Antoine Dodson
Encyclopedia
Kevin Antoine Dodson is an 'accidental singer', actor, and former resident of the Lincoln Park housing project in Huntsville, Alabama
, whose interview on local television news became an Internet sensation and resulted in an Auto-Tune
d song
by The Gregory Brothers
that "has sold thousands of copies on iTunes
and appeared on the Billboard Hot 100
list." The interview that propelled Dodson into fame was prompted by the report of a house intrusion and attempted rape of his sister Kelly Dodson.
after the attempted rape of his sister by an intruder in her bedroom, in the projects of Lincoln Park.
The video of the interview caught attention because of the passionate and flamboyant style of his delivery, speaking directly to the camera, in which he directly addressed the people of his neighborhood as well as the would-be rapist, and his use of street vernacular. The reactions were mixed. Some local viewers phoned the TV station to complain that interviews with people such as Dodson reflected poorly on the community, whereupon the station defended broadcasting the interview by stating that censoring such people is "far worse." Jonathan Capehart, editorial page writer for The Washington Post
, wrote that Dodson became an instant Internet sensation because "in this age of fake reality TV, he puts the real in reality," to which he later added that Dodson "is one of the strongest people we’ve seen in a while."
and then inspired several musical remix
es, including a video by musical group The Gregory Brothers
, known as the "Bed Intruder Song
." The song was a huge success and eventually reached number 89 on Billboard
s Hot 100 list. The popularity of the song inspired many covers and remixes, including a punk rock
version by a team formed by Hayley Williams
of Paramore
, Jordan Pundik
of New Found Glory
, and Ethan Luck
of Relient K
.
Dodson was interviewed for the Today Show on NBC on 26 August 2010 about his new found "Web superstardom." On the program, Dodson's YouTube video was called "one of the most watched online videos ever," with the hosts noting it had already been viewed more than 16 million times as of that date. Dodson has done radio shows in Australia, has fans in London and is now widely recognized in his hometown of Huntsville.
Dodson launched a website in which he asks for donations to assist his family in moving "out of the hood
." The money, as well as money from sales of "Bed Intruder" on iTunes
and merchandise such as T-shirts, will go to helping his family buy a new home and setting up a foundation for juvenile diabetes, a disease that has afflicted both his sister and his mother.
In August 2010, Dodson noted the irony of having "a hit on iTunes, but we're still in the projects"; one month later, Us Weekly
reported that Dodson had made enough money from the song to move his family out of the projects to a better house. In September 2010, the Gregory Brothers reported that they had sold more than 250,000 copies of The Bed Intruder Song on iTunes.
In October 2010, Dodson gave a live performance of "Bed Intruder Song" with Michael Gregory of The Gregory Brothers
at the 2010 BET Hip Hop Awards
.
Excluding major label music videos, Dodson's song was the most viewed YouTube video of 2010. It was chosen as the "Meme of the Year" in the 2010 Urlies – both as the People's Choice and the Editors' Choice – while the original video of Dodson's television interview was the "Video of the Year" – People's Choice.
He was also featured in a segment on Lopez Tonight
singing a "Chimney Intruder" song about Santa Claus
, and on Tosh.0
for a "Web Redemption."
release sold through zazzle.com. After a licensing dispute between the artist, the photographer, and his manager, he launched a storefront through districtlines.com with an unrelated line of merchandise. Since then he has authorized the creation and sale of a "Bed Intruder Costume" for Halloween
2010 and endorsed a "Sex Offender Tracker" smartphone
application for the iPhone
and Android platforms.
In late December 2010, Dodson was featured in a commercial advertising the new Tosh.0
season.
On January 21, 2011, MSN announced that Dodson was filming a pilot episode for a reality show, featuring Dodson and his family as they move from Huntsville to Los Angeles
, California
.
, and moved to Huntsville in 2004, where he attends Virginia College
, working on an associate degree in business administration. He also works as a hairstylist. Antoine Dodson is the oldest of six children. In an online Q&A video with fans, he answered a question regarding his sexuality: "Am I bisexual
? No. Gay
? Yes." In an interview with CBS, Dodson told Shira Lazar
that he had been a rape victim in the past.
On Saturday, April 23, 2011, Dodson was arrested for marijuana possession
after he was pulled over for allegedly speeding. He was also arrested on five other misdemeanor charges but was released later that day.
On Sunday, September 25, 2011, Dodson was again arrested in Huntsville, Alabama at 6:20 pm for violating the city's loud noise ordinance. The police were going to let Dodson off with just a warning until they ran his name through the system and discovered he had an outstanding warrant against him for not reporting to court for the above mentioned marijuana violation. Dodson was arrested on the spot, but he was later released on a $516.00 bond.
, Stephen and Jack Quire, Ben Schulz
, Brian Collins, Gary Brolsma
and Lisa Moum, which is scheduled to be released in 2011.
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
, whose interview on local television news became an Internet sensation and resulted in an Auto-Tune
Auto-Tune
Auto-Tune is a proprietary audio processor created by Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a phase vocoder to correct pitch in vocal and instrumental performances. It is used to disguise off-key inaccuracies and mistakes, and has allowed singers to perform apparently perfectly tuned vocal...
d song
Bed Intruder Song
"Bed Intruder Song" is a song by The Gregory Brothers and Antoine Dodson , featuring Kelly Dodson. The song by the Auto-Tune the News creators features processed vocals of Antoine Dodson, who was talking to a news reporter about the attempted rape of his sister Kelly...
by The Gregory Brothers
The Gregory Brothers
The Gregory Brothers are an American musical group who characterize their music as "Country & Soul, Folk & Roll". Members include Michael Gregory on drums and vocals, Andrew Rose Gregory on guitar and vocals, Evan Gregory on keys and vocals, and Sarah Fullen Gregory on bass and vocals...
that "has sold thousands of copies on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
and appeared on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
list." The interview that propelled Dodson into fame was prompted by the report of a house intrusion and attempted rape of his sister Kelly Dodson.
The interview
Dodson was interviewed on July 28, 2010, by NBC affiliate WAFF-48 NewsWAFF (TV)
WAFF is the NBC television network affiliate in Huntsville, Alabama. The station broadcasts on UHF channel 49 and serves the northern portion of Alabama and several counties in southern Tennessee.-Decatur years, 1954 - 69:...
after the attempted rape of his sister by an intruder in her bedroom, in the projects of Lincoln Park.
The video of the interview caught attention because of the passionate and flamboyant style of his delivery, speaking directly to the camera, in which he directly addressed the people of his neighborhood as well as the would-be rapist, and his use of street vernacular. The reactions were mixed. Some local viewers phoned the TV station to complain that interviews with people such as Dodson reflected poorly on the community, whereupon the station defended broadcasting the interview by stating that censoring such people is "far worse." Jonathan Capehart, editorial page writer for The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, wrote that Dodson became an instant Internet sensation because "in this age of fake reality TV, he puts the real in reality," to which he later added that Dodson "is one of the strongest people we’ve seen in a while."
"Bed Intruder Song" and rise to fame
The video of Dodson's television interview went viralViral video
A viral video is one that becomes popular through the process of Internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites, social media and email...
and then inspired several musical remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
es, including a video by musical group The Gregory Brothers
The Gregory Brothers
The Gregory Brothers are an American musical group who characterize their music as "Country & Soul, Folk & Roll". Members include Michael Gregory on drums and vocals, Andrew Rose Gregory on guitar and vocals, Evan Gregory on keys and vocals, and Sarah Fullen Gregory on bass and vocals...
, known as the "Bed Intruder Song
Bed Intruder Song
"Bed Intruder Song" is a song by The Gregory Brothers and Antoine Dodson , featuring Kelly Dodson. The song by the Auto-Tune the News creators features processed vocals of Antoine Dodson, who was talking to a news reporter about the attempted rape of his sister Kelly...
." The song was a huge success and eventually reached number 89 on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Hot 100 list. The popularity of the song inspired many covers and remixes, including a punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
version by a team formed by Hayley Williams
Hayley Williams
Hayley Nichole Williams is an American singer, songwriter, and the lead vocalist of the band Paramore.- Life and career :...
of Paramore
Paramore
Paramore is an American rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band consists of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, bassist Jeremy Davis, and guitarist Taylor York...
, Jordan Pundik
Jordan Pundik
Jordan Izaak Pundik is an American musician and songwriter.Pundik is a founding member and the frontman of rock band New Found Glory, for whom he sings lead vocals and contributes lyrics...
of New Found Glory
New Found Glory
New Found Glory is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida. Formed in the summer of 1997, founding members were lead vocalist Jordan Pundik, guitarists Chad Gilbert and Steve Klein, bassist Ian Grushka and drummer Joe Marino...
, and Ethan Luck
Ethan Luck
Ethan John Luck is a guitarist, photographer, and drummer who has played in many bands, most prominently, the ska band The O.C. Supertones....
of Relient K
Relient K
Relient K is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio by Matt Thiessen, Brian Pittman, and Matt Hoopes during the band's junior year in high school and their time at Malone University...
.
Dodson was interviewed for the Today Show on NBC on 26 August 2010 about his new found "Web superstardom." On the program, Dodson's YouTube video was called "one of the most watched online videos ever," with the hosts noting it had already been viewed more than 16 million times as of that date. Dodson has done radio shows in Australia, has fans in London and is now widely recognized in his hometown of Huntsville.
Dodson launched a website in which he asks for donations to assist his family in moving "out of the hood
Ghetto
A ghetto is a section of a city predominantly occupied by a group who live there, especially because of social, economic, or legal issues.The term was originally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live. The term now refers to an overcrowded urban area often associated...
." The money, as well as money from sales of "Bed Intruder" on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
and merchandise such as T-shirts, will go to helping his family buy a new home and setting up a foundation for juvenile diabetes, a disease that has afflicted both his sister and his mother.
In August 2010, Dodson noted the irony of having "a hit on iTunes, but we're still in the projects"; one month later, Us Weekly
Us Weekly
Us Weekly is a celebrity gossip magazine, founded in 1977 by The New York Times Company, who sold it in 1980. It was acquired by Wenner Media in 1986. The publication covers topics ranging from celebrity relationships to the latest trends in fashion, beauty, and entertainment...
reported that Dodson had made enough money from the song to move his family out of the projects to a better house. In September 2010, the Gregory Brothers reported that they had sold more than 250,000 copies of The Bed Intruder Song on iTunes.
In October 2010, Dodson gave a live performance of "Bed Intruder Song" with Michael Gregory of The Gregory Brothers
The Gregory Brothers
The Gregory Brothers are an American musical group who characterize their music as "Country & Soul, Folk & Roll". Members include Michael Gregory on drums and vocals, Andrew Rose Gregory on guitar and vocals, Evan Gregory on keys and vocals, and Sarah Fullen Gregory on bass and vocals...
at the 2010 BET Hip Hop Awards
BET Hip Hop Awards
The BET Hip Hop Awards are an annual awards show, airing on BET, showcasing hip hop performers, producers and music video directors. The awards ceremony began in 2006, was held on November 12, 2006 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, was first aired November 15 and was hosted by comedian Katt...
.
Excluding major label music videos, Dodson's song was the most viewed YouTube video of 2010. It was chosen as the "Meme of the Year" in the 2010 Urlies – both as the People's Choice and the Editors' Choice – while the original video of Dodson's television interview was the "Video of the Year" – People's Choice.
He was also featured in a segment on Lopez Tonight
Lopez Tonight
Lopez Tonight was an American late-night television talk show hosted by comedian George Lopez. The hour-long program premiered on November 9, 2009, on cable network TBS. Lopez was the first Mexican American to host a late-night talk show on an English-language network in the United States. The...
singing a "Chimney Intruder" song about Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
, and on Tosh.0
Tosh.0
Tosh.0 is an American television series hosted by comedian Daniel Tosh, who provides sarcastic commentary on online video clips, society, celebrities, and other parts of popular culture.-History:...
for a "Web Redemption."
Business ventures
Dodson has capitalized on the success of "Bed Intruder Song." His first venture was a line of t-shirts and merchandise featuring the original album art from the iTunesITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
release sold through zazzle.com. After a licensing dispute between the artist, the photographer, and his manager, he launched a storefront through districtlines.com with an unrelated line of merchandise. Since then he has authorized the creation and sale of a "Bed Intruder Costume" for Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
2010 and endorsed a "Sex Offender Tracker" smartphone
Smartphone
A smartphone is a high-end mobile phone built on a mobile computing platform, with more advanced computing ability and connectivity than a contemporary feature phone. The first smartphones were devices that mainly combined the functions of a personal digital assistant and a mobile phone or camera...
application for the iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
and Android platforms.
In late December 2010, Dodson was featured in a commercial advertising the new Tosh.0
Tosh.0
Tosh.0 is an American television series hosted by comedian Daniel Tosh, who provides sarcastic commentary on online video clips, society, celebrities, and other parts of popular culture.-History:...
season.
On January 21, 2011, MSN announced that Dodson was filming a pilot episode for a reality show, featuring Dodson and his family as they move from Huntsville to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Personal life
Dodson grew up in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and moved to Huntsville in 2004, where he attends Virginia College
Virginia College
Virginia College is a non Regionally Accredited chain of private for-profit post-secondary institutions located primarily in the Southeastern United States. It is a Proprietary college which, in comparison to traditional colleges or universities, offers classes related to specific professions...
, working on an associate degree in business administration. He also works as a hairstylist. Antoine Dodson is the oldest of six children. In an online Q&A video with fans, he answered a question regarding his sexuality: "Am I bisexual
Bisexuality
Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...
? No. Gay
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
? Yes." In an interview with CBS, Dodson told Shira Lazar
Shira Lazar
Shira Lazar is a Canadian television personality, actress, writer and video blogger who currently resides and works in Los Angeles....
that he had been a rape victim in the past.
On Saturday, April 23, 2011, Dodson was arrested for marijuana possession
Drug possession
Drug possession is the crime of having one or more illegal drugs in one's possession, either for personal use, distribution, sale or otherwise. Illegal drugs fall into different categories and sentences vary depending on the amount, type of drug, circumstances, and jurisdiction.A person has...
after he was pulled over for allegedly speeding. He was also arrested on five other misdemeanor charges but was released later that day.
On Sunday, September 25, 2011, Dodson was again arrested in Huntsville, Alabama at 6:20 pm for violating the city's loud noise ordinance. The police were going to let Dodson off with just a warning until they ran his name through the system and discovered he had an outstanding warrant against him for not reporting to court for the above mentioned marijuana violation. Dodson was arrested on the spot, but he was later released on a $516.00 bond.
Singles
- 2010: "Bed Intruder SongBed Intruder Song"Bed Intruder Song" is a song by The Gregory Brothers and Antoine Dodson , featuring Kelly Dodson. The song by the Auto-Tune the News creators features processed vocals of Antoine Dodson, who was talking to a news reporter about the attempted rape of his sister Kelly...
" (The Gregory BrothersThe Gregory BrothersThe Gregory Brothers are an American musical group who characterize their music as "Country & Soul, Folk & Roll". Members include Michael Gregory on drums and vocals, Andrew Rose Gregory on guitar and vocals, Evan Gregory on keys and vocals, and Sarah Fullen Gregory on bass and vocals...
, Antoine Dodson, and Kelly Dodson) - 2011: "Gucci Bag" (Lady G featuring Antoine Dodson)
Films
Currently, Antoine is appearing in a new motion picture called The Chronicles of Rick Roll with co-stars Paul "Bear" VasquezDouble Rainbow (viral video)
Double Rainbow refers to a viral video posted by Paul "Bear" Vasquez. The clip, filmed in his front yard just outside Yosemite National Park, in the U.S. state of California, chronicles his sighting of and Stendhal syndrome-like reaction to a double rainbow...
, Stephen and Jack Quire, Ben Schulz
Leeroy Jenkins
Leeroy Jenkins, sometimes misspelled Leroy Jenkins and often elongated with numerous additional letters, is an Internet phenomenon named for a player character created by Ben Schulz in Blizzard Entertainment's MMORPG, World of Warcraft. The character became popular due to a video of the game that...
, Brian Collins, Gary Brolsma
Gary Brolsma
Gary William Brolsma , also known as simply The Numa Numa Guy, is an American singer who gained worldwide attention after posting onto the Internet, near the end of 2004, a webcam video of himself miming to the song "Dragostea din tei" by Moldovan pop band O-Zone...
and Lisa Moum, which is scheduled to be released in 2011.