Doll Avant

Doll Avant is a singer/songwriter/actress/producer/musician with a 5-octave vocal range. As a fan, you may fall in love with her cutting edge dance hits, or with her intimate piano-driven ballads. You may love her runway model looks or her skills as an actress. You may relate to her lyrics, which she defines as “the things that women think but never say.” Whether her artistry makes you dance or cry, you will be moved by Doll. This Harvard grad and Atlanta native is always into something big:
• First single “Masquerade” impacting commercial radio
• Currently in production for her own reality show “DollTV: From Dreams to Destiny”
• European Tour in 2011
• Official release party for debut album “Dollhouse Rock” January 2011 in Beverly Hills, CA
• Star of new network television series that begins filming in 2011
• Official spokesmodel for MySignatureSpace

Doll Avant is an innovative artist, better described as a “supernova about to blow.” She writes songs on both piano and guitar and has a musical sound that pays tribute to R&B, funk, pop, soul, gospel, jazz, classical and even rock. She calls this unique blend “Dollhouse Rock,” which is the title of her debut album (released by her independent label DollStreet Music in November 2010). Doll attributes the development of her unique sound to a piece of advice she received as a student at Harvard from entertainment legend Quincy Jones. When she asked Mr. Jones, “What makes a great singer?” he replied, “Someone who has her own style.” Take one listen to Doll’s unforgettable sound and you will agree that she took Mr. Jones’ advice to heart.

The debut album “Dollhouse Rock” features a collection of songs that represent a blend of the old school and the new. Doll says “It is my singular mission to bring real music back to the music game.” Her first single, “Masquerade,” is a pop-dance track with international appeal that simultaneously reminds listeners of Prince, Motown, and Cyndi Lauper. The second track on the album, “I Don’t Care,” was originally written as a submission for Rihanna and appeals equally to urban/hip-hop audiences and to European club audiences. One of the album’s slower tunes, “One Tear,” (written and produced by Doll originally as a submission for Toni Braxton) is a huge rock ballad that showcases Doll’s whistle tone register and powerful vocals. Two other notable fan favorites on the album are: “Smooth Operator,” a track that is equal parts new school R&B and old school blues; and “Getaway,” a pop-dance track that is sure to become a party girl classic. Very few artists in recent years have shown the type of musical versatility that Doll demonstrates on her debut album; even fewer can blend so many styles the way Doll does, making them uniquely her own. Still fewer can carry that creativity and power to the stage the way Doll does in her energetic and sought-after live performances. Doll is no studio star; she is the real deal (no autotune necessary).

Doll Avant is an artist that you have to see and hear in order to believe. But her talent as a singer, songwriter, and musician are only one part of her amazing story. The rest (as told in her upcoming book, “The Bull and the China Doll”) is an unbelievable movie-in-the-making that will inspire dreamers everywhere.

**********************************

More About Doll Avant:

An Atlanta native, Doll is the daughter of two recording artists who traveled the country writing, producing, and performing cutting-edge gospel in the late ‘60s and ‘70s (they cut an album with Stax Records). Her earliest memories are the late-night sounds of her father’s melodies floating up the stairs from the family’s baby grand Baldwin piano.

Doll was 7 years old when her parents separated, and she immersed herself in a private world of music as a shield from the trauma. Neglect and abuse in her household left Doll hungry for love, and music became her only comfort and outlet. Everything from the sounds of hip-hop (Tribe Called Quest, EPMD, Run D.M.C.) to classic soul (Donnie Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind and Fire) to gospel (Walter and Tramaine Hawkins, Rance Allen) to pop (Cyndi Lauper, Prince, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson) formed her musical sensibilities.

By age 14, Doll had taught herself to play the piano by ear and had begun writing songs and poetry. At age 15, she joined and later became director of a Billboard Top 40 Gospel Group. This experience (singing with the likes of Dottie Peoples, Timothy Wright, and Gerald Thompson) sealed her roots in gospel. While still in high school at Frederick Douglass in Atlanta, Doll was trained to sing Italian and German arias; she also formed a female a capella group and began arranging vocals. Her greatest influence at the time was gospel star Damita Haddon & Adoration ‘N Prayze (she later met Damita who encouraged her to pursue her dreams in music). This early a capella influence can still be heard in