Today we’d like to introduce you to Antoine Dunn.
Hi Antoine, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m from an Eastside suburb of Cleveland, Ohio called Cleveland Heights which is where I started my musical journey. Cleveland Heights is where I attended pre-school, elementary, middle and high school. While a student at Wiley Middle School, I was asked to audition for the middle school choir by my then music teacher, Glenn Brackens. Believe it or not, I was very shy, so it took me a while to sing in front of others. That said, I eventually sang for the first time at my audition where I made the choir. Here is where I won my first awards, had travel experiences and began to nurture my passion for music. I believe that joining this choir was the catalyst for my career as a vocalist, musician and performer. It’s also here where I took an interest in the piano and began teaching myself how to play.
Upon entering into Heights high school I accelerated my involvement in the arts by participating in not one but three of the school’s choirs. I even played piano periodically for one of the choirs. Juggling all of those commitments while being a wrestler and full-time student eventually proved to be too much for me as my grades began to slip. I guess cutting classes to play the grand piano in the auditorium didn’t help either. While I was forced to let go of some of my extracurricular activities, I began writing songs in my free time. My parents had purchased a gateway 2000 computer which was supposed to be for school work, but that never happened because I’d loaded it with recording software and began making my first songs. I can remember recording a song once that sounded so good that I said to myself, “This sounds like it could be on the radio”. I knew then that music would probably be a career for me.
After high school, I began playing around town as a keyboardist and music director for bands. Occasionally, I would go to open mics and play my original music. These open mics were my first experiences with seeing how others received my music. Prior to showcasing my work, I’d always used my music solely for my own therapeutic needs, but I soon found out that music could also impact others in a similar way. Seeing how others reacted to my music helped me envision pursuing music at greater levels, so I committed to doing just that. I decided to connect with a promoter named Carlito Green in Harlem that I had previously met while visiting New York once. He told me that he was having a showcase at a spot on 125th street and that he wanted me to come perform, so I told him I would. I didn’t have money, so the best I could do is find a reasonable Greyhound bus ticket. The day of my departure I had I 104-degree temperature and I wasn’t going to go, but somehow got the strength to go. After missing my second bus, I eventually made it to the venue at the time of my scheduled performance. I hopped out of my cab and walked right onto stage.
After this experience and many others like it, I began to make more progress in my career and eventually became an intern for Grammy-Award Winning producer Tony Nicholas. Tony had produced for some of my favorite artists, so I knew I’d learn a lot from him. Eventually, I would sign my first recording contract after returning from performing for several months in Southeast Asia. Ironically, I had never planned on returning from Thailand but I did because my mother was losing a fight to breast cancer and I needed to be with her. While she never saw the success that came from that project, I felt like she was always a part of it. My first hit song made it to radio stations all over the country and made me think about those times as kid in the basement. The track was called “Can’t Forget” and was followed up by another hit song called “Miss My Love”.
The success of these songs led to national tours and performances some of the nation’s most prestigious venues The Greek Theater, The Paramount Theater, The Beacon Theater and many others. While signed I would spend a lot of time in New York because some of my staff were there. Once my contract came to an end, I would continue to spend time in New York from time to time but would also visit LA. I loved the weather and the beauty in LA, but never thought I’d live there. In 2019 I decided that I wanted to launch my own record company called Harvey Marie Records. I had spent a lot of time getting an album ready and contemplating how I could make the release special for the album and the label. Over the years I’d been a member of the Recording Academy (The Grammy’s) so I knew musics biggest night was coming up in just a few months in LA. I saw this as the perfect opportunity to make the launch of Harvey Marie Records and my new music a special one. I connected with the organizer of an annual Grammy Weekend Gala called the Soiree who asked me to perform at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, which I accepted. Subsequently, Harvey Marie Records also became a big supporter of the event as well.
Playing at the Hollywood Roosevelt Grammy Weekend to launch a new chapter in my music career music was a special thing and ultimately the catalyst for me deciding to move to Southern California. In 2021 Harvey Marie Records released my first national single while on the label called “Lose It All” to radio stations around the country. Lose It All broke the Billboard top-40 R&B charts and the music video was featured on various outlets like BET and MTV. The video, which was co-produced with LA-based 821 Palm Studio was also the 2022 winner of the California Music Video Awards in the R&B and Male Vocalist categories. Since its release, my album “Everything” has been nominated for numerous Hollywood Music In Media Awards and other independent music awards worldwide. In total, the project has won four awards and received more than 15 nominations.
I’m excited about the future of my career as a recording artist and entrepreneur based in Los Angeles. I love LA and have broadened the scope of my artistry and entrepreneurial endeavors while being here. I’ve had the opportunity to work with brands like Roland Keyboard Corporation and Fender Guitars since I’ve been here, and have even had a few opportunities to explore some acting which I’m grateful for.
My team and I are looking forward to all of the wonderful things that 2023 will bring and the lives we’ll be able to impact in the process. With new music, collaborations and more performances on the horizon I’m sure it will be a year of positive growth for me and the label.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’ve encountered many obstacles in my life personally and professionally. I think the losses of loved ones have been the most difficult because with every loss you tend to lose a piece of yourself and you’re responsible for putting yourself back together. I believe that anyone can accomplish anything in this life if they have enough reasons, and sometimes the most paramount reasons we have are the people around us who give us life and energize us. Functioning at a high level requires peace of mind and that can be hard to find when things or people are missing.
I like to call life the “Guiding Fiction” in that It always seems like you know where you’re going until you get there, then you often realize you are in fact headed somewhere else or that it’s simply not what you expected.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a singer-songwriter, musician, producer and music executive. I specialize in being authentic in my work for myself and clients.
I am best known as a national recording artist and a torchbearer in preserving the authentic roots of rhythm and blues music. I’d say that I’m most proud of launching Harvey Marie Records. I’m proud of this because it’s not easy to accomplish what we have thus far as an independent company. I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the musical landscape while celebrating the lives of my grandparents.
I believe that my conscious choice to always choose artistic purity over artistic popularity is what consistently sets me apart as a singer and musician.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
My favorite books are; High-Performance Habits by Brendon Burchard and The E Myth by Michael E Gerber.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.harveymarierecords.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/iamantoinedunn
- Facebook: Facebook.com/iamantoinedunn
- Twitter: twitter.com/antoinedunn
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYx3Vkszs9w
Image Credits
Donald Black Jr, Chris Cody, Chris Keffer, Cooper Leith
