Dorian Holley
Encyclopedia
Dorian Holley is an American musician, backing singer and vocal coach
. Holley began his professional career as an on-stage backing vocalist for international entertainer Michael Jackson
during the Bad World Tour
in 1987. The series of concerts had him perform to millions of people throughout the world, including British royalty
. From there, Holley went on to travel with Jackson for all of his subsequent world tours. He also performed with other artists such as Rod Stewart
in 1991 and James Taylor
in 1994. His stage presence and vocal ability were praised by music critics during such performances.
Holley successfully auditioned to become a featured vocalist on the reality television show Dancing with the Stars. He served in this capacity for the first three seasons of the American series. Holley has also worked for several years as an associate music director and vocal coach for the singing competition American Idol
, where he works with contestants before and after they appear before the show's judges and a worldwide television audience.
In 2008, Holley self-released his debut album, Independent Film. The subsequent year, he worked with Jackson for the final time, in preparation for the entertainer's ill-fated concert series This Is It
. Holley was to serve as a backing vocalist, as well as the vocal director for the shows. Jackson's death
forced the concerts to be canceled.
As of 2011, Holley is the vocalist for the house band on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
, led by Rickey Minor
. He is also the Artist Development Director at Los Angeles Music Academy College of Music and teaches in the school's Vocal Department. Dorian is married to trial attorney Shawn Chapman Holley, who once represented Jackson. The couple have three daughters together.
during the late entertainer's first solo concert series, the Bad World Tour
. Beginning in Japan in September 1987, the tour lasted for 16 months, during which time Holley visited 15 countries while serving as a backing singer for Jackson, along with Kevin Dorsey, Darryl Phinnessee and Sheryl Crow
. As part of the tour, Holley performed to over 4 million people, including Diana, Princess of Wales
and Charles, Prince of Wales
. The Bad World Tour concluded several months later in January 1989.
English musician Rod Stewart
enlisted the services of both Holley and Phinnessee in 1991, when he toured the US. The two singers were part of a 11-man backing ensemble, when Stewart performed at the Pacific Amphitheatre
in Costa Mesa
, Orange County
, California
in September 1991. During the show's encore, Stewart performed his signature song "Twistin' the Night Away
". The Los Angeles Times
described in a review of the concert that the song was "embellished with a delicious a cappella doo-wop break featuring the 46-year-old star and backup singers Darryl Phinnessee and Dorian Holley". The two vocalists were also praised by the Chicago Tribune
after a performance at the Poplar Creek Music Theatre, where their "sublime harmonies" "formed a perfect counterpoint to Stewart's impassioned pleas on 'This Old Heart of Mine'". The San Jose Mercury News
concluded that Holley and Phinnessee were "great".
(June 1992–November 1993), a 69 date concert series which was attended by almost 3.5 million fans. The tour was cut short, however, after child sexual abuse allegations
were levelled against Jackson and he cancelled the remainder of the tour due to the stress caused by the accusations.
In 1994, Holley joined with Kate Markowitz
, Valerie Carter
, and David Lasley
to form what The Pantagraph and The Boston Globe
respectively described as a "wonderful" and "angelic" backing group to James Taylor
. While on tour with Taylor, Holley was praised for his vocal ability by several news sources. The Roanoke Times
stated that the highlight of the show at the city's Civic Center was the performance of "Shower the People
", which "showcased the singing" of Holley. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch
revealed that during a performance of the same song at Riverport Amphitheater, the backing vocalist "sang a spirited solo that drew an ovation equal to anything Taylor had drawn thus far".
Holley worked with Michael Jackson again for the entertainer's last concert series, the HIStory World Tour
, which began in Prague, Czech Republic in September 1996. The tour attracted more than 4.5 million fans from 58 cities in 35 countries around the world and concluded in Durban, South Africa in October 1997.
to Sly Stone
. He was successful and became a featured singer during the first three seasons of the series. Holley later noted that the concept of diversity in vocal performance was not a new experience for him. "I've been at sessions where a producer has said he wants me to sound like Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen at the same time. I've had people say can you make it a little more green. Huh? It's tricky." He added, "Sometimes they think they want Sheryl Crow, because she has a hit single. But what they really want is magic, and that is whatever you, as an individual, can bring. It's a tough call between being a blank slate and being yourself."
Holley has also served for several years as an associate music director and vocal coach for the reality singing competition American Idol
. As part of his job, he helps contestants rehearse and arrange the songs that they are to perform. He states that his primary task, however, is to encourage and support the participants as they face scrutiny and criticism. Holley added that it is common for some of the contestants to "crumbl[e]" upon leaving the stage if they have received critical comments from judge Simon Cowell
. His job on American Idol has had him work with winners such as Jordin Sparks
and Kris Allen
.
, Christina Aguilera
, Kanye West
and Queen Latifah
. While at Berklee College of Music
, he offered advice to young singers who wanted to become famous. "Everyone starts out dreaming, and then you get married, have a baby, buy a house and a car, and what I want to let people know is that there are so many jobs out there. My thinking is, if you're a musician and you can make music instead of digging a ditch, make it."
Holley's last experiences with Jackson were in 2009, when he prepared for a scheduled 50-date concert series called This Is It
. Holley rehearsed with Jackson as a backing singer at the Staples Center
in Los Angeles and was also hired as the vocal director for the ill-fated shows. He was present on the singer's last night of rehearsals in June 2009. Hours later, Jackson died
after he entered into cardiac arrest
at his nearby home. Holley sang during the group rendition of "We Are the World
" at the entertainer's memorial service
the subsequent month. He was joined by fellow This Is It backing vocalists Darryl Phinnessee, Judith Hill
and Orianthi
.
of Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump & Aldiser LLP, she has defended and worked for individuals such as O.J. Simpson, Sara Jane Olson, Lindsay Lohan
, Nicole Richie
, Paris Hilton
, Tupac Shakur
, Snoop Dogg
, Mike Tyson
, The Game
, Axl Rose
, Jesse McCartney
and Michael Jackson
. She was also an on-air legal analyst during the E! Network's nightly international coverage of Jackson's 2005 child sexual abuse trial
. Together, Dorian and Shawn have three daughters; Nayanna, Sasha,and Olivia. The Los Angeles Times reported in 2005 that the family live in a 2800 square feet (260.1 m²) home, which was built in 1920 and bought by Holley and his wife in 2003. The Standard
noted in 2007 that the pair had purchased a 3500 square feet (325.2 m²) Italian Renaissance Revival home in Lafayette Square, Los Angeles
. Writers for the publication further commented that the Holleys planned to keep a home in nearby Wellington Square.
Vocal coach
A vocal coach is a music teacher who instructs singers on how to improve their singing technique, take care of and develop their voice, and prepare for the performance of a song or other work. Vocal coaches may give private music lessons to singers, or they may coach singers who are rehearsing on...
. Holley began his professional career as an on-stage backing vocalist for international entertainer Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
during the Bad World Tour
Bad World Tour
The Bad World Tour was the first solo concert tour by American megasuperstar Michael Jackson that visited Japan, Australia, the United States and Europe. Sponsored by Pepsi and spanning 16 months, the tour included 123 concerts to 4.4 million fans across 15 countries...
in 1987. The series of concerts had him perform to millions of people throughout the world, including British royalty
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
. From there, Holley went on to travel with Jackson for all of his subsequent world tours. He also performed with other artists such as Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
in 1991 and James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
in 1994. His stage presence and vocal ability were praised by music critics during such performances.
Holley successfully auditioned to become a featured vocalist on the reality television show Dancing with the Stars. He served in this capacity for the first three seasons of the American series. Holley has also worked for several years as an associate music director and vocal coach for the singing competition American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, where he works with contestants before and after they appear before the show's judges and a worldwide television audience.
In 2008, Holley self-released his debut album, Independent Film. The subsequent year, he worked with Jackson for the final time, in preparation for the entertainer's ill-fated concert series This Is It
This Is It (Michael Jackson concerts)
This Is It was a planned series of fifty concerts by Michael Jackson to be held at The O2 Arena in London. They were scheduled to begin in July 2009 and continue through to March 2010. However, with all concerts sold out, Jackson died less than three weeks before the first concert date...
. Holley was to serve as a backing vocalist, as well as the vocal director for the shows. Jackson's death
Death of Michael Jackson
On June 25, 2009, American singer Michael Jackson died of acute propofol intoxication after he suffered a respiratory arrest at his home in the Holmby Hills neighborhood in Los Angeles. His personal physician, Conrad Murray, said he found Jackson in his room, not breathing, but with a faint pulse,...
forced the concerts to be canceled.
As of 2011, Holley is the vocalist for the house band on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that initially aired from May 25, 1992 to May 29, 2009, and resumed production on March 1, 2010. The fourth incarnation of the Tonight Show franchise made its debut on May 25, 1992, three days following Johnny...
, led by Rickey Minor
Rickey Minor
Rickey Minor is a music director, composer and music producer, now best known as musical director and bandleader for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno after Kevin Eubanks left. Minor was born in Monroe, Louisiana to parents Cole and Goldie Minor and was raised in South Central Los Angeles, CA...
. He is also the Artist Development Director at Los Angeles Music Academy College of Music and teaches in the school's Vocal Department. Dorian is married to trial attorney Shawn Chapman Holley, who once represented Jackson. The couple have three daughters together.
Bad World Tour and Rod Stewart
Holley first performed with pop singer Michael JacksonMichael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
during the late entertainer's first solo concert series, the Bad World Tour
Bad World Tour
The Bad World Tour was the first solo concert tour by American megasuperstar Michael Jackson that visited Japan, Australia, the United States and Europe. Sponsored by Pepsi and spanning 16 months, the tour included 123 concerts to 4.4 million fans across 15 countries...
. Beginning in Japan in September 1987, the tour lasted for 16 months, during which time Holley visited 15 countries while serving as a backing singer for Jackson, along with Kevin Dorsey, Darryl Phinnessee and Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
. As part of the tour, Holley performed to over 4 million people, including Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
and Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
. The Bad World Tour concluded several months later in January 1989.
English musician Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
enlisted the services of both Holley and Phinnessee in 1991, when he toured the US. The two singers were part of a 11-man backing ensemble, when Stewart performed at the Pacific Amphitheatre
Pacific Amphitheatre
The Pacific Amphitheatre is an amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, Orange County, California, USA. The amphitheatre is located on the grounds of the OC Fair & Event Center....
in Costa Mesa
Costa Mesa, California
Costa Mesa is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 109,960 at the 2010 census. Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to a primarily suburban and "edge" city with an economy based on retail, commerce, and light...
, Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in September 1991. During the show's encore, Stewart performed his signature song "Twistin' the Night Away
Twistin' the Night Away
"Twistin' the Night Away" is a song written and recorded by Sam Cooke. It was released as a single in 1962 and became very popular, charting in the top ten of both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard's R&B chart ,...
". The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
described in a review of the concert that the song was "embellished with a delicious a cappella doo-wop break featuring the 46-year-old star and backup singers Darryl Phinnessee and Dorian Holley". The two vocalists were also praised by the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
after a performance at the Poplar Creek Music Theatre, where their "sublime harmonies" "formed a perfect counterpoint to Stewart's impassioned pleas on 'This Old Heart of Mine'". The San Jose Mercury News
San Jose Mercury News
The San Jose Mercury News is a daily newspaper in San Jose, California. On its web site, however, it calls itself Silicon Valley Mercury News. The paper is owned by MediaNews Group...
concluded that Holley and Phinnessee were "great".
James Taylor, Dangerous Tour and HIStory Tour
Holley returned to work with Jackson for the Dangerous World TourDangerous World Tour
The Dangerous World Tour was the second worldwide concert tour by American megasuperstar Michael Jackson. The tour, sponsored by Pepsi-Cola, included 69 performances to an audience of 3.5 million. All profits were donated to various charities including Jackson's own "Heal the World Foundation". The...
(June 1992–November 1993), a 69 date concert series which was attended by almost 3.5 million fans. The tour was cut short, however, after child sexual abuse allegations
1993 child sexual abuse accusations against Michael Jackson
In 1993, Evan Chandler accused Michael Jackson of sexually abusing his thirteen-year-old son, Jordan. The relationship between Jackson and Jordan began in May 1992. Evan initially welcomed and encouraged the friendship, and bragged about his connection to a celebrity. The friendship became well...
were levelled against Jackson and he cancelled the remainder of the tour due to the stress caused by the accusations.
In 1994, Holley joined with Kate Markowitz
Kate Markowitz
Kate Markowitz is an American singer-songwriter. Markowitz is perhaps best known as a back-up vocalist who has recorded and performed with a number of singers, most notably James Taylor but also Willy DeVille, Shawn Colvin, Mylène Farmer, Don Henley, Billy Joel, k.d. lang, Lyle Lovett, Graham...
, Valerie Carter
Valerie Carter
Valerie Carter to James J and Dorothy Carter, is an American singer-songwriter...
, and David Lasley
David Lasley
David Lasley is an American singer-songwriter, best known for his contributions as a background singer for such artists as Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor and Luther Vandross....
to form what The Pantagraph and The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
respectively described as a "wonderful" and "angelic" backing group to James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
. While on tour with Taylor, Holley was praised for his vocal ability by several news sources. The Roanoke Times
The Roanoke Times
The Roanoke Times is the primary newspaper in Southwestern Virginia and is based in Roanoke, Virginia, United States. It is published by Landmark Media Enterprises...
stated that the highlight of the show at the city's Civic Center was the performance of "Shower the People
Shower the People
"Shower the People" is the opening track on James Taylor's 1976 album In the Pocket. The song reached #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S. that fall, remaining in the Top 40 for eight weeks...
", which "showcased the singing" of Holley. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is the major city-wide newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri. Although written to serve Greater St. Louis, the Post-Dispatch is one of the largest newspapers in the Midwestern United States, and is available and read as far west as Kansas City, Missouri, as far south as...
revealed that during a performance of the same song at Riverport Amphitheater, the backing vocalist "sang a spirited solo that drew an ovation equal to anything Taylor had drawn thus far".
Holley worked with Michael Jackson again for the entertainer's last concert series, the HIStory World Tour
HIStory World Tour
The HIStory World Tour was the third and final worldwide solo concert tour by American megasuperstar Michael Jackson, covering Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania and North America. The tour included a total of 82 concerts and was attended by approximately 4.5 million fans, beating his previous Bad Tour...
, which began in Prague, Czech Republic in September 1996. The tour attracted more than 4.5 million fans from 58 cities in 35 countries around the world and concluded in Durban, South Africa in October 1997.
Reality television work
Holley auditioned to become a featured vocalist on the American reality television show Dancing with the Stars. The audition consisted of him performing seven different sounds, ranging from Frank SinatraFrank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
to Sly Stone
Sly Stone
Sly Stone is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, most famous for his role as frontman for Sly & the Family Stone, a band which played a critical role in the development of soul, funk and psychedelia in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1993, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of...
. He was successful and became a featured singer during the first three seasons of the series. Holley later noted that the concept of diversity in vocal performance was not a new experience for him. "I've been at sessions where a producer has said he wants me to sound like Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen at the same time. I've had people say can you make it a little more green. Huh? It's tricky." He added, "Sometimes they think they want Sheryl Crow, because she has a hit single. But what they really want is magic, and that is whatever you, as an individual, can bring. It's a tough call between being a blank slate and being yourself."
Holley has also served for several years as an associate music director and vocal coach for the reality singing competition American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. As part of his job, he helps contestants rehearse and arrange the songs that they are to perform. He states that his primary task, however, is to encourage and support the participants as they face scrutiny and criticism. Holley added that it is common for some of the contestants to "crumbl[e]" upon leaving the stage if they have received critical comments from judge Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
. His job on American Idol has had him work with winners such as Jordin Sparks
Jordin Sparks
Jordin Brianna Sparks is an American pop / R&B singer-songwriter and actress. She hails from Glendale, Arizona who rose to fame as the winner of the sixth season of American Idol. Sparks won when she was 17 years old, making her the youngest winner in Idol history...
and Kris Allen
Kris Allen
Kristopher Neil "Kris" Allen is an American musician and singer-songwriter from Conway, Arkansas, and the winner of the eighth season of American Idol...
.
Debut album, workshops and This Is It
Independent Film, Holley's debut solo album, was self-released by the singer in 2008. Joan Anderman of The Boston Globe described the album as being a "soul-satisfying project that won't pay the bills". It was reported in October 2008 that Holley had been conducting workshops on the art of audition. He drew inspiration from his time on American Idol, as well as his experience with artists such as Stevie WonderStevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
, Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
and Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy...
. While at Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
, he offered advice to young singers who wanted to become famous. "Everyone starts out dreaming, and then you get married, have a baby, buy a house and a car, and what I want to let people know is that there are so many jobs out there. My thinking is, if you're a musician and you can make music instead of digging a ditch, make it."
Holley's last experiences with Jackson were in 2009, when he prepared for a scheduled 50-date concert series called This Is It
This Is It (Michael Jackson concerts)
This Is It was a planned series of fifty concerts by Michael Jackson to be held at The O2 Arena in London. They were scheduled to begin in July 2009 and continue through to March 2010. However, with all concerts sold out, Jackson died less than three weeks before the first concert date...
. Holley rehearsed with Jackson as a backing singer at the Staples Center
Staples Center
Staples Center is a multi-purpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. Opening on October 17, 1999, it is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Los Angeles...
in Los Angeles and was also hired as the vocal director for the ill-fated shows. He was present on the singer's last night of rehearsals in June 2009. Hours later, Jackson died
Death of Michael Jackson
On June 25, 2009, American singer Michael Jackson died of acute propofol intoxication after he suffered a respiratory arrest at his home in the Holmby Hills neighborhood in Los Angeles. His personal physician, Conrad Murray, said he found Jackson in his room, not breathing, but with a faint pulse,...
after he entered into cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
at his nearby home. Holley sang during the group rendition of "We Are the World
We Are the World
"We Are the World" is a song and charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album We Are the World...
" at the entertainer's memorial service
Michael Jackson memorial service
A public memorial service for Michael Jackson was held on July 7, 2009 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California 12 days after his death on June 25...
the subsequent month. He was joined by fellow This Is It backing vocalists Darryl Phinnessee, Judith Hill
Judith Hill
-Biography:Hill's mother is a pianist from Tokyo who met Hill's father in a funk band in the 1970s. Together they raised Judith in a very musical household. She is of both Japanese and Black descent.-Career:...
and Orianthi
Orianthi
Orianthi Panagaris , better known simply as Orianthi, is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter and guitarist. She is perhaps best known for being Michael Jackson's lead guitarist for his ill-fated This Is It concert series. Her debut single "According to You" has peaked at No. 3 in Japan, No. 8...
.
Personal life
The singer is married to trial attorney Shawn Chapman Holley, who practices law in the areas of both civil and criminal litigation. A partner of Howard WeitzmanHoward Weitzman
Howard Weitzman is a prominent American trial lawyer. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California and University of Southern California Law Center . He was admitted to the state bar in 1966...
of Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump & Aldiser LLP, she has defended and worked for individuals such as O.J. Simpson, Sara Jane Olson, Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan is an American actress, pop singer and model. She began her career as a child fashion model before making her motion picture debut in Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap at the age of 11...
, Nicole Richie
Nicole Richie
Nicole Camille Richie is an American fashion designer, author, actress, singer and television personality. Her father was Peter Michael Escovedo, a musician who played for a brief time with Lionel Richie, and her mother Karen was the executive assistant for Sheila Escovedo...
, Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton
Paris Whitney Hilton is an American businesswoman, heiress, and socialite. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton . Hilton is known for her controversial participation in a sex tape in 2003, and appearance on the television series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood...
, Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...
, Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
, Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
, The Game
The Game (rapper)
Jayceon Terrell Taylor , better known by his stage name Game, formerly The Game, is an American rapper and actor. As a member of G-Unit, he rose to fame in 2005 with the success of his debut album, The Documentary, which earned him two Grammy Award nominations...
, Axl Rose
Axl Rose
W. Axl Rose is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist and only remaining original member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he enjoyed great success and recognition in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before disappearing from the public eye for several years...
, Jesse McCartney
Jesse McCartney
Jesse McCartney is an American singer-songwriter, actor and voice actor. McCartney achieved fame in the late 1990s on the daytime drama All My Children as JR Chandler. He later joined boy band Dream Street, and eventually branched out into a solo musical career...
and Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
. She was also an on-air legal analyst during the E! Network's nightly international coverage of Jackson's 2005 child sexual abuse trial
People v. Jackson
People vs. Jackson was a 2005 trial involving recording artist Michael Jackson. The accuser was a boy, Gavin Arvizo, who was 13 years old at the time of the alleged crimes...
. Together, Dorian and Shawn have three daughters; Nayanna, Sasha,and Olivia. The Los Angeles Times reported in 2005 that the family live in a 2800 square feet (260.1 m²) home, which was built in 1920 and bought by Holley and his wife in 2003. The Standard
The Standard
The Standard is an English free newspaper of Hong Kong with a daily circulation of 231,018. It was called the Hong Kong Standard and changed to HKiMail during the Internet boom, but it changed back to The Standard in 2001....
noted in 2007 that the pair had purchased a 3500 square feet (325.2 m²) Italian Renaissance Revival home in Lafayette Square, Los Angeles
Lafayette Square, Los Angeles, California
Lafayette Square is a small, semi-gated neighborhood in Los Angeles, California named after General Lafayette. It sits just off of Crenshaw Boulevard in the Mid-City area. It was designated by the city as a Los Angeles Historic Preservation Overlay Zone in 2000 for its significant residential...
. Writers for the publication further commented that the Holleys planned to keep a home in nearby Wellington Square.
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1992 | Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour is a live concert DVD released by Michael Jackson in 2005. The DVD was previously included with the Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection box set. The concert took place during Jackson's first leg on his Dangerous World Tour on October 1, 1992 at the... |
Himself | Jackson's backing singer |
| 2009 | Michael Jackson's This Is It Michael Jackson's This Is It Michael Jackson's This Is It is a 2009 American documentary–concert film directed by Kenny Ortega that documents Michael Jackson's rehearsals and preparation for the concert series of the same name scheduled to start on July 13, 2009, but canceled due to his death eighteen days prior on June 25. It... |
Himself | Jackson's backing singer and vocal director |
External links
- Official website
- Dorian Holley at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...