Melody Thornton

Melody Thornton, born September 28, 1984 is an American R&B singer-songwriter, dancer, model, and television personality who rose to stardom as a member of the successful pop group the Pussycat Dolls. The youngest member of the group, Thornton assumed the second most prominent vocal role, after lead vocalist Nicole Scherzinger, and was distinguished for her melismatic vocal runs. As of 2010, Thornton has departed the group to focus on her solo career.

Thornton graduated from Camelback High School in Phoenix, Arizona in 2003. She is of Mexican descent from her mother's side and of African American on her father's. Her talent was first discovered at a Papago Elementary School talent show when she sang Mariah Carey's remake of Badfinger's "Without You".

Career

Pussycat Dolls era

In 2003, soprano vocalist Thornton was recruited in the Pussycat Dolls order to add vocal strength to the group. She saw the Pussycat Dolls on MTV Diaries featuring Christina Aguilera and heard they were auditioning for a new group member. Thornton went to the audition and was recruited in December 2003. For her audition, Thornton only sang and was still accepted into the group. As with the other Dolls, she is a salaried employee of Interscope Records. Her nickname for the group is "Baby Doll" because she is the youngest of the group. As of 2009, she announced during a concert that she usually introduces herself as "Baby Doll", but she wants the world to know her as "Melody".

The Pussycat Dolls achieved worldwide success in 2005 with their album PCD, which debuted at number five on the U.S. Billboard 200 Chart and produced the hits "Don't Cha", "Buttons", and "Stickwitu", the last of which earned the group a Grammy Award nomination. Following the departure of Carmit Bachar in March 2008, the group continued as a quintet and in 2008 released their second studio album, Doll Domination which included the hits "When I Grow Up", "I Hate This Part", "Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)" and "Hush Hush". She was the only member to have contributed vocals apart from Scherzinger on Doll Domination (Standard Edition). She provides additional backing vocals and ad-libs to many of the songs, although on "Elevator", "Love The Way You Love Me", "Takin' Over The World" and "Painted Windows" she can be found sharing the lead vocals with Scherzinger. Additionally on "When I Grow Up", "Whatcha Think About That" and "Top Of The World" she sings secondary vocals. She also recorded her very first Pussycat Doll solo song called "Space" which was included in the deluxe edition of Doll Domination.

Solo career

"Thank you for supporting me, even if I'm not featured. You know what I'm saying? And I feel like it's my responsibility to say to all the little boys and girls in the house tonight that myself and Ashley Roberts are examples that you can do anything that you want to do, don't give up on your dreams and don't let anyone stomp on them ever!" 

During the Pussycat Doll's hiatus, Thornton worked on several projects including a cameo on Keri Hilson's music video "Slow Dance" and being a judge at E!'s TV show Bank of Hollywood with the production by Ryan Seacrest. In June 2010 Rap-Up reported that she has departed from the group and was working on her solo album. Speaking about her position in the group she commented, "I got into the group to sing. That was made very clear to me. But it became more and more apparent what was going on. Roles were being minimized and minimized, and then by the time it got on the show, it was very much like ‘Yall play your part and this is what it is.’ It was tough because you don’t want to shit on your own opportunity.

In an interview for The Source Thornton explained that her songs will be different from the group’s sound but she's not going to abandon that pop demographic that she acquired through the Pussycat Dolls. But it’s not popular-for-the-moment, the kind of music that I’m making. It’s live instrumentation and it derives from ‘60s influences. It’s just kind of what I was raised on, James Brown, BB King-ish as far as instrumentation goes. But vocally, I admire Mariah Carey and was raised on Aretha Franklin, Jackson 5 and all of that, so it’s not going to be like Pussycat Dolls at all. In June 2010 Rap-Up first announced that Thornton was working on her solo album with collaborators including Cee Lo Green, Polow Da Don, and Lil Wayne.On Vibe Magazine she stated that she is also working with Dre and Vidal. Thornton's recording of the Cee Lo produced song "Love Gun" leaked to the internet around this time. The song was eventually recorded by Green and Lauren Bennett for his album The Lady Killer.

On June 17th, Sweet Vendetta, her first official single, was released..

On June 19th, she became the third person to be eliminated on the second series of 'Popstar to Operastar' on UK television channel ITV.

Thornton confirmed during a recent interview at the Fourth Annual 'Creme Of The Crop' post-BET Awards Dinner Celebration After Party that she plans to have her debut solo album released sometime early 2012.