Danity Kane Biography
Danity Kane was an American R&B, hip hop, pop girl group signed to Bad Boy Records, first established in 2005. Formed on the third installment of MTV's Making the Band reality television series, the quintet comprised members Aubrey O'Day, Wanita "D. Woods" Woodgette, Shannon Bex, Dawn Richard, and Aundrea Fimbres. On the finale episode of the third season of Making the Band 4, O'Day and Woods were confirmed as no longer a part of the group.
On January 27, 2009, Richard confirmed to MTV.com in an interview that Danity Kane were no longer a group. The final line-up of the group, featured in the 2009 season of Making the Band, consisted of Richard and Fimbres.
Their self-titled debut studio album was released in 2006 and achieved success in the United States, shipping a million copies domestically, while spawning two singles with top 10 hit "Show Stopper" and the ballad "Ride for You." Danity Kane's second studio album, Welcome to the Dollhouse, was released on March 18, 2008, following the release of their second top 10 hit single "Damaged".
In 2004, producer Sean "Diddy" Combs returned with Making the Band 3, this time searching for the next female super group. With the help of choreographer Laurie Ann Gibson, vocal trainer Doc Holiday and talent manager Johnny Wright, he set out on a multi-city search and found 20 young singers. While seven girls remained, Combs became discontent with the level of talent remaining in the competition, and eventually decided not to form a band. He did, however, give a reprieve to three contestants he felt deserved another chance, including then-best friends Aubrey O'Day and Aundrea Fimbres, whose close bond originally formed early in the season. The three contestants became the first to appear in Season 2 of the show.
Afterwards, Combs once again pressed his team to audition new girls for the group. Finally, twenty girls were chosen and moved into a loft in New York City. Viewers had become invested in O'Day and Fimbres's friendship, naming them "the Aus" and "Aubrea" (portmanteux of their first names put together), as they watched the two compete all over again for positions in the group. O'Day emerged as the show's breakout star.
After weeks of dance and singing lessons, promotional appearances, and a performance in front of 10,000 at a Backstreet Boys concert at Nissan Pavilion in Bristow, VA, eleven girls remained, including O'Day and Fimbres. The finalists were sent home for three months, told to polish up, and return for the final stretch in November 2005.
On the second season's finale on Monday, November 15, 2005, five of the eleven were chosen: O'Day first, Wanita "D. Woods" Woodgette second, Shannon Bex third, Dawn Angeliqué Richard fourth, and Fimbres last. The final five members of the group in place, the third season of Making the Band 3 tracked the development and struggles of the new band — from then on known as "Danity Kane" (a name taken from a female anime superhero created and drawn by Richard). The group would later be featured on the second and third seasons of Making the Band 4 with new male R&B group Day26, as well as new solo artist Donnie Klang.
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