Dion Todd

The Journey

Dion’s defining moment in time: at the ripe old age of eight, while living in a shelter with his mother and sister, he was subjected to a counseling session with a child support worker who informed his mother, while he was present, that due to the significant negative events of his childhood, he was destined to mature into a complete and utter disaster. Faced with an ultimate character defining moment, Dion did what any self-respecting 8-year-old would do ─ he conquered his fears, overcame his adversities, and became the master of his destiny. Today, he is rightfully appreciative for that pivotal moment that shaped him into the innovative leader, entrepreneur, musician, and visionary he has evolved into today.

Dion’s path to success in music and business is nothing short of extraordinary. 

During the most difficult times of his childhood, he became fixated on music, and began to sing and play various instruments as a means to escape his negative surroundings. 

Given his passion for music, Dion’s mother enrolled him in the Cambridge Kiwanis Boys Choir in Canada. Very quickly, he became the Choir’s head soloist and had the opportunity to tour around North America and Europe with the choir. He experienced his first taste of the recording industry when he was chosen to sing a solo on one of the Choir’s albums Christmas Favorites.

As his passion for music continued to grow, he attended a high school for the performing arts where he studied vocal and instrumental music, during which time he learned to play more than 10 instruments. 

Dion first gained success with hits including 'Maybe', 'Magic', and a 2005 remake of Corey Hart's megahit 'Never Surrender', all of which appeared on best-selling pop/dance compilation albums. ‘Never Surrender’ peaked at #28 on the R&R Mediabase CHR/Pop Top 30. ‘Magic’ and ‘Never Surrender’ earned Dion a total of three East Coast Music Award nominations in Canada.

With the changing tide of the music industry, Dion decided to take a hiatus to pursue his business interests. As an accomplished entrepreneur, Dion’s business expertise was validated when he graduated in 2017 from one of the most prestigious universities in the world, MIT (The Massachusetts Institute of Technology) with an MBA (Master of Business Administration).

Dion made his return to the music industry in 2017 with a powerful dance ballad ‘Rocketship State of Mind.'  Written and released to support a campaign to bring awareness to human trafficking and domestic abuse, the song was co-written by Dion, along with his mother Christine White, and Grammy award winner Tiffany Fred (Jennifer Hudson). ‘Rocketship State of Mind’ peaked at #22 on the Canadian Top 100 (ADISQ) and earned Dion his fourth East Coast Music Award nomination in 2019 for Dance Recording of the Year. 

In 2018, Dion released his follow-up single ‘Remedy for Insanity’. The song peaked at #10 on the Canadian Top 100 radio play chart (ADISQ), and debuted on the coveted USA Billboard Top 50 Dance Club Chart at #48, peaking at #41. An EP of club mixes for ‘Remedy for Insanity’, aptly titled "Club Cure EP", was released on November 23, 2018 and hit #1 on the iTunes dance album sales chart in Canada. ‘Remedy for Insanity’ earned Dion two Independent Music Award nominations in 2019 for Best Dance/Electronica Song, and Best Dance/Electronica EP.

Following the success of 'Remedy for Insanity', Dion released his newest single 'Be Alright' in May 2019. In addition to the original pop mix for the song, the EP for "Be Alright" also features remixes by some of the world's hottest DJs/producers: Dirty Disco, DJ Strobe, Lenny Fontana, Perry Twins, Guy Scheiman, Ronnie "CHICO" Di Cicco, and StoneBridge and Damien Hall. The song catapulted to #5 on the Billboard Top 50 dance club chart, as well as hitting two additional Billboard charts, including #36 on the Billboard Top 50 Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, and #35 on the Billboard BDS Mainstream Top 40 national airplay radio indicator chart. The song also hit #30 on the USA Mediabase Mainstream Top 40 national radio activator chart, and cracked the top 20 on nearly every major Dance/DJ pool chart in the world Including zipDJ (Canada), Music Week (UK), and Billboard (USA). Dion scored numerous global #1 album sales spots on the iTunes Top 200 Dance Album sales charts, including hitting #1 in Canada.

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In 2020, Dion was named MusicNL (Music Newfoundland) Telegram Fan’s Choice Entertainer of the Year. 

Dion’s path to music also propelled him into a passion for inspiring others. During his time as a recording artist, Dion frequently spoke and performed at events in Canada, including visiting the very shelter where he lived with his mother. Dion is passionate about inspiring kids in similar situations. His status puts him in a very unique position to be a role model to children overcoming adversities similar to his own. More importantly, given the fact he could directly relate to them, it made it much easier for the children to listen, and to believe his words, that anything is possible. 

Perhaps it's befitting that Dion has come full circle to return to the music industry. As a vulnerable broken child, music contributed to the person he is today. Driven to succeed no matter how difficult the task, he has always been empowered to overcome adversities with a motivation to accomplish the extraordinary.