Donna DeLory
Encyclopedia
Donna De Lory is an American
singer, dancer and songwriter. Part of a musical family, De Lory has been performing since a young age. Her voice
can be heard on album
s by Carly Simon
, Ray Parker, Jr.
, Kim Carnes
, Santana
, Laura Branigan
, Belinda Carlisle
, Mylène Farmer
and Madonna
. The latter De Lory accompanied as backing vocalist
and dancer on every concert
from the Who's That Girl Tour in 1987, up to the Confessions Tour
in 2006. Her performance with Madonna at the Live Earth
2007 concert in London, was their final professional collaboration to date. This marked the first occasion in more than twenty one years that De Lory has not been a member of Madonna's touring company.
"Just A Dream" was written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard
. The track was originally recorded
by Madonna for her 1989 Like a Prayer
album. The original version of this song remains an example of unreleased Madonna songs
. De Lory's cover version
incorporated backing vocals by Madonna. A number of remix
es for this single were released on promotional CD and 12" vinyl. De Lory's version did also manage to reach the United States Hot Dance Club Play
chart
. It peaked at #71 in the UK Singles Chart
in July 1993.
She worked in France to sing and dance for the Mylène Farmer
's tour in 1996.
After traveling the globe in support of her self-titled MCA
debut, De Lory's pop and world influences took root in her collaboration with cellist, Cameron Stone. Together they formed a musical hybrid and began creating albums such as Bliss and In the Glow.
De Lory's 2004 album, The Lover & The Beloved, was a Sanskrit
and English CD
released on the Ajna Music label
.
The De Lory family is well-known in the music industry. Donna is the daughter of musician/record producer
/arranger
Al De Lory, who played piano
, electric organ
, and harpsichord
on The Beach Boys
's Pet Sounds
album and was responsible, among other things, for producing Glen Campbell
's "golden era" on Capitol Records
. In addition he co-wrote the 1960 Billboard Hot 100
#1 novelty hit for Larry Verne
, "Mr. Custer
." Donna's brother, A.D. DeLory, is also a singer and songwriter.
De Lory performed Elise's theme, "My Destiny", in the 2006 game Sonic the Hedgehog
. Her song, "In the Sun" was featured at the end of episode 5 of NBC
's drama Life. Her version of Madonna's song, "Papa Don't Preach
", appeared in the 2010 film, The Switch.
De Lory's 2008 album was called Sanctuary.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer, dancer and songwriter. Part of a musical family, De Lory has been performing since a young age. Her voice
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
can be heard on album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s by Carly Simon
Carly Simon
Carly Elisabeth Simon is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records, and has since been the recipient of two Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award for her work...
, Ray Parker, Jr.
Ray Parker, Jr.
Ray Erskine Parker, Jr. , is an American guitarist, songwriter, producer and recording artist. Parker is known for writing and performing the theme song to the motion picture Ghostbusters, for his solo hits, and performing with his band Raydio as well as the late Barry White.-Early life and...
, Kim Carnes
Kim Carnes
Kim Carnes is an American singer-songwriter. She is a two-time Grammy Award winner noted for her distinctive raspy vocal style. Some people have called her "The Female Rod Stewart" due to her raspy voice....
, Santana
Carlos Santana
Carlos Augusto Alves Santana is a Mexican rock guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion...
, Laura Branigan
Laura Branigan
Laura Ann Branigan was an American singer-songwriter and actress of Italian and Irish ancestry. She is best known in the United States for her 1982 Platinum-certified hit "Gloria" and in Europe for the number-one single "Self Control"...
, Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Jo Carlisle is an American singer who gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, one of the most successful all-female bands and the first such group whose members wrote their own songs and played their own instruments...
, Mylène Farmer
Mylène Farmer
Mylène Farmer, , born Marie-Hélène Jeanne Gautier, , , is a French singer, songwriter, occasional actress and author....
and Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
. The latter De Lory accompanied as backing vocalist
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
and dancer on every concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
from the Who's That Girl Tour in 1987, up to the Confessions Tour
Confessions Tour
Confessions Tour was the seventh concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It supported her tenth studio album, Confessions on a Dance Floor. Madonna confirmed the possibility of going out on a tour as early as November 2005. Jamie King, Madonna's longtime collaborator, was then hired on...
in 2006. Her performance with Madonna at the Live Earth
Live Earth
-Background:Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action...
2007 concert in London, was their final professional collaboration to date. This marked the first occasion in more than twenty one years that De Lory has not been a member of Madonna's touring company.
Career
De Lory's 1993 singleSingle (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...
"Just A Dream" was written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard
Patrick Leonard
Patrick Raymond Leonard is an American songwriter, keyboardist and music producer, known for his longtime collaboration with Madonna on many different recordings....
. The track was originally recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
by Madonna for her 1989 Like a Prayer
Like a Prayer
Like a Prayer is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on March 21, 1989 by Sire Records, three years after her previous studio album. Madonna worked with Stephen Bray, Patrick Leonard, and fellow icon Prince on the album while co-writing and co-producing all the...
album. The original version of this song remains an example of unreleased Madonna songs
Unreleased Madonna songs
The following is a list of songs recorded by Madonna not released commercially. Some songs have been given to other recording artists for recording.Conditions for listing here* Studio quality recording by Madonna....
. De Lory's 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...
incorporated backing vocals by Madonna. A number of remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
es for this single were released on promotional CD and 12" vinyl. De Lory's version did also manage to reach the United States Hot Dance Club Play
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
. It peaked at #71 in 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 ...
in July 1993.
She worked in France to sing and dance for the Mylène Farmer
Mylène Farmer
Mylène Farmer, , born Marie-Hélène Jeanne Gautier, , , is a French singer, songwriter, occasional actress and author....
's tour in 1996.
After traveling the globe in support of her self-titled MCA
Music Corporation of America
MCA, Inc. was an American talent agency. Initially starting in the music business, they would next become a dominant force in the film business, and later expanded into the television business...
debut, De Lory's pop and world influences took root in her collaboration with cellist, Cameron Stone. Together they formed a musical hybrid and began creating albums such as Bliss and In the Glow.
De Lory's 2004 album, The Lover & The Beloved, was a Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
and English CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
released on the Ajna Music label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
.
The De Lory family is well-known in the music industry. Donna is the daughter of musician/record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
/arranger
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
Al De Lory, who played piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, electric organ
Electric organ
In biology, the electric organ is an organ common to all electric fish used for the purposes of creating an electric field. The electric organ is derived from modified nerve or muscle tissue...
, and harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
on The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
's Pet Sounds
Pet Sounds
Pet Sounds is the eleventh studio album by the American rock band The Beach Boys, released May 16, 1966, on Capitol Records. It has since been recognized as one of the most influential records in the history of popular music and one of the best albums of the 1960s, including songs such as "Wouldn't...
album and was responsible, among other things, for producing Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell
Glen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...
's "golden era" on Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
. In addition he co-wrote the 1960 Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
#1 novelty hit for Larry Verne
Larry Verne
Larry Verne was an American novelty song singer. Verne scored two U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart hit singles in 1960: "Mister Livingston" and "Mr. Custer" . "Mr. Custer" was written by Fred Darian, Al DeLory, and Joe Van Winkle. The record sold over one million copies, earning a gold disc. In the...
, "Mr. Custer
Mr. Custer
"Mr. Custer" is a novelty song, sung by Larry Verne, and written by Al DeLory, Fred Darian, and Joseph Van Winkle. It was a number-one song in the United States in 1960, topping the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for the issue dated October 10, 1960, and remained there for one week...
." Donna's brother, A.D. DeLory, is also a singer and songwriter.
De Lory performed Elise's theme, "My Destiny", in the 2006 game Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog (2006 game)
Sonic the Hedgehog is a 2006 platform video game for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 that was made to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise...
. Her song, "In the Sun" was featured at the end of episode 5 of NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's drama Life. Her version of Madonna's song, "Papa Don't Preach
Papa Don't Preach
"Papa Don't Preach" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. The song was written by Brian Elliot with additional lyrics by Madonna, and produced by Stephen Bray and Madonna for her third studio album True Blue, released in June 1986...
", appeared in the 2010 film, The Switch.
De Lory's 2008 album was called Sanctuary.
Albums
- Donna De Lory (1993)
- Songs '95 (1995)
- Bliss (2001)
- Live & Acoustic (2002)
- In the Glow (2003)
- The Lover and the Beloved (2004)
- The Lover and the Beloved Radio DJ Mix (2004)
- Sky is Open (2006)
- Sanctuary (2008)
Singles
- "Luck is an Angel" (1987)
- "Just a Dream" (1993)
- "Think It Over" (1993)
- "Praying For Love" (1993)
- "On and On" (2000)
Filmography
- Truth Or DareMadonna: Truth or DareMadonna: Truth or Dare is a 1991 American documentary film chronicling the life of American singer-songwriter Madonna during her 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour...
, 1991 - Live à BercyLive à BercyLive à Bercy is the second live album by Mylène Farmer, released on May 21, 1997. It was also produced as a video.-Background:After the successful concerts tour of 1996, whose shows were spread out from May 25 to December 15, a live album was recorded and produced by Thierry Suc, and sponsored by...
, 1997 - I'm Going To Tell You A SecretI'm Going to Tell You a SecretI'm Going to Tell You a Secret is the title of an American documentary film that follows pop singer Madonna on her 2004 Re-Invention World Tour. It premiered on MTV on October 21, 2005 and was released commercially in a CD+DVD package on June 20, 2006 by Warner Bros. Records...
, 2005