Lori Dokken was born and raised in the small town of Benson, MN. As the youngest of 5 Lori was musical inclined from the age of 4. All though her high school years she was involved in music, whether it be in Chamber Singers, the many school plays, or just singing with a group of friends; you could always find her doing something with music.

After Lori finished with High school she move onto college were she took some college classes in Minneapolis. After college Lori did some local work around the Minneapolis metro area for a few years. After a while in MN it was off on a new adventure in the Windy City were she played in some of the bars down there. Then she said to her self that it sure would be nice to get back to Minnesota were most of her friends and family are located.

Locally she has appeared on such stages as The Guthrie Theater, The State Theater, The Times Bar and Café, The Dakota Bar and Grill, The Town House, The Gay 90's, Backstage at Bravo, Ivories, and countless other venues in The Minneapolis-St. Paul area as well as clubs in Chicago and Los Angeles.

Lori has traveled the world to perform in such places as Brazil, Argentina, Greece, Europe, Alaska, Puerto Rico, Mexico and numerous Caribbean locations.

She received an Honorable Mention Award in the 2001 John Lennon Songwriting Contest, an international competition. Others include: the WCCO Radio "Good Neighbor" Award, Eleven Who Care Nominee - KARE 11 (NBC Affiliate) The Thomas S. Hansen Humanitarian Award for Community Service. 1994 Grand Marshall of GLBT Pride Parade with Minnesota Senator Allan Spear and the Community Service Award from The Imperial Sovereign Court Of The Ice Castle - ISCIC.

She has worked with or opened for such notables as: Bobby McFerrin, Jane Olivor, Beatrice Arthur, Jennifer Holiday, Eartha Kitt, and Tony Bennett.

Never afraid to share her stage, Lori has used her talents in a variety of teaching arenas. For 19 years, she has encouraged and promoted up and coming vocalists/performers with her weekly open mic nights and showcases. The formal classroom, she is a dynamic and nurturing mentor.

Lori's strength lies in getting people to do things for others. What this means is organizing 300 entertainers for 13 hours of continuous music, dance and comedy for a local HIV/AIDS service organization benefit, finding several top notch performers to sing at an Alzheimer's fundraiser and orchestrating the annual Dizzy Dokken's Charity Gold Tournament. Her 15 year post as Entertainer Director has earned receipts well over $750,000. Although largely philanthropic, her production and performing skills have also been utilized by major corporations in training programs involving quality and diversity and entertainment for holiday parties. The Association of Women in Radio and Television, the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce, and the Minneapolis Mayor's Inaugural Ball.

"The magic of a live performance comes from the spontaneous relationship between the artist and the audience. My job as an entertainer is to bridge the gap between the music and the people; people who might need a lift, a laugh, or a love song in their lives at that moment. It's a crazy method of making friends, much less a living, but I wouldn't have it any other way." -