Dana Dawson
Encyclopedia
Dana Dawson was an American
actress and singer.
. She was an understudy
of the character Mimi, in the national tour of Rent
in 2000 and joined the Broadway
cast in 2001.
In an interview in The Patriot-News (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
) Dawson said that she was given time to become secure in each of the two roles she understudied — Mimi and Joanne — before learning the other.
As a singer, Dawson released her first single
in 1988 at the age of 14. The song "Ready To Follow You" was penned by French singer Jacqueline Taïeb
and produced in France, and reached the Top 20 on the French single chart. Dawson then worked with French producers on her debut album, Paris New York And Me, which includes her debut single and spawned four other singles which enjoyed success in France in the early 1990s, especially "Romantic World" and "Tell Me Bonita" which both peaked at number 4 on the French single chart. Paris, New York and Me was also certified gold in France.
In 1993, Dawson took a break of two years to give her career more international impact as though she had a lot of success in France, her records were not really available in other countries. So Dawson signed a recording contract
with EMI
and was now musically based in the UK
. Her second album, Black Butterfly, was released in October 1995, and included three singles that made the UK Singles Chart
chart: "3 Is Family" reached number 9 in July 1995, "Got to Give Me Love" reached number 27 in October 1995, and "Show Me" reached number 28 in May 1996. The album was available all over Europe and also in Japan. "3 is Family" was the major hit of the album and Dawson promoted it all over Europe. In 1996, she released the single "How I Wanna Be Loved" but it missed the Top 40 in the UK Singles Chart. It was eventually included on a UK re-issue of the Black Butterfly album.
In 1997, Dawson collaborated on the Dolce & Gabbana single "More, More, More", and provided the vocals on this dance cover version
of the Andrea True Connection hit single.
The Disney Channel show Lizzie McGuire
featured her 2001 single, "Nice Life" which was only released as a single in France.
Several multi-track "singles" of Dawson's music have been released in the United Kingdom
, including "3 Is Family", "Got to Give Me Love", and "How I Wanna Be Loved".
Dawson's songs are included on many other albums, including EMI
's Music of the Twentieth Century: 1980–1999 and Virgin
's Best Dance Album 1995; she also performed on the Michael W. Smith 1989 Gospel album I 2 Eye.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress and singer.
Early life and career
Dawson made her acting debut at the age of 7 in a national tour of AnnieAnnie (musical)
Annie is a Broadway musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and the book by Thomas Meehan. The original Broadway production opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years with a blonde Annie as the poster...
. She was an understudy
Understudy
In theater, an understudy is a performer who learns the lines and blocking/choreography of a regular actor or actress in a play. Should the regular actor or actress be unable to appear on stage because of illness or emergencies, the understudy takes over the part...
of the character Mimi, in the national tour of Rent
Rent (musical)
Rent is a rock musical with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La bohème...
in 2000 and joined the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
cast in 2001.
In an interview in The Patriot-News (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
) Dawson said that she was given time to become secure in each of the two roles she understudied — Mimi and Joanne — before learning the other.
As a singer, Dawson released her first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in 1988 at the age of 14. The song "Ready To Follow You" was penned by French singer Jacqueline Taïeb
Jacqueline Taïeb
Jacqueline Taïeb is a French singer and songwriter, of Tunisian descent, who achieved her greatest success as a pop and yé-yé singer in France in the 1960s....
and produced in France, and reached the Top 20 on the French single chart. Dawson then worked with French producers on her debut album, Paris New York And Me, which includes her debut single and spawned four other singles which enjoyed success in France in the early 1990s, especially "Romantic World" and "Tell Me Bonita" which both peaked at number 4 on the French single chart. Paris, New York and Me was also certified gold in France.
In 1993, Dawson took a break of two years to give her career more international impact as though she had a lot of success in France, her records were not really available in other countries. So Dawson signed a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
and was now musically based in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Her second album, Black Butterfly, was released in October 1995, and included three singles that made the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
chart: "3 Is Family" reached number 9 in July 1995, "Got to Give Me Love" reached number 27 in October 1995, and "Show Me" reached number 28 in May 1996. The album was available all over Europe and also in Japan. "3 is Family" was the major hit of the album and Dawson promoted it all over Europe. In 1996, she released the single "How I Wanna Be Loved" but it missed the Top 40 in the UK Singles Chart. It was eventually included on a UK re-issue of the Black Butterfly album.
In 1997, Dawson collaborated on the Dolce & Gabbana single "More, More, More", and provided the vocals on this dance cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the Andrea True Connection hit single.
The Disney Channel show Lizzie McGuire
Lizzie McGuire
Lizzie McGuire is an American teen sitcom which premiered on the Disney Channel on January 12, 2001 and ended February 14, 2004. A total of 65 episodes were produced and aired. Its target demographic was preteens and adolescents...
featured her 2001 single, "Nice Life" which was only released as a single in France.
Several multi-track "singles" of Dawson's music have been released in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, including "3 Is Family", "Got to Give Me Love", and "How I Wanna Be Loved".
Dawson's songs are included on many other albums, including EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
's Music of the Twentieth Century: 1980–1999 and Virgin
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
's Best Dance Album 1995; she also performed on the Michael W. Smith 1989 Gospel album I 2 Eye.
Personal life
Dawson married the New York jazz artist and musician, Jason Curry on July 7, 2007 in Hamilton, Bermuda. She died on August 10, 2010 at 4:37am, from colon cancer after battling the disease for just 10 months.Albums
- 1991: Paris, New York and Me
- "Romantic World" (4:44)
- "Tell Me Bonita" (5:02)
- "Survival" (3:45)
- "I'm a Singer" (4:04)
- "Every Time" (4:44)
- "Number One in Your Heart" (4:05)
- "Moving On" (4:13)
- "That Boy's No Good For You" (5:05)
- "I Want My Chance (To Know Love)" (4:02)
- "I Will Go There (With You)" (4:20)
- "Open Hearts" (3:55)
- "Petite Chanson d'Amour" (0:40)
- "Tell Me Bonita" (single mix) (3:58)
- 1995: Black Butterfly (re-released in the UK in 1996 with one bonus track)
- "Black Butterfly" interlude
- "3 Is Family"
- "Got to Give Me Love"
- "Show Me"
- "Dignified"
- "Visions" interlude
- "You Are My Baby"
- "So Good Together"
- "How I Wanna Be Loved"
- "All of These Things"
- "Nothing in This World"
- "Love Me" interlude
- "Baby Do Right by Me"
- "Stop Yourself"
- "Intentions"
- "Touch Me"
- "Proverbs" interlude
- "Sad Sad Songs"
- "Home" interlude
- "Salvation"
- "Angel" interlude
Singles
- 1988: "Ready to Follow You" (France #15)
- 1990: "Romantic World" (France #4)
- 1991: "Tell Me Bonita" (France #4; French Club Play Chart #4)
- 1991: "Open Hearts" (France #24)
- 1992: "Moving On"
- 1995: "3 Is Family" (UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#9) - 1995: "Got to Give Me Love" (UK #27)
- 1996: "Show Me" (UK #28)
- 1996: "How I Wanna Be Loved" (UK #42)
- 1997: "More, More, More" (with Dolce & Gabbana)
- 2001: "Nice Life"