Glam Squad + 20 Questions for Doll

Celebrity Stylist Saint of Saintes World Fashion is heading up my glam squad and I am excited.  Saint is high energy, detail-oriented, and of course fabulous with fashion.  He will be overseeing my looks at photo shoots, red carpet events, music videos, and more.  Early next year (just a month away – can you believe it!), I will post pics to let you see some of the looks Saint puts together for me . . .

Ok, let’s play 20 Questions. Well, not really 20.

I get asked the same questions over and over again, so I will try to answer a few FAQs here:

1. “Is Doll your real name?”

Yes, Doll is a shortened version of my birth name (Dolyta, that's "dah-LEE-ta", which if it were Spanish would mean "little Dolly").  I was named after my mother, whose name is Dolly.  People started calling me Dolly Jr., then just Doly (yes, one L), then Doll. The name stuck.

2. “Where are you from/what are you mixed with?”

Pretty frequently, people ask me if I am “mixed”, or if my parents are from another country. I don’t know if it’s when I wear certain hairstyles or what, but I have heard it all: when I performed in South America the people there asked if my parents were Latino or if I was Venezuelan.  I have been asked frequently if I am of Asian descent.  And, when I visited South Africa, people from wide-ranging parts of Africa (from Ethiopia to Zimbabwe) asked me if I was from Senegal or Somalia. How flattering, since some of the most beautiful people in the world come from these places.  (Don't worry if you don't see it . . . I don't either!) But no, I was born and raised in Atlanta.  My last name is French but I have no knowledge of any Creole lineage.  I do, however, have Cherokee blood from both my paternal grandmother and my maternal great-great, who were both known for their long jet black hair and high cheekbones.  That’s about all I know.

3. "What kind of music do you sing?"

I make music that moves people. My music is considered contemporary R&B, but it is a unique mix of international dance pop with a lot of funk and a kick of soul. You can hear my roots in gospel, blues, jazz, soul and classic R&B, plus pop, hip-hop, and funk in my sound. Along with singing, I write, produce, and arrange music. I am a self-taught pianist and I write songs on both piano and guitar.  In addition to the big dance-pop-soul tracks I am starting to be known for, I really love to do acoustic performances, just me + piano or a small 3-piece band, because I get to share my heart a bit more.  But all of my lyrics are a really personal glimpse into something I’ve experienced or something that women go through.  My music will move you—you will sometimes dance, sometimes think, sometimes cry . . . you may even be moved to make better choices in life, but you WILL be moved.

4. "Did you really go to Harvard? What was that like?"

Yes, I went to Harvard.  It was a great experience for me because, despite what you may imagine, I actually met a lot of people there who were just like me, who were from where I was from, who were creative, artistic, fun and loving life. My professors are famous—my advisor, Cornel West, was featured on MTV and in the Matrix trilogy … my department chair, Henry Louis Gates, did the DNA test for Oprah to find what part of Africa she was from, and he was the professor that got arrested in his own home in 2009 and ended up meeting with the cop who arrested him at President Obama’s request in the White House … Crazy.  Some of my friends from Harvard are famous: one friend Derrick Ashong had appeared in a Steven Spielberg film before graduation and now has a radio show on Oprah and Friends; another friend Ryan Leslie is a Top 40 R&B artist . . . But you know, some of my friends from high school are famous too so it’s not just the Harvard thing. Anyway, except for the snow, I loved Boston.  I spent most of my time up there singing, writing songs, and performing in shows, truth be told!  I was a model with Ford Models for a brief time up there, and got more involved with acting while there. But I graduated cum laude nonetheless !

Well, that’s it from my Diamond Mind for today.  Let me know what’s on yours.

Peace from The Dollhouse-->

Derek Blanks (Beyonce, Usher, Ciara) Photo Shoot this month . . . Writing a New Book

Celebrity photographer Derek Blanks is my new photographer.  When I was in L.A. meeting with my attorney, he asked me, "Derek Blanks . . . isn't he the photographer from Real Housewives of Atlanta?"  Yep, that's him.  He has done photo shoots for everybody from Ciara to Usher to Brandy to Beyonce . . . I am excited to be working with him. (I've been so crazy with the photo shoot planning that I still don't have any videos up for you all yet.  But DollTV is coming, I promise. And I am going to be better about writing a blog post everyday if I can . .. at least 4 days a week.)

Derek's studio is in Buckhead, not far from Park Place where I used to live.  Derek and his staff are really professional, but Derek has a great creative energy about him.  He had a lot of ideas for me - the glam squad he recommends is supposed to be super fierce. Like I said a while back, I am going to do a "look book" for each of my first three singles (along with or instead of the video), something that hasn't been done before.  I love fashion, so it's my chance to showcase another passion along with the music.  Derek Blanks is the perfect photographer to capture my vision.  The photo shoot is at end of November.  Yes, I will post the pics!

Ok, so my thoughts for today:
Another reason I haven't been posting consistently is because my life has been so nuts.  Not just with the music launch, but personally too. I keep saying life is finally calming down, only to have something else happen that was completely unexpected.  Going through a divorce and launching a very public career within the same 18-month span has been difficult for me, to say the least.  Among all of the other problems that naturally occur, I had to shut down previous sources of income, chose not to fight over money, and  . . . well let's just say that you quickly find out who your real friends are when money is the topic of discussion. This road I am traveling is not for the faint of heart.  My natural tendency is to be very private and quiet about what's going on with me personally.  But a dear friend of mine told me that I should share my story with the world, not just through my music, but also in written form.  It's true that it's rare to find a woman who has been to Harvard and has also been homeless; who writes, produces, and performs her own music but is also a survivor of domestic violence.  I hadn't really thought about the fact that my story might actually inspire or encourage someone.  But even if I give just one woman hope, I think it's worth the sacrifice of putting myself out there. No false pretenses with me.  I am a real woman who has been through it. What you see (and hear in the music) is real life.

So, in addition to pouring out life lessons in the songs, I am writing my story.  I have been calling it a book, but it is more like a stream of consciousness right now, as I'm remembering things I'd just as soon forget but also seeing patterns that cause my life - and my music - to make sense to me in new ways.  I would encourage women everywhere to be brave enough to tell their stories - to really OWN their stories.  It is sometimes painful, but it is one of the best things you can ever do for yourself.  Just get a journal and write it down.

Well, that's a gem from my Diamond Mind.  Tell me what's on your's.

I will be back next week with more about what I've got coming up as we countdown to 2010 (can you believe it?!).

Peace from the Dollhouse -->