Dana Williams

Born in Los Angeles on July 17, 1989, Dana Williams was immersed in music from an early age, influenced by her father, David Williams, a guitarist for Michael Jackson. This exposure led her to develop an interest in songwriting, and she also spent time living in Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts. Her musical foundation expanded significantly during her education in New York, where she studied music at the Masters School and Sarah Lawrence College, mastering guitar in both classical and contemporary styles. Throughout her college years, she initially focused on poetry and creative writing, an academic pursuit that continues to inform the lyrical depth of her songs. Her early career also included performing as a child chorus member with Jay-Z for a television special.

Williams rose to prominence in 2014 after securing fourth place on the American singing competition series, *Rising Star*. This national exposure followed her debut EP, *The Lonely One*, released in March 2014, which featured the single “Keep Me Waiting.” This track gained further recognition by being included on the soundtrack for Damien Chazelle’s *Whiplash* (2014) and later in *La La Land* (2016). A significant milestone in her career was her appearance in Apple’s 2014 Christmas commercial, “The Song,” where she performed a duet with her grandmother’s archival recording. Her career progression further includes releasing multiple singles and two more EPs, *Let’s Fall* (2015) and *Thank You For The Memories* (2020), and developing a strong online presence through YouTube covers, including a viral collaboration with Leighton Meester on Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams,” which accumulated over 6.8 million views by 2018.

Dana Williams has also established herself through various collaborations, providing vocals for rappers Freddie Gibbs on tracks like “The Hard” (2012), “Diamonds” (2015), and “McDuck” (2015). She has collaborated with Boogie on “Sunroof” (2016) and “Nigga Needs” (2016, uncredited vocals), and with Rejjie Snow on “Pink Flower” (2017), “Egyptian Luvr” (2018), “Room 27” (2018), and “Oh No!” (2018). Other notable collaborations include working with producer Swim Good on “Callaway” (2015) and electronic artist Melvv on “Lifeline” (2017). By 2021, Williams had achieved over 100 million streams on Spotify, demonstrating her growing influence in the music industry. Her career is characterized by consistent output and a blend of folk, jazz, and soul, reflecting her diverse inspirations and poetic songwriting.