Singer/songwriters Dawn Richard, a founding member of the platinum-selling girl group Danity Kane, At the time,Dawn Richard was a member of the Diddy girl group Danity Kane, discovered through the MTV reality show “Making the Band 3.”
Born and raised in New Orleans, Richard grew up on music. Her father, a musician and choir director, was also a member of the RCA R&B group Chocolate Milk. “I’d sneak underneath his piano and watch him perform,” recalls Richard. She later joined her dad’s choir and also began performing with a local group called Realiti.
“Growing up, I was more into alternative music,” says Richard, whose influences range from the Cranberries and Sheryl Crow to Green Day and Melissa Etheridge. “I saw myself as the leader of a rock band with pink hair, singing the music I love.”
Attending the University of New Orleans under a full scholarship, Richard claimed her first major break when she was selected as the opening act for Anthony Hamilton in 2000. Five years later, she auditioned for “Making the Band.” All the while, she continued to hone her songwriting skills. Richard wrote several songs on Danity Kane’s 2008 platinum Bad Boy album “Welcome to the Dollhouse,” the follow-up to the group’s 2006 self-titled platinum debut.
Dawn is the creator of the new manga comic Danity Kane. She is a budding star and a creative mind.
