She’s a staple on “The Real Housewives of Potomac,” but Candiace Dillard often finds herself in Los Angeles as she continues to flourish as a recording artist.
Such was the case on Feb. 9 when the Maryland-based reality star-singer, 37, was invited to perform the National Anthem and “Lift Every Voice and Sing” — the Black National Anthem — at a Lakers game honoring Black History Month and those who’ve attended historically black colleges and universities.
Dillard, a graduate of Washington, D.C.’s Howard University herself, invited Page Six along for the ride, giving us an exclusive look inside the hard work she puts in to prepare for an exciting career milestone.
“It’s a lot of prep,” the “Drive Back” songstress admits, “but I’m glad everybody kind of gets to see what goes into just one small performance.”
Living life as a powerhouse performer is no easy feat. From employing a Grammy-winning songwriter to coach her through intense vocal exercises to the physical sacrifices she makes — like abstaining from cheese and cocktails for weeks at a time to keep those cords crisp and clear! — Dillard doesn’t mess around.
But of course, there is time for fun, too, like getting glam and choosing what to wear. Below, we uncover a side of the Bravolebity that fans don’t always get to see: CANDIACE, the artist.
Tea Time
Dillard begins performance days with a strong dose of Throat Coat tea to make sure her pipes are on point for a back-to-back a cappella performance.
“This tea has become this huge part of my get-ready routine,” she tells us inside her suite at the Kimpton Everly Hotel in Hollywood, her go-to when she travels to the City of Angels. “I have at least two cups.”
Lounging in a Beyoncé Renaissance Tour T-shirt while keeping her eyes refreshed with matching purple gel patches, Dillard reflects on the genesis of her music career — and how “RHOP” pushed her to finally pursue her passion.
“When I was getting ready to get married, I knew that I wanted to perform a song for [my husband] Chris [Bassett] at our reception,” says the Georgia native, whose nuptials to Bassett were featured on her first season of the unscripted series in 2018.
“That was just always in my head and at first I wanted it be be a Toni Braxton song because she is my sister in song — and a Maryland girl,” she elaborates. “By that time, of course, I was on ‘Potomac Housewives’ and they were like, ‘Well, you can do the Toni song but we may not be able to show it because it’s not really a clear-able song.’”
She was then encouraged to compose an original song, which is how her romantic ballad “I See You” came about.
That experience ignited a love of songwriting for the musician, who has since dropped two versions of her beloved “Deep Space” album and is currently working on a follow-up EP with a host of renowned collaborators, including production team Triangle Park (Bebe Rexha, Teyana Taylor, H.E.R.).
“I’m so, so, so grateful for the platform that I’ve been given with Bravo. They have supported me immensely with my music career, with my acting career, with just my love for wanting to express myself as an artist,” she raves. “They’ve really given me the space to talk through and talk about my love for that industry.”
Still, she teases that an exit from the “Housewives” universe is inevitable — if not yet near — to fully immerse herself into showbiz.
“All good things have to come to an end. For now, I’m happy. I’m happy to continue to share my life on the platform. It’s done so much for me as a woman, as a wife, as a daughter, as a human being,” she says. “You learn a lot about yourself in this crazy space, so I’m here until I’m not.”
Getting Glam
Dillard taps makeup artist Tyshala Wright — whose clients include the likes of rap icon Saweetie — to give her a winning beauty look.
“The safest thing to do is a neutral. So a neutral eye that still opens my eye, makes my eye bright and opens it up,” she says, noting that she typically asks for a beat that makes it “look like I should be on ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race.’”
Wright delivers, highlighting Dillard’s sparkling brown eyes and enviable bone structure. However, the former pageant queen — who reigned as Miss United States in 2013 — acknowledges that she is able to handle her own cosmetic care in a pinch.
“No matter what, I always bring my own makeup. Even when I have my tried and true makeup artists because people can get abducted by aliens, people get lost, they don’t show up,” she says with a laugh. “What am I to do? Do my own makeup!”
Dillard says she’s been into beauty since she was a little girl, her love for the art of transforming one’s face directly inspired by her mother, Dorothy Watts.
“I remember watching my mom do her makeup when I was really, really young,” she elaborates. “So it’s just always come naturally to me, it’s always been fun for me.”
Vocal Warmups
Next up for Dillard is a session with her vocal coach, Antea Birchett, via FaceTime. (Birchett isn’t only a pro at helping her clients open their diaphragms and sing to their best abilities; she’s an accomplished songwriter and producer who’s worked with a myriad of A-listers like Justin Bieber, H.E.R. and Beyoncé.)
Dillard certainly appreciates Birchett’s expertise. She guides the “Fine Whine” entertainer through an array of physically demanding warmups — including breathing exercises that also involve squats — before she makes her Lakers debut.
But even the simplest of rituals beget big results. A favorite for Dillard is “trilling,” a rapid vibration of the tongue that encourages better air flow.
“I think the special thing about being a vocalist, I have an instrument. My instrument is in my body, it’s a part of me,” she explains. “Vocalists can’t separate from our instrument, so you have to do all of these gentle exercises like trilling.”
Picking the Perfect Outfit
When it comes to fashion, Dillard is never dull. With the help of her stylist, Brian Adrian, she decides to wear a figure-hugging black bodysuit with a pleated denim skort and thigh-high boots to the game.
The only question, though, is which jacket should she pair the ensemble with?
A Versace jean number is on deck, but Dillard and Adrian ultimately agree that a structured black Mugler moment was the right fit.
“This is the look. We’re doing this!” she says of the outfit. “I like what it does for my butt, the [skort]. Because you know I’ve been working out, so my booty is booty-ing.”
Getting There
Dillard departs her hotel in a luxe SUV that whisks us off to Crypto.com Arena, where she will sing for nearly 20,000 basketball fans.
“I feel great. I like to keep an anxious energy about me because that is the energy of someone who is ready to just do it. All of my confidence comes in the 11th hour because it’s, like, I can’t think about it anymore,” she says, describing her pre-performance feels.
“I can’t obsess over it anymore, so I’m just excited to be confident and do it.”
The multi-hyphenate’s performance comes at a poignant time. One day prior, a statue of late Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was unveiled outside of the famed downtown venue where he spent the majority of his career.
“I’m definitely going to be thinking about that when I’m singing,” she says of the NBA great’s enduring legacy.
O, Say Can You Sing
The time finally comes for Dillard to show the Lakers what she’s made of.
With the team’s star player, LeBron James, intently listening — along with a crowd that cheers with every high note she hits — during her rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” followed by the Star-Spangled Banner, she appears to be on cloud nine as her voice soars through the arena.
After a thunderous round of applause, Dillard makes her way back to her courtside seat with the brightest of smiles on her face.
“I feel good. It’s a relief because it’s over but it’s also, like, ‘Darn, it’s over!’ I want to do it again. But it felt good! The energy was good,” she tells us. “I heard people cheering at the end!”
What Dillard wasn’t aware of, though, was the bevy of celebrities who were part of the audience — including Jay Shetty, Will Ferrell, Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and, most importantly, Kelly Rowland, one of her musical idols.
She never expected her whirlwind day to end like this. “I cannot process!” she exclaims.
