American singer (born 1965)
Dawn Robinson
|
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Robinson performing with En Vogue in 2009
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Born
| Dawn Sherrese Robinson
(
1966-11-24
)
November 24, 1966
(age 57)
|
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Education
| San Leandro High School
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Occupations
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Years active
| 1989?present
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Spouse
|
[1]
[2]
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Musical career
|
Origin
| Oakland, California
, U.S
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Genres
| |
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Instrument(s)
| Vocals
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Labels
| |
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Formerly of
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Musical artist
|
Dawn Sherrese Robinson
(born November 24, 1966)
[3]
[4]
is an American singer and actress best known as a founding member of the R&B/pop group
En Vogue
, one of the world's
best-selling girl groups
of all time.
[5]
Following her departure from En Vogue, Robinson joined
Lucy Pearl
and released their self-titled debut album
Lucy Pearl
in 2000, which went platinum worldwide and produced the successful singles "
Dance Tonight
" and "
Don't Mess with My Man
".
In 2002, Robinson released her first solo album
Dawn
, which produced the single "
Envious
". In 2005, Robinson rejoined En Vogue for a tour, but departed from the group before they could record another album. In 2009, Robinson briefly returned to En Vogue again for their
20th Anniversary Tour
. In 2010, she left En Vogue once again due to poor management and compensation of work. In 2013, she joined the cast of
R&B Divas: Los Angeles
for the first season of the series. Throughout her career, Robinson has sold a combined total of over 11 million records as a member of En Vogue, Lucy Pearl and a solo artist. Her work with En Vogue has earned her several awards and nominations, including two
American Music Awards
, a
Billboard Music Award
, seven
MTV Video Music Awards
, four
Soul Train Music Awards
and eight
Grammy
nominations.
[6]
Early life and education
[
edit
]
Born on November 24, 1966 (some sources cite her birth year as 1968)
[7]
[8]
in
New London, Connecticut
, Robinson was the oldest of three children born to John W. Robinson (1943?2014)
[9]
and Barbara Alexander.
[
citation needed
]
During her childhood, Robinson sang in the choir at AME Zion Church in Connecticut. Shortly thereafter, Robinson began recording music in the studio, traveling from New London to
Massachusetts
. During a
Stephanie Mills
concert, Robinson's mother was able to get the band to listen to a tape of Robinson. The band advised Robinson's mother to send her to California.
[
citation needed
]
In 1980, Robinson then-aged 13, relocated to California, where she lived with an older cousin. Robinson's mother and sister later joined her in California, settling in the city of
Oakland
in 1981. For high school, Robinson first attended
Oakland High School
and later graduated from
San Leandro High School
in 1984.
[10]
She later attended the Institute of Cosmetology in Oakland.
Career
[
edit
]
1989?1997: En Vogue
[
edit
]
In July 1989, Robinson auditioned for a female group. Robinson was one of four women selected to become part of the group which became
En Vogue
. The four began recording their debut album in August 1989 and completed in December of the same year.
[11]
In 1990, En Vogue released their first single "
Hold On
", which became a number-one single. Later that year, the group released their debut album
Born to Sing
, which went platinum. The group released their next multi-platinum album,
Funky Divas
in 1992. Robinson sang lead vocals on the album's top-charting singles which included "
My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)
", "
Giving Him Something He Can Feel
", and "
Free Your Mind
", which remains one of their signature songs. "Free Your Mind" won two
MTV
Video Music Awards, for "Best R&B Video" and "Best Dance Video". En Vogue released an EP in September 1993, titled
Runaway Love
. The extended play featured Robinson's lead vocals on the number-one hit "
Whatta Man
", which featured
Salt-n-Pepa
. The song also appeared on Salt-N-Pepa's
Very Necessary
album.
[12]
In 1996, En Vogue recorded "
Don't Let Go (Love)
" with Robinson singing lead vocals. The song featured on the soundtrack to the motion picture
Set It Off
. Released in the autumn, it became the group's biggest hit to date going number one worldwide. It also sold millions of copies and became certified platinum by the
RIAA
.
[
citation needed
]
Inadvertently, it would also be the last En Vogue single to feature Robinson. One of Robinson's last performances with the group came in October of that year, when the group sang the last
national anthem
rendition in the history of
Atlanta?Fulton County Stadium
in Atlanta, which came in game five of the
1996 World Series
. In response to the large commercial success of "Don't Let Go (Love)", the group steadfastly went to work on its third album. In March 1997, as the album was nearing completion, Robinson chose to leave the group and sign with
Dr. Dre
's label
Aftermath
after difficult contractual negotiations reached a stalemate.
[13]
[14]
Despite Robinson's abrupt departure, En Vogue resolved to continue as a trio. Later that year, Robinson contributed to
The Firm
on their song "
Firm Biz
" which sampled
Teena Marie
's single "
Square Biz
".
1999?2000: Lucy Pearl
[
edit
]
In 1999, Robinson appeared in and recorded the
jazz
classic "
Drop Me Off in Harlem
" for the movie
Life
. Later the same year, Robinson joined
Lucy Pearl
. The group released their self-titled debut album
Lucy Pearl
in May 2000 on
EMI Records
, which sold over a million copies worldwide.
[15]
[16]
The album's lead single "
Dance Tonight
" charted at number five on the R&B singles chart as well as at number 35 on the
Billboard Hot 100
. Following the release of their album, Lucy Pearl toured in the United States and internationally making several television appearances on shows that including
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
,
The Chris Rock Show
and
Later with Jools Holland
.
[17]
In October 2000, Lucy Pearl released the second single "
Don't Mess with My Man
", which became the group's most successful single in the UK, peaking at number 20 in the UK Singles Chart. It also garnered success in France where it peaked at number 14. In the United States, the song was just as successful as their debut single "
Dance Tonight
", peaking at number 35 on the
Billboard Hot 100
. Shortly after the release of their second single, Robinson left the group due to the lack of fair compensation within the group. After unsuccessfully trying to negotiate a fair agreement with her bandmate
Raphael Saadiq
, Robinson quit the group and was replaced by
Joi
. However, Lucy Pearl disbanded in 2001 and did not release a second album.
2002?2006:
Dawn
and return to En Vogue
[
edit
]
In 2002, after leaving
Aftermath
, Robinson released a solo album titled
Dawn
, on "Q Records" a division of
QVC
and
Atlantic Records
in January 2002. Robinson also went on several national telecasts promoting the single. In 2005, after an eight-year absence, Robinson reunited En Vogue. With Robinson part of En Vogue (completing the original line-up), they went on to sign with one of the industry's largest management firms, The Firm Management Group. In September 2005, they joined
Salt N Pepa
for the girl groups' first-ever joint public performance of their 1994 hit, "
Whatta Man
" at
VH-1
's Hip Hop Honors
. They also earned another
Grammy
nomination for the single "
So What the Fuss
", which featured
Stevie Wonder
and
Prince
(on guitar). The group also appeared in the single's music video. After failing to agree on business terms, Robinson again chose to leave En Vogue and was replaced by
Rhona Bennett
. As a result, En Vogue was let go from The Firm.
2008?2011: Solo career and final return to En Vogue
[
edit
]
In April 2008, Robinson started touring and doing private events, performing songs she recorded with En Vogue and Lucy Pearl. Later that year, Robinson reunited with En Vogue and performed at the 2008
BET Awards
along with
Alicia Keys
,
SWV
, and
TLC
. In 2009, Robinson joined En Vogue for their "20th Anniversary Tour". In 2010, all four members appeared on the cover of
Jet
magazine to promote their reunion tour. Following their reunion tour, Robinson decided not to record on the new En Vogue album due in the fall of 2011 after failing to reach an agreement. On September 26, 2011, Ellis, Jones & Herron without Robinson, debuted their new single "I'll Cry Later" from their forthcoming album that was planned for a December release. Negotiations for the album release resulted in Robinson leaving En Vogue which was discussed with Jones on
Access Hollywood
nearly a year later on October 17, 2012.
[18]
Robinson and Jones talked about the contract issues and poor management of En Vogue.
2012: Heirs to the Throne
[
edit
]
In October 2012, Dawn and
Maxine Jones
appeared on
Access Hollywood
to announce they are forming a new girl group named Heirs to the Throne. The duo launched their website, Twitter, and Facebook for the new group. They also performed at several venues. The following year, Robinson and Jones parted ways and Jones went on to form her own group called "En Vogue to the Max". It was later announced that the former group mates
Cindy Herron
and
Terry Ellis
sued
Maxine Jones
for use of the En Vogue name and demanding $1 million for damages. However, Ellis and Herron could not demonstrate harm done to the company from Jones' use of the name. Robinson participated as a witness in the trial but ultimately stated that she was not directly involved in the dispute as she had surrendered her rights to use the name herself when she departed from the LLC years earlier.
2013?2018:
R&B Divas
and solo career
[
edit
]
In 2013, Robinson joined the cast of
R&B Divas: Los Angeles
. The series premiered on
TV One
on July 10, 2013.
[19]
The series chronicles the lives of
R&B
singers Robinson,
Lil Mo
,
Chante Moore
,
Kelly Price
,
Claudette Ortiz
, and
Michel'le
as they balance their music careers and personal lives.
[20]
It is a spinoff to
R&B Divas: Atlanta
. Throughout the series, Robinson introduced us to her celebrity boyfriend Christopher Nils Connolly. The reunion, which Robinson did not participate in, was filmed on August 6, 2013, with
Wendy Williams
as the host.
[21]
Robinson turned down her option and will not be appearing in the second season of the show.
Bravo
have apparently shown interest in Robinson and Connolly doing their own reality show. Robinson was to begin touring with selected cast members from both
R&B Divas LA
and
Atlanta
within the United States. In November 2014, on TMZ Live, Robinson threatened to sue
Lifetime
if it did not change its marketing which falsely claimed the four original members were involved in
An En Vogue Christmas
, a movie only consisting of two original En Vogue members (
Cindy Herron
and
Terry Ellis
) and
Rhona Bennett
. In 2017, Robinson told Hollywood correspondent Noreen Lanie she is working on a new album; however, a release date has not been confirmed.
[22]
2019?present: The Funky Divas
[
edit
]
In October 2019, Robinson reunited with En Vogue for an on-stage performance to salute music industry executive
Sylvia Rhone
at the
City of Hope Gala 2019
. This marked the first time all five members performed together.
[23]
In late 2019, Robinson and Maxine Jones began touring under the group name The Funky Divas.
Artistry
[
edit
]
Voice and vocal range
[
edit
]
Robinson's vocal range spans two octaves and five notes. She is a dynamic
lyric soprano
. As a member of En Vogue, Robinson was often credited for harmonizing the highest parts of their songs. Her lowest note was recorded on the song "
Don't Let Go (Love)
" wherein she sang an E3. Her highest note was recorded on "Part of Me" from their
Born to Sing
album, whereas she sang a C
♯
6
note in harmony. Robinson alternated first soprano with
Cindy Herron
in most of their harmonizing except on
Born to Sing
when
Terry Ellis
sang almost all of the higher notes in their harmony including "
Hold On
". Dawn was known as the singer with the rock voice in the group, with a raspy, smooth-as-glass sound. Although she is credited with pitch-perfect accuracy by the group members. However, her sound is noticeably missed after her departure and is distinguishably unique from the other three original singers given her commanding chest-range. She also sang lead vocals on their biggest hits including: "
Whatta Man
", "
Don't Let Go (Love)
", "
Giving Him Something He Can Feel
", and the lead verse vocals on their signature song "
My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)
".
Personal life
[
edit
]
Robinson has been married once and has no children. Robinson was married to
Andre "Dre" Allen
from May 24, 2003, until 2010.
[2]
[1]
In 2012, Robinson discussed her relationship with former international soccer player, U.K. fashion icon and
BMG
recording artist Christopher Nils Connolly. Robinson stated on her reality show
R&B Divas LA
that she was looking forward to starting a family with Connolly.
[
when?
]
[
citation needed
]
During an interview with Fubar Radio in July 2017, Robinson stated that they were no longer together.
[
citation needed
]
Discography
[
edit
]
- Studio albums
- Collaboration albums
- Extended Play (EP)
Filmography
[
edit
]
Films
[
edit
]
Television
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
Inc, Nielsen Business Media (November 1, 2003).
"Billboard"
. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. – via Google Books.
- ^
a
b
"Jet"
. Johnson Publishing Company. April 11, 2009 – via Google Books.
- ^
"Don't think I can make it. By Denzil Foster, Thomas McElroy, Will Townsend, Pharoah Davis, Warren Robinson & Andre Zachary part 2"
.
Faqs.org
. Archived from
the original
on June 29, 2011
. Retrieved
November 28,
2010
.
- ^
Whitburn, Joel (April 11, 2006).
The Billboard Book of Top 40 R & B and Hip-hop Hits
. Billboard.
ISBN
978-0-8230-8283-4
– via Google Books.
- ^
Business Wire (February 12, 2009).
"Grammy® Nominated R&B Group En Vogue Closes Out Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit"
.
Business Wire
. Orlando, Florida, United States
. Retrieved
December 13,
2013
.
- ^
"Dawn Robinson"
.
GRAMMY.com
. May 14, 2017
. Retrieved
January 23,
2018
.
- ^
Hochman, Steve (April 11, 1999).
Popular Musicians: The Doobie Brothers-Paul McCartney
. Salem Press.
ISBN
978-0-89356-988-4
– via Google Books.
- ^
Larkin, Colin (May 27, 2011).
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
. Omnibus Press.
ISBN
978-0-85712-595-8
– via Google Books.
- ^
Robinson, Dawn.
"IDad I hate that your gone but at least your final resting place is peaceful #SerenityInTheMiddleOfLA"
.
Instagram.com
. Archived from
the original
on December 24, 2021
. Retrieved
May 26,
2021
.
- ^
Classmates.com, San Leandro High School (San Leandro, California), 1984 Yearbook
- ^
"Don't think I can make it. By Denzil Foster, Thomas McElroy, Will Townsend, Pharoah Davis, Warren Robinson & Andre Zachary part 2 ? song, music ? Copyright Info"
.
Faqs.org
. Archived from
the original
on June 29, 2011
. Retrieved
May 11,
2012
.
- ^
Group, Vibe Media (April 11, 1994).
"Vibe"
. Vibe Media Group – via Google Books.
- ^
Group, Vibe Media (May 11, 1999).
"Vibe"
. Vibe Media Group – via Google Books.
- ^
Inc, Nielsen Business Media (September 22, 2001).
"Billboard"
. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. – via Google Books.
- ^
"Lucy Pearl: Lucy Pearl: Music"
.
Amazon.com
. Retrieved
February 29,
2012
.
- ^
"Lucy Pearl: LUCY PEARL: Music"
.
Amazon.com
. Retrieved
February 29,
2012
.
- ^
Lucy Pearl "Don't Mess with My Man" Live (Video)
. YouTube. Retrieved on March 20, 2014
- ^
Maxine Jones & Dawn Robinson discuss groups fallout. (Video)
. YouTube. Retrieved in March 20, 2014.
- ^
"TV One Announces Network's First-Ever VOD Premiere ? "R&B Divas LA" World Premiere Set for Sunday, July 7 on VOD"
.
The Futon Critic
. June 10, 2013
. Retrieved
June 17,
2013
.
- ^
"TV One Renews Hit Series "R&B Divas" and Announces New Los Angeles Franchise"
.
The Futon Critic
. January 22, 2013
. Retrieved
June 17,
2013
.
- ^
"Wendy Williams Tapped to Host Reunion Special for TV One's "R&B Divas LA"
"
.
The Futon Critic
. August 5, 2013.
- ^
"Dawn Robinson of En Vogue shares her beauty tips"
.
YouTube
. August 24, 2017.
Archived
from the original on December 12, 2021
. Retrieved
January 3,
2019
.
- ^
"En Vogue Reunite With ALL Members"
.
Thatgrapejuice.net
. Retrieved
October 11,
2019
.
External links
[
edit
]
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Studio albums
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Compilation albums
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Extended plays
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Singles
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Featured singles
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Concert tours
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Related articles
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International
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National
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Artists
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Other
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