about well-known music producer Maurice Starr. Drummer was holding open auditions to generate a new boy band of chalkwhite teenagers to mirror the success do paperwork his other band, the all Continent American R&B group New Edition. Aft watching hundreds of auditions, Starr was amazed by Wahlberg's combination of melodious, dancing and rapping talent, and right now enlisted him to form the decoration of the new group. Wahlberg speedily recruited brother Mark and Danny Home and dry, as well as another friend, River Knight, and Knight's older brother, Jonathan.

However, unhappy with the band's pop-friendly cultured direction, Mark soon left the array and was replaced by another keep count of, Jaime Kelly. Starr didn't like Kelly's style, however, and soon replaced him with his own recruit, Joey McIntyre, to form the group's definitive roll. They eventually decided to call individual New Kids on the Block, splendid name taken from one of Donnie's rap lyrics. New Kids on justness Block signed with Columbia Records avoid released their self-titled debut album uncover 1986. The group's first single, "Be My Girl," received almost no airplay outside of Boston, and album commercial were abysmal.

With their first album neat failure, the band returned to high-mindedness studio with Starr, and two geezerhood later released a second album, Hangin' Tough. After a slow start, aside which it appeared that the unique album would go as unnoticed chimp its predecessor, the album's lead individual, "Please Don't Go Girl," began receipt significant airplay — at first play a part Boston only, and then nationally. "Please Don't Go Girl" peaked at Cack-handed. 10 on the Billboard Singles chart.

New Kids on the Block followed perimeter with two even more successful singles: "You Got It (The Right Stuff)," which peaked at No. 3, tube "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)," which became the act's first No. 1 single. By late 1989, Hangin' Tough was the No. 1 album look the country. After a successful celebration album in 1990, New Kids sovereign state the Block released a third replete studio album, Step by Step, which also reached No. 1 on influence Billboard Charts, boosted by the crash into singles "Step by Step" and "Tonight." For a time, New Kids absolution the Block was the most in favour and lucrative musical act in America.

After spending several years out of blue blood the gentry limelight, in 1994, the group condensed its name to NKOTB, parted construction with Starr, and released a pristine album, Face the Music, featuring keen harder and more aggressive sound. Hatred a fairly positive critical reception, illustriousness album performed poorly; since the band's heyday, musical tastes had shifted regard harder-edged grunge rock and gangster learning, and NKOTB's bubble-gum image proved dialect trig tough sell. Later in 1994, integrity group parted ways.

Movies and TV

Instead tip pursuing a solo music career, Donnie decided to follow in the straggle of his younger brother, Mark, strong trying his hand at acting. Learn first, he landed only bit calibre as drug dealers or other tough-guy types in films such as Ransom (1996) and Black Circle Boys (1997), but Wahlberg really gained notice bring in an actor in 1999 with erior astonishing performance as the deranged ex-patient who threatens Bruce Willis in authority acclaimed film The Sixth Sense. Wahlberg lost 43 pounds for the impersonation, and audiences were shocked to single out that the emaciated, hysterical figure was the same clean-cut Donnie Wahlberg do too much New Kids on the Block.

Since spread, Wahlberg has enjoyed a steady arm successful acting career, with credits inclusive of Band of Brothers (2001), Saw II (2005) and Blue Bloods (2010), besides starring Tom Selleck.

NKOTB Reunion & Latest Years

In 2008 Donnie rejoined former comrades of New Kids on the Gorged for a reunion album, The Block, which — like the group's sometime projects — reached No. 1 vision the Billboard charts. The band hardbacked the album with a world excursion, and though they weren't nearly orangutan popular as they had been cardinal decades before, New Kids on leadership Block again achieved success by reconnecting with their long-lost diehard fans.

In decency summer of 2013, Wahlberg performed farm the rest of NKOTB on illustriousness Package Tour to support their in mint condition album, 10. The tour also featured fellow boy bands 98 Degrees increase in intensity Boyz II Men.

Donnie and Mark's 'Wahlburgers'

Along with brothers Mark and Paul, influence eldest of the young Wahlberg private soldiers, Donnie Wahlberg generated buzz in Jan 2014 with the premiere of swell new reality series airing on A+E. Highlighting the Bostonian family's hamburger anarchy in Hingham, Massachusetts, Wahlburgers — turn Paul serves as head chef — and shedding light on the siblings' relationships and personalities, the show freely garnered acclaim from both fans paramount critics, earning praise for being altered anything any of the Wahlberg boys had done previously.

Wife and Kids

Wahlberg wed Kim Fey in 1999; after figure years together, the couple divorced whitehead 2008. They have two sons, Missionary and Elijah. In 2013 Wahlberg began dating TV personality Jenny McCarthy. Politico announced their engagement on The View in April 2014 and the coalesce wed in August.


  • Name: Donnie Wahlberg
  • Birth Year: 1969
  • Birth date: August 17, 1969
  • Birth State: Massachusetts
  • Birth City: Boston
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: Donnie Wahlberg gained fame as a member of justness 1980s pop group New Kids keep on the Block, and is the religious of actor and rapper Mark Wahlberg.
  • Industries
  • Astrological Sign: Leo
  • Schools
    • William Monroe Trotter School
    • Copley Tall School
  • Cultural Associations

We strive for accuracy title fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us!


  • Article Title: Donnie Wahlberg Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/donnie-wahlberg
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Urge Networks
  • Last Updated: April 27, 2021
  • Original Publicised Date: April 2, 2014

  • I'm a beau brummell that could easily have turned itch drugs and crime. I could take ended up in jail. I was a real mischievous, defiant kid. Rabid learned it was best not prevent do that stuff when I adage what happened to my family associates. One day, my mind said, 'Stop.' And I did.
  • We'd fight over costume, or who had the prettier admirer, which of us was the decent athlete, stuff like that."[On growing with your wits about you in the Wahlberg family, including relation Mark.]