UB Black Music Month Spotlight: The Story and Music of ‘Damian Dame’

This week 30 years ago, they released their debut and only self-titled album. We’re starting our Black Music Month feature off this year with a spotlight on the album and the duo.

Damian stated in 1991 to BILLBOARD, “We were struggling artists together.” Damian was a keyboardist/rapper/singer, and Deah, a singer who had done a lot of background vocal work for L.A. & Face. Deah brought Damian a demo tape of songs she had recorded and suggested that Damian write music for her lyrics.

The two worked on eight songs together and presented the demo to L.A. and Face, who by this time had established their own label with distribution through Arista. “They wanted to sign Deah anyway,” Damian stated, adding that it was Deah who sold the producers on the concept of the duo; “What they really liked was the fact that we wrote our own material. We reminded them of themselves.”

The duo combined funky R&B rhythms, seductive ballads, and the dramatic musical style of LaFace production with strong, riveting vocals and the undeniable appeal of a male/female duo providing commentary on contemporary love relationships.

“We wanted to capture scenarios in our songs of what girls and guys really go through, not the fairy tale about love,” stated Damian. “We wanted to make people say, ‘That’s what I’m going through,'” Deah added. “And the majority of our songs offer a solution. They go deeper than what a lot of people are sometimes willing to talk about.”

The first single released from them was the #1 R&B Billboard hit single “Exclusivity” which introduced Damian Dame to the world and stayed in heavy rotation on BET.

Their debut self-titled album was released in May of 1991 and the second single shortly followed, the smooth LA & Babyface ballad “Right Down To It” which also reached #1 on the Billboard R&B.

The final single released from their album was “Gotta Learn My Rhythm” and the duo released a remix version different than the album version to radio and for the video. That song hit the top 20 as well on the single chart.

Damian Dame appeared on on “Soul Train” and “The Party Machine” to promote the album.

L.A. Reid stated to BILLBOARD in 1999 for the LaFace’ 10th Anniversary, that the tree of success started with Damian Dame; “Our first chart success was Damian Dame. Our first platinum success was TLC. And the TLC success came alongside the platinum success of the “Boomerang” soundtrack. That soundtrack included Toni Braxton, who was a brand new artist.”

Before Damian Dame, Debra released a solo album via Geffen that featured a top 10 hit entitled “Hug Me, Squeeze Me.” Her vocals were also included on songs by Karyn White, The Deele, Shalamar and a host of others. Bruce was a musician who played the guitar and drums by the time he was 16 years old.

While the duo was in preparation to begin work on their sophomore album for LaFace Records, tragedy struck and Deah Dame was killed in a auto accident in Atlanta on June 27, 1994, she was only 25 years old.

Damian later would release a solo album entitled “Damian 199sex.” Unfortunately that would be his last release as he passed away on June 27, 1996 of colon cancer. Yes you read that correct, the exact same date as Deah two years later. His album was released 9 days before his death.

Although as faith would have it they would only record one album as Damian Dame, the album itself is such a gem and one of the best R&B album released in 1991.

Outside of the singles released which were all great songs, the album included even more amazing tracks including; “When I’m Crying,” “Love Come Near Me,” “Virgin Island” and “Sixty Seconds” featuring another talented artist gone too soon from LaFace Left-Eye from TLC. A side-note, Chilli was a back-up dancer for Damian Dame and that’s how she was discovered for TLC!

Take a trip down memory lane and check out the great sounds of Damian Dame; Gone But Never Forgotten!