Donna De Lory

Donna De Lory is destined for fame. Best known as a background singer and dancer for Madonna, De Lory has continued to make her presence felt as a soloist and a member of Bliss, the duo that she shares with cellist Cameron Stone. Her second solo single, "Just a Dream," written by Madonna who sang harmony vocals, became a Top Ten dance hit. According to Billboard, "De Lory's waifish vocal presence is an absolute delight and she breathes immeasurable depth into lyrics that read like romantic poems and heartfelt confessionals."

De Lory was born to sing. Her great-grandfather was a professor of music, a violinist and a singer. Her grandfather played upright bass and cello for the Warner Brothers Studio Orchestra. Her mother was a singer and dancer. Her father, Al De Lory, played keyboards on recording sessions for Phil Spector and the Beach Boys and produced albums by Glen Campbell and the Lettermen. Her brother, Alan, is a screenwriter and poet.

At the age of eight, De Lory sang on children's albums for the Walt Disney Studios and was heard on the tune "It's a Small World," featured on a ride at Disneyland and Disney World. She also sang on commercials for McDonald's, Mattel and Eastman Kodak. Although she moved with her father and brother to Nashville at the age of fifteen following the death of her mother from breast cancer, she returned to southern California to pursue a career in music. While she helped to form a band, the Danny Peck Collective, De Lory's greatest break came when Madonna's manager, Pat Leonard, heard her demo tape of her song "Open Your Heart" and hired her to sing and dance on Madonna's Who's That Girl tour in 1987. She subsequently appeared on Madonna's Blonde Ambition tour in 1990. She appeared in Madonna's film Truth or Dare filmed during the Blonde Ambition tour. De Lory toured as a background vocalist for Belinda Carlisle, Julian Lennon, Carly Simon, Carole King, Kim Carnes and Ray Parker, Jr. in 1988. De Lory's self-titled debut solo album, released in 1993, led to comparisons with Kate Bush and Tori Amos. The following year, she formed a band, Bliss, with cellist Cameron Stone. The duo's first album, Love Never Dies, was released on their own label, Dirty Bird, and initially sold only at their concerts. Reissued by the Secret Road label, the album was renamed Bliss (2000) and credited solely to De Lory.

De Lory has sung on the soundtracks of such films as The Exorcist, Rocky, Nothing in Common and A League of Their Own. She was featured on the title track of the film, Three Men and a Little Lady. ~ Craig Harris, Rovi