Dionne Farris facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dionne Farris
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Farris at the 2013 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, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Labels | Columbia Free and Clear Records |
Dionne Farris (born December 4, 1969) is an American singer and songwriter. She was born and grew up in New Jersey. Dionne started singing in elementary school. As a teenager, she entered talent competitions.
In the early 1990s, she sang on the hit song "Tennessee" (1992). This song was by the hip hop group Arrested Development.
Dionne Farris became very successful with her first album, Wild Seed – Wild Flower (1994). It was released by Columbia Records. The album included the popular song "I Know" (1995). This song reached the top ten in the U.S. Its music video won an award for Best Pop/Rock New Artist Clip of the Year. Dionne was also nominated for a Grammy Award in 1996.
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Early Life and Musical Start
Dionne Farris was born in Plainfield, New Jersey. Her parents, Larraine and Richard Farris, both loved music. They named her after their favorite singer, Dionne Warwick. Dionne grew up in Bordentown, New Jersey with her mother. Her mother's family introduced her to many musical artists.
Dionne loved Diana Ross when she was a child. One special memory was seeing Diana Ross in concert at age eight. Her uncle lifted her onto the stage, and Diana Ross gave her a kiss!
Dionne started dance lessons at age three. She learned ballet, jazz, and tap for 10 years. At 13, she decided to focus on singing instead. She sang in her high school choir.
After high school in 1987, Dionne studied photography at college. She also entered a beauty pageant and won "Miss Hemisphere's Adult Talent" in 1987. She sang Whitney Houston's "Saving All My Love for You".
Later, Dionne joined a band called 2.0, which became Breaking Ground. They performed in clubs in New York City. Dionne then moved to Atlanta, where her father lived. There, she met producer Jermaine Dupri. She began writing songs for groups like TLC and singing backup for others. She signed a contract as a solo artist. She also joined a girl group called Onyx for a short time.
Music Career Highlights
Singing with Arrested Development
Dionne Farris and the group Arrested Development had the same management. The group needed a female singer for their album 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of.... Dionne agreed to sing with them, even though she wasn't an official member.
She sang on three songs: "Fishin' 4 Religion," "Give a Man a Fish," and "Tennessee." Dionne performed "Tennessee" with the group on TV shows and went on their first national tour. "Tennessee" became a huge hit in 1992.
After the song's success, Dionne started getting a lot of attention. She was offered a record deal. However, she wanted to have more control over her music. She also had disagreements with the group's leader. Dionne and Arrested Development went their separate ways in September 1992.
Success with Wild Seed – Wild Flower
After leaving Arrested Development, Dionne started working with Milton Davis and David Harris. They created a demo tape. This tape was sent to Sony Music and eventually led to Dionne signing with Columbia Records.
Her first album, Wild Seed – Wild Flower, came out in 1994. It featured the hit single "I Know" in 1995. This song became very popular, reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was also nominated for a Grammy Award in 1996. The album Wild Seed – Wild Flower reached No. 57 on the Billboard 200 chart. "I Know" was the most played song on mainstream radio for 10 weeks in 1995.
In April 1995, Dionne Farris was a musical guest on Saturday Night Live. She performed "I Know" and a special acoustic version of The Beatles' song "Blackbird."
Songs for Movies
Dionne Farris has also contributed songs to several movie soundtracks.
- In 1995, her song "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free" was in the documentary The Promised Land. It was also the opening song for the movie Ghosts of Mississippi.
- For the movie The Truth About Cats & Dogs, she sang a version of Stevie Wonder's "For Once in My Life."
- She sang "Heartbreak Road" by Bill Withers for the movie The First Wives Club.
- Her song "Hopeless" was featured on the Love Jones soundtrack in 1997.
Later Albums and Independent Music
Dionne Farris recorded a second album called For Truth If Not Love. However, she had disagreements with her record label, Columbia Records. The label decided not to release the album. After a contract dispute, Dionne left the label. The album was finally released many years later in 2007 on iTunes.
Since then, Dionne Farris has released music independently.
- Her album Signs of Life came out in 2011. It was named one of the top soul albums of that year.
- She also released a mixtape called Lady Dy, the Mixtape Pt 1 in 2011.
- In 2012, she released a live jazz album titled Dionne Get Your Gunn: Featuring the Russell Gunn Quartet with Dionne Farris. She used PledgeMusic to get support from fans for this album. These albums were released on her own record label, Free & Clear Records.
Personal Life
Dionne Farris has a daughter named Baby Tate, who is also a rapper. Her daughter's father is David Ryan Harris.
Discography
Albums
- Wild Seed – Wild Flower (1994), Columbia
- For Truth If Not Love (2007), Music World
- Signs of Life (2011), Free & Clear Records
- Dionne Get Your Gunn (2013), Free & Clear Records
- DionneDionne (2014), Free & Clear Records
Mixtapes
- Lady Dy, The Mixtape pt. 1 (2011), Free & Clear Records
Singles
- "I Know" (1995), Sony
- "Don't Ever Touch Me Again" (1995), Sony
- "Passion" (1996), Sony
- "Food for Thought" (1996), Sony [promo]
- "For Once in My Life" (1996), The Truth About Cats & Dogs (movie soundtrack)
- "Hopeless" (1997), Sony
Soundtracks
- The Promised Land (1994), Columbia
- The Truth About Cats & Dogs (1996), A&M
- First Wives Club (1996), Work Group
- Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), Sony
- Love Jones (1997), Sony
See also
In Spanish: Dionne Farris para niños
