Chasing her dreams continues to be fruitful for Maryland native Summer Dennis.

No stranger to opening up for some of the hottest in the game, including Latto, DVSN and many others, Dennis’ favorite place to be is on stage. Recently, she took things to the next level as the opener for R&B powerhouse, and one of Dennis’ favorite songstresses, Melanie Fiona. The rising star could do this right at home at the Howard Theatre in Washington, D.C.

Summer Dennis on opening for someone she’s fan-girled ove

“She’s somebody I’ve wanted to sing like. I’ve been singing since before I could talk. My dad was a sound engineer, and my mom was in praise team,” Dennis told Blavity backstage following her performance. “[Melanie is] somebody I literally grew up watching, so to be here the same night as her, I mean, I hope she reads this, I’m like, ‘Wow.’ I don’t think she ever thinks she’s a part of other people’s stories, like we don’t think that. To be a supporting act for somebody that I’ve been fan-girling for years and years, it definitely warms my little heart so much.”

Born on June 21, 1986, the first day of summer during the first solar eclipse of the summer solstice since 1948, it’s almost as if she was born to be the shining star she is, and her performance at the Howard Theater seems like further proof of that.

“This stage, I can’t let go of it,” Dennis said. “I’ve always had a ton of jobs, but it just keeps pulling me back. No matter what. I’ve styled different ‘who’s who’ in the city, and then I was also a business analyst, and it’s like I can’t stop. I love it so much.”

Before Melanie Fiona hit the stage to deliver jaw-dropping performances of her hits, including “It Kills Me” and “4 AM,” and new songs “Say Yes” and “I Choose You,” Dennis performed tracks from her ever-evolving catalog as well.

Going through her catalog on stage

For those who may have never heard from Dennis before, audiences were introduced to her vocal talents through songs like “Pink Lotus” and her first stage performance of “Ain’t No Way,” her most recent release.

“It’s crazy. We recorded that in LA in 2023,” Dennis said. “So it’s been there for a while, and when I recorded it, I was bigger, I was sicker, and I’ve gotten much healthier now. So for these two whole years, I’ve been like, ‘I’m not gonna be able to sing that all the way through.’ I have long COVID, and getting my breath back, and getting my muscle tone back, a whole lot of stuff. I was scared to sing that song, and it really wasn’t that bad. I’ve just been thinking about this moment.”

When reflecting on how that’s a testament to overcoming fears, Dennis said, “It’s always been in the back. There are other songs that I have waiting, that I’m like, ‘How am I gonna do this?’ And I just keep plowing through. I just won’t stop. I’ve had bad experiences. We’ve been through a lot, and it’s like I still just keep being like, dang, I’m gonna keep doing this.’”

The same week Dennis opened for Melanie Fiona, she returned to the Howard Theater stage as the opening act for Pretty Ricky, and she has no plans to stop anytime soon.

Howard Theater

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