Conya Doss
Birth name	Conya Doss
Born	Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Genres	R&B, soul
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, record producer
Years active	2002–present
Labels	Orpheus, Conyadosssongs, Dome
Associated acts	Dwele, Eric Roberson, Sy Smith, Rahsaan Patterson
Website	Conyadoss.com

Conya Doss (born in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter and record producer.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Musical career 2.1 2001-2003: A Poem About Ms. Doss 2.2 2003-2005: Just Because 2.3 2005-2007: Love Rain Down 2.4 2008-2009: Still 2.5 2010-present: Blu Transition 3 Style 4 Personal life 5 Discography 6 Tours 7 Awards and Nominations 8 References 9 External links

Early life

Doss has been singing since she was five. She grew up listening to the likes of Bonnie Raitt, The Doobie Brothers, Stevie Wonder, Angela Winbush, Nina Simone, and Jane Child. She attended Cleveland School of the Arts along with Avant and 71 North. She later received her teaching credential and has become a teacher of children with special needs in the Cleveland Public School system. She began using music in her classroom as a way to connect with her students and her debut album “A Poem About Ms. Doss” was inspired by a heartfelt letter from one of her students. ^[1]

Musical career

2001-2003: A Poem About Ms. Doss

In 2001, Conya Doss started her own recording label Conya Doss Songs and began recording her first album. In 2002, Doss released her first singles "Good Good" and "Coffee" which were followed by the release of her album, entitled A Poem About Ms. Doss. The album also spawned the singles "One More Try" and "You Really Hurt Me". Doss later began performing at several Midwest venues. In February 2003, Doss performed at Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. For her debut album she received 3 Stars in USA Today where music critic Steve Jones said "No matter what twists and turns relationships may take, they never seem to make this honey-voiced newcomer from Cleveland lose heart. Doss stirs emotions on her inventive first single, “Coffee”, and takes a loving nod toward her soul/jazz roots with a cover of Norman Connors' Starship. Her poem is a smooth and sexy one worth more than just a cursory reading." ^[2]

2003-2005: Just Because

In 2003, Doss returned to the studio to begin recording for her sophomore album. In 2004, Doss released the single "Missin' You". The single created a buzz for her upcoming album, Just Because which was released in November 2004. ^[3]

2005-2007: Love Rain Down

In 2005, Doss began recording sessions for her third album. After a two-year hiatus, she released her third album, Love Rain Down in October 2006. ^[4] Shortly after the album's release, Doss began touring and performing at worldwide venues. In 2007, Doss performed the album's lead single "Tell Me Why" on BET J.

2008-2009: Still

In May 2008, Doss released her lead single "What I'd Do". The song received airplay from local radio stations, charted on Billboard and also received airplay from BET J's Soul Sessions. The song earned Doss a nomination for "Best Underground Artist" at the BET J Virtual Awards alongside Eric Roberson, Vikter Duplaix and Rahsaan Patterson. ^[5]. . In April 2008, Doss released her fourth studio album, entitled Still. ^[6] The album also spawned a second single "It's Over", which listed her for iTunes' "Best R&B Indie Track". She later appeared on PBS and performed her singles "Tell Me Why", "Message", "It's Over". ^[7]

In 2009, Doss began promoting her third single "Can't Stop". She later performed the song in dedication of her late friend at local venues. In June 2009, Doss toured with Yahzarah, Sy Smith, Maya Azucena on the Soulsista Tour. Following the previous tour, she toured with Yahzarah, Sy Smith, and Ra-Re Valverde on the Soul Uprising Tour in July 2009.

2010-present: Blu Transition

In August 2010, Doss revealed the recording sessions for her fifth album entitled Blu Transition. In late August 2010, she released her buzz single "What We Gon Do" to Soultracks as the Free Choice Track Download. It became CD of the Month in September 2010 while the single received 4000 digital downloads in one month, setting a new record on Soutracks since Lalah Hathaway in 2008. ^[8]

Style

Doss' stage presence consists of her afro style hair. Doss is an alto with a soprano-like vocal range. Doss demonstrates her alto range in songs like "Something 2Nite", "It's Over", and "Starship", where as in songs like "Message", "Good Good", "I Miss You" is where she demonstrates her mezzo-soprano range. She cites Stevie Wonder, Donnie Hathaway, Chaka Khan, Prince, Steely Dan, Natalie Cole, Sade, Jodeci, Rude Boys, Lauryn Hill, and D'Angelo as her musical inspirations.^[9]

Personal life

In 2010, Doss gave birth to her son named Landon Blu. She named her fifth album after him. ^[10]

Discography

Albums

• 2002: A Poem About Ms. Doss
• 2004: Just Because
• 2006: Love Rain Down
• 2008: Still...
• 2010: Blu Transition

Singles

• 2002: Good Good
• 2002: One More Try
• 2003: You Really Hurt Me
• 2003: All Because of You
• 2004: Missin You
• 2004: Damn That
• 2004: Sweet Love (I Don't Know)
• 2005: Ain't Giving Up
• 2005: Here We Go Again
• 2006: Tell Me Why
• 2006: Let You Know
• 2007: Call Me
• 2008: What I'd Do
• 2008: It's Over
• 2009: Can't Stop
• 2009: Message
• 2010: What We Gon Do
• 2010: All In You

Tours

• 2003: Conya Doss Tour
• 2007: Love Rain Down Tour
• 2009: Soulsista Tour
• 2009: Soul Uprising Tour

Awards and Nominations

These are the awards won by American R&B singer Conya Doss.

Year	Category	Nominated Work	Result
Ohio Hip Hop Awards[11]
2007	Best Female Vocalist		Won
Soultracks[12]
2007	Best Female Vocalist		Nominated
Soultracks[13]
2008	Female Vocalist of the Year	"Still"	Won
Centric/BET J Virtual Awards[14]
2008	Female Vocalist of the Year	"What I'd Do"	Nominated
iTunes Awards
2008	Best R&B Underground/Indie Artist	"Still"	Nominated
2008	Best R&B Indie Track	"It's Over"	Nominated

References

External links

• Official website
• Conya Doss at Allmusic
• Conya Doss at Myspace

"If they want to label me in the Neo-Soul movement they can, but to me this soul music is nothing new. The D'Angelos and Lauryn Hills derive from what we grew up on -- like Donnie Hathaway, Angela Winbush and so forth, it's just modernized. I grew up on every form of music from Bonnie Raitt and Steely Dan to Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan. It's hard to categorize me into one genre of music because it narrows your audience and I learned from them all. It's just good music -- and that's the way I see it."
-Conya Doss

There’s a reason Conya Doss looks so comfortable onstage, gently swinging her hips like a day lily caught in a summer’s breeze, singing in a voice that’s equal parts honey and hellfire. It’s because she’s used to it. As a teacher of children with special needs within the Cleveland public school system, this twenty something soul ingenue faces an audience tougher than most, nearly every day. Of late, this audience has also come to include throngs of R&B and neo-soul aficionados enticed by Conya’s sweet, supple delivery and heartfelt lyrics.

But long before she was standing in front of sold-out clubs and crowded arenas, Conya faced perhaps an even more daunting audience: rambunctious young kids ready to learn. Ironically, in working with underprivileged youth, Conya has learned as much from her students as they have from her. She’s learned the value of humility, honesty, and most significantly, the importance of being true to yourself. These lessons were painted in broad strokes on Conya’s candid, endearing debut, A Poem about Ms. Doss which she co-wrote and co-produced and whose title was inspired by a letter to her from a student in her classroom. Emotionally resonant and wondrously infectious, Conya’s debut is openhearted and down-to-earth. “I incorporate music as part of my class, the traditional way of learning can be boring, so I have kids project academics through poetry or singing,” says Ms. Doss.

There are no tales of wanton bed hopping, no bling-bling, just earnest, expressive songs of heartbreak, salvation and praise. With her sophomore album Just Because Conya fluently took her listeners on a journey of finger snapping and head gyrating wondrous grooves laced with an electric blend of instruments that rode each beat with finesse. She possesses an indistinguishable reverence to the soul divas of yesteryears by encompassing invigorating vocals with thought-induced messages that silhouette charismatic, rhythmically charged production that simultaneously blazes a trail for her brand of melodic soul. On her sophomore project boasting ten choice cuts, Conya not only belted out the jazzy notes that caressed your ears, but she wrote, arranged, and produced over half of the album, only enlisting a small qualified team of gifted producers to help compliment her raw sound. It was songs like “Sweet Love,” “Miracle” and “Stay” that became classics.

The spiritual and emotional symmetry she threads into a refreshing, realistic and expressive musical pattern, creates a pleasant mind-cleansing experience that stirs, rivets, and soothes the jaded soul. If what you covet is vintage soul with modern appeal and instrument-heavy beats embellished with flavorful sounds, then the music of Conya Doss is for you. The divine Ms. Doss wraps her seductive, magical voice and polished rhythmic sounds around personalized confessions like the warmth of a passionate embrace. Her music is an organic experience- a hybrid collection of up-tempo jams and fluid slow grooves that artistically join her sleek voice with intoxicating melodies. Conya’s music is not lost among the pantheon of new crooners, but instead invokes the spirits of legendary composers-singers such as Chaka Khan, Betty Wright, Natalie Cole, Me’shell N’Degeocello and Alanis Morisette.


On her third disc, Love Rain Down, the compelling songbird pours passion and appealing eccentricity into a dozen stunningly inventive jams that reflect quintessential soul music infused with a pinch of subtle funk. "I think this new album is very unconventional and takes me out of the 'neo-soul' box. The music is more like a tribute and a praise to icons I grew up listening to such as Bonnie Raitt, Doobie Brothers and Jane Child." While feel-good harmonies can be found sprinkled throughout this delightful musical journey, especially on "Those Were The Days", "Call Me" and the title track, "Love Rain Down," it's Conya's magical ability to deliver a potent mixture of confessional, bittersweet and meaningful lyrics with childlike charm. Conya offers an unforgettable vocal performance on the mellow, minimalist melody, "Sign", with its lush orchestral guitar arrangement and soft tambourine riffs while "Why Did You", the pumping, bluesy-jazz frenzied anthem, celebrates moving on after experiencing the pain of a broken heart. "This record reflects another side to my music and extends back to many of my own personal experiences. The lyrics and songs on the last album were inspired moreso by conversations I had with friends and family whereas this album is much more self-motivated and biographical."

Love Rain Down is expansive mood music to the fullest; the soundtrack to the intellectual and emotional thoughts of Conya's mind. Each tune is effortlessly strong and beautiful, capturing the exuberance of finding love, as well as the disappointment associated with losing it. The mid-west native encompasses far more than infectious rhythms and silken-voiced hits, she establishes her own definite sound instead of following radio trends. As the author and performer of one of the year's most critically anticipated albums, Conya punctuates the fact that she is a mesmerizing force of nature who has successfully rid herself of any misused genre labels. She is just as comfortable with lascivious R&B wails as she is with gospel-themed fare. Composing yet another intricately crafted and cohesive body of work that illuminates her unequaled musicianship, Conya only scratches the surface of what she is capable of.

Nestled between Indiana and Pennsylvania, lies a state that has yet to be fully tapped of it’s musical resources. In a region whose lineage reflects that of Babyface, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Tracy Chapman, Marilyn Manson, Gerald Levert, The O’Jays, Macy Gray, James Ingram, Roger Troutman and Zapp, The Gapp Band and Avant among others, Conya is the first female soul singer to emerge from and hold steadfast to her Midwestern roots and ancestry. Much like what her predecessors Erykah Badu, India.Arie and Jill Scott did for Dallas, Atlanta and Philly, Conya plans to put Ohio on the soul music map. She has shared stages with a spectrum of artists ranging from Erykah Badu and Ashanti to Amerie and Frankie Beverly & Maze to name a few as well as working with Gerald Levert and writing and producing for pop group, 3LW.

Born and raised in Cleveland, she has been singing since she was five years old, first groovin’ to the likes of Stevie Wonder and Angela Winbush. She attended Cleveland’s famed School of the Arts, where future stars such as Avant and 71 North would also cut their teeth. “Unlike artists in other regions, the Ohio area is very limited when it comes to enabling me to practice my craft--especially the kind of music that I do,” says Doss, “Cleveland has a tremendous amount of talent, however due to the lack of locations to showcase such talents, many have moved out East or West. I chose to stay here and utilize the very talented producers and songwriters from Cleveland. Initially I had the opportunity to work with several other producers from both the East and West Coast while searching for the sound that I wanted. Ironically, it was at home all the time.”

But through it all, Conya’s remained grounded. And therein lies much of her appeal. In a time when many pop stars have become further and further removed from the folks that they speak to with their custom made looks and unattainable lifestyles, Conya remains a lot like us: a tender, tough, self-possessed young lady who puts her community before commercial concerns. When summing up what her music is about, Conya offers a simple answer: “Life in general.” Not just hers, but ours as well.

Official Website