Dionne Farris
| Dionne Farris | |
|---|---|
Black Women Rock Concert
|
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | The Original Soul Rocker, Lady DY |
| Born |
December 4, 1969 Plainfield, New Jersey |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Labels |
Columbia SME Records Free and Clear Records |
| Associated acts | |
| Website | dionnefarris |
Dionne Yvette Farris (born December 4, 1969) is an American, singer, songwriter, producer and actress. Born and raised in New Jersey, she began singing in elementary school and competed in pageants as a teenager. In the early 1990s, she performed as the vocalist on hip hop group Arrested Development (1992) hit single “Tennessee”.
Farris rose to fame with the release of her debut album, Wild Seed - Wild Flower (1994) on Columbia Records. The album featured the Top 40 single, "I Know" (1995). That same year, the video earned Farris the Billboard Music Video Awards Best Pop/Rock New Artist Clip of the Year. She was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (1996).
Farris was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, United States, the daughter of Larraine (Wall) and Richard Farris, both of who had musical talents and aspirations, and named Dionne for their favorite singer, Dionne Warwick. Farris was raised in Bordentown, New Jersey by her single mother, whose side of the family introduced her to the musical acts that shaped and influenced her as an artist. Farris was a huge Diana Ross fan as a child — one of Farris’ fondest memories was attending a Ross concert in Manhattan at the age of eight, being lifted by her uncle onstage, and getting kissed by the superstar.
Farris began taking dance lessons at the age of three at Irene Parker Dance Studio, Hamilton Township, New Jersey. She danced ballet, jazz, tap, and toe for ten years, opting at thirteen to sing instead. Aside from singing in church, Farris was first exposed to music performance as a third-grader at Peter Muschal Elementary School (Bordentown, New Jersey), when she was selected as one of two students to join a regional children’s choir being created. In middle school, Farris was part of the New Jersey Singers’ Choir under the direction of Gary Farquhar, where they performed classical works, (Carmina Burana), Broadway (Cats (musical)), and choral music. Her first solo performance out side of school was at the age of twelve, when she sang an a cappella rendition of “Good Morning Heartache” by Billie Holiday after watching the movie Lady Sings the Blues and getting Holiday's records from the public library. She sang in her high school’s choir and starred in the then controversial lead role of the high school’s production of Annie, in her senior year. The drama teacher stated that some in the community were not happy that Farris had the role, because she was black.
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