Lorenzo Doryon Opens Up About His Broadway Past and Why It Feels So Good to Release His Own Songs [Exclusive]
Lorenzo Doryon is an artist who just released a new song, “Way Up Tonight.” He’s been a model and a stage actor and he’s currently focusing on music. He’s also bumped into a number of major celebrities. During an exclusive interview with Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Doryon discussed everything from his time as a model to the Broadway shows he loves to his favorite classic rock bands.
Lorenzo Doryon was a model but singing songs is his first passion
Doryon modeled at a young age but he isn’t a “model turned singer.” “I started singing when I was like five, and out the gate, I started booking a lot of modeling things because it’s hard to get into singing right away,” he said. “I was working for Target practically every week. And then it was Adidas and H&M and Nike and all that. I think one publication wrote ‘model turned singer’ and I’m not. I’m a singer first and I think a lot of singers have to kind of break into it as an actor, as a model, before you kind of break into it as a singer. Of course, not all actors can sing and not all singers can act. That’s kind of a difficult crossover.”
How Broadway musicals inspired Lorenzo Doryon’s songs
Doryon revealed Broadway musicals had an influence on his songwriting. “When I write, I think of something that personally affected me. I start the first verse and move on to the pre-chorus, and the chorus. Obviously, the chorus has to repeat. But I do this thing where on the second or third one, I’ll change the last few lines, so you see development between the first verse and the last one. That I took from Broadway, so the song moves the story along.” He cites The Lion King, Wicked, and Next to Normal as Broadway favorites.
Prior to becoming a musician on his own, Doryon revealed he had a choice between playing a heartthrob character on a Kidz Bop world tour or playing the title role in a production of The Who’s Tommy. According to Fame Magazine, the production featured Tony-winning actress Alice Ripley. Doryon revealed he was very interested in performing for Kidz Bop before getting the role. “That world tour was cut very, very short,” he said. “I made the right decision.”
What Lorenzo Doryon thinks of several other artists from the past and present
All these years after performing in Tommy, Doryon still likes The Who. In addition, Doryon cited other classic rock acts like The Beatles and The Beach Boys as favorites. He wondered aloud how anyone couldn’t like The Beatles.
Doryon revealed he works alongside a lot of Sony Records artists. He said everyone at Sony gets along with each other. He’s heard numerous songs from other artists before they became public. “Kim Petras, I heard ‘Malibu,'” he recalled. “The song that 5 Seconds of Summer did with The Chainsmokers, ‘Who Do You Love,’ I heard that song while they were working on that. I loved that song.” He also heard a lot of Noah Cyrus’ songs before they were released.
Doryon cites the King of Pop as an inspiration. “I love, love, love Michael Jackson,” he said. “He went to my high school! When I perform, I don’t try to mimic those dance moves, but the production of the performance?” Doryon felt Jackson set a bar that a lot of other artists are trying to reach in terms of production.
What he wants to accomplish with his songs
Going back to the subject of his own artistry, Doryon revealed why sharing his music with the world is so important to him. “Part of the reason I’m so excited about my music is because, for the first time in my life, I’m singing for myself, I’m not representing a brand,” he said. “On Broadway, I had to sing their songs. They’re beautiful songs, no one’s going to argue with that, but my artistic expression of life, of values — I’m now sharing that with the world.” Doryon also feels responsibility as a prospective role model and wants to put out good messages for fans of all ages.
Doryon’s newest single “Way Up Tonight” is available for streaming today.
