Fefe Dobson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fefe Dobson
Dobson in 2011
Background information
Birth name	Felicia Lily Dobson
Born	(1985-02-28) February 28, 1985 (age 40) Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genres	Pop rock pop punk power pop
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter
Years active	2000–present
Labels	Island 21

Felicia Lily Dobson (born February 28, 1985) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She was born in Toronto, Ontario. Fefe started performing when she was a teenager.

She got an offer from Jive Records for a music contract but decided not to take it. Soon after, Dobson signed with Island/Def Jam. She released her first album, Fefe Dobson, in 2003. This album had popular songs like "Bye Bye Boyfriend" and "Don't Go (Girls and Boys)". She also received two Juno Award nominations for her work.

Dobson's second album, Sunday Love, was planned for 2005. But there were problems making it, so it wasn't released widely at first. She left her record label because she wanted to make different kinds of music. The album later became available online in 2012. She signed with Island Records again for her third album, Joy (2010). Songs from this album, like "Ghost" and "Stuttering", were also very popular in Canada.

Early life and first steps in music

Fefe Dobson was born on February 28, 1985. Her birthplace was Scarborough, a part of Toronto, Ontario. Her mother has English, Dutch, First Nations, and Irish family. Her father is from Jamaica.

Fefe went to Wexford Collegiate Institute for high school. As a child, she took singing lessons. She went to the New Conservatory of Music to make her singing better. She also graduated from Heritage Park Public School.

When Fefe was 11, she started sending her songs to music companies. She recorded these songs using a karaoke machine at home. At 13, she began to play the piano.

Before she signed a contract, Fefe felt that people expected her to be a pop singer. This was because of her background. But she really wanted to be a rock musician.

Fefe started writing her own music at age 13. A company called Jive Records wanted her to be a pop star. But she said no because she wanted to make rock music. After this, Fefe met Jay Levine and also worked with Chris Smith, who managed Nelly Furtado.

Chris Smith helped Fefe perform for many music companies. Randy Lennox, who was in charge of Universal Music Canada, liked her music. He convinced Island Def Jam CEO Lyor Cohen to fly to Toronto to see her perform. Fefe played a punk rock song for them. About 30 seconds into the song, the music executives decided to sign her.

Music career highlights

2003–2008: First albums and tours

Dobson performing live in 2004

Fefe Dobson's first album, Fefe Dobson, came out on December 9, 2003. It was released by Island Records. The album sold over 300,000 copies in the United States. It was the number one album on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums Chart.

Four songs from the album were released as singles. These were "Bye Bye Boyfriend", "Take Me Away", "Everything", and "Don't Go (Girls and Boys)". Two songs, "Everything" and "Unforgiven", were used in the movie The Perfect Score.

In 2004, Fefe promoted her first album. She performed live on Total Request Live. She also appeared in many magazines. She was the opening act for Justin Timberlake's tour in Europe. In July, her song "Don't Go (Girls and Boys)" was used in a Tommy Hilfiger advertisement. The album was later re-released with this song added. Fefe also had a new song, "If You Walk Away", on the soundtrack for Raising Helen. She also supported the Got Milk? campaign.

In April 2005, Fefe was nominated for two Juno Awards. These were Pop Album of the Year and New Artist of the Year. In the summer of 2005, she was in a public service ad. It was called "Make Poverty History" and helped raise awareness about child poverty.

In 2005, Fefe released the song "Don't Let It Go to Your Head". The next year, she released "This Is My Life". When these songs did not become popular, Island Records stopped working with her. They also canceled the main release of her second album, Sunday Love. Fefe said her true fans already had the album because it leaked online. She decided to go back to the studio and start fresh. Sunday Love was finally released online on December 18, 2012. One song from the album, "Be Strong", was on the soundtrack for the movie It's a Boy Girl Thing.

Fefe also helped write songs for other artists. She co-wrote "Start All Over" for Miley Cyrus. Fefe also sang background vocals on the song. It was released as a single and reached number 57 on the Billboard Pop 100 chart. "Don't Let It Go to Your Head" was covered by Rockett Queen and Jordin Sparks. Fefe liked Jordin Sparks' R&B version of the song. The song "As a Blonde" was covered by Selena Gomez & the Scene on their album Kiss & Tell.

2009–2012: The Joy album

On August 11, 2009, Fefe Dobson performed a special show in New York City. She also performed during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards weekend. This was at "A Concert with Fefe Dobson and Cobra Starship". She was also a judge for an MTV award for new artists in New York City. Fefe attended the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards on September 13.

On September 27, 2009, she sang her song "I Want You". This was at the end of the Canadian TV show The Next Star. The song was also used to promote the movie Whip It. She performed in Perth, Australia, on October 17, 2009.

Fefe was the main performer for a National Breast Cancer Awareness Month event. This was a benefit concert at the Hard Rock Cafe in Hollywood, CA, on October 22, 2009. She also performed for a 100-day countdown to the 2010 Winter Olympics. This was at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C., on November 4, 2009.

On February 20, 2010, Fefe performed in Toronto, Ontario. This was part of CTV's celebration of the 2010 Winter Olympics. She was one of the opening acts for The Barenaked Ladies. She also joined other Canadian artists to sing "Wavin' Flag" by K'naan. This was a charity song for Haiti, released on March 12, 2010.

Fefe continued her involvement with the Olympics. On March 12, 2010, she performed "I Want You" and "Watch Me Move". This was at the opening ceremony for the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games. She also covered "River Deep – Mountain High" for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 25th induction ceremony. This was in New York City on March 15, 2010. Fefe toured across Canada in March and April 2010. She was an opening act for Hedley's "The Show Must Go...On The Road Tour".

Joy, Fefe's third album, was released on November 22, 2010. It took almost four years to finish. Before the album, two songs, "Watch Me Move" and "I Want You", were released. Then came three popular songs: "Ghost", "Stuttering", and "Can't Breathe". Fefe performed "Stuttering" on the TV show Hellcats on November 10, 2010. She released "Can't Breathe" in March 2011. It reached number 19 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart.

She performed at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival in September 2010. That year, Fefe also helped write Selena Gomez & The Scene's song "Round & Round".

2013–present: New music and Emotion Sickness

On January 22, 2013, Fefe Dobson shared that she was working on her fourth album. It was later named Firebird. The first song from this album, "Legacy", came out on August 6, 2013. Another song, "Celebrate", was released on February 11, 2014. However, Firebird was never fully released.

In July 2013, Fefe got engaged to American rapper Yelawolf. They got married on September 27, 2019, in Nashville, Tennessee. On April 29, 2014, Fefe performed live at the Count Me In conference. This event was broadcast globally from the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts.

In early 2022, Fefe Dobson confirmed she was returning to music. She released the song "FCKN IN LOVE" on February 25, 2022. In 2023, she joined other stars to record Serena Ryder's song "What I Wouldn't Do". This song was released to help Kids Help Phone's Feel Out Loud campaign, which supports youth mental health. Fefe Dobson released her fourth album, Emotion Sickness, on September 29, 2023. The song "I Can't Love Him (And Love You Too)" was released before the album.

Musical style and inspirations

Fefe Dobson's music style

Fefe Dobson's first album, Fefe Dobson, is mostly pop-rock. It also has some punk music sounds. Some songs on the album are acoustic, meaning it's just Fefe and a guitar. Her music was different from popular music at the time, like songs by Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.

Fefe first signed with Jive Records. They wanted her to be a big pop star. But Fefe didn't want to be a pop star. She wanted to make her own kind of music, so she quickly left that record label.

For her second album, Joy, Fefe worked with producers like David Lichens and Jon Levine. She also worked with Howard Benson and Bob Ezrin. She co-wrote most of the songs on the album. She often wrote songs using her guitar. Fefe said, "I play the few chords that I know. I try to write melodies off the same chords." The album Joy was mostly alternative rock music.

Who inspired Fefe Dobson

Fefe Dobson has said that John Lennon and Judy Garland are her main musical influences. Her biggest music inspiration when she was growing up was Michael Jackson. She said, "I swore I was Michael [Jackson]. Then I found out I wasn't Michael [Jackson] and it broke my heart." She also mentioned Janet Jackson as a big influence. At the same time, she went to "every 'N Sync concert there was."

Fefe has also said she would like to work with Jack White. He is known for his bands the White Stripes and Raconteurs. She admires him because he can make rough rock music sound good on the radio.

Film and TV appearances

Music albums

• Fefe Dobson (2003)
• Joy (2010)
• Sunday Love (2012)
• Emotion Sickness (2023)

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: Fefe Dobson para niños