New Kids on the Block was one of the biggest boy bands of the 1980s and 90s. They dominated the charts, and spawned dozens of copycats in the process. The core lineup consisted of Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, Jonathan Knight and Danny Woods. A member who was present for three years, however, but is rarely discussed, is Mark Wahlberg.
Donnie's little brother was brought into the fold as a singer in 1984. He was poised to become a household name alongside the other members, but Wahlberg didn't like the vibe. He left New Kids on the Block after only three months. Donnie explained the reasoning behind this in the band's memoir, Five Brothers and a Million Sisters.
Mark Wahlberg departed NKOTB in 1984
Donnie claimed that him and Mark moved to a new neighborhood once they joined the band, but the latter made new friends upon doing so, and began running in rougher circles. "Mark had new friends in Savin Hill," Donnie recalled. "So he didn't want to be in the studio with me. He wanted to go out and steal cars with his friends."
Mark was averse to making boy band music, and began pursuing a career in hip hop by the end of the decade. He eventually formed the group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch in 1990, and scored a big hit with the single "Good Vibrations." It would peak at number ten on Billboard Hot 100, but it'd also be the group's only notable release. The Funky Bunch broke up in 1993 and Wahlberg attempted another avenue of musical exploration with the rap/reggae collab album Life In the Streets. It didn't do much.
He reunited with the band in 2015
Mark Wahlberg eventually found success as an underwear model and an Oscar-nominated actor. Today, he's one of the most consistent movie stars on the planet. He never reunited with New Kids on the Block on record, but he did appear alongside the band during a 2015 concert at Madison Square Garden. He admitted that he struggled with the New Kids on the Block association in his youth, but now appreciates what his brother and the other members have done.
"I've worked a long time to kind of get away from that," Wahlberg told E! News. "But to be able go back and share that with them and be supportive of them was nice." Wahlberg also liked his time on stage to taking a trip down "memory lane."