CONFESSIONS OF A NEW KID!

CONFESSIONS OF A NEW KID!

DANNY WOOD ON FAME, FORTUNE & FUN!

J. Kordosh

Being a new kid on the block is tough, but being a New Kid On The Block is a dream come true. 'Cause the New Kids On The Block have taken the world by storm and there's no letting go!

"We keep getting good news—you try to enjoy it and not let it go to your head," said 19-year-old Danny Wood in an exclusive interview with ROCKSHOTS. And Danny was right about the good news. When we talked, Hangin' Tough had just cracked the Billboard Top 5. . .and it was the #1 crossover album to boot! But the New Kids are still trying to put their great success in perspective.

"See, after you get so much good news, it stops meaning so much to you," Danny confessed. "But then, if you look back at it, it means a lot."

And there's a lot to look back on. After their first album, New Kids On The Block, went gold, their follow-up (Hangin’ Tough) simply exploded. Hit followed hit, as "The Right Stuff," "Please Don't Go Girl" and "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)" dominated the radio waves all spring. The Kids were instant celebrities; all of a sudden, five young guys from Boston were in the national spotlight. Which left Danny—who joined the band after Donnie Wahlberg and brothers Jon and Jordan Knight, but before Joe McIntyre—in a strange spot.

Danny went to Copley High in Boston, you see. (Check out the liner notes on Hangin' Tough.) And, although he laughs when asked about his grade point average, he does admit: "In my last year, I was straight A's. I got a four year scholarship to Boston University." Danny says he'd eventually like to go to college to study (what else?) music, but that being in the New Kids is "like a once in a lifetime chance. I can go back to school whenever I want."

And he's right. The Kids have been on a roller coaster ride since Hangin' Tough hit the big time. Danny says that one of their biggest thrills was a recent show in Miami—a show they played all by themselves. "There were 8,000 people there," he recalls. "That was kind of incredible to see all those people just to see us'.' Humorously, one of Danny's most embarrassing moments came at just about the same time, at a show at Disney World in Florida. "I got a split in my pants that night," he recalls with a grimace. "It was near the end of the show, though, so we just kept on playing."

Keeping on is what the New Kids, and Danny, are all about. "I'm learning to play the keyboards," he confessed when asked about his hobbies. Danny's proud that he, Donny and Jordan co-wrote "My Favorite Girl" (along with the new Kids' producer/mentor, Maurcie Starr), and he says that the band will be writing four or five songs on their next album. . .a big departure from their winning formula, which has Maurice handling most of the creative chores.

What else does the future hold for these smash hitmakers? "We have a Christmas album coming out in November," Danny reveals. "There haven't been many Christmas albums out recently, and we want to put out a good one. Then, in January or February, our new album will be ‘coming out." Danny's philosophical about the band—the Crickets, as they call themselves—doing their own songs then. "We'll let Maurice decide," he says. "If he likes them, then we'll put them on the album."

Until then, life will be hectic for the Kids. "Our days are like this," Danny candidly says. "We wake up and do interviews. Sometimes we have a little time to ourselves, but—when you get girls knocking on your door—you lose your privacy. Sometimes you just want to be by yourself. We still try to be nice to everyone, though."

And if being nice can get you this far, there's no telling what the future holds for this great band!