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New Kids on the Block’s Danny Wood, Jessie Chris talk ‘Bodyguard’ (Includes interview)

On the origin of the song “Bodyguard,” Wood said, “I know Jessie’s manager, Jeff, and he made me aware of Jessie. I was impressed with her speeches and what she does for anti-bullying. I started writing some notes down, and from there, I wrote the song and it turned into a duet and a video. The collaboration was pretty easy because Jessie is very talented and easy to work with. It was easy and fun, and maybe we will do more in the future.”

Chris added, “Danny wrote such an incredible song, and that made it even more exciting. Danny was so down-to-earth, nice and friendly, and we worked really well together. It was an amazing experience.”

Regarding her plans for the future, Chris said, “We want to see where this song goes. I’ve already been lucky to gain some New Kids on the Block fans, and they are nice and awesome. I will keep putting out new music and traveling around the country, and hopefully going to other countries.”

Wood shared that he has a busy year coming up with New Kids on the Block. “We have new music and then we go on tour with
Debbie Gibson, Tiffany, Salt-N-Pepa, and Naughty By Nature. The tour starts on May 2, and we will be playing 55 shows. Right now, I am really focused on this duet with Jessie [Chris]. We are both really proud of this song.”

On June 30, New Kids on the Block will bring their “Mixtape Tour” to Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale on Long Island. “That place is very special to us. It’s one of the arenas that was around back in the day the first time around. They have done some upgrades, but it’s always a big crowd for us and it always does well. I am excited to be going back,” Wood said.

Jessie Chris also addressed the recent passage of the Music Modernization Act. “Literally, every songwriter in Nashville was all for this, so I am very glad that it passed unanimously. It would have been ugly if it didn’t pass,” she said.

On the impact of technology on the music business, Wood said, “We had vinyl, cassettes, and CDs. With the 30th anniversary of Hangin’ Tough, people can buy all those things. With technology, songs can get to people instantly.”

For Chris, the word success is about “who you’ve helped.” “That’s how I measure success,” she said. “Success is about my family and the love that I am surrounded by my family. If my family is happy, I am happy,” he said.

Their collaboration “Bodyguard” is available on iTunes and on Spotify. “I think everybody can relate to this song, and they have somebody who is their own bodyguard. I am really excited and proud of this song. I am so thankful that Danny Wood asked me to be a part of this project,” Chris concluded.

Markos Papadatos
Written By

Markos Papadatos is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for Music News. Papadatos is a Greek-American journalist and educator that has authored over 20,000 original articles over the past 18 years. He has interviewed some of the biggest names in music, entertainment, lifestyle, magic, and sports. He is a 16-time "Best of Long Island" winner, where for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, and 2022), he was honored as the "Best Long Island Personality" in Arts & Entertainment, an honor that has gone to Billy Joel six times.

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