Donald Edmond Wahlberg Jr. is an American singer, actor, and producer popularly known by the name Donnie Wahlberg.
Even though Donnie was born into a family with a poor background, he gained success through his career in the entertainment industry.
The problems and poverty he faced in his childhood made him work hard to be successful in what he chose as his career.
Donnie is now known as one of America’s multi-talented stars who sings and acts along with the producing business. Donnie is one of the founding members of the bank New Kid on the Block.
Keep on reading to know more about America’s multi-talented star, Donnie Wahlberg.
Donnie Wahlberg – Early Life
Donnie Wahlberg was born in Boston’s Dorchester district on August 17, 1969. He was born as the eighth child of nine children in his family. His father, Donald Edmond Wahlberg was a union employee who worked as a delivery driver and his mother was a bank clerk and nurse’s aide.
His parents got divorced in 1982 when he was 12 years old. After the separation of his parents, the family struggled to survive the everyday needs.
Donnie Wahlberg – Education
He went to Roxbury’s William Monroe Trotter School. He had to travel for more than 30 minutes to get to the school. He became interested in rap music during this prolonged journey to school. Danny Wood and he were close friends when he was studying at Roxbury.
He started creating rap lyrics with Danny. Donnie and his brother Mark began residing with their mother following their parents’ divorce. He began attending Copley High School.
They started a rap group Kool-Aid Bunch while studying there. He began participating in various school programs while attending Copley High School, where he also began acting, singing, writing, and directing.
When he was 15 years old, he joined the teen singing group NYNUK.
Donnie Wahlberg – Musical Career
Maurice Starr, a music producer, held an audition for Donnie in 1984. His singing, acting, dancing, and rapping skills astounded Maurice. Under Maurice’s supervision, Donnie formed the New Kids on the Block. The group’s self-titled debut album was a commercial flop. They followed that up with the hugely successful Hangin Tough album two years later.
The band parted ways with Maurice Starr in 1993. In 1994, they independently released the album Face the Music. The album had positive reviews all over but commercially, it did not succeed well. After this commercial flop, the group disbanded in the same year.
The band New Kid on the Block got back together in 2008 and put out the album The Block. The song was a huge hit and thus the bank embarked on a global tour to support the album.
The band’s debut EP, Thankful was released in 2017 and got favorable reviews. They announced their MixTape Tour in October 2018 and worked with celebrities including Salt-N-Pepa, Debbie Gibson, Tiffany, and Naughty By Nature. The journey began in May 2019.
Donnie Wahlberg – Best Songs
Apart from the songs that Donnie contributed along with the New Kids on the Block group, he released a solo song titled The Right Combination in 1990. It was a duet with Japanese singer Seiko Matsuda.
Here are a few New Kids on the Block albums released since its beginning.
- New Kids on the Block (1986)
- Hangin’ Tough (1988)
- Face the Music (1994)
- The Block (2008)
- 10 (2013)
- Thankful (2017)
Donnie Wahlberg – Acting Career
Donnie began his acting career after the disbanding of New Kids on the Block disbanded. He was cast in supporting roles in 1996 and 1997 in movies such as Bullet, Ransom, and Black Circle Boys.
He received a leading role in 1998 in the movie Southie. When Donnie made an appearance in the movie Sixth Sense in 1999, Donnie got his big break. The critics applauded his performance, and this movie was a big success.
He gave a phenomenal performance in the television series Band of Brothers in 2001. Later, he performed in both the film Dream Catcher and the drama series Boom Town in 2002. He had appeared in movies including the Saw series in 2005. He performed in the boxing drama movie Annapolis and the drama series Runaway in 2006.
He started appearing in the CBS police drama Blue Bloods in 2010. Together with his brothers Mark and Paul, he launched the reality show Wahlbergs in 2014, focusing on the bond between brothers and sisters.
Donnie participated in The Masked Singer’s fifth season in 2021 as Cluedle-Doo, the rooster that provides fans with insider information. Donnie was revealed after singing Return of the Mack by Mark Morrison in the semifinals.
Donnie Wahlberg – Best Movies and Television Series
As we mentioned before, Donnie has done several different roles in various movies and series since 1996.
A few of Donnie’s movie is listed below:
- Bullet (1996)
- Southie (1998)
- The Sixth Sense (1999)
- Bullfighter (2000)
- Triggermen (2002)
- Cream Catcher (2003)
- Annapolis (2006)
- Dead Silence (2007)
- What Doesn’t Kill You (2008)
- Zookeeper (2011)
Here are a few of Donnie’s major television series.
- Purgatory (1999)
- The Practise (2000)
- Boomtown (2002-2003)
- Runaway (2006-2008)
- Kings of South Beach (2007)
- Blue Bloods (2010- present)
- Donnie Loves Jenny (2015-2016)
- Return of the Mac (2017)
The HLN’s show Very Scary People is now hosted by Donnie since 2019.
Donnie Wahlberg – Personal Life
Donnie married Kim Key in 199, and the couple split in 2008 after nine years of marriage. Elijah and Xavier are their two children.
He Married Jenny McCarthy, a television celebrity, in Illinois in 2014.
Donnie is the elder brother of the actor, singer, and producer Mark Wahlberg. Paul, his oldest brother, is the executive chef of a Wahlberg’s restaurant in Boston. The restaurant is co-owned by Paul, Mark, and Donnie.
Must Read:- Pamela Anderson’s Memoir “Love, Pamela” Reveals Her Love Stories
Donnie Wahlberg – A Philanthropist
Donnie supports the Boys and Girls Club of America which aids underprivileged children and teens. He also supports the group Habitat for Humanity, which constructs houses for those who are homeless all around the world.
He is affiliated with the non-profit organization KaBoom, which is committed to making fantastic play areas for kids. He is a member of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, which promotes initiatives like cancer research, the arts, education, and cardiovascular research.
Donnie Wahlberg – Net Worth
The 54-year-old singer, actor, and producer in America, Donnie Wahlberg is supposed to have an estimated net worth of $25 million as of 2023. He made this wealth through his singing and acting skills.
Apart from all these, he made money through some businesses also. So we can say that the major source of his income is his involvement in the entertainment industry.
Read More:- Rep. Jamie Raskin’s Battle With Cancer & The Republican Response
