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Soul is what
this young lady exudes. Abby Dobson, born in Jamaica, West Indies and raised
in Brooklyn, NY (Flatbush), always knew she was meant to be a singer. From
talent competitions, showcases and performing feature gigs, Abby is making
a name for herself in a big way.
Abby's family
instilled many values into Abby growing up. Her mother is a nurse, poet
and visual artist. "I grew up with her drawing people where ever we went,
whether on the D train, Q, #2 train or the #35 bus in Brooklyn. She also
would scribble verses on a note pad and recite them to me, my brother and
my cousins" Abby remembers. Abby's mother also taught her a lot about giving
and caring. She learned to help others and that it was important to give
to others. Although it was not easy Abby would not change much about the
way she grew up. "I think it's hard for single mothers. There is a stigma
against single mothers, especially single black mothers. And you do feel
it growing up but I learned a lot. I learned how to improvise. I learned
a lot of good things and life skills." Very close to her family, Abby's
younger brother had been inspired by her passion and ambition to create
beautiful music. He also plays the Cello and African Percussion. Her whole
family, including her mother, brother and her extended family, are a big
support system for Abby. They attend most of her shows and help out in any
way they can.
Abby had taken
voice lessons on and off for years but some of her best training came from
listening to the singers who she admires the most, like Whitney Houston.
She also grew up listening to Anita Baker, Bob Marley, Barbara Steisand
and Aretha Franklin. But Whitney Houston is the singer who really did it
for Abby. Yet surprisingly, even with such inspiration and passion for music,
it was not her first choice for a career. Growing up in a loving and warm
family, raised by her mother Abby gained strong morals and values. "I always
felt music was selfish. Someone is not going to eat because of it. Someone
is not going to get better medical care because of it or find a cure for
AIDS because of it," Abby explains. "It is true that artists can use their
celebrity to raise money to benefit important causes. But what made me decide
that I really wanted to do it is I took a step back and looked at how other
artists influenced me. Like if you want to deal with heartbreak, know that
you ain't the first girl who has had her heart broken and know that you
can be strong in the face of it, you can listen to Aretha. To get energized
for something, motivated for an exam or hyped up, you can listen to James
Brown. If you want to be introspective, come face to face with the realities
of this sometimes painful world and just connect your humanity with that
of others, you can't get much better than Bob Marley. He has inspired me
so much. I use to rush home from school so I could listen to "Three Little
Birds", "Redemption Song" and others. And if you want to feel you are in
the presence of the most high... Donny Hathaway!! So I realized music can
really help by influencing your mind, encouraging, uplifting and inspiring
people. It's about making us feel, think and act".
Once Abby decided
to make music professionally she began performing at open mic nights at
places in New York including Nells (NYC), Peppers (NYC) and BBQs (Bronx,
NY). Singing covers, including one of her favorites . A longing for songwriting
led Abby to begin writing her own songs around 1999. And so she started
to perform her own songs. One of her favorite songs to perform is called
"Lonesome Child" which was inspired by the book "Beloved" written by Toni
Morrison. "I love that song because of the chorus 'Sweet lonesome child
all I want from you is you my sweet lonesome child'. No matter what mood
I am in or how I may feel, I am soothed by this song. I think it is such
a strong statement because if every person who is born heard these words
from their parents and people around them this world would be a much much
better place... a less cold... a less violent place". Abby testifies. "There
are a lot of people walking around the streets of New York and around the
world feeling unloved and that leads to a lot of angry people who hurt other
people because they are angry".
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Performing
in New York and recording original material for the past two years had led
Abby to move forward and pursue a record deal. Having had some exposure
by having songs placed on Television shows such as Jack and Jill (WB) Any
Day Now (Lifetime) and The Shield.. "That came about when my favorite co-writer's
publisher was able to get the song places. It's called 'Deeply' and it was
inspired by an experience had a couple years ago in Philadelphia. It's just
about being deeply moved by someone you're with," Abby explains. "A lot
of times people receive it differently because guys hear 'deeper' and girls
hear 'deeply'. It's about how sensuality or sexuality is spiritual as well.
It's not just about sex but sharing on a deeper level. With me it's about
the spirit and flesh at the same time." A big fan of Sex and The City Abby
would love to get a song performed one of her songs in a scene. "'Deeply'
or 'Forgive Me' would be perfect". Her favorite characters are Carrie and
Samantha. When she is not singing or creating beautiful music Abby enjoys
just laying back and hanging out. Not much of a club goer, Abby prefers
to hang out at one of her favorite coffee shops or just hang out at home
watching music videos, HBO and Lifetime TV. She enjoys going out to see
live shows and loves performing live. Some of her favorite spots to perform
at in New York have been the Nuyorican Poet's Cafe, SOB's, BET's 106 and
Park, and The Bitter End. In Philly, Soul Sanctuary. And speaking of performing,
Abby has a show coming up on Friday, August 23rd at SOB's in New York City.
Abby's future plans are to start performing in other areas of the country.
Abby also hopes to land a record deal. With much ambition, personality and
most of all talent... and I mean talent, cause Abby can sang... the future
for Abby Dobson looks bright. So keep your eyes and ears open cause Abby
is coming strong.
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