Danielia Cotton is an American rock singer, songwriter and guitarist.
Early life
Cotton was raised in the small western New Jersey town of Hopewell, New Jersey, population 2,010. She was raised, along with three siblings. A jazz singer by avocation, her single mom supported the family doing accounting work. When Danielia was 12 years old, her mom gave her an acoustic guitar, she also started singing with her mom and her aunts in a gospel group, the Brooks Ensemble Plus. Growing up as one of only seven black kids in Hopewell Valley Central High School, she was not exposed to R&B and hip-hop. Along with her growing love for rock, Danielia developed a warm appreciation for jazz and gospel. Danielia wound up at the top of her high school class, the first to graduate from the New Jersey School of Performing Arts. Her powerful vocal skills earned her a full scholarship to Bennington College. Danielia chose to pursue acting at Bennington and spent most of her senior year at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. She doubled up on credits, so she could still study music, taking tutorials with avant garde jazz trumpeter-professor Bill Dixon, who, she says, "really trained my ear." Acting has had a serious effect on Danielia as shown every time she performs, commanding onstage and off, a natural raconteur as well as a singer.
Music career
In 2005 Danielia released her debut album Small White Town. Not too long after, Danielia's second studio album Rare Child, released May 20, 2008, was ranked in the top ten albums downloaded on iTunes during its first week of release. On July 7, 2009, Danielia released the EP "Live Child", a companion piece to her 2008 studio album, "Rare Child". This riveting document of her live set won the 9th Annual Independent Music Award for the ‘Best Live Album’ and 'Live Performance Album Vox Pop' for the album "Righteous People". In 2012, Danielia released "The Gun in Your Hand" followed by "The Real Book" in 2014. More recently, in 2017 Danielia released "The Mystery of Me". The new album's 10 tracks feature an eclectic mix of rock and soul, from the soaring "Set Me Free" to the deeply personal "Drink" and the upbeat "4 Ur Life," which pulls inspiration from classic Motown as well as Sly and the Family Stone. The album was featured by numerous media outlets including the New York Times.
Band members
Danielia Cotton – Lead vocals, electric and acoustic rhythm guitars, songwriter
