Melody Thornton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Melody Thornton
Thornton performing in 2009
Background information
Born	(1984-09-28) September 28, 1984 (age 40) Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Origin	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Dance-pop hip hop pop R&B soul
Occupation(s)	Singer television personality
Years active	2003–present
Labels	Interscope

Melody Thornton (born September 28, 1984) is an American singer and television star. She first became famous as a member of the popular girl group the Pussycat Dolls. With the group, she released hit albums like PCD (2005) and Doll Domination (2008). The Pussycat Dolls became one of the best-selling girl groups in the world.

After leaving the group in 2010, Melody started her solo career. She released her own music, including a mixtape called P.O.Y.B.L (2012) and an EP titled Lioness Eyes (2020). She has also appeared on many reality TV shows. She competed on Dancing on Ice and won the fourth season of The Masked Singer Australia. Melody has also acted on stage, playing the main character in the musical The Bodyguard.

Early Life and First Steps in Music

Melody Thornton was born in Phoenix, Arizona, on September 28, 1984. Her family has Mexican and African-American roots. She attended Camelback High School.

Her love for singing started early. When she was just six years old, she sang the song "This Little Light of Mine" at a school event. After that, she often performed in local talent shows in Arizona. After high school, she studied music engineering in college for a short time before deciding to follow her dream of becoming a professional singer.

Career

2003–2010: The Pussycat Dolls

When she was 19, Melody auditioned for the Pussycat Dolls in Burbank, California. The group's founder, Robin Antin, was working with Interscope Geffen A&M Records to turn the Pussycat Dolls into a pop group. Melody was chosen for her strong singing voice. She joined Nicole Scherzinger, Carmit Bachar, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta, and Kimberly Wyatt.

As a member of the group, Melody was one of the main vocalists along with Nicole Scherzinger. She was the youngest member of the group. The Pussycat Dolls released their first single, "Don't Cha", which became a huge hit. It reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S. and was number one in 15 other countries.

Their first album, PCD, came out in 2005 and was very successful. It included other hit songs like "Stickwitu" and "Buttons". The album sold millions of copies around the world and made the Pussycat Dolls famous.

The group's second album, Doll Domination, was released in 2008. It had popular singles like "When I Grow Up" and "I Hate This Part". In 2009, the group went on a big concert tour across Europe, Asia, and Oceania. However, after the tour, the members decided to take a break. In 2010, Melody confirmed that she had left the group to work on her own music.

2011–present: Solo Career and Television

After leaving the Pussycat Dolls, Melody began working as an independent artist. In 2011, she appeared on a British TV show called Popstar to Operastar, where pop singers learn to sing opera. The next year, she released a free collection of songs online called a mixtape. It was titled P.O.Y.B.L.

In 2017, Melody returned to British television, appearing on the reality shows Celebs Go Dating and Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls. She also took on a major acting role, playing Rachel Marron in the musical The Bodyguard. The show toured in China for several months.

In 2019, she competed on the skating show Dancing on Ice, where she finished in fifth place. Later that year, she starred as Cinderella in a theater production. In 2020, she released her first official EP, Lioness Eyes. An EP is like a short album with just a few songs.

Her television success continued in 2022 when she won the fourth season of The Masked Singer Australia as the character "Mirrorball". In 2023, she returned to her role as Rachel Marron for the UK and Ireland tour of The Bodyguard. In 2024, she also appeared on the British version of The Masked Singer UK as "Maypole".

Musical Style

Melody was inspired by legendary singers her father listened to, like B. B. King and Aretha Franklin. She has also said that Mariah Carey was a major inspiration for her singing. Her powerful vocal style has often been compared to singer Christina Aguilera, who Melody says inspired her to follow her dreams.

Discography

Extended Plays

Mixtapes

Film and Television

Film

Television

Stage Roles

Awards and Nominations

As part of the Pussycat Dolls, Melody Thornton was nominated for a major music award.

See also

In Spanish: Melody Thornton para niños