Stevie Shoe

The soul of Donnie Klang

DAYTON, Ohio – Pop/R&B recording artist Donnie Klang is set to release his new single "Without You" off his untitled sophomore album, in 2010. Klang's been gearing up and pushing his artistic abilities to the limit to make his next release the best it can be.

He's performed in multiple cities throughout the U.S., including Michigan, Kansas City and New York City. Also, he's been involved in MTV's "Making the Band 4," starring Sean "P. Diddy" Combs.

Klang's accomplished a lot throughout his life. In 2008, with the help of Bad Boy Records, he released his debut solo album "Just a Rolling Stone." According to him, the next album will lyrically define who "Donnie Klang" is. "The exciting part about this project is, I'm finally able to show the world what I can do," he said. "No cameras, no ‘Making the Band,' nobody telling me to change ‘this' and ‘that.' It's going to be 100 percent me." This is the soul of Donnie Klang.

Jan. 23, 1985 Donald Joseph Klang, aka Donnie, was born. His mother and manager Michelle Cirillo said her son's love for music sparked at an early age. Cirillo said Klang is moved by melodies, and will wake up in the middle of the night with song ideas. She said he will work on sections of a song and have different beat sections stored on his keyboard by morning.

Though younger than him, his siblings agree that he had a calling for music. Klang's sister Jen Klang said most of her early memories of her brother involve music. "When Donnie was in middle school he entered a talent contest," she said. "His vocals weren't fully developed, but he found a true love for singing."

Throughout his life, Klang faced struggling times, but never stopped pushing forward to make his dream a reality. Making music became his life-long passion. "I've loved music since I was a little kid," he said. "I've always been a big fan of groups and harmonies and a cappella."

Klang's father Don Klang has fond memories of his son being drawn toward infectious beats. According to him, his son's enjoyment for music started when he was a baby. "From the day he was born, from an infant in his playpen holding onto the railing boning and weaving back and forth to Stevie Wonder with sun glasses on," is how Don remembers his son's first love of music. "From day one," he said.

By age seven, Klang understood the perks an artist can gain, but to him, music was about sharing his gift. "[He'd tell me], ‘I will never give up on music,'" Don said, quoting his son. "‘All I want is for people to hear my music. I don't want money. I just want to share what I hear in my head.'"

Throughout his childhood and into his teenage years, Klang made a lot of friends who loved the adrenaline rush of performing live. Both he and close friend Frank Bossio, aka Frankie B., started forming musical groups when they were freshmen in high school. Bossio and Klang aspired to touch people the way groups like *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys and O-Town did. Performing in front of an audience is how they bonded.

The first group Klang helped form was Playa Deception. The group did well, but Klang and Bossio were trying to expand their dream.

Next, both guys created the group I.N.T., meaning, "I'm Not Telling." He, along with Bossio, Stephen Abbondando and Kevin Pabon formed the group and were able to share their sound with large audiences throughout New York. "The first show that comes to mind was a show at a place that used to be called ‘The Downtown'," Bossio said. "We opened up for Jordan Knight of [New Kids on the Block]. It was the most amazing high [We'd] ever felt. Fans were lip-syncing to ours songs and it was just so much fun."

Klang, along with the rest of I.N.T. opened for other artists and acts such as Akon and Kool and the Gang.

The group was excited to sing live and worked hard to polish their performances. But, as popular as they were throughout New York, I.N.T. felt heartbreak. "We went through a ton of ups and downs," Klang said. "We were signed with big-named managers and had deals on the table with quite a few labels. We had our hearts broken over and over by the industry." Despite frustrations, Klang didn't give up on his music.

In 2007, he became the newest solo artist signed to Bad Boy Records. According to him, being in bands was the help that fueled his determination. MTV's "Making the Band 4" helped him establish who he was to a broader audience. Though the cameras rarely showed Klang, he was busy working behind the scenes. The album "Just a Rolling Stone" released August 2008, with the debut single "Take You There," featuring P. Diddy to coincide it.

Klang was proud of his release, but for him, one song stood out above the rest: "Pick it Up," produced by the Young Boyz. "‘Pick It Up' to me is a hit record," he said. "All it was lacking was the right marketing. I'm still a new artist. If we would've had a hot, current feature on the song, it most likely would have caught on to radio."

Since "Just a Rolling Stone" released, Klang's been busy working on his second album – an album he feels defines the person he is.

August 2009, Klang started what he called "MusicLeak Mondays." For four Mondays in a row, he released a new song to his YouTube page. His third music leak was his newly-defined track "Say I Ain't Right." Though the song leaked to the Internet months earlier, Klang's official YouTube release was updated. "Music is constantly evolving," he said. "‘Say I Ain't Right' is a special song to me for a few reasons. It is the first song I recorded after I started getting popularity from ‘Making the Band' and features Frankie B., one of my best friends." Bossio collaborated with Klang on another popular music leak titled "Stay Here Forever."

Whether these tracks make the final album selection is currently unknown. However, according to Klang, they musically define his sound.

His final music leak was a rich-sounding ballad – something "Just a Rolling Stone" lacked. The song "Prisoner of Love" contained the sound fans had been waiting for. "Ballads are what I grew up on," he said. "Boyz II Men, Dru Hill, Jodeci and Usher all had great ballads." Klang said ballads fascinate him because there is a lot of space in the melody to fill with harmonies. "They really tell a story," he said.

Klang's currently putting the final touches on his upcoming album. The big question fans are asking is what can be expected. "I am the creative director," he said. "It's going to be my story, told how I want to tell it. It's going to sound how I want it to sound."

Fans Jessica and Nicole Dobert have supported Klang since his days with Playa Deception. "I'm looking forward to seeing what he does with his second album," Nicole said. "He can write some catchy songs that get stuck in your head in a good way." Jessica admires Klang for his sincerity towards his fans. "[Donnie] is always willing to take pictures and sign autographs," she said. "He appreciates every single one of his fans."

Klang said being an artist isn't just about selling albums. For him, it's about producing positivity and being someone fans look up to. He said his goal is to be an artist fans learn from.

Klang has his own role models that have inspire him – one, being Will Smith. "I admire [him] because not only is he a great actor, but he has always remained popular in the industry without having to use any of the gimmicks and negative press to keep him there," he said. "You can tell he has always remained humble and thankful. He's intelligent and has helped out with so many charities. This is how other celebrities in his position should be influencing today's youth. If, God willing, I am ever in shoes that big, I will definitely follow in his foot steps."

Throughout the creation of his second album, Klang's had time to reflect on his past work and the direction he wants to go. According to him, his fan base is one of his leading inspirations for the project. "I'm not only making music for my own iPod," he said. "I'm making it for every single fan that has stuck by me since day one."

Klang said his biggest goal isn't about focusing on how many people hear the tracks, but how it's understood. "I'm concerned with people emotionally connecting with the music," he said. "I'm concentrating on creating great, undeniable music and cannot wait until everyone hears it."

STEVIE WONDER- SHOE BE DO BE DO DA DAY

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