Dawn Silva is an American funk vocalist.
Silva was born in Sacramento, California. She started her career as a background vocalist for Sly and The Family Stone. She joined P-Funk in 1977. She was the only original Brides of Funkenstein member to continue through Brides' career. In 1978, with Lynn Mabry, she released the successful and acclaimed Funk Or Walk. The Bride's first single release on Atlantic Records, "Disco To Go", sold over five hundred thousand units, and was certified Gold. In 1979, with Sheila Horne & Jeanette McGruder, she released the top single "Never Buy Texas From A Cowboy," voted by Rolling Stone 2001 as one of the top 50 coolest albums ever released. The Brides were the only group in the funk organization to receive a Rhythm and Blues Award in 1981 for Never Buy Texas From A Cowboy.
Silva recorded and toured with The Gap Band in 1982. She signed a solo deal with Polygram Records in 1988, but her debut album was never released.
Her recording and touring credits include and not limted to are, Ice Cube, Boyz n the Hood, Roy Ayers, Snoop Dogg, Coolio, B.B. King, and Parliament Funkadelic. Her first solo album release in Europe on Musisoft (Paris France) All My Funky Friends, December 2000, sold thousands of units, and was hailed by Tower Records (2001) as the only authentic funk album to be released in over two decades. Silva's debut CD a stunning slab of infectious grooves (Amy Hanson AMG - All Music Guide) was the talk of the internet, and would earn her a second license deal with a Dutch label Challenge Records and headline performances such as The North Sea Jazz Festival in Den Haag Holland were written to be electrifying.