Dorian Spencer

Singer, Songwriter, musician Dorian Spencer is steadily building a loyal following and a reputation for having one of the most impressive voices to be heard.

Dorian Spencer was born and adopted in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, and grew up traveling between Northern California, New Mexico and Ohio. At a very young age while attending elementary school in Emeryville, California, Dorian’s school band loaned him a trombone at the behest of his mother. This was her way of ensuring that he was out of trouble and off the streets. Soon it was realized that the trombone was no mainstay. Dorian was loaned a tenor saxophone in hopes that this would entice him to pay attention. Ultimately wind instruments were not his first love, though they did leave him wanting more.One summer in the then ghost town of Madrid, New Mexico, Dorian watched footage of Jimi Hendrix playing ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ at the legendary Woodstock festival and decided that he definitely wanted to play guitar. He taught himself three cords and began to play by ear. Soon, he was writing house-old hits and eventually sought to expand his creativity to the piano. Again, he was performing three-cord wonders for his mom and family friends.Some time down the line after returning to the Bay Area, Dorian expanded his artistic expression into the world of acting. As a freshman in college he began taking theatre courses and was soon auditioning for college productions. After several appearances around campus, it was suggested that he try out for professional productions in San Francisco. He began to build a reputation around the Bay Area theatre scene and soon set his eyes on Los Angeles.Dorian moved to LA with high hopes of furthering his acting and music successes and buying a home in the Hollywood hills, but it was not to be. After five years of booking bit parts in movies and on television, playing lots of basketball and tennis and rubber necking on Venice beach, he began to realize his days were empty. He longed for the creative inspiration that drove him to the city of angels in the first place. Searching for a new beginning, he decided to take his talents to New York and work in theatre once again.Dorian got to NYC and hit the ground running, ready to make his mark on the historied streets of Broadway. Actually, he started walking dogs to make ends meet. He soon figured out that New York was all about the musical theatre industry. He was known legit drama in California. This placed yet another challenge on his resolve to continue acting.He began writing deeply biographical songs on his guitar as a way of processing his situation. One song led to another as he fashioned himself into a true songwriter. He then set his sights on mastering the guitar and becoming a legit musician. He spent the next two years writing songs in a rooming house looking for a way to express his life story. His original love of writing and playing music surfaced with such force that it wasn’t long before his instinct to perform reemerged and ignited a year of touring the open-mic scene in Staten Island, Brooklyn and Greenwich Village.After receiving numerous accolades for his many performances in clubs and parties and while busking on the street, he recorded the four-song, acoustic EP, Seeds, with co-producer Matthew Broyels. Seeds made the rounds, eventually financing the recording of his first LP, Garden. “Selling Seeds on the street was my record deal.”Garden is a document of this multi-talented artist’s life. “What I can say is that I found the process of writing Garden pure therapy. I guess I needed to document a few of my life experiences. I think feelings behind songs like ‘Pretending It’s Not Happening’ and ‘New Mexico’ have to be fully expressed to be released.“I love playing music and all that goes with creating a song. I only wish I had realized it earlier. Now, I just wanna be a good performing songwriter who addresses real life, even if it’s just from my own weird point of view.”In an unprecedented review of an unsigned artist, Randy Abramson of MSNBC.com noted, “Dorian writes songs that gracefully balance hope and despair and he sings them with a voice that overflows with earnestness.”Dorian’s music has been compared to Seal, Ben Harper and Jeff Buckley, yet his original style continues to hold true. His work is a fusion of everything he’s ever heard and liked. Some might call it alternative rock, others, pop folk. “I say listen for yourself and define me for yourself. I always like to hear what other people think of my sound; a struggle always ensues anytime someone tries to box me up --- but I’m sure it won’t keep them from trying!”Dorian is currently working on his second LP along side the incredible producer/bassist Stefan Held. Stone to Stone is due to be released in summer 2008.