‘Rolling’ right along

Donnie Klang does reality without the drama

PROFILE. Although Donnie Klang was arguably one of the biggest stars to come out of Diddy’s “Making the Band 4,” receiving a solo album deal with Bad Boy Records on the first season finale, the singer didn’t see much airtime in the season that just wrapped. That’s because he stayed out of most of the yelling and arguing that reality shows are known for.

“I stayed out of all the drama stuff and it kind of hurt my TV time,” says Klang, matter-of-factly. “Because with reality TV, obviously they want to see all the drama they can get.”

But it is exactly this drama-free style that the camera will capture on the new show he is working on with MTV.

“Me and my best friend, he’s my bodyguard, he’s about a foot taller than me,” says Klang. “We have the funniest stuff that just happens in our lives that’s so hard to explain, so that’s kind of the basis for the spin-off television show that we’re working on.”

But things haven’t always been so easygoing for Klang. At age twelve Klang and a group of boys formed together and tried to prove their talent to the world. They stayed together as a group by the name of INT for nine years before finally calling it quits.  

“We were basically like a boy band, we had different managers and stuff like that, we always got so close, but never got to that next level,” he says. “So as great as it was and as much as I learned, we got our hearts broken, over and over.”

Getting his heart broken seems to have paid off for Klang. His latest album, “Just a Rolling Stone,” features the upcoming single “Pick it Up,” which is all about getting over heartbreak. It also happens to be Klang’s favorite song on the album.

“I just feel like it’s more real,” he says. “It’s more of what I feel would define me as a singer.”
Despite having a title that calls to mind rock ‘n’ roll, “Just a Rolling Stone” is a combination of R&B and pop that reminds listeners why he was offered the Bad Boy contract as a solo artist instead of being placed in a group.

This sort of drama, Klang is quick to point out, he doesn’t mind.

“That was the craziest night out of every single ‘Making the Band’ experience,” says Klang. “I found out on live national TV. I had no clue.”

Donnie Klang
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