Conya Doss facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Conya Doss
|
|
|---|---|
Conya Doss performing at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, in February 2003
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Conya Doss |
| Born | June 13, 1972 Cleveland, Ohio, United States |
| Genres | R&B, soul, funk, neo soul, indie soul |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, record producer |
| Instruments | voice, organ |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Labels | Conyadosssongs, Dome |
| Associated acts | Dwele, Eric Roberson, Sy Smith, Rahsaan Patterson, Yahzarah |
Conya Doss is an American singer and songwriter. She was born on June 13, 1972. For over 20 years, she has been a big name in independent music. People know her as "The Queen of Indie Soul." Her music mixes R&B, soul, funk, and jazz.
Conya Doss released her first album, A Poem About Ms. Doss, in 2002. She then released Just Because in 2004 and Love Rain Down in 2006. Her album Still... came out in 2008. It featured the popular song "What I'd Do." In 2010, she released Blu Transition. Two years later, A Pocketful of Purpose was released. Her seventh album, Seven: VII, came out in 2015.
Contents
About Conya Doss
Early Life and Music
Conya Doss was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Her parents are Ronald and Carolyn Pruitt. She loved music from a very young age. She started singing when she was only five years old.
Conya listened to many different artists growing up. Some of her favorites were Stevie Wonder, Prince, and Nina Simone. She went to the Cleveland School of the Arts. There, she sang with her childhood friend, Stacy Richardson-Crawford. They were in a group called "Lyrik."
From Teacher to Singer
Before becoming a solo artist, Conya wrote songs for other groups. She worked with famous musicians like Gerald Levert. While studying chemistry in college, she also became a teacher. She teaches children with special needs in Cleveland.
Conya found a special way to connect with her students. She used music in her classroom. Her first album, A Poem About Ms. Doss, was inspired by a letter from one of her students. This shows how much her students mean to her.
Conya's Musical Journey
Starting Her Own Label (2001-2003)
In 2001, Conya Doss started her own music company. It was called Conya Doss Songs. She then began working on her first album. In 2002, she released her first songs, "Good Good" and "Coffee." These were followed by her album, A Poem About Ms. Doss. Other songs from this album included "Starship" and "You Really Hurt Me."
Conya started performing in many places. In February 2003, she even performed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. A music critic from USA Today gave her album a great review. He said her voice was "honey-voiced" and her songs were "inventive."
Releasing More Albums (2003-2007)
Conya went back to the studio in 2003. She started recording her second album. In 2004, she released the song "Missin' You." This song got people excited for her album, Just Because. It came out in November 2004.
After that, Conya began working on her third album. She took a break for two years. Then, in October 2006, she released Love Rain Down. After the album came out, Conya started touring all over the world. In 2007, she performed her song "Tell Me Why" on BET J.
Breakthrough Success (2008-2009)
In May 2008, Conya released her song "What I'd Do." This song was played on local radio stations. It also appeared on the Billboard music charts. The song even got her a nomination for "Best Underground Artist" at the BET J Virtual Awards.
In April 2008, Conya released her fourth album, Still.... Another song from the album, "It's Over," was listed as "Best R&B Indie Track" on iTunes. She also performed her songs on PBS. In 2009, Conya toured with other artists like Yahzarah and Sy Smith on the Soulsista Tour.
New Music and Inspiration (2010-Present)
In August 2010, Conya announced her fifth album, Blu Transition. She released a song called "What We Gone Do." It became "Song of the Month" on Soultracks. It was downloaded 4,000 times in one month! Her album Blu Transition came out in September 2010.
In January 2012, Conya released "Don't Change." This was the first song from her sixth album. She also released a song called "Paradise." In March 2012, she shared the music video for "Don't Change" on YouTube. Her sixth album, A Pocketful of Purpose, was released in April 2012.
On August 26, 2014, Conya released "You Got Me." This was a love song for her fans. In January 2015, she released "When We Love." She also released "Love’s Not." Conya says her seventh album, Seven: VII, is special. The number seven is her "Life Path number." She also notes that there are seven basic notes in music. This album has both fast and slow songs for her fans.
Conya's Music Style
Conya Doss has a unique style. She often wears her hair in an afro style. Her voice can sing both low notes (called alto) and very high notes (called falsetto). You can hear her alto voice in songs like "Something 2Nite" and "Starship." She shows her falsetto voice in songs like "Message" and "Good Good."
She gets her musical ideas from many artists. Some of her inspirations include Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Prince, and Lauryn Hill.
Personal Life
In 2010, Conya Doss had a son. His name is Landon Blu. She even named her fifth album, Blu Transition, after him!
Helping Others
Conya Doss cares a lot about helping people. She mentors teen girls and tutors students. She also supports causes like breast cancer awareness, HIV/AIDS awareness, and mental health awareness.
She performed at the House of Blues in Chicago to help the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. She has also worked with BET's Rap-It-UP campaign. In 2013, she joined singer Brandy Norwood and Civil Rights leader Julian Bond. They marched in Ohio to "Keep The Promise."
Conya Doss: Music Albums
- A Poem About Ms. Doss (2002)
- Just Because (2004)
- Love Rain Down (2006)
- Still... (2008)
- Blu Transition (2010)
- A Pocketful of Purpose (2012)
- Seven: VII (2015)
- Clear (2018)
- Through Rose-Colored Glasses (2021)
Conya Doss: Popular Songs
- 2002: "Coffee"
- 2002: "Good Good"
- 2003: "Starship"
- 2004: "Missin' You"
- 2006: "Tell Me Why"
- 2008: "What I'd Do" (This song reached #79 on the Billboard R&B chart!)
- 2008: "It's Over"
- 2010: "What We Gone Do"
- 2012: "Don't Change" (This song reached #72 on the Billboard R&B chart!)
- 2014: "You Got Me"
- 2015: "When We Love"
- 2021: "Long Haul"
Conya Doss: Tours
- 2003: Conya Doss Tour
- 2007: Love Rain Down Tour
- 2008: Still... Tour
- 2009: Soulsista Tour (with Sy Smith, Yahzarah, and Maya Azucena)
- 2011: Blu Transition Tour
Conya Doss: Awards
Conya Doss has won several awards for her music.
- In 2007, she won "Best Female Vocalist" at the Ohio Hip Hop Awards.
- In 2008, she won "Female Vocalist of the Year" at the Soultracks Readers' Choice Award for her album "Still."
- She was also nominated for "Female Vocalist of the Year" at the Centric/BET J Virtual Awards in 2008.
